AN IMPROVED BREAK FOR VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON COMMON ROADS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph. Gumbley, of Lantrissant, in the County
of Glamorgan, Contractor, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED BREAK
FOR VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON COMMON ROADS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Gumbley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
October 1862.
-I, JOSEPH GUMBLEY, of Lantrissant, in the County of Glamorgan, Contractor,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BREAK.
FOR VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON COMMON ROADS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to transfer the power exercised by a horse.
in keeping back a vehicle when descending a hill to a lever which forces a
break on the wheel.
The breeching or other means used for keeping back the vehicle instead of
being attached to the shaft or pole is attached to a chain or strap, or chains.
or straps; such chain or strap, or each such, runs round a pulley fixed on the
under part of the shaft or at the end of the pole, or in such like position, and
thence passes to the end of a lever which works on a pin or axis at the
opposite side of the vehicle; such pin or axis is fixed through the shaft or in
other convenient part. The lever carries the break block, skid, or similar con-
trivance; two such levers may cross each other. When pressure is applied

page_text: against the breeching or other means used for keeping back the vehicle, or
sufficient action exerted on such breeching (or other said means), the levers
are worked and bring the break blocks or equivalent contrivances into
action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Gumbley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
GUMBLEY, of Lantrissant, in the County of Glamorgan, Contractor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Gumbley, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Gumbley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Gumbley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED BREAK
FOR VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON COMMON ROADS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Joseph Gumbley, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Gumbley, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is the construction of apparatus in such manner
that the power or pressure exerted by a horse (or other draught animal) in
keeping back a vehicle when descending a hill or incline shall be so transferred

page_text: or transmitted as to force a break on or against the wheel. This may be
effected as follows:-The breeching or other means on which the horse or
draught animal acts or presses to keep back the vehicle (when descending a
hill or incline) instead of being attached to the shaft or pole is attached to a
chain or strap, or to chains or straps, such chain or strap, or each such chain
or strap runs round a pulley fixed on the under part of the shaft, or at the end
of the pole, or in such like position, and thence passes to the end of a lever
which works on a pin or axis at the opposite side of the vehicle; such pin or axis
is fixed through the shaft or in other convenient part. The lever carries the
break block, skid, or similar contrivance. When the horse (or other animal
engaged in drawing the vehicle) applies pressure against the breeching or other
means on which it acts for keeping back the vehicle the levers will be thereby
worked and will bring the break blocks or other equivalent contrivances into
action.
The accompanying Drawings represent apparatus constructed according to
my Invention, and exemplify how the same may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a plan of the under side of a cart or two-wheeled carriage
furnished with my break. A is the cart frame; B are the wheels; C is the
shaft. a is the breeching, which instead of being attached to the shaft or pole,
as usual, is fastened to two chains b, b, one at each end. These chains pass
over pulleys c, c, fixed to the under part of the shaft C, the further ends of the
chains are fastened to the long ends of levers d, d; these levers are centered on
pins e fixed to the frame of the cart on opposite sides thereof, so that each
lever is centered at the side of the cart opposite to that at which its chain is
fastened to it. f, f, are break blocks fixed one to each lever; the levers
cross each other, as shewn.
Figure 2 is a plan of the under side of a waggon or four-wheeled carriage
fitted with my improved break. A is the frame; B are the wheels; C, the
pole; a breeching; b, b, chains; c, c, pullies; d, d, levers; e, e, centres; f,f,
break blocks, all arranged as described in reference to Figure 1. Additional
pullies 9, 9, are fixed to the under side of the waggon frame for the chains to
pass over.
In Figure 1 the wheels are shewn as relieved from the pressure of
the break blocks. In Figure 2 the break blocks are shewn as forced against
the wheels.
When the horse which draws the vehicle descends a hill it presses
against the breeching in order to keep the vehicle back, and the breeching
being thus pressed back pulls the chains b, b, and works the levers d, d,
drawing forward those ends of the levers to which the chains are attached, so

page_text: that the opposite ends of the levers bring the breaks f, f, against the wheels
as shown in Figure 2 (and in dotted lines Figure. 1.)
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in. what
manner the same may be performed; I'declare that I do not restrict myself
to the mechanical arrangements or details herein-before described, as the same
may be varied without departing from the principle of my Invention, which
consists in constructing apparatus in such manner that the pressure or power
exerted by a horse in keeping back a vehicle when descending a hill or incline
shall be so transferred, or transmitted, as to force a break on the wheel.:
And I declare that I do not claim, the use of levers and chains for working
breaks except when so contrived as to be worked by the power or pressure
exerted by a horse or other animal in keeping back a vehicle when descending
a hill or incline.
:
And I declare that I claim as of my Invention constructing, fitting, or
applying breaks to vehicles in such manner that they shall be worked by the
horse or other draught animal engaged in drawing the vehicle, that is to say,
constructing, fitting, or applying the break so that it shall be forced or caused
to act on or against the wheel by the power or pressure exerted by the
said horse or animal in keeping back the vehicle when descending a hill or
incline.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Gumbley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three..
Witness,
S. B. EDWARDES.
Tonyrefail.
Glamorganshire. .
.
JOSEPH GUMBLEY. (L.S.)