IMPROVEMENTS" IN "APPARATUS USED FOR DRAGGING OR SKIDDING WHEELS OF WHEELED CARRIAGES
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
WRIGHT, of Carisbrook, Isle of Wight, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters'
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,' bearing date at Westminster,
5 the Twenty-second day of 'March, in the fourth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors," give and grant unto me, the said Joseph
Wright, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Joseph Wright, 'my exors, "admors, and assigns, or such other's as I,
the said Joseph Wright, my exors, fadmors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England; Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS" IN "APPARATUS USED FOR DRAGGING OR SKIDDING
WHEELS OF WHEELED CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Joseph Wright, shall cause 'a particular description of
the nature of my said: Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed; to be inrolled in Her'said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Wright, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-
My Invention relates to a mode of applying apparatus to the skid pans of
wheeled carriages, whereby a skid pan can be placed under a wheel in order
to skid or drag it, and when desired the skid pan is removed by allowing the
wheel to pass over it by releasing the drag chain; and in order that my
Invention may be most fully described and readily carried into effect I will
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, in the various Figures of
which the same letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side view of a stage coach having my Invention
applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a back view of the coach, and the various other detail views
shew the principal parts on a larger scale, by which their construction and
manner of acting will be more readily traced. a is the skid pan. b is a link
by which the skid pan is connected to the rod c by pin joints at e, e, as is
shown. The rod c moves on a pin joint or axis at d. To the hind axle is
affixed the apparatus f, to which the axis or pin joint d is affixed. This
apparatus consists of the quadrant frame f, which is affixed by means of the
straps or lugs f¹ to the hind axle of the coach, as is shown in Figures 1 and.
2. is a curved lever, which moves on an axis f³, carried by the quadrant
f. This lever is at all times pressed outwards at its hinder end by a spring f*,
as is shewn, by which means the fore end of the lever f has 'at all times a.
tendency to remain prèssed against the upper part of the incline of the edge
of the quadrant f; by which means, when the rod c is in front of the apparatus.
f, and is allowed to drop, in order to lay the skid pan in front of the hind
wheel, the lever f' will act as a guide to direct the rod c, and prevent its
descending in a perpendicular line in the following manner:- is a projection
from the side of the rod c, and from such projection c¹ descends another
projection c³, as is clearly shewn in the Drawing at Figure 3; and the nature:
of the apparatus f, and parts connected therewith, will readily be traced-on

page_text: examining Figures 4 and 5, as well as Figures 1 and 2. The Drawing now
under description shews the parts in the positions they would be when the
wheel is skidded or dragged, the red lines shewing the position of the parts
immediately after the wheel has passed over the skid pan, and the black
dotted lines in Figure 1 shew the position of the parts when the skid pan is
raised out of use. g is the drag chain connected at one end with the lover
c, and at its other end there is a link g', by which it is retained and held
secure when dragging the wheel; but in unskidding the wheel this link g' is
so arranged, together with the apparatus used therewith, that the chain g can
be released, and allow of the wheel passing over the skid pan; which mode of
unskidding the wheel constitutes a peculiar character of arrangement in the
apparatus constituting my Invention. h is a bar affixed to the fore carriage
of the coach, and i is a rod also affixed to the fore carriage of the coach, as
is shewn, the rod i being used in order to assist in supporting the bar h. At
the fore part of the bar h, and just where it is affixed to the fore carriage, it
is formed into a curved projection h', on which the link g' is received, and
securely held when the wheel is dragged. is a forked lever embracing the
projection h¹, and moving on an axis or pin A, passing through the bar h, as
is clearly shown at Figures 6 and 7, and it is by means of the lever that
the link g of the drag chain g is released when it is desired to unskid the
wheel; and this operation is performed by the simple act of raising the rod m,
which is attached to the lever l, as is shewn, by which means the link g¹ will
be raised off the projection h³, by which the chain 9 will be released, and the
skid pan allowed to pass under the wheel. n is a cord or chain attached to
the link g', by which the chain g is drawn back to the projection * after the
wheel has passed over the skid pan, such cord or chain passing over the
pulley o, and under the pulley p, thence up to the barrel 9, where it is made
fast, and when that barrel q is moved round the cord or chain n will be
wound up.
s is another cord or chain attached to the rod c, passing over the
pulley t, then under the pulleys v, v; it is made fast to the barrel q'; hence
when the barrel q¹ is caused to turn, the chain or cord s will be wound up,
and the skid pan will be raised up into the position shown by black dotted
lines in Figure 1. But it should be remarked that when the skid pan has
passed under the wheel the arm c will not be caused to stand out towards
the wheel, but on being drawn up by the cord s the projection c³ will come on
the inside of the lever f, and the projection c¹ will be raised above the plate
f, as is shewn by dotted lines in Figure 3, such plate fo supporting the end of
the projection c, as the rod c descends to skid the wheel, as is clearly shewn at
Figure 8; and it will readily be understood that in drawing up the rod c by the

page_text: cord s,. that the projection will pass from under the lever f at the
fore end thereof, which it is allowed to do by the spring to that lever,
such spring immediately closing the fore end of the leverf on to the incline
of the quadrant, and thus again is in a position to guide. off the..rod.. c,
The barrels q q', åre. con-
when it is again let., down to, skid the wheel.
nected together, and are moved, by the handle w, which is made, capable.of
folding in order to be out of the way, as is shewn at; Figures 8,19, 10, and
11, where the parts.. which work, the cords are shewn separately.qisa
plate affixed to the barrels q, q', and it has a spiral groove formed, therein. as
is shewn. is a lever having a projection or stop a¹, which, entering, into, ithe
recess y in the plate locks it from, movement till the lever is raised.bi The
position of, the, parts in Figure 1 as above mentioned is such as they.. would
assume when the wheel is skidded; the position, of the parts in Figures (8, and
9 is such as they would assume when the,skid pan is raised out of use; and
in order to lower the skid, pan the lever, a is to be raised, when the..cords
would be free, and the skid pan, would descend All which will readily:be
understood on examining the Drawings, aided by the description above.given:
Figure 12 shews the side view, and Figure 13 a. back, view of another
carriage having my Invention applied thereto, and the parts are shewn,.to.be
in the position they would assume immediately, after having released, the skid
pan, and the wheel having passed over, it. In these. Figures, as well as in
the detail Figures, on a larger scale, the parts are all marked with. the. same
letters of reference as those above given, and, the description. thereof.. will
apply to the present Figures,.there being only slight..variations, in some, of
the details, which will be evident to a mechanic.on comparing the Drawings..
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and, the manner..of
performing the same, I would remark, that although I have been particular
in shewing and describing all the details of mechanical apparatus employed
by me in carrying out my Invention, yet I do not confine myself thereto as
the same may be varied without, departing from.my Invention, provided the
peculiar character of the Invention be retained. But what I claim is, the mode
of applying skidding or, dragging apparatus: to wheels, of wheeled..carriages
under..the
whereby in unskidding,the,.same the skid pans are allowed to pass
wheels by releasing the, drag chain.as herein described....
4
In witness whereof,. I, the said Joseph Wright, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the year of ou
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
JOSEPH (L.B.) WRIGHT.:

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid Joseph Wright came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing 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 Twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.