An Improved Weather Protector or Covering for the Exposed Seats of Tram-cars, Omnibuses, and other Vehicles, and for Seats generally in Open or Exposed Situations.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1899
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Weather Protector or Covering for the Exposed Seats of
Tram-cars, Omnibuses, and other Vehicles, and for Seats generally
in Open or Exposed Situations.
We, THOMAS CORSER, of 56, Deansgate, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Hairdresser, and JAMES APPLETON, of 23, Carlton Street, Eccles New Road,
Salford, Manchester aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our said invention relates to an improved weather protector or covering, which
whilst particularly designed for use to protect the seats on the top of tramcars,
omnibuses and the like vehicles, is yet applicable for use with seats generally
in open or exposed situations.
In applying our invention to a tramcar we provide each end of the car with a
vertical tube or other support of suitable height and secured centrally to the car
or the framework in any convenient manner. We secure to the top of each
vertical tube or support a bracket which brackets carry two longitudinal tubes
of convenient diameter and disposed side by side.
Each of the tubes is provided with a roller revolving in suitable bearings
the rollers carrying a suitable covering of waterproof or other material. The
tubes are slit longitudinally to permit the passage of the covering. We mount
upon the vertical tubes sliding brackets to which are attached at each side
pivotted arms, the pivotted arms being secured at the one end to the sliding
brackets and at the other to the covering.
We also provide the rollers to which the coverings are secured with pinions
gearing with each other.
The method of operating the weather protector is shortly as follows:-
When the covering is out of use the sliding brackets are in their lowest posi-
tions upon the vertical tubes, the pivotted arms are approximately vertical and
the coverings are wound upon their respective rollers. In this position the
sliding brackets may be secured with a pin and locked so that they may not be
tampered with by unauthorised persons. When it is desired to use the protective
covering the brackets are unlocked, the arms are pulled outwards in a horizontal
position raising the sliding brackets upon the vertical tubes and pulling out-
wards the coverings from the central tubes so that the car is effectually roofed
over.
The sliding brackets are secured in their raised positions by suitable pins
or the like. The pivotted arms may if necessary be strengthened by means of
suitable struts which may be secured to the frame of the car or to the vertical
tubes. As the covering rollers are geared together with pinions they synchronise
in their movements so that the operation of pulling out the covering at one side
of the car suffices to pull out the covering at the other side. To stow away the
covering when not required the sliding brackets are again lowered and by means

page_text: of a suitable handle engaging with a key upon the end of one of the rollers the
pinions are operated to wind in the coverings upon their respective rollers.
Dated the 15th day of February 1898.
He apprcant
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 5, John Dalton Street, Manchester.
An Improved Weather Protector or Covering for the Exposed Seats of
Tram-cars, Omnibuses, and other Vehicles, and for Seats generally
in Open or Exposed Situations.
We, THOMAS CORSER, of 56, Deansgate, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Hairdresser, and JAMES APPLETON, of 23, Carlton Street, Eccles New Road,
Salford, Manchester aforesaid, Engineer, 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:-
Our said invention relates to an improved weather protector or covering, which
whilst particularly designed for use to protect the seats on the top of tramcars,
omnibuses and the like vehicles, is yet applicable for use with seats generally
in open or exposed situations.
The accompanying two sheets of drawings to which we will refer clearly
illustrate our invention.
On Sheet 1,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the upper half of a tram car with our invention
applied and the cover open.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the car with the cover furled.
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3.
The remaining figs. on Sheet 2 of the drawings show, to an enlarged scale,
detailed parts of our invention and which more clearly explain the same.
In applying our invention to a tram car for example, we secure to the frame A
of the car at each end a vertical metallic tube a of suitable height and secured
centrally as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. At the top of each
vertical tube we screw a bracket (see Fig. 7) hollowed out for the reception
of two longitudinal tubes c of convenient diameter and disposed side by side.
The tubes care securely clamped to the brackets b by means of the wooden
or other strip d, bolts e and nuts f. Within the tubes c are mounted to revolve
in suitable bearings, rollers or tubes g which carry a cover h of waterproof
material.
The outer tubes care slit at c' for the passage of the cover h.
Upon the vertical tubes or supports a we mount a sliding bracket i carrying
at each side arms į pivotted in jaws i¹ formed at each side of the brackets i.
The outer ends of the pivotted arms are secured to the cover h by light tubes
or the like as shown in Fig. 5. The vertical tubes a are slit at each side for a
portion of their length as shown in Figs. 6 and 8 and a cross piece secured to
the lugs or jaws of the bracket i is capable of sliding within the slits. The
ends of the roller g are provided with drums g¹ to which are secured cords k.
The other ends of the cords k are secured to the cross piece 22 (see Figs. 7 and 8).
The rollers g are also provided at each end with pinions gearing with each
other.

page_text: We will now describe the working of our invention reference being had par-
ticularly to the figs. on Sheet 2 of the drawings.
In the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, which is an end elevation
partly in section of our invention, the sliding brackets i are in their lowest
position, the pivotted arms are turned up and the covers are wound upon the
rollers g. A pin or bolt m passing through a hole n in the tube or support a,
and wing nut o secure the brackets in position. When the cover is to be
brought into use the pin or bolt m is removed and the brackets i are slid up the
tubes a.
The pivotted arms ; assume a horizontal position pulling out the
covers and winding the cords k upon the drums 9'. The brackets are then
secured in their raised positions by means of the pins or bolts m and nuts o.
Fig. 6 shows in full lines a side view of Fig. 5 the bracket i being raised,
the cover h being removed so as not to obscure the parts. The pinions / syn-
chronise the revolution of the rollers g and assist in winding and unwinding the
covers. Fig. 7 shows a sectional view of the parts with the bracket i raised
and the cords & wound upon the drums, Fig. 8 being an end elevation of same
partly in full lines and partly in section. The sliding brackets i may be operated
by hand or a handle or key may be employed to engage with the square p
formed on the bearing of one of the rollers g. To stow away the covers h when
not required the sliding brackets i are lowered, the cords k revolving the rollers g
thus winding on the covers and raising the pivotted arms j.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1) The improved weather protector or covering for tram cars, omnibuses and
the like, consisting of the covers hh wound upon and unwound from rollers
housed within tubes, by means of the sliding brackets i and pivotted arms j
assisted by the pinions and cords and drums g' substantially as described
and shown.
2) The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts, compris-
ing the improved covering for tram cars, and the like, substantially as described
and illustrated.