Improvements in Apparatus for Employment in Opening and Closing the Doors of Hansom Cabs and of other Vehicles Fitted with similar Doors.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1888
Compete Specification Accepted, 29th Jan., 1889
Improvements in Apparatus for Employment in Opening and Closing
the Doors of Hansom Cabs and of other Vehicles Fitted with
similar Doors.
We, FREDERICK FORDER and CHARLES FORDER, trading together in co-partnership
as Forder Brothers and Company, of Charles Street, Wolverhampton in the County
of Stafford, Hausom Cab and Carriage Builders do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its chief object improvements in apparatus whereby the doors
of a Hansom Cab, or of other vehicles fitted with similar doors and having the driver's
seat at the back, may be opened and closed by the driver without dismounting from his
seat, and which admits also of the ready opening of the doors by the "fare," the
apparatus operating, in such latter case, so that as the one door is pushed open or
closed in the other door opens or closes automatically therewith. The invention also
comprises a simple form of apparatus for employment with a vehicle fitted with
doors of the Hansom Cab type, in which such doors are desired to be opened and
closed only by the "fare."
According to, and for the first-mentioned purpose of, this invention, a pair of wheels
(hereinafter frequently termed, for convenience of reference, the "door" wheels) is
fixed, underneath the footboard, to pins which are fixed to the doors and extend
downwards therefrom, in the line of the axes of the hinges thereof.
The pins are,
preferably, supported sideways by sockets or bearings fixed to the footboard, within
which they are free to turn axially. A second pair of wheels (hereinafter termed, for
convenience of reference, the "intermediate wheels) is mounted underneath the
bottom of the cab (or other vehicle, as aforesaid), in the same, or approximately the
same, plane as the door wheels; one of these intermediate wheels is situated,
preferably, on the longitudinal centro of the cab and the other on one side of such
centre. The last mentioned wheel is geared with the door wheel which is the nearer
thereto by means of a chain, and the other or central intermediate wheel is corre-
spondingly geared with the other door wheel. Both the intermediate wheels are
provided with teeth, in addition to parts formed for the chains to pass around, and
the teeth of one wheel gear with the teeth of the other so that as one wheel is
turned the other turns therewith. The central intermediate wheel is provided also
with a part to receive a second chain, and this chain passes around suitable guide
pulleys, and its ends are connected with the ends of a horizontal lever fixed at its
centre upon an end of a spindle projecting into the back of the cab, or the chain

page_text: may be formed endless and pass around a wheel fixed upon such projecting end of a
spindle. The other end of such spindle passes out through the back of the cab and
is provided with a lever, hand-wheel, or treadle by which it may be operated by the
driver.
It will thus be seen that if the lever, hand-wheel, or treadle is turned in one
direction by the driver the lever or wheel inside the back of the cab is moved in
a corresponding manner, and the chain connected therowith or passing therearound is
moved endways and gives motion to the central intermediate wheel, around which it
passes, and consequently turns such wheel which in its turn imparts movement to the
other intermediate wheel, but in a reverse direction of rotation to that in which itself
turns, and consequently the door wheels are turned, by their respective chains, in the
same direction, respectively, as the intermediate wheels with which they are geared by
such chains, and the doors are thus opened or closed as required.
The chains employed as above described must be made to gear with their respective
wheels so that they cannot slip therearound. Wo prefer to form the door wheels as
cog wheels having flanges on each side, and to form the parts of the chains which
pass therearound of D-shaped links which fit within the teeth. These links may be
conveniently made of strong sheet metal, the plates of one link passing between
the plates of the adjacent links and being rivetted thereto at their nearer
extremities. The parts of the chains which pass around the intermediate wheels, and
around the wheel inside the back of the cab, when such is employed, may each
be conveniently fixed to the periphery of the wheel by means of a screw, peg,
or rivet.
As doors are usually constructed it is necessary that the overlapping door of the
pair shall have a lead in opening over the underlapping door, and that the
underlapping door shall have a lead in closing over the overlapping door, and in
such case slackness should be allowed when the doors are in their closed position,
on the outer or forward side of the chain which connects an intermediate whocl
with the wheel of the overlapping door, and on the iunor or rear side of the chain
which connects the other intermediate wheel with the wheel of the underlapping
door.
