CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTS AND OTHER VEHICLES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Thomas Lillicrap at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th September 1869.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS LILLICRAP, of Stonehouse, in the County of
Devon, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTS AND OTHER VEHICLES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention refers particularly to carts for carrying
mud or manure, and especially when in a liquid or partially liquid state.
Heretofore it has been customary to "tip" such carts with the tail
board in its place, and that portion of the contents which cannot escape
has to be thrown or ladled out with a spade or otherwise, this has been
done to prevent the person removing the tail board from being buried
under the load as soon as it is removed, now by my Invention I obviate
this defect and tip the cart at the same time in the ordinary way, while
by my improvements hereafter described the tail board opens and is
pulled out of the way of the falling load, and in such manner that
none can by any possibility fall on the tail board. I hinge or hang
the tail board to the top or upper edge of the tail end of the cart, so
that it is free to swing or rise upwards instead of being hinged to the

page_text: lower or bottom edge as is now often done; to the lower end of the tail
board I secure a chain, wire rope, or rope, but I prefer a chain, or there
may be a chain at each end, and this chain I pass over a pulley or
roller mounted on the framing of the cart, the chain is then carried to
the fore end of the cart over another pulley and down to the shafts,
where it is secured; this chain is sufficiently long to allow the tail
board to close at the same time when the cart is tipped and the fore
part thereof begins to rise and the latter to fall, the chain tightens,
holds up the end of the tail board, and allows the contents of the cart to
be shot out; on the fore part of the cart being brought back to its original
position the tail board hangs as before at the back in the ordinary way.
The degree of elevation desired to be given to the tail board may be
regulated to the greatest nicety according to the length of chain employed,
and in some cases it may be caused to fall back on the top of the cart itself.
The tail board may be secured by a lever bolt passing across the same,
inserted at one end in a staple and in the other in a half staple, the
self-acting chain being connected to the lever bolt; by tipping the cart
the chain pulls up the lever bolt until it becomes released at its opposite
end and rises simultaneously with the tail board.
The second part of my Invention refers to certain arrangements here-
after described whereby the height of carts from the ground may be
regulated, and these improvements particularly refer to carts for
carrying liquid mud or to carts for carrying heavy bodies, such as blocks
of stone, at the same time it is desirable at certain times to have the
cart of the ordinary height; for example, when mud has become dry if
tipped from a low cart the force may not be sufficient to throw it out,
whereas from a high cart it would run out easily. I accomplish this in
the following manner :-Supposing I want to make a cart so that it
may when required be of three different heights, I form three apertures
one above the other for the axle to pass through; the first aperture is
formed through the upright side of the cart, and above the bottom or
frame, but the bottom of the cart is arranged so as to pass over the axle,
otherwise when the axle is withdrawn there would be a cavity in each
side and also in the bottom through which mud would escape; in the
next position the axle passes through the aperture underneath the frame;
and in the other and last the axle passes under the block through the
lower aperture; thus according to the height I wish the cart to be from
the ground so I place the axle in those apertures corresponding with the

page_text: height required. The axle is by preference straight and is fitted so as
to fill up the hole, but without being tight, and so that it may pass in
and out freely, a bolt worked by a thumbscrew keeping the axle when
once properly adjusted in position.
The third part of my Invention relates to arrangements for regulating
the height of the shafts of carts and other vehicles whereby the height
may be adapted to horses or other animals of almost any size, and at
the same time to make carts which are capable of having their height
regulated in manner before described to properly balance when at the
lower or higher level. I place the shafts outside and against the sides
of the cart, a lever is fastened or pivoted to the side, the other end being
free to rise up or down as required; now as the shaft is hung to or
supported by this lever the balance may be thus adjusted to suit any
height, and the lever then secured in position by a pin or bolt passing
through one of the apertures formed in the same; for that purpose, a
rack may be fitted to the fore end of the cart or other vehicle, into
which a pinion takes, so that by turning the pinion in one or the other
direction the fore part of the cart may be raised or lowered as required,
and secured when adjusted to the necessary balance.
I have described these improvements in carts as particularly applicable
to carts for carrying mud, I would however have it understood that
they are applicable to and are destined to be used for other purposes,
for example, for carrying dirt, ashes, or other things, and this is one of
the advantages they possess over mud carts now often used, which as
a rule are not employed for other purposes than for carrying mud, and
consequently are often not used for months during the year.