CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELED CARRIAGES OF VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS, TO COUNTERACT THE FALLING, AND FACILITATE THE LABOUR OF ANIMALS ATTACHED TO THEM, AND TO RENDER PERSONS AND PROPERTY IN AND NEAR THEM MORE SECURE FROM INJURY
Year: 1822

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPHI
WOOLLAMS, of the City of Wells, in the County of Somerset, Land Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of His United Kingdom, bearing
date at Westminster, the Fifth day of December 1822, in the third year of
His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Woollams, my exors,
adors, and assigns, His especial licence, full "power, sole privilege, and
authority, that I, the said Joseph Woollams, my exors, adññiors, and assigns,
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,.
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELED CARRIAGES OF VARIOUS
DESCRIPTIONS, TO COUNTERACT THE FALLING, AND FACILITATE THE LABOUR OF ANIMALS
ATTACHED TO THEM, AND TO RENDER PERSONS AND PROPERTY IN AND NEAR THEM
MORE SECURE FROM INJURY;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a.
proviso, that if I, the said Joseph Woollams, shall not particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner 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 six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advan-
tages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become

page_text: .
void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and
at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Woollams, do hereby declare my said improvements to be solely appli-
cable to vehicles as are now used with two wheels, such as stanhopes, donnetts,
tilburies, cars, cabriolets, curricles, and carts, and other the like carriages, and
that the nature of my said improvements doth consist as follows, that is to
-say:-
In the application of an apparatus for so uniting the various parts of those
vehicles, that the shafts, and those parts to which the animal is more imme-
diately attached for the purpose of draught, shall be capable of descending
when the animal falls, whilst the body and parts more immediately attached
to the body are stationary.
Secondly, in the peculiar application of a bar or of other apparatus, for the
like purpose, to that portion of the vehicle which is intended to be stationary,
-as aforesaid.
"Thirdly, in an apparatus for preventing the action of those parts herein-
before declared to constitute parts of my said Invention until the same shall
be acted upon by a pressure upwards from the ground, and which said appa-
ratus I call a locking apparatus.
Fourthly, in an apparatus to resist or retard the descent of the shafts, and
other parts immediately connected with them as aforesaid, for the purpose of
assisting to counteract the falling of animals, as aforesaid.
Fifthly, in sliding or eccentric movements to cause the body and the parts
¡in connection with it to move forward, or the shafts or parts in connection with
them to move backward, or both for the purpose of enabling the back of the
:shafts to describe an arc of motion when the points descend without impedi-
ment from the boot, hind spring, or other part of such vehicle.
Sixthly, in an apparatus for lessening the motion usually given by the
animal when in action to the body of the vehicle.
Seventhly, in an apparatus for enabling the beds or bodies of carts or other
vehicles to tilt or turn backward when it is required, they shall combine that
property with the property of the body, being prevented from inclining for-
ward to an equal extent with the shafts when the shafts are depressed from
accident or otherwise.
Eighthly, and lastly, in an apparatus for adjusting those beds or bodies of
carts or other vehicles which are prevented from inclining forward, as afore-
said, so as to facilitate the labour of the animal or animals used in them.
And, moreover, in further compliance with the said proviso, I do hereby

page_text: describe a manner in which each of my said improvements constituting my
said Invention may be performed, reference being had to the Drawings and
Figures annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Each of the parts which are marked A and coloured yellow are portions of
what is termed the carriage or carriage part of two-wheeled vehicles. These
portions which I call the fore shafts or front parts of the shafts are to be
capable of being depressed towards the ground; each of the parts which are
lettered B, and coloured green are other portions of the said part called the
carriage; these, which I call the hind shafts, are intended to be stationary,
while the aforesaid parts marked A are turning towards the ground by means
of joints, which connect the portions A and B together, when any hinder
portion of that which is termed the carriage rises upward, whilst the forward
portion moves downward that front portion I still call the fore shaft, or other-
wise the falling part of the shaft; each of these falling parts are lettered A
and coloured yellow; but the other part of it I call the ascending portion,
and have lettered each of them B, and coloured them purple; C generally
denotes the fore bar itself, which is coloured light brown, but in Fig. 4 it
only shews the situation of it; D denotes the bar at the back of the ascending
portion of each shaft and is coloured purple. The numeral 1 when affixed to
the letters A, B, C, and D, denotes that the part to which either A¹, C¹, B',
and D' apply is in such a position, or if they refer to dotted lines was in such
ŉ position that the bar from having been pressed on the ground, or from being
just come in contact with it, has acted, or is about to act upon a locking
apparatus, so as to enable the parts A, after such action, to be depressed. from
the situation formed by the line extended from A¹, to C', to B', and to D¹.
In such manner also the numeral 2, affixed to the letters A and C, denotes
that the part to which either A³, or C³, applies has been depressed subsequently
to the unlocking having been effected; but where affixed to B and D, it shows.
that the ascending part of the shafts to which these letters conjointly apply:
has moved through an arch of a circle subsequently to the unlocking having
been effected.
In the Drawing marked A, Fig. 4 represents a three-springed stanhope,
the front part of the shafts depressed, and the body maintained in its horizontal
position, or nearly so, by means of some of my said improvements. The
shafts separate at the point C¹; a is a spring, acting against a plate of
metal b, and thereby impedes the descent of the front part of the shafts;
K is a step, and La bar and prop wheel attached to it. Fig. 5 is a front