It is preferred, however, to construct the doors so that the edges thereof do not fit
up against one another as usual when closed, and to provide the overlapping door
with a wide plate or band which will well cover the gap thus left between the doors,
in which case the doors may be opened simultaneously, though the underlapping
door should have a slight lead in closing. With this arrangement the toothed part
of the intermediate wheel which gears with the wheel of the underlapping door may
be somewhat less in diameter than the toothed part of the other intermediate wheel,
whereby the former intermediate wheel will turn somewhat quicker than the latter and
the underlapping door will consequently move more quickly than the other door and
thus close slightly before it, sufficient play existing or being, provided for in the
mechanism to allow the overlapping door to close properly after the other door is
closed. The same result may be obtained by making the toothed parts of the inter-
modiate wheels the same diameter and the wheel of the underlapping door less in
diameter than the wheel of the other door; or the desired result may be obtained in
the manner above described for employment when the doors are fitted in the usual
manner.
It will be seen that if one door is opened or closed by the "faro" the other door
opens or closes automatically therewith.
When it is not desired that the doors be operated from a seat at the back of the
vehicle, but simply by the "fare," the chain passing from the central intermediato
wheel to the back of the cab, and the gearing for operating it, are dispensed with.
Dated this 28th day of March 1888.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Employment in Opening and Closing
the Doors of Hansom Cabs and of other Vehicles Fitted with
similar Doors.
We, FREDERICK FORDER and CHARLES FORDER, trading together in co-partner-
ship as Forder Brothers and Company, of Charles Street, Wolverhampton in the
County of Stafford, and 121 Longaere, London, W.O., Hansom Cab and Carriage
Builders, 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:-
This invention has for its chief object improvements in apparatus whereby the doors
of a Hansom Cab, or of other vehicle fitted with similar doors and having the drivers
seat at the back, may be opened and closed by the driver without dismounting from
his seat, and which admits also of the ready opening of the doors by the "fare," the
apparatus operating, in such latter case, so that as the one door is pushed open or
closed in the other door opens or closes automatically therewith. The invention also
comprises a simple form of apparatus for employment with a vehicle fitted with doors
of the Hansom cab type, in which such doors are desirod to be opened and closed only
by the "fare."
We will describe the invention specially with reference to a Hansom cab, and in
doing so will refer to the accompanying drawings, of which figure 1 is a longitudinal
section (taken on line y y of figure 2) through the body of a Hansom cab having
our improvements applied thereto, sufficient only of the cab being shewn to make the
invention clear. Figure 2 is a section taken ou line of figure 1, the doors being
shewn as if broken away at the middle of the cab so as to expose certain of the
mechanism hereinafter described which would otherwise be hidden by the doors when
closed. Figure 3 is a view shewing the underside of the floor and foot-board of the
cab with the parts of the mechanism which are carried thereby. The remaining
figure will be presently described.
A pair of wheels a a (hereinafter frequently termed, for convenience of reference,
the "door" wheels) having flanges around their lower sides, and preferably also
around their upper sides, is fixed underneath the footboard A to pins b which are fixed
to the doors B and extend downwards therefrom in the line of the axes of the hinges
thereof, as shewn. The pins 6 are, preferably, supported sideways by sockets or
bearings c fixed to the footboard A, within which they are free to turn axially.
"
A second pair of wheels d d' (hereinafter termed, for convenience of reference,
fixed
the intermediate wheels) is mounted underneath the bottom of the cab upon
studs e eso as to be capable of turning in the same, or approximately the same,
plane as the door wheels. One of these intermediate wheels (say the intermediate
wheel d) is situated, preferably, on the longitudinal centre of the cab, and the other..
on one side of such centre. The last-mentioned wheel is geared with the door wheel a
.

page_text: •
which is the nearer thereto, by means of a chain f1 as shown, and the other or central
intermediate wheel is correspondingly geared, as shewn, with the other door wheel a.
