IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Edward Dalzell, Lieutenant in the 52nd Light
Infantry, and of the Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, in the County of
Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Edward Dalzell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th June 1881.
ARTHUR EDWARD DALZELL, Lieutenant in the 52nd Light Infantry, and of the
Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARRIAGES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages, and the improvements
relate to that class of carriages generally known as hansom cabs.
The sides of the upper part of the cab I make in plan view curved to the arc of
a circle, the centre of which is about the centre of the front of the seat. The opening
at the front I make of the same width as the back of the cab.
For closing in the upper part of the front of the cab I employ two glazed frames.
These I make in plan view curved like the sides. When the front of the cab is
open the windows lie one along one side of the cab and the other along the other.
side, leaving the whole of the front of the cab open, and thereby giving increased.
space for ingress and egress.
When the front of the cab is to be closed, the windows are slid round in guides
at top and bottom until they meet in the centre of the front of the cab.
The top guides for the windows are on the underside of the roof of the cab, and
the bottom guides for the windows are partly carried by the sides of the cab and
partly formed, as herein after described, in a flat table or surface at the top of a
Hap or door which I employ for closing in the front of the lower part of the cab.
This flap or door I secure by irons projecting down from it to a horizontal axis at
some distance below the bottom of the cab, the irons passing down through slots in
the floor or footboard.
When the flap is turned forwards it lies closely against the front dash board; the
whole front of the cab from top to bottom is then open, giving great facility for

page_text: persons to get in or out. When the flap or door is turned backwards it closes the
whole front of the lower part of the cab. At the top of this flap or door, and
projecting in front of it, is a horizontal table or surface. A groove is formed in the
top of this table for the bottom of the front windows to slide in when the windows
are drawn together to close in the front of the cab.
In order that the driver may open or close the front flap or door without getting
down from his seat, which, as usual, I place at the back of the cab, I joint a rod to
an arm on the axis which carries the flap or door, and this rod I lead through
guides to the vicinity of the driver's seat, so that by pushing upon or pulling this
rod the driver can open or close the door as he desires. Each curved window I
also make with a curved rod projecting back from it to enable the driver to open
or close the windows.
To give still further facility of ingress and egress, I fix a wooden step from
beneath the footboard, and make it to project out as far as the inside of each wheel,
and I fix to this step a guard or fender, about three feet in height, to come in front
of the wheel and keep the dress of passengers away from the wheel when they are
getting in or out.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur Edward Dalzell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1881.
ARTHUR EDWARD DALZELL, Lieutenant in the 52nd Light Infantry, and of the
Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARRIAGES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages, and the improvements
relate to that class of carriages generally known as hansom cabs.
The sides of the upper part of the cab I make in plan view curved to the arc of
a circle, the centre of which is about the centre of the front of the seat. The opening
at the front I make of the same width as the back of the cab.
For closing in the upper part of the front of the cab I employ two glazed frames.
These I make in plan view curved like the sides. When the front of the cab is
open the windows lie one along one side of the cab and the other along the other
side, leaving the whole of the front of the cab open, and thereby giving increased
space for ingress and egress, more air, and an uninterrupted view.
When the front of the cab is to be closed, the windows are slid round in guides
at top and bottom until they meet in the centre of the front of the cab.
The top guides for the windows are on the underside of the roof of the cab, and
the bottom guides for the windows are partly carried by the sides of the cab and
partly formed, as herein after described, in a flat table or surface at the top of a
flap or door which I employ for closing in the front of the lower part of the cab
This flap or door I secure by irons projecting down from it to a horizontal axis at