page_text: elevation of a four-spring stanhope; M, M, are two bars connected with and
forming part of the locking pin, step bar and prop wheel. The bars M, M,
turn on an axis at C; the locking pin which is coloured red lies in a groove
cut across the joint, and thus it will be seen that when the prop wheel W
comes upon the ground, the locking pin will be lifted out of the groove, and
thus the fore part of the shafts will be at liberty to descend. Fig. 1 is a
plan of the said joint and locking pin; the plates a, b, in Figure 4, being
removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the said joint and locking pin, shew-
ing the said plates a, b, in their proper situation. Figure 3 is a representation
of the joint in Figure 4, with the stop taken off, and the pin represented out
of the groove. Figure 6 is a side elevation of a four-spring stanhope, shewing
those of my said improvements, by which the hind part of the shaft rises over
the rumble, and by which also the body receives the said forward and back-
ward motion, and by which also the motion of the horse is lessened, as regards
its effect on the body of the carriage, and also by which the resistence to the
depression of the fore shaft is effected; N is a stay iron of the usual sort, with
a tongue fastened to its end a, a. This tongue penetrates a groove-slit
mortice or recess, which I make in the under part of the shaft to receive it.
This tongue at a little distance from its backward extremity bends upward,
and then extends forward under the tread c to which it is fastened. The bend
in it gives it a crank-like shape at the bend; pivots or gudgeons project one on
each side, which penetrate the shaft in such a manner that the fore part of it
may descend, and its back part ascend. There must be a groove or slit in the
upper part of the shaft to receive the front part of the cranked tongue; dis
a spring, one end attached to the scroll iron N, and the other end let into the
hinder or rising part of the shaft. This spring is so formed as to oppose the
elevation of the shaft. In its position of rest, the spring lies as represented
by the dotted lines.
In this Drawing the bar L, and its prop wheel W, are represented as
attached to the locking apparatus M, M, the step K. being provided with an
arm of its own.
B
In this Drawing at the place where the pivots of the tongue penetrate the
shaft, a provision is made for the entire shaft (which is called the carriage)
to be slid backward; when its hinder part is raised upward it consists in an
open slit e for the pin to move in. A plate, as coloured red, is fixed on one
or both sides of the shaft, to strengthen it where the slit is cut. That plate
which is shewn has a slit in it corresponding with the slit in the shaft. From
the same plate a pin or rod extends downwards, and the extremity of that
rod is bent outwards, for the purpose hereafter to be described in the larger

page_text: Drawing. In order that the back part of the shaft may move downwards more
freely, without pressing down the spring to which the body is connected, a space
is left above the usual place of the spring. It will be observed, where the said
spring is shown in its place within the back of the shaft, that near its ex-
tremity it is bent downwards. This direction is given it that it may be the
more conveniently bent, so as to allow the shafts and stay iron to move back-
ward and forward relatively to each other.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the improvements represented in elevation in Fig. 6.
The same letters are attached to the same parts in cach Figure, and tho
similar parts are also coloured alike.
Drawing marked B, Fig. 8, is a side elevation of a two-spring dennett. E
is a plate of metal fixed to the body of the dennett, with a slit in it g. In this
slit works the pivot or gudgeon which is attached to the shaft, and by which
in fact the shafts support the body. It will readily be seen that this slit
admits of the backward and forward motion, the extent of which is regulated
by the eccentric movement Y.
In this Drawing the bar and prop wheel is represented as attached to the
step, and the shaft is represented without a division or joint. To admit of this
method of effecting my improvements; the counteracting spring h acts on
the front part of the bar E, and serves to counteract the falling of the horse.
The front part of the bar E is represented as being bent upward, and then
connected to the under part of the tread, and near the end of the tread bends
downward, so as to form the arch Y of the eccentric movement. It is
flattened for the purpose of its more conveniently penetrating the shaft in
which a vertical slit is made to receive it. The lower parts of the arch Y aro
nearer to the centre, about which the bar E turns upon the shaft, than the
upper part of it is, and therefore causes the shaft to move backward relatively
to the body. The bottom of the eccentric movement or arch Y is bent
forward, and the step K fixed to it by a joint at 7. The step has one or two
arnis extending upwards from the joint 7, and the upper end of the arm shewn,
which is lettered n, is bent inwards, and so forms a pin, which on entering the
notch in the arch Y prevents its rising upward, in consequence of its then
being locked to an appendage to the shaft. The vertical slit.in the shaft is
also to be capable of receiving the arm n, which must move upwards through
it when the front part of the shaft descends.
Fig. 9, as delineated by lines in full, represents a cart, to which some of my.
said improvements are applied, in the position it should be while in use, and as
partly described by dotted lines, represents it in the position it would be when
tilted back for the purpose of its load being discharged from behind. The