Both the intermediate wheels are provided with teeth, in addition to parts formed for
the chains to pass around, and the teeth of one wheel gear with those of the other so
that as one wheel is turned the other turns therewith. One of the intermediate
wheels, proferably the central wheel d, is provided also with a groove or part to
receive a second chain h h etc., and this chain passes around the front of such wheel
and also around suitable guide pulleys ijk which are capable of turning on spindles
carried by brackets fixed to the body of the cab, and its ends are connected,
respectively, with the opposite ends of a lever m, capable of being vibrated in a
vertical plane, which is fixed at its centre upon an end of a spindle n projecting
slightly into the back of the cab. The other end of the spindle n passes out through
the back of the cab and is provided with a handle-lever o, which is in position to be
conveniently operated by the driver from his seat C at the back of the cab.
It will now be seen that if the lever o is moved sideways, from either extreme
position into which it may have been so moved previously, the lever m will be moved
in a corresponding manner, and one end of the chain hk etc. will be pulled and thus
give motion around its axis to the intermediate wheel d around which such chain
passes, and such wheel in turning will turn also the intermediate wheel but in the
opposite direction of rotation to that in which it turns itself, and consequently the
door wheels a will be turned axially by the chains which pass respectively around
them, in the same direction, respectively, as the intermediate wheels with which they
are geared by such chains, that in opposite directions to one another, and the doors
will thus be opened or closed as required.
The chains employed as above described must be made to gear with their respective
wheels so that they cannot slip therearound. The means by which we prefer to
accomplish this purpose is clearly shewn by figure 4, which is a view to an enlarged
scale, of the intermediate wheels and door wheels shewn in their proper relative
position with one another. This view is such as would appear in looking at tho under-
side of the wheels at right angles to the plane in which they turn, but the intermediate
wheel d and the door wheel a with which it is geared by means of the chain fare
shewn in section as if cut through the centre of the paris around which such chain
passes. The door wheels a are formed with cogs around a portion of their peripheries
and parts of the chains which pass around such wheels are composed of D-shaped
links P which fit around and within the teeth. These links may be conveniently made
of strong sheet metal, the plates of one link passing between the plates of the
adjacent links, and being rivetted thereto at their nearer extremities. The parts of
the chains which pass around the intermediate wheels d d are each fixed to the
wheel by means of a screw, peg or rivet, and for this purpose it is convenient to
employ a block as one of the links of the chain and to fix such block to the wheel
by means of a screw y' which passes through such block and is screwed into the body
of the wheel. For convenience of cleaning up the cogs upon the wheels a after the
same have been cast and of placing the chains in position around grooves formed
between upper and lower flanges the wheels are preferably formed with the flanges
loose from the body. The three parts are held together and upon the pins b by passing
them up over square parts on such pins and tightening them up against shoulders by
means of nuts on the ends of the pins. The flanges may be conveniently made of
thin wrought iron plate. The teeth of the intermediate wheels are preferably made
of gun metal and the portions of the wheels which carry such teeth aro rivetted to
the other parts of the wheels which may be of cast iron. In order to prevent any
liability of the D-shaped links slipping off the cogs of the wheels a, a guard having
a part turned up to pass across the edge of the groove in which the chain is carried
is rivetted to the underside of the lower flange of each wheel.
As doors are usually constructed it is necessary that the overlapping door of the
pair shall have a lead in opening over the underlapping door, and that the under-
lapping door shall have a lead in closing over the overlapping door, and in such case
slackness should be allowed, when the doors are in their closed position, on the outer

page_text: or forward side of the chain which connects an intermediate wheel with the wheel of
the overlapping door, and on the inner or rear side of the chain which connects the
other intermediate wheel with the wheel of the underlapping door.
