Improvements in or appertaining to the Covering or Protecting of the ¡Seats of Tramcars and like Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1899
Improvements in or appertaining to the Covering or Protecting of the
¡Seats of Tramcars and like Vehicles.
I, ARTHUR SIDDALL, of West Mills, Sowerby Bridge, in the County of York,
Worsted Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to the seats of tramcars and like vehicles, the
object of my invention being to afford a simple and effective means of covering
said seats so that in inclement weather they are kept clean and dry.
Various methods have hitherto been adopted for the purpose to which my
invention refers, but in the majority of cases the means provided have proved
ineffectual by reason of the non-replacement of the cover by the person vacating
or leaving the seat to which said cover was attached.
The object of my invention is to remedy this, and I propose to carry out my
invention in the following manner.
same.
To the top of the seat to be protected I hinge suitably a cover of lattice work
such as commonly used for the purpose or any other convenient material or
substance may be employed. To the opposite edge of this cover I hinge another
cover of plain wood or other material of suitable size and shape to cover up the
lattice sheet already mentioned. When a passenger requires to use the seat,
the plain cover is lifted up, exposing to view the dry lattice sheet underneath
The hinge employed to attach the top cover to the lattice sheet is a self
closing hinge so that on the passenger vacating the seat, the top cover will
automatically descend and cover up the lattice sheet. Suppose the direction of
motion of the car is now reversed. In this case both the top cover and lattice
sheet are raised together exposing to view the seat proper. The hinge attaching
the lattice sheet to the seat proper I also prefer to be of the self closing type
so that the lattice sheet and top cover are automatically replaced on the seat
being vacated.
The method may be employed to protect the whole width of a tramcar seat
by means of a single cover, or the covers may each be made of such size as to protect
the width of seat taken up by one person so that the remaining seats if not in
use would be left dry.
If desired, a fringe or strip of waterproof material may be employed to hang
over the edges of the cover to prevent rain or snow drifting in between the
cover and and lattice sheet and between the lattice sheet and the seat proper.
Dated this 16th day of January 1899.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Halifax.

page_text: Improvements in or appertaining to the Covering or Protecting of the
Seats of Tramcars and like Vehicles.
I, ARTHUR SIDDALL, of West Mills, Sowerby Bridge, in the County of York,
Worsted Spinner, 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 reference to the seats of tramcars and like vehicles, the
object of my invention being to afford a simple and effective means of covering
said seats so that in inclement weather they are kept clean and dry.
Various methods have hitherto been adopted for the purpose to which my
invention refers, but in the majority of cases the means have proved inadequate
or ineffectual by reason of the non-replacement of the cover by the person vacating
or leaving the seat to which said cover was attached.
The object of my invention is to remedy this, and I propose to carry out my
invention in the following manner.
To the top of the seat to be protected, I hinge suitably a cover of lattice work
such as commonly used for the purpose, or any other convenient material or
substance may be employed. To the opposite edge of this cover I hinge another
cover of plain wood or other material of suitable size and shape to cover up the
lattice sheet already mentioned. When a passenger requires to use the seat,
the plain cover is lifted up, exposing to view the dry lattice sheet underneath
same. The hinge employed to attach the top cover to the lattice sheet is a self-
closing hinge so that on the passenger vacating the seat the top cover will
automatically descend and cover up the lattice sheet. Suppose the direction of
motion of the car is now reversed. In this case both the lattice sheet and top
cover are raised together, exposing to view the seat proper. The hinge attaching
the lattice sheet to the seat proper 1 also prefer to be of the self-closing type
so that the lattice sheet and top cover are automatically replaced on the seat
being vacated.
In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention Fig. 1 is end
view of a seat or chair having my improvements applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is
front view of same. Fig. 3 shews a modification hereafter referred to.
Referring to the drawings letter a represents the framework of the seat or chair,
and 6 the ordinary seat of lattice work or cross bais usually employed. To one
side of the seat 6 or to the framework, I secure by hinge c a cover d of lattice
work or cross bars, in such manner that the said cover d lies flat upon and covers
the seat b. To the opposite side of the cover d I hinge as shewn at e another
cover of plain wood, waterproof canvas, or other suitable material, adapted to
lie Hat upon the upper surface of the cover d. The hinges c and e are of the
ordinary return or self-closing type, so that if the covers d or, as would be the
case when the car was travelling in the reverse direction, both covers d and f
are raised, and then released, the springs will automatically return the said
covers to their flat positions over the seat.
When the car having thereon the seat to which my improvements are applied,
is travelling in one direction, and the seat is to be occupied, the cover fis
raised to the position shewn in dotted line in Fig. 1, that is to sav, unitl the
When
upper portion thereot comes into contact or engag. s with the back rest g.
the seat is vacated, the hinge e will automatically return the said cover to the
position shewn in full line to cover the seat and intermediate cover d.
Suppose the direction of the car be now reversed. The back rest is moved
g

page_text: on its pivots in the direction of the arrow Fig. I until the side arms i thereof
engage the opposite end of the slotted guide j. When the seat is to be occupied
now, the cover d, together with the cover f hinged thereto, is raised on its hinge c,
until in engages the back rest as already explained. The hinge c, on vacation
of the seat, will automatically return the covers of their positions.
kare pins or studs projecting from the sides of the cover f which are adapted
to engage the side arms i of the back rest, to move the said back rest over to
one side or the other as required on raising the covers to occupy the seat, if
the position of said back rest requires reversing. are plates, blocks, or rings
of indiarubber or like material, placed between the outer cover f and the inter-
mediate cover d, and between said intermediate cover and the seat b to prevent
jarring or noise on the return of the covers by the spring hinges cor e to their
positions over the seat.
In Fig. 3 I shew a modification of my invention in which I dispense with the
intermediate cover d as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, and instead thereof I employ
a thin metal bar or strip m projecting downwards at each side of the seat, and
hinged at one end at m to the cover, and at the other end at m² to the seat ¹,
or to the framework. The hinges I employ in this type of cover are also pre-
ferably of the self-closing description, so that they automatically return the
cover to its position on the scat being vacated. The action of this form of
cover is exactly the same as that of the one previously described, where an inter-
mediate coverd was employed, and it is equally as effective in keeping the seat b
dry, whilst it is much cheaper in construction.
The whole width of a seat extending across a tramcar may be covered or pro-
tected by means of a single cover, or the covers may each be made of such size
as to protect the width of seat taken up by one person, so that the remaining
portion of the seat, if not in use, would be kept dry.
If desired, a fringe or strip of waterproof material may be employed to hang
over the edges of the cover to prevent rain or snow drifting in between the
cover and the seat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
(1) A cover for the seats of tramears and the like, comprising a top cover f
of wood, waterproof canvas or the like hinged at e by means of a return or self-
closing hinge to an intermediate cover d of lattice work, crossbars, or the like,
said intermediate cover being also hinged at its opposite side at e by a return or
self-closing hinge to the seat proper, or to the framework thereof, all arranged
constructed, and operated, substantially as set forth and shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
(2) A cover for the seats of tramears and the like, comprising a sheet or cover f
of wood, waterproof canvas, or the like, hinged by a self-closing hinge at each
end of one side thereof to a downwardly projecting metal strip or bar m, the
opposite ends of said strips m being hinged also by self-closing hinges to the
scat proper or to the framework supporting same, substantially as described, and
shewn in Fig. 3.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Halifax, Agents for the Applicant.