AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR-WHEEL CARRIAGES
Year: 1812

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HEFFER, of Carlisle Place, Lambeth, in the County of Surry, Coach Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of
December, in the fifty-third year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the
said George Heffer, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole privilige and authority, that I, the said George Heffer, my
exors,
adiñors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of years
therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR-WHEEL CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso that if I, the said George Heffer, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what mauner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine,
and become void, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Heffer, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description and references thereto, that is to say:-
My improvement in four-wheeled carriages consists of a brace fixed (near
the middle) to the body or carriage, the end of which (brace) are also fixed
to two bolts, one of which passes through the center of 'the fore axeltree,
and the other through the center of the hind axeltree, both bolts moving up
and down by the play of the springs or braces, one end of which is fastened
to the body or carriage, the other ends to two bolts passing thro' the
centers of the axeltrees, and moving up and down by the play of the springs;
or I fix a brace near the middle to the body or carriage, the ends of which
brace clasping and sliding up and down upon bolts fixed to or passing through
the centers of the axeltrees or braces, one end of which is fastened to the
body or carriage, and the other ends clasping, and moving upon bolts fixed
to or passing through the centers of the axeltrees. But I prefer the
construction of the carriage as pr Drawing annexed, which is with one brace
fixed to the bottom of the body, the ends of which brace are fixed below
the axeltrees to two bolts, one of which passes through the center of the fore
axeltree, and the other through the center of the hind axeltree, both bolts
moving up and down by the play of the springs.
"DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS."
a is the brace fixed to the body and to two bolts, each bolt having a joint
near the head. b are two ornamental worm springs which cover the bolts,
and act with the other springs. c is an iron or other metal plate having a hole
in the center to admit the bolt. It has also three or more small holes near
the external edge, two or more of which are to admit screws to fasten the
plate to the center of the axeltree; the other hole is to receive a screw which
fastens the end of the worm spring. It has likewise a number of smaller
holes near the internal edge, to receive the thread which fastens the end of a
leather pipe which covers the bolt within the worm spring, which pipe is
rather more than half the length of the worm spring. Another leather
pipe of the same length, but large enough to admit the under pipe within it,
is fastened at top to the piece of timber marked d. By means of these pipes
and plate the dirt is kept from the holes of the axeltrees. There is the same
in front as is described at the hind axeltree. e is an iron stay fixed tight on
the bolt that is passed through the center of the axeltree below the brace,
and also to the bar, to prevent the pole from swagging. f is a joint in the
bolt between the wheel plates, to prevent any twist on the carriage when

page_text: either of the wheels go on unleavel ground. That part of the fore bolt that is
within the transum must be square, to turn it as the carriage locks, to prevent
any action across the joint. 9 is a joint in the hind bolt, as near the head as
possible, to admit either of the hind springs to play separately as well as both
⚫together.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Heffer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our
T