It is preferred, however, to construct the doors so that the edges thereof do not fit
up against one another as usual when closed, and to provide the overlapping door
with a wide plate or band which will woll cover the gap thus left between the doors, in
which case the doors may be opened simultaneously, though the underlapping door
should have a slight lead in closing. This method of fitting the doors has been
previously adopted in other cases. With this arrangement the toothed part of the
intermediate wheel which gears with the wheel of the underlapping door may be
somewhat less in diameter than the toothed part of the other intermediate wheel,
whereby the former intermediate wheel will turn somewhat quicker than the latter
and the underlapping door will consequently move more quickly than the other door
and thus close slightly before it. The larger intermediate wheel may have say
48 teeth and the smaller 46 teeth. The doors are set so that they commence to move
together in closing. It will be found that the mechanism will yield sufficiently
(though no clearance is provided therein) to allow of the overlapping door closing
properly after the other door is closed. The great advantage results from this arrange-
ment that the chains are practically taut at all points and the mechanisin may be fitted
together without slackness or play, and thus the sudden jerk which takes place as the
doors turn over the centre in other constructions of antomatic door openers, owing to
the slackness in the chains or other mechanism. is entirely obviated. The under-
lapping door inay be arranged to close somewhat in advance of the overlapping door
by making both the intermediate wheels of the same diameter in overy respect, but
the wheel of the underlapping door of less diameter than the wheel of the other door;
or the desired result may be obtained by having the forward side of the chain which
gears with the wheel of the overlapping door somewhat slack when the doors are in
their open position.
It will be seen that if one door is opened or closed by the "fare" the other door opens
or closes automatically therewith.
It will be obvious that a hand wheel may be fixed upon the backwardly projecting
end of the spindle n, in lieu of the handle-lever o, and such wheel be operated by the
driver in opening and closing the doors. A wheel, also, may be mounted on the
innor end of the spindle n, in lieu of the lover m, and in such case the chain h h etc.
is passed around such wheel and may be conveniently fixed thereto in the manner in
which the chains which pass around the intermediate wheels are fixed thereto. When
the lover mis omployed as described short rods n¹n¹ may form connecting links
between the ends of the chain h h etc. and the ends of the lever m, respectively. The
guide pulleys are mounted on long studs, as shewn (in a manner previously
employed for analogous purposes) so that they may slide endways and follow the
vibrations of the chain as its ends are moved up and down.
Adjusting screws s muy be connected in the line of chain h h etc., as shewn by
figure 2, whereby the same may be tightened up or slackened from time to time as
may be required.
Steel wire, metal bands, or other flexible connectors not liable to be unduly
stretched, may of course be employed in lieu of the chains above described; it is,
however, preferred to employ chains, as being the most suitable for the purpose.
When it is not desired that the doors be operated from a seat at the back of the
vehicle, but simply by the "fare," the chain (or other flexible connector) passing
from one of the intermediate wheels to the back of the cab, and the gearing and
pulloys for operating and guiding it, and the provision around such intermediate
wheel for receiving such chain, are dispensed with.
It will be seen that, by employing the two intermediate wheels as described,
neither of the chains which gear them, respectively, with the door wheels have to be
crossed, and thus the inconvenience of a crossed chain which has been used in
connection with apparatus previously employed in opening and closing the doors of
Hansom cabs, is obviated.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The arrangement and combination of apparatus, substantially as described, for
employment in opening and closing the doors of Hansom cabs, and of other vehicles
fitted with similar doors.
2. In apparatus for use in opening and closing the doors of Hansom cabs, and of
other vehicles fitted with similar doors, the employment of wheels geared to one
another and also geared, respectively, to wheels fixed on the axes of the doors, sub-
stantially as described, for the purpose sot forth.
3. In apparatus for employment in opening and closing the doors of Hansom cabs,
and of other vehicles fitted with similar doors, an intermediate wheel d which may be
operated by the aid of a chain or other flexible connector from the driver's seat at the
back of the vehicle, an intermediate wheel which gears with and is operated by the
wheel d, said wheels d and d being geared, respectively, by means of chains, or other
flexible connectors, with wheels fixed upon the axes of the doors, substantially as
described.
4. Apparatus for use in opening and closing the doors of Hansom cabs, and of
other vehicles fitted with similar doors, in which flexible connectors are employed
in combination with other parts in such manner that slackness or play is avoided,
substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.
5. In apparatus for employment in opening and closing the doors of Hansom
cabs, and of other vehicles fitted with similar doors, in which wheels are fixed to
the axes of the doors and are actuated by flexible connectors (such as chains) which
pass around such wheels, providing such wheels with cogs and forming the links
of parts of such connectors which pass around the wheels of a D-shape to fit around
and within such cogs, substantially as described.
בד
1
1
1000