Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE STANLEY BETJEMANN of 21 Ingersoll Road Uxbridge Road in the
County of Middlesex Musician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has for its object a new or improved means and apparatus whereby
the drivers of hansom cabs are enabled to open and close the doors of the cab with-
out descending from their seats by means of suitable levers and connecting rods
attached to handles or levers placed on each side of the cab near to the drivers
hands or feet..
For this purpose I affix to the door of the cab a lever (or levers) which again is
attached to a suitable lever fixed on a connecting rod (which may be jointed if
necessary) and at the upper end of this connecting piece or rod a crank handle or
lever is fixed by turning which from about half to three quarters of a circle the
driver can either open or close the door and by means of similar apparatus on each
side of the cab both doors can be opened or closed as desired while the passenger
can also himself open or close the doors as easily as before.
The two doors may also be made to open and close simultaneously if desirable.
The various parts may be made of any suitable material and in any design or
construction so as not to disfigure the cab or impede ingress and egress therefrom.
I do not confine myself to any particular construction of levers or connecting
pieces so long as they serve to enable the driver from his seat to open and close the.
cab doors either with his hands or feet.

page_text: I GEORGE STANLEY BETJEMANN, of 21 Ingersoll Road, Uxbridge Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Musician, 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:-
The object of this invention is to enable the driver of a hansom cab to open and
close the doors while in his seat at the back of the cab.
To enable him to do this, I apply an elbow or lever working transversely to the
line of the hinges of the doors. One end of the lever is affixed to the door, and
the other 'end to the solid body of the cab (from 4 to 6 inches or thereabouts from
the hinge line,) where it turns in a bearing on an axis. By turning the lever on
this axis away from the door, the end attached to the door is lifted up, and pulls the
door open with it. By continuing the motion far enough, the door is turned com-
pletely open.
By reversing the motion the door is closed.
The lever is jointed near the middle, to accommodate it to the two radii, of the
door on its hinges, and the lever on its own axis,
To enable the driver to turn the lever from his seat at the back, I connect a rod
to the axis of the lever by means of an ordinary universal joint or its equivalent;
this rod passes through the solid front of the cab.in any convenient direction close
to the side of the cab (on the inside) to the back corner, where, by means of two
universal joints or equivalent mechanism, the rod is connected and turned upwards
along the inside of the back of the cab, and comes out at a hole near the middle of
the roof, close to the back, and convenient to the drivers bands. Any convenient
form of handle or lever is fixed on the end of the rod, to enable the driver to rotate
the rod and so turn the lever on its axis, and open or close the door at pleasure.
The above described apparatus is arranged in duplicate to work the other door.
By connecting the two rods where they approach each other, at the top of the
back of the cab, by means of a bevelled cog-wheel on each, or another universal
joint or joints, the two doors can be worked simultaneously. But I find it advan-
tageous to work each door independently, as the doors are then as completely free
for movement by the passenger, as if no such mechanism was attached to them,
which cannot be the case when the two doors are interlocked.
And in order that my 'invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe the accompanying drawings....
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan or "birdseye" view of apparatus, arranged in accordance with
my invention, as seen from the top of the cab with the door closed.

page_text: Figure 4 is a side view, the side of the cab being removed to show the position
of the mechanism.
The letters of reference apply to the same parts in each figure.
A is the door which opens on the hinges B. B.-C is the fixed front of the cab.—
C. C. the side.-D the back.-E E. the elbow lever fixed to the door at the pivot
or pin joint F and rotating on the axis G in the bearing H which is fixed to the
solid front of the cab C-I. I. I. are the universal joints by which the rod J. J. J. is
connected with the lever E the rod being turned by the handle K.
The rod J. J. J. is held in its place by bearings at L. L, and at the roof by
passing through a hole in a piece of metal M which is screwed to the roof N. This
piece of metal M has a raised nozzle; and the handle where it joins the rod is
hollowed out, or has a projecting lip to fit over the nozzle to prevent rain or other
water passing through the hole into the cab.
The rod may be affixed to the outside of the cab, in a corresponding position if
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would have it under-
stood that I make no claim to any of the parts separately, which are well known
and in common use, but what I claim as my invention is :-
1. The opening and closing of the doors of hansom cabs or other similar vehicles
by means of a lever or levers, the parts being actuated by means of rods moved
by the driver, substantially as described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2. I also claim the improved general arrangement and application of universal
joints in combination with the rods, levers and mechanism employed for opening
and closing the doors of hansom cabs, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 18th day of August 1886
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Agents for the Patentee.