CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN WHEEL CARRIAGES
Year: 1818

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
BANKS, of Hadley, in the Parish of Wellington, and County of Salop,
Engineer, 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 Twenty-third day of
January, in the fifty-eighth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Banks, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Richard Banks, my exors,
admors, 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-upon-Tweed, my Invention of. "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WHEEL CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent there is. contained
a proviso that if I, the said Richard Banks, 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.scal,
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
void, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully &
at large appear.
i
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richards Banks, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, aro particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
references or description thereof, that is to say :-
In the common method, when a horso is drawing a gig, a two-wheeled
chaise, or any other two-wheeled carriage along a level road, the weight in the
carriage is generally so placed that it has little or no tendency, through tho
medium of the back or belly band, to press him to the ground or lift him from
it; but when he ascends a hill the elevation of the road converts the axel-
tree into a fulcrum between the weight and the power or horse, and in propor-
tion to the distance of this weight from the fulcrum is the tendency to lift the
horse from the ground, which disables or prevents him from exerting his full
power to the best effect in drawing the carriago after him. On the contrary,
when descending a hill, the inclination of the road converts the axeltree into a
fulcrum, & places the weight between the fulcrum & the power or horso. The
weight thus situated presses him to the ground, & in passing down steep hills it
is both difficult and dangerous. To overcome these difficulties, and to enable
the horse drawing the two-wheeled carriage, whether ascending or descending
a hill, to exercise his powers to most advantage, I use the following methods,
as shown in the Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 6, 7, and 8.
Figure 1 is a side view, & Figure 2 is a plan, of one method of using my
Invention a, a, a, a, the axletree; b, b, b, b, a roller fastened to the axletreo;
c, c, c, c, a curved or circular stay to work on the roller b, b, and may form a
part of the block stay by being fastened to it by bolts or otherwise, or the
block stay may be made of a curved or circular form on the under side;
d, d, d, d, d, d, the block stay; a, a, e, the links to connect the axeltree by
means of jaws, eyes, pins, & cotters to the levers 9, 9; f, f, f, a spindle
fixed to the shafts or block stay of the gig or carriage to carry the lovers g, g;
9, 9, 9, the levers; h, h, h, links to connect the tawtree to the levers, as shown
in the Drawings; i, i, i, the tawtree; k, k, k, a piece of iron, brass, or other
metal so applied to the shafts as to form a loop to receive a pulley connected
with the back band & the belly band, and to allow the horso to slide or go
backwards or forwards in tho shinfts when the lovers, curved or circular .lino
or stay, and other things belonging thereto, are at work. 1, 1, 1, the shafts.;
t, t, a guido to go from the shafts to the axletree; u, u, u, the traces to fasten
the horso to the tawtree.
Figure 3rd is a side view, and Figuro 4th a plan, of another method of using
my Invention; viz, a, a, a, the axletree, which is turned near each to receive
friction rollers; b, b, b, b, the friction rollers; c, c, c, the curved or circular
.stay; d, d, d, d, d, d, the block stay; e; e, e, e, the links which connect the

page_text: axletree to the levers; f, f,f, the spindle fixed. to the shafts or block stay to
carry the levers 9, 9; 9, 9, 9, 9, the levers; h, h, h, links to connect the
tawtree to the levers; i, i, i, the tawtree; k, k, k, a loops at the end of the
shaft, as described in Figure 1 and 2nd; 1, 1, 1, the shafts; m, m, tho guides
to go from the shaft to the axeltree.
'
Figure 5 is a side view, and Figure 6 is a plan, of another method of using
my Invention. a, a, a, a, the axeltree; b, b, b, b, the roller attached to the
block stay; c, c, c, c, the curve or circular block or stay fastened to the axle-
tree; d, d, d, d, the block stay; e, e, e, the link to connect the axle tree to
lever g; fff, the spindle fixed to the.shaft or block stay for the levers g, g,
to go on; 9, 9, 9, the levers; h, h, h, links to connect the tawtree to the
levers; i,,,, the tawtree; k, k, k, loops at the end of the shaft, as described
in Figures 1 and 2; 1,1,1, the hafts; m, m, m, the guides.
Figure 7 is a side view, and Figure 8 is a ground plan, of another method
of using my Invention. a, a, a, a, the axletree; b, b, b, b, the roller connected
to the axeltree; c, c, c, c, the curve or circular stay; d, d, d, d, d, d, the block
stay; e, e, e, e, racks fastened to the axletree by jaws, eyes, and pins, as in the
Drawings, and working into the toothed wheel g; f, f, f, a spindle fastened
to the shafts or block stay; 9, 9, 9, toothed wheels placed or working on the
spindle f,f; these toothed wheels are furnished with guards or plates, as shewn
in the Drawing, to keep the racks in gear; h, h, h, links with racks to connect
the trawtree with the toothed wheel g; i, i, i, the trawtree; k, k, k, loops at
the end of the shafts, as, described in the explanation of Figures 1 & 2;
1, 1, 1, the shafts; m, m, m, the guides.
To render my Invention more easily understood, I will describe its operation
by Figure 1, viz:-Supposing a horse to have been put in the shafts and
attached to the trawtree, the application of strength to draw the two-wheeled
carriage-along rising ground forces the levers 9 in the direction l, m, and the
axletree a along the line n, o, to p. This movement places the weight between
tho fulcrum or axletree and the power or horse, and instead of tending, as in
the common or old way, to lift the horse from the ground, it enables him, by
bringing the weight to bear on his back, to exert his strength to the greatest
advantage, and at a time when most wanted. When descending a bill, the
horse to hold back the carriage or gig retires against the moveable tawtrce i
and forces the lever g, g, in the direction q, r, and causes the axletree to move
along the line o, n, to s. The fulcrum or axletree will then be between the
power or horse, and the weight which, in the common method, presed on the
horse's back on going down hill, will now be entirely removed from of him,
and permit him to descend with ease and safety. And, lastly, I do not

page_text: claim or pretend to insert in this Specification any improvement in the body,
springs, wheels, or block stays, except the curved or circular block stay c, c, in
the respective Drawings or Figures; but I do claini the Invention and appli-
cation of curved or circular block stays, as well as levers, spindles, links, loops,
racks, toothed wheels, & friction rollers, as shown in the Drawings to which
this refers, and which are coloured blue. I make these of iron, brass, steel,
or any other metal, or of any durable material which can conveniently be
applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Banks, have hereunto set my
hand and soal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighteen.