Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 8th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 19th Apr., 1887.
We, CHARLES RICHARD GORMAN, of 397, Bolton Road, Small Heath, Warwick-
shire, Engineer, and CHARLES JOSEPH FLETCHER, of Hampton Works, Hampton
Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Perambulator Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The first part of our Invention of improvements in perambulators, invalids" wheeled
chairs and other like carriages has reference to improved means for steering such
carriages. We will first describe this part of our Invention as applied to an ordinary
four wheeled perambulator the wheels of which, when in motion, rotate in parallel
planes as their axles are connected parallel to each other. When it is desired to move
such a perambulator around a curve either the front or the back wheels have to be
raised off the ground.
By our Invention such a perambulator can be moved and effectually steered around
a curve without raising the wheels off the ground. This we accomplish as follows:-
Instead of fixing the axles of the wheels together, as heretofore, we arrange for tho
front axle to be capable of being turned and inclined towards the back axle as may
be required thereby allowing of the perambulator being moved around a curve without
raising the wheels. The said front axle is carried by curved guides or quadrants fixed
preferably horizontally to the perambulator body or under frame between the two
front wheels and forming segments of a circle of which a point on the axle preferably
equi-distant between the said front wheels is the centre. Jointed to the said front
axle, on each side of the said centre of the quadrants, are two connecting rods which
are carried under the perambulator body to the back thereof and there severally
jointed to each end of a lever which is attached at its centre to the bottom of a handle
shaft. The said handle shaft extends upwards and is free to be turned on its axis in
suitable bearings attached to the perambulator body or otherwise supported. To the
top of the said handle shaft is a handle forming therewith the letter T by means of
which the perambulator is moved by the attendant. By turning the said T handle
shaft on its axis motion is transmitted by the said connecting rods to the front axle

page_text: which with its wheels is correspondingly turned and the perambulator thereby steered
to the right or left hand as may be required.
The steering apparatus above described, by means of which the front wheels can
be caused to turn by the back handle as above described, is intended as a type only
as various equivalent arrangements of mechanism may be substituted therefor without
departing from the spirit of our Invention; for instance the curved guides or
quadrants may be dispensed with and instead thereof the said front axle may be
pivotted and arranged to turn on a central pin fixed to the body or to the under frame,
and instead of the lever at the bottom of the handle shaft a spur pinion may be
employed to gear into two racks formed respectively on the said connecting rods, and
instead of two connecting rods a single connecting rod may be used.
Other like four wheeled carriages can be arranged to be steered from behind
similarly as above described with reference to a four wheeled perambulator.
As a modification of this part of our Invention the front axle of the perambulator
or other like carriage may be fixed and the back axle arranged to turn by the back
handle similarly as above described with reference to the front axle.
It will be evident that this part of our Invention can be applied to a three wheel
perambulator or other carriage (that is a perambulator or other carriage having two
wheels of equal size at the back and a third, generally a smaller wheel, in front)
similarly as above described with reference to a perambulator or other carriage
having four wheels, the front wheel and axle of such a three wheel carriage being
similarly arranged to be turned by the attendant turning the back handle. When
this part of our Invention is applied to Bath chairs and other invalid carriages it
enables such carriage to be steered by the attendant at the back of the carriage
instead of by the occupant.
The second part of this Invention consists in an improved form of spring for such
carriages whereby the vibration consequent on the carriage passing over inequalities of
the road is absorbed. According to this part of our Invention we provide a stud and
a tube of about equal length the former fitting loosely in the latter and projecting
from one end thereof. Outside the said tube is a spiral or other spring of suitable
longth. When in use the projecting end of the said stud is fixed preferably to the
perambulator or other like carriage body or underframe and the opposite end of the
said tube is preferably formed or otherwise connected to the axle and the said spiral
spring is compressed by the weight of the body. Vibration of the axle causes the
said stud to slide within the tube such vibration being absorbed by the spiral or other
spring. We prefer to use four such springs for a perambulator but a greater or
sinaller number may be used if desired.
دو
on it
The third part of our said Invention consists in the application of an automatic
brake to such carriages arranged as hereinafter described to prevent such carriage
moving if left on an incline by the attendant. This we effect by providing a lever or
other brake to one or more of the wheels which in its normal position is "
being pressed against such wheel or wheels by a suitable spring. The said brake is
taken "off" by a brake-handle which is parallel to the handle by which the perambu-
lator or other carriage is moved. When the attendant is moving the perambulator or
other carriage the brake is taken "off" by the brake-handle being pressed to the
perambulator or other carriage-handle but should the attendant release the handle and
leave the carriage the brake is immediately put on by the said spring and the
carriage thereby prevented from moving further.
Dated thin 7th of M 100
66
"2
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
128, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Perambulators, Invalids' Wheeled Chairs, and
other like Carriages.
We, CHARLES RICHARD GORMAN, of 397, Bolton Road, Small Heath, Warwick-
shire, Engineer, and CHARLES JOSEPH FLETCHER, of Hampton Works, Hampton Street,
Birmingham, Warwickshire, Perambulator Manufacturer, 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 :-
The first part of our Invention of improvements in perambulators, invalids' wheeled
chairs and other like carriages has reference to improved means for steering such
carriages. We will first describe this part of our Invention as applied to an ordinary
four wheeled perambulator the wheels of which, when in motion, rotate in parallel
planes as their axles are connected parallel to each other. When it is desired to move
such a perambulator around a curve either the front or the back wheels have to be
raised off the ground.
By our Invention such a perambulator can be moved and effectually steered
around a curve without raising the wheels off the ground. This we accomplish
as follows:-Instead of fixing the axles of the wheels together, as heretofore,
we arrange for the front axle to be capable of being turned and inclined towards
the back axle as may be required thereby allowing of the perambulator being
moved around a curve without raising the wheels. The said front axle is carried by
curved guides or quadrants fixed preferably horizontally to the perambulator body or
under frame between the two front wheels and forming segments of a circle of which
a point on the axle preferably equi-distant between the said front wheels is the centre.
Jointed to the said front axle, on each side of the said centre of the quadrants, are
two connecting rods which are carried under the perambulator body to the back thereof
and there severally jointed to each end of a lever which is attached at its centre to the
bottom of a handle shaft. The said handle shaft extends upwards and is free to be
turned on its axis in suitable bearings attached to the perambulator body or otherwise
supported. To the top of the said handle shaft is a handle forming therewith the
letter T by means of which the perambulator is moved by the attendant. By turning
the said Thandle shaft on its axis motion is transmitted by the said connecting rods
to the front axle which with its wheels is correspondingly turned and the perambulator
thereby steered to the right or left hand as may be required.
On the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents in front elevation and Fig. 2 in
side elevation a four wheeled perambulator with our Invention applied; Figs. 3 and 4
are plans of the same the body of the perambulator and the front part of the under
frame and the top parts of the guides or quadrants having been removed in order to
more clearly illustrate the action of the steering mechanism as hereinafter more fully
described; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the guides of the same separately on an enlarged
scale and Fig. 6 is a plan and Fig. 7 an end elevation of the front wheels and curved
guides of the same on an enlarged scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.

page_text: a is the body of the perambulator, b, b are the back wheels revolving on the axlo c,
d, d are the front wheels revolving on the axle e, and is the ordinary under frame
connecting the axles c, e to the body a. The front axle e is carried by curved guides
or quadrants g, g fixed by bolts h, h to the under frame fand connected together by
the cross bars g, g². Free to turn on the axle e are two rollers or slide blocks i, i
which are grooved or flanged to suit the guides or quadrants g, g which latter are
made of a similar shape so as to prevent the axle e moving endways. The quadrants g, g
each form part of a circle of which a point equi-distant between the wheels d, d is
the centre. k, kare the two connecting rods which are jointed at k¹, ¹ to a lever /
which is fixed at its centre to the handle shaft m extending upwards and free to turn
in bearings n, n fixed to the body a or otherwise supported therefrom and having an
ordinary perambulator handle at its upper end. By turning the handle shaft m, for
instance towards the left hand (see Fig. 3) a similar turning motion is by the rods k, k
transmitted from the lever 7 to the front axle e which with its wheels is correspondingly
turned and the perambulator steered towards the left hand. By turning the handle
in the opposite direction the axle e will be turned in the opposite direction also and
the perambulator steered towards the right hand.
