IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Thomas Newnham, of the City of Bath,
Carriage Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Thomas
Newnham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 28th May 1869.
I, BENJAMIN THOMAS NEWNHAM, of the City of Bath, Carriage
Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is that parts of the carriage may be readily
changeable to adapt it to carry varying numbers of persons.
Supposing the carriage to be a phaeton or four-wheel dog cart
with front and back seats arranged dos-a-dos, the front under part
of the body or the "arms" or "body loops" rise high to admit of
large fore wheels to turn under them. The front seat with its back
and side rests and the part for the legs and feet of those who sit

page_text: there, together with the "dash" leather, is connected to the body
by cranked irons or lever arms, so that the part for the feet may at
one time rest. against and behind the "hody loops," when the back
of the seat may form also the back rest for those in the back seat.
By raising and bringing forward the front seat with the parts attached
thereto upon its cranks or lever arms it becomes a driving box raised
over the front wheels, and the parts which formed the back seat aro
attached to and fold against the back of the front or box seat. A
part of the "dash" or a rein rail may be hinged to the top of it to
increase the height of it if desired, when it is in its lowest position.
Stops, fixing and filling pieces may be applied if desired. The side
rests above the seats when the carringe is used as a phaeton or dog cart
remain, and when the front seat is brought forward these form the
back rests for persons in the hind part sitting vis-a-vis, when the carriage
may be used as a waggonette. The seats for these parts fold from
the sides or those back rests. The back is formed with a door in it,
and it is supported to turn down on hinges and be held at the angle
desired by chains or links when the door in it will be locked. When
the carriage is used as a waggonette the back is locked up, except
the door in it, which then serves for passage to and fro of that part. A
step between the wheels and an open step render access to the front
part equally easy under either circumstances. By these means tho
same carriage will form a compact phacton or four-wheeled dog cart
easy to enter, and be readily changed to a waggonette. The parts may
be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Thomas Newulam in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 27th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN 3
THOMAS NEWNHAM, of the City of Bath, Carriage Builder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the 3
thirty-second year of Her reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Thomas Newnham, Her
special licence that I, the said Benjamin Thomas Newnham, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Thomas Newnham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Benjamin Thomas Newnham, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Thomas Newnham, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of the Invention is that parts of the carriage may be
readily changeable to adapt it to carry varying numbers of persons.
Supposing the carriage to be a pheaton or four-wheel dog cart with
front and back seats arranged dos-a-dos, the front under part of the body,
or the "arms" or "body loops," rise high to admit of large fore wheels
to turn under them. The front seat with its back and side rests and
the part for the legs and feet of those who sit there, together with the
"dash" leather, is connected to the body by cranked irons or lever
arms, so that the part for the feet may at one time rest against and
behind the "body loops," when the back of the scat may form also the
back rest for those in the back seat. By raising and bringing forward
the front seat with the parts attached thereto upon its cranks or lever
arms it becomes a driving box raised over the front wheels, and the parts
which formed the back seat are attached to and fold against the back of
the front or box scat. A part of the "dash" or a rein rail may be
hinged to the top of it to increase the height of it, if desired, when it is
in its lowest position. Stops, fixing and filling pieces may be applied
if desired. The side rests above the seats when the carriage is used as a

page_text: body of the carriage by means of the crank or lever arms g and h, one
part of each of the crank or lever arms g and being supported so as
to be capable of turning in bearings g' and ' respectively affixed to the
under side of the seat and of the foot rest, whilst the other ends of the
arms g and are supported with capability of turning in like manner
in bearings g, h, affixed to the body of the carriage. As these parts
are shewn in full in the position A in the Drawing, the driving seat is
raised so that the boot or body part c of the carriage may be used as a
wagonnette with the persons sitting vis-a-vis in that part on seats i, i,
and then the central portion of the back j may be used as a door to
turn upon hinges. When it is desired that the carriage should be used
as a four-wheel dog cart, then the driving scat and parts connected
thereto will be moved backward on their arms g and h till they occupy
the position indicated of them by the red lines B, when the seat will
rest on the horizontal rails c'; but in order to admit of this driving scat
being thus lowered the side scats i, i, must first be raised, which may be
readily effected by their being turned on hinges i, , to occupy the
position indicated of them by the red lines &,, and then when the
driving scat has been lowered, as stated and indicated by red lines,
the parts k, l, and m, hinged together and to the back of the driving
seat may be laid on to the top of the horizontal rails c, and there form
with a cushion a back scat for persons sitting back to back, when the
central portion of the back j may be locked on the part j, so as with
the whole of the part j to turn down on hinges ³, and thereby form a
foot rest when supported by chains j for the person sitting behind, as is
well understood; or, if desired, when the driving seat is raised, as at A,
in place of the scats i, i, being used for persons to sit vis-a-vis, the
parts k, l, m, may be let down so that the part k will form a back rest,
and the parts and m by resting on the top of the horizontal rails c¹ will
serve to receive a cushion for a back seat, so that ladies or others may
sit enclosed with their backs to the driving scat, if they prefer it; and
then too the back j may be turned up as when using this part as a
wagonetto. Stops may be applied to retain the parts in position if
desired. n, n, are elbow rods, each of which is attached by universal
joints n' to the scats i, and are formed at their other end to pass into
loops carried by the fixed sides c³ of the boot or body. When the
seats i, i, are turned up, as indicated by red lines, these rods may lic on
the top edge of the cushion or be retained by catches.

page_text: Having thus described my Invention, and means by which I carry the
same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details or form of carriage represented, as the same may
be varied, and a driving scat, the position of which is capable of being
changed, may be variously applied without departing from the peculiar
character of the Invention, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Thomas Newnham,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nino.
BENJAMIN T. NEWNHAM. (L.S.)