page_text: some distance below the bottom of the cab, the irons' passing down through slots in
the floor or footboard.
When the flap is turned forwards it lies closely against the front dash board; the
whole front of the cab from top to bottom is then open, giving great facility for
persons to get in or out. When the flap or door is turned backwards it closes the
whole front of the lower part of the cab. At the top of this flap or door, and
projecting in front of it, is a horizontal table or surface. A groove is formed in
the top of this table for the bottom of the front windows to slide in when the
windows are drawn together to close in the front of the cab. I also make
provision for enabling the driver to open or close the front flap or door, and to
open or close the front windows, without getting down from his seat, which, as
usual, I place at the back of the cab. Each curved window I also make with a
curved rod projecting back from it to enable the driver to open or close the
windows.
To give still further facility of ingress and egress, I fix a wooden step from
beneath the foot board, and of the same width, and make it to project out as far as
the inside of each wheel, and I fix to this step a guard or fender, about 3 feet in
height, to come in front of the wheel and keep the dress of passengers away from
the wheel when they are getting in or out.
Figure 1 shews a plan view of a carriage constructed as above described;
Figure 2 is a side view; Figure 3 a front, and Figure 4 a back view of the same;
Figure 5 shews a plan in section of the upper part of the carriage, and Figure 6
a vertical longitudinal section of the same just below the roof; Figure 7 shews a
vertical longitudinal section through the foot board and the flap or door by which
the lower part of the front of the carriage is closed; Figure 8 is a vertical cross
section through the front foot board or floor.
The curved form of the upper part A of the body of the carriage is shewn at
Figures 1 and 5. The front opening is from A* to A*, and is approximately of
the same width as the back of the cab. The opening at the front of the upper
part of the body is closed by the two curved sliding windows B, B, whilst the
opening at the front of the lower part of the body is closed by the flap or door C;
D is the floor or foot board of the front part of the cab. In this foot board are
three slots through which irons fixed to the flap or door pass down, and are at D*
jointed to irons E which are fixed to the underside of the footboard, so that the
flap or door may either lie close up to the front ends of the sides of the cab, and so
close the front opening, or may be turned back and then fit closely against the
front-dash board F, leaving the whole width of footboard for use. In Figure 7
the flap or door is shewn in an intermediate position between these two positions
above mentioned.
D' is a table; at the top of the flap or door its front edge is curved to the same
curve as the sides of the cab, and forms with them part of a circle struck from
about the centre of the front edge of the inside seat.
Around the front edge of this table is a grooved slide D° for the bottom of the
front windows to slide in; when the front is closed fixed on the inside of the sides
of the cab are continuations of the grooved slide D2; the front windows rest in
these continuations of the grooved slide when the front is open. On the underside
of the roof of the cab is a corresponding grooved slide H for the top of the front
windows to slide in.
The fare or person riding in the interior of the carriage can readily open or close
the windows, or open or close the front flap or door D.
Suitable mechanism is also provided to enable the driver also to open or close
both door and windows. In the arrangement shewn in the Drawing the driver is
enabled to open and close the windows in the following manner:-Each window
is at its top connected to a lever arm I which turns on a centre pin carried by the
roof of the cab at a point concentric with the curve of the window and the cab
sides. Prolongations of these lever arms past the centre pin or axis are jointed
to rods K, which are conducted to the vicinity of the driver's seat, so that the

page_text: driver may by pulling or pushing upon these rods cause the windows to slide round
in the curved guides which carry them, and so open or close the upper part of the
body of the cab.
The driver is enabled to open or close the front flap or door in the following
manner A cord L is carried down from the vicinity of the driver's seat over
guide pulleys to the front of the dash board F, and from there to the upper part
of the front flap or door; by pulling upon this cord the driver can pull open the
front flap or door, and draw it forward up to and against the dash board. At the
centre of the dash board is carried a lever N. The cord L passes through an eye
in the upper arm of this lever, and on the cord is a stop O too large to pass through
the eye of the lever. When the front flap or door is resting against the dash
board and the stop O is up to the eye in the lever N the length of cord between
the stop O and the front flap or door is slack; if then the driver gives a quick pull
upon the cord L he gives a quick turn to the lever O, and causes the end of the
lower arm of the lever N to bear against and throw backwards the flap or door,
and in this way the driver is enabled to close the flap or door without getting
down from his scat. P is an upper continuation of the dash board F; it can turn
on a horizontal joint at the bottom, and is held erect by a spring which allows it
to yield and incline somewhat forwards when the front flap or door of the cab is
turned back against it.
In place of the arrangements above described for enabling the driver to open
and close the front windows and front flap or door other suitable arrangements of
mechanism may be adapted for the purpose.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. The construction of that class of carriages generally known as hansom
cabs, substantially in the manner herein before described.
Second. The front flap or door formed with a curved guide at the top for moveable
curved front windows to rest in, and at the bottom connected by irons to joints
below the footboard, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Edward Dalzell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 20th day of December, in the year of our Lord'
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
T
HUR ED ARD DALZELL.
(L.N.)