page_text: part F, coloured purple, represents my said addition, and that coloured yellow,
the descending part of the shafts. a is a stout hinge or pivot joint; b is a
hook or catch, moved by the handle G¹ when b is locked or fastened, as
represented in the Drawing, to a pin in the shaft; it holds the shaft and my
improvement together. The handle G¹ is kept to its place by the hook c. It
will be seen by this arrangement, that when the handle G is taken from
under the hook c and moved upwards, that 6 will become disengaged from
the pin on the shaft, and my improvement be capable of turning backward
on the hinge a, and that the body would tip backward with it. The letter
G³ represents the handle in another position, put over another hook d
attached to the body, so as to keep it out of the way of the pin m when
the body shall again resume its horizontal position. 1' is a sword as it is
commonly called in carts, but is here applied to the wheel D in conjunction
with the bar H'; K is a step. It will be seen by this arrangement that by
means of the holes in the sword and an adjusting pin, the load may be kept
up when the horse is going down hill, and thus much relieve the horse in its
draught.
Fig. 10 represents a cart with the shafts depressed, and shews how the load
would be maintained in such case, and the horse relieved in such manner as
will better enable him to rise.
Fig. 11 is an enlarged Drawing of my said locking and sliding apparatus.
The part Z of the locking apparatus M, M, is made to fit up against the piece
of metal coloured blue, and which is welded to the pin or bolt r, that passes
through the slit in the shaft e. The other ends of the locking apparatus is
fastened to the axletree or bar affixed to it, and thus it is able to resist the
upward pressure which the bar receives from the ground, and is the medium
through which the bar L prevents the body from tipping forward with the fore
part of the shaft. Near the part Z there is attached to its inner side the pin t,
which is the immediate means of restraining the body from tipping backwards,
or the fore shaft from inclining downwards, when the body is stationary. At
the lower part of the hindermost side of the apparatus is an opening 9 for the
arm 7 to pass in and out. The part X forms the locking pin, which when
raised up leaves the arm or rod 7 at liberty to pass out of the said aperture
beneath it. The use of the particular shape given to the bar is that the arm
or rod 2, which cannot move backward when the locking pin is down, may be
able at the same time to move forward, so as to permit the front part of the
shaft to rise upward with the motion of the horse, and the hind part to dip
downward, without carrying the back part of the body downward with it.
Now, whereas small wheels, such as I have herein-before called prop wheels

page_text: and bars, have often been applied to the shafts and other parts of two-wheeled
carriages, 'for the purpose of preventing horses from falling when attached to
them. Be it therefore known, that I do not hereby claim any exclusive right
or privilege to these particulars; but that my claim is only for the following
improvements, that is to say :-
Firstly, for hanging the bodies of two-wheeled carriages on pivots in
manner aforesaid, to allow the shafts to rise and fall without the same motion
being communicated to the body.
Secondly, for giving a backward and forward motion to the body herein-
before described, as obtained sometimes by my said Invention of, a plate slit,
and the apparatus combined with it, as also at other times by eccentric move-
ments of different kinds, but which may be effected in various other ways.
My claim is therefore for a sliding movement generally, as produced by the
rising and falling of shafts under the influence of a bar and prop wheel, either
or both as herein before-described.
Thirdly, for my said locking apparatus.
Fourthly, for springs so placed in various ways as to resist the depression
of the shafts by the horse falling when attached to them, or at other times.
Fifthly, for my said apparatus for tilting carts, and also my said apparatus
for relieving the horse of his load in certain cases, as applied to the said
apparatus for tilting as aforesaid.
Now all these said several improvements, for which I claim exclusive
privilege, and which constitute my said Invention, may be made of various
metals or other substances, and also of various sizes, and various relative
proportions, and may be adapted with trifling variations to a variety of
different carriages.
But such improvements as aforesaid, being to the best of my knowledge and
belief entirely new, and never before used in these Kingdoms, I hereby declare
this to be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe my said
Specification in all respects fully and without reserve or disguise, complics
with the said proviso in the said in part recited Letters Patent contained, and
I do hereby claim to maintain an exclusive right and privilege to my said
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Woollams, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.
JOSEPH (L.S.) WOOLLAMS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of June, in the year of
our Lord 1823, the aforesaid Joseph Woollams came before our said Lord the
King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and all
and everything therein contained and specified, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
. Inrolled the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-three.