Improvements in or Connected with Opening Broughams and other Carriages, Especially Designed for Reducing the Space Required for the Front Falling Pillars and Roof.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1887
Complete Left, 23rd Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 25th May, 1888
Improvements in or Connected with Opening Broughams and other
Carriages, Especially Designed for Reducing the Space Required
for the Front Falling Pillars and Roof.
I, THOMAS MAIN, Parkfield Carriage Factory, Claughton Road, Birkenhead, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In carriages which are constructed to open, the upper part of the front pillars and
the front portion of the roof are hinged and generally are made so as to turn down
and remain, when not in use, parallel to each other. Considerable space is required
between the driver's seat and the body of the carriage for this mode of construction.
Now the object of this invention is to construct the front portions of the carriage so
that the said space may be reduced.
In carrying out the invention, the front pillars are hinged about the middle of their
length. The upper end of the hinged portion is hinged to the cant rail of the front
part of the roof, and is held in an upright position by means of springs or in any
ordinary manner. When it is desired to open the carriage the upper part of the
front pillars with the front part of the roof is turned down, so the pillars lie in a flat
or nearly flat position, and the forward part of the roof is so hinged to the pillars as
to be vertical or nearly vertical, and to lie in a cavity or opening in the framing
under the driver's seat. This opening or cavity is formed in the framing between tho
driver's seat and the body of the vehicle. It is formed of suitable shape and size to
allow the roof framing to enter. By this construction, the front part of the roof lies
in a vertical position and at right angles to the hinged pillars when not in use, instead
of lying parallel to the said pillars. Considerable space is thus saved and the length
of the vehicle may be reduced, or the front inside scat increased in depth.
The driver's seat may be hinged or made to lift off so as to allow the opening parts
to be turned down. The pillars or cant rails when turned down may rest against a
stop or foot, or if preferred may be held in position by a spring in any ordinary
manner.
If the space between the front door pillars is provided with one or more intermediate
pillars, these are hinged also in one or more points in their length and made to turn
down when the vehicle is opened. The window frames are made to slide so as to
clear the hinged parts when turned down.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or Connected with Opening Broughams and other
Carriages, Especially Designed for Reducing the Space Required
for the Front Falling Pillars and Roof.
I, THOMAS MAIN, Parkfield Carriage Factory, Claughton Road, Birkenhead, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
In carriages which are constructed to open, the upper part of the front pillars and
the front portion of the roof are hinged, and generally are made so as to turn down and
remain, when not in use, parallel to each other. With this mode of construction
considerable space is required between the driver's seat and the body of the carriage.
Now the object of this invention is to construct the front portions of the carriage
so that the said space may be reduced.
The way in which I carry out my invention may be illustrated by the accompanying
drawings in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the front portion of a carriage when closed and as
constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a similar elevation showing the front part of the carriage open.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the front portion, preparatory to opening.
Figure 4 is a plan of figure 2.
The front pillars A A¹ are hinged at a at about the middle of their length. The
upper end A of the hinged portion is hinged at a¹ to the cant rail 6 of the front part B
of the roof, and is held in an upright position by means of springs or in any ordinary
manner; or the cant rails may be rigidly attached to the upper parts A of the front
pillars. When a spring or springs is used for holding the pillars upright, it is
preferable to attach one to the inner side of each front pillar, as in Figure 3. A
helical or volute spring is carried in a tube Cattached to the upper portion A of the
front pillar. A rod C, pivoted to the lower portion A¹ of the pillar passes into the
spring tube C and is connected to the spring therein in such a manner that the latter
always tends to draw the rod inwards and thus it exerts a pressure to keep the pillar
upright. The spring is compressed when the pillar is turned down. Or the tube C
may be attached to the lower portion A' and the rod C¹ pivoted to the upper
portion A.
When it is desired to open the carriage, the upper part A of the front pillars with
the front part B of the roof is turned down, so that the pillars lie in a flat, or nearly
flat position, and the forward part B of the roof is so hinged or attached to the pillars
as to be vertical or nearly vertical (as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, and in full
in figures 2 and 4), and to lie in a cavity or opening D, formed in the carriage
framing, preferably under the driver's seat. It is formed of suitable shape and size

page_text: to allow the roof framing B to enter. By this construction, the front part of the roof
lies in an approximately vertical position and approximately at right angles to the
hinged pillars A A' when the carriage is open, instead of lying parallel to, or in
the same plane as the said pillars. Considerable space is thus saved and the length of
the vehicle may be reduced or the front inside seat H increased in depth.
The front part B when hinged to the front pillar is guided to the proper angle for
entering the cavity D by means of a double link F F¹. The part F of the link is
pivoted to A at a suitable distance from the pivot a, its upper end being pivoted at f
to one end of the part F¹ of the link. The part F is hinged or jointed at its upper
end to the cant rail b. The pivot fis preferably guided by a slot 2 on the
pillar A. Other equivalent devices may be used, their object being to tilt the part B
outwards to the required angle as the pillar A is being turned down.
The driver's seat may be hinged as at g or made to lift off, so as to allow the
opening parts to be turned down. The pillars or cant rails, when turned down, may
rest against a stop or foot, or, if preferred, may be held in position by a spring in any
ordinary manner; or they may be simply supported by the front part B which rests
upon the bottom of the cavity D.
If the space between the front pillars A A¹ is provided with one or more
intermediate pillars, these are hinged also in one or more points in their length and
made to turn down when the vehicle is opened. The window frames H are made to
slide one over the other and are dropped into a recess H¹ behind the seat E, so as to
clear the hinged parts when turned down.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An opening carriage, in which the front part of the roof carried by the hinged
front pillars is (when the latter are turned down into an approximately horizontal
position) retained in an approximately vertical position, in a cavity or opening in the
carriage framing, and preferably below the driver's seat, whereby the length of the
carriage is reduced, or its internal capacity increased.
2. In an opening carriage, the combination of the front framing thereof, with a
cavity or opening such as D, formed therein for the reception of the hinged front
portion of the roof, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 21st day of April 1888.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.