The steering apparatus above described, by means of which the front wheels can be
caused to turn by the back handle as above described, is intended as a type only as
various equivalent arrangements of mechanism may be substituted therefor without
departing from the spirit of our Invention; for instance, as illustrated in elevation by
Fig. 8 and in plan by Fig. 9, the curved guides or quadrants g, g may be dispensed
with and instead thereof the said front axle e may be pivotted and arranged to turn on
a central pin o fixed to the under frame for to the body of the perambulator, the
rods, k being pivotted thereto as above described; and instead of the lever at the
bottom of the handle shaft m for transmitting motion therefrom to the axle e a spur
pinion p may be employed (see plan Fig. 10 and sectional end elevation Fig. 11)
gearing into two racks, formed respectively on the connecting rods k, k, suitable
guides 9, 9 fixed to the under frame f being provided for the racks to work in so as to
keep them in gear with the pinion p; or as illustrated in plan by Fig. 12 the axle e
may be carried by a fork which is pivotted at to the under frame and to which
the rods k, kare pivotted at 2, 3; and it will be evident that although the two con-
necting rods k, k make the best arrangement still one of them might be dispensed
with and the axle e operated by a single rod only.
Other like four wheeled carriages such for instance as Bath chairs, invalid carriages
and hand parcel carts can be arranged to be steered from behind similarly as above
described and as illustrated by Figs. 1 to 12, both inclusive, with reference to a four
wheeled perambulator such alterations only being necessary in the shape and arrange-
ment of the parts as will adapt them to the particular carriage with which they
are used.
As a modification of this part of our Invention the front axle of the perambulator
or other like carriage may be fixed and the back axle arranged to turn by the back
handle similarly as above described with reference to the front axle. This modification
may be carried out as illustrated in side elevation by Fig. 13 and in back elevation by
Fig. 14 and by Fig. 15 which shews in plan and elevation the lever at the bottom part
of the handle separately. This perambulator is similar in all respects to that above
described and illustrated by Figs. 1 to 7, both inclusive, except that it is turned round
end for end the large wheels being at the front and the handle shaft m being fixed
directly over the moving axle e; the rods k, k being dispensed with the motion of the
lever being transmitted to the axle e by two pins s, s which are fixed to the axle e and
engage in slotted holes 1, in the lever l.
The second part of this Invention consists in an improved form of spring for such
carriages whereby the vibration consequent on the carriage passing over inequalities
of the road is absorbed. According to this part of our Invention, which is illustrated
in end elevation by Fig. 16 and in side elevation by Fig. 17 as applied to the back
axle of a perambulator, we provide a stud and a tube of about equal length
the stud fitting loosely in the tube u and projecting from one thereof. Outside

page_text: the tube u is a spiral spring of suitable length or an india-rubber or other spring
may be used. The projecting end of the stud t is fixed preferably to the under
frame (or it may be fixed directly to the body a) and the opposite end of the
tube u is connected to the axle e and the spiral spring is compressed by the
weight of the body a. Or the tube u may be fixed to the under frame and
the stud t fixed to the axle e. Vibration of the axle causes the stud t to slide within
the tube u such vibration being absorbed by the spiral or other spring v.
We prefer
to use four such springs for a perambulator or other like carriage, two springs for
the back axle and two for the front axle but a greater or smaller number may be
used if desired.
In conclusion we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the
precise details herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of our Invention but
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:
1st. The improvements in steering perambulators, invalids' wheeled chairs and other
like carriages hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of
the accompanying drawings which consist in the front axle being arranged to turn
in guides or quadrants g, g, by turning the propelling handle at the back of the
carriage, the parts being constructed arranged and operating substantially as described
and illustrated.
more
2nd. The combination and arrangement of the parts of mechanism for steering peram-
bulators, invalids' wheeled chairs and other like carriages constructed and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated
particularly by Figs. 8 and 9; by Figs. 10 and 11; by Fig. 12 and by Figs. 13, 14
and 15 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. Springs for perambulators, invalids' wheeled chairs and other like carriages
constructed arranged and operating substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by Figs. 16 and 17 of the accompanying drawings.
Dotal this 7th day of Mon 1987
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.