IMPROVEMENTS IN TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I, JOHN POWELL, of Fair Street, St Columb, Carriage Builder, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES to
be as follows:-
That whether ascending or descending a hill, the body shall always maintain
that position, best calculated to give comfort to the occupant and ease to the horse.
Thus
For ascending a hill By means of a lever the driver can move the body
forward, depressing the front, and elevating the hind parts (Diagram I).
For descending a hill The body is moved backward, front elevated, hind part
depressed. (Diagram II)
On level ground the body of the vehicle is parallel with the ground. These
movements are effected by means of a lever, screw, or any other mechanical
contrivance I may think most suitable.
What I claim is to enable the driver without inconvenience, to keep the body
of the vehicle balanced and level whether on a plane or an incline Also, that
the horizontal movement of the whole body, and the depression of one end and
elevation of the other, shall be simultaneous.
Dated this sixth day of February 1884

page_text: I JOHN POWELL of Fair Street, St Columb in the County of Cornwall Carriage
Builder do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TWOWHEELED VEHICLES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention consists of, the method hereinafter explained, of constructing
Twowheeled Vehicles of the various descriptions made to be drawn by Horses or
other animals and is intended to increase, or decrease the weight on the back of
the animal at the time so drawing such vehicle, whether on a level road or ascending
or descending a hill, and at the same operation to keep the Body of such vehicle
in a horizontal position, irrespective of the rise or fall of the shafts.
In place of the usual and any of the heretofore known methods of supporting
the Body of the vehicle, I use Four Guide Bars, fixed at a suitable incline either
to the shafts, or to the body of the vehicle at the points A. B. C. D., Fig 1 ou
Drawing.
Each of these Guide Bars are of similar size & shape, and consist of round iron
bars and arranged at the ends for fixing on to the shafts or body of the vehicle by
means of bolts screws or other suitable fastenings.
Square, V shaped, or other sections of bars may be used by me as well as the
round bars.
Each Guide Bar is so fixed in position as to form an inclined plane with the
Horizontal of the shafts, the four ends a, b, c, d Fig 1 being the highest points,
whilst the ends e. f: g. h are the lowest points.
The Guide Bars as shewn upon the annexed Drawings have the amount of
inclination given to them by affixing the ends a. b. c. d Fig. 1, on the upper side
of the shafts respectively, whilst the ends e. f. g. 1, are aflixed to the under parts of
such shafts, Though as before stated, they may be fixed, but in a similar position
relatively, to the Body of the Vehicle.
The foregoing method of fixing is shewn in Elevation at a. b. c. d Fig. 2. on
Drawings with the rollers, e. f.
Riding upon the before mentioned Guide Bars, I have Four small Rollers
grooved to suit the section of the Guide Bars. j: k. l. m Fig 1. The Rollers each
work upon a pivot affixed to the Body of the vehicle, or in case the Guide Bars
are affixed to the Body of the vehicle, these pivots are affixed to the shafts.
It will be seen therefore that the Body of the vehicle is supported & kept in
position by the before named Four Rollers riding upon the upper surfaces of the
Four Guide Bars, or in case the Guide Bars are affixed to the Body of the Vehicle,
the lower surfaces of the Guide Bars ride on the tops of the Rollers Affixed on the
side of the Body of the Vehicle is a Lever. n. o. p. q. Fig. 2. working on a pivot
attached to the Body of the Vehicle at (o) and also to a pivot attached to the
shafts at (p) the end at (q) being coupled to a Connecting Rod q. r. to the Lever
Brake . s. t.
"
The Connecting Rod q. r. and the Lever Brake r. s. t is not claimed as a part
of this invention not being novel."
The Lever n, o, p, q, is kept in position at will by the usual form of toothed
Ratchetu. v. Fig. 2.
Having now described the nature of my invention, The method of applying
the same is as follows:-
When the Vehicle is being drawn upon a level road, the Lever n. o. p. q Fig 2. is
drawn to the centre of the Ratchet. u. v. as in Fig 2. and the Four Rollers occupy
then the four centres of the Four Guide Bars in the positions as shewn in Fig 1
and Fig. 2.

page_text: When ascending an incline the Lever is pressed forward from the former
position a. b. Fig. 3. to the position c. d. The Rollers e. f. then occupying the
positions g. h. that is, the two front Rollers are at the lower ends of their Guide
Bars whilst the back Rollers are at the higher ends of their Guide Bars, the Vehicle
then having the position as shewn by the dotted lines on Fig. 3.
In descending an incline the Lever a. b. is pressed back to the position. k. 1.
Fig. 3. when the Rollers are then in a reverse position. to the former one, thus
lowering the hind part and raising the front part of the Body of the Vehicle.
Also moving the Body backwards horizontally, This action of the Lever at the
same time bringing the Brake (s. t.) Fig 2. to bear upon the tyre of the wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be
understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein described
and represented, Thus I claim to be at liberty to use any mechanical contrivance
to obtain the motive power in place of the Lever n. o. p Fig 2. Also I claim to
be at liberty to use slides instead of the Four Rollers j. k. l. m. Fig 1 What
I claim is the new and improved method substantially as described of constructing
Two Wheeled Vehicles so that the Body of the said Vehicle shall always be in a
horizontal position irrespective of the rise or fall of the road over which it is being
drawn, and at the same time to regulate the amount of load upon the back of the
Animal or Animals then drawing such Vehicle.
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