IMPROVEMENTS IN HANSOM CABS,' PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVS TOELED CARRIA
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Nottingham, of Clayton Place, Ken-
nington Road, in the County of Surrey, Artist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HANSOM CABS,' PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
Sealed the 22nd March 1864, and dated the 20th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Nottingham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th October 1863.
I, JOHN WILLIAM NOTTINGHAM, of Clayton Place Kennington Road, in
the County of Surrey, Artist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANSOM CABS, PARTS OF WHICH IM-
PROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER WHEELED CARRIAGES," to be as
follows:-
The head of the cab, instead of being a fixture (as it is ordinarily made) or
folding back like that of a barouche, as is sometimes the case, is constructed in
a rigid form on a frame of iron or otherwise, and is so arranged as to be capable
of being turned over, so as to enclose (as it were) the back of the cab, turning
bodily upon pivots placed in front thereof, and thus forming a pleasant open
carriage.
The window or blind is formed of laths either glazed or otherwise and hinged
together so as to be perfectly flexible, the end of the laths running in grooves
formed in the side of the head and extending round the curved top of the same,

page_text: so that the window or blind can either be pulled partly or wholly down or raised
up by the occupant, the window or blind when entirely raised lying under the
curved roof.
Instead of placing the springs, as in ordinary cabs, outside the body of the
vehicle and between it and the wheels, they are placed beneath the body; and
by these means a much wider body than ordinarily can be made without
increasing the width apart of the wheels.
The driver's seat instead of being a fixture as ordinarily the case, is so
arranged that it can be removed altogether when it is desirable that the
occupant of the cab should drive himself. In this case an arrangement is
made so that the servant can stand behind the cab on the part whence the
seat has been removed.
The doors of the cab are made to open nearly the full width of the vehicle,
and to fold or slide sideways over the wheels, so as to afford greater space for
entering and leaving such vehicle, and also to prevent the liability of soiling
the dress in entering or leaving the same.
The shafts of the cab, instead of being entire as in ordinary cabs, are made
either of metal or wood with the fore part made detachable by means of a
socket or otherwise, so that in the event of a shaft breaking a fresh part can
be readily substituted.
It will be evident that parts of this Invention (and more particularly
the first and second parts thereof) are equally applicable to other wheeled
vehicles drawn by horses or other animals or to perambulators.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John William Nottingham in the Great Seal, Patent Office
on the 20th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WILLIAM NOTTINGHAM, of Clayton Place, Kennington Road, in the County of
Surrey, Artist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the 27th year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John William Nottingham, Her special license that I, the said John William
Nottingham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John William Nottingham, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should

page_text: 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HANSOM CABS,' PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
WHEELED CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John William Nottingham, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them,
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 John William Nottingham, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement in writing, and on reference being had to the accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, that is to say:-
The head of the cab, instead of being a fixture (as it is ordinarily made) or
folding back like that of a barouche, as is sometimes the case, is constructed in
a rigid form on a frame of iron or otherwise, and is so arranged as to be capable
of being turned over, so as to enclose (as it were) the back of the cab, turning
bodily upon pivots placed in front thereof, and thus forming a pleasant open
carriage.
The window or blind is formed of laths, either glazed or otherwise, and hinged
together, so as to be perfectly flexible, the ends of the laths running in grooves.
formed in the side of the head, and extending round the curved top of the same,
so that the window or blind can either be pulled partly or wholly down or raised.
up by the occupant, the window or blind when entirely raised lying under the
curved roof.
Instead of placing the springs, as in ordinary cabs, outside the body of the.
vehicle and between it and the wheels, they are placed beneath the body, and.
by these means a much wider body than ordinarily can be made without in-
creasing the width apart of the wheels.
The driver's seat, instead of being a fixture as ordinarily the case, may be so.
arranged that it can be removed altogether when it is desirable that the occupant.
of the cab should himself drive. In this case an arrangement is made so that,
the servant can stand behind the cab on the part whence the seat has been
removed.
The doors of the cab are made to open nearly the full width of the vehicle,

page_text: and to fold or slide sideways in front of the wheels, so as to afford greater
space for entering and leaving such vehicles, and also to prevent the liability
of soiling the dress in entering or leaving the same.
The shafts of the cab may be made entire as in ordinary cabs, or made
(either of metal or wood) with the fore part detachable by means of a socktt
or otherwise, so that in the event of a shaft breaking a fresh part can be readily
substituted.
It will be evident that parts of this Invention (and more particularly the
first and second parts thereof) are equally applicable to other wheeled vehicles
drawn by horses or other animals or to perambulators.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention för "Improvements
in Hansom Cabs, Parts of which Improvements are also applicable to other
Wheeled Carriages," I will now proceed to describe more in detail the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, and in order that the same may be distinctly understood I
have annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
In Sheet 1 of the annexed Drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a "Hansom
cab" constructed according to my improvements with the head open or thrown
back; Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same with the head raised; Figure
3 is a plan view as seen from above, and Figure 4 is a front view of the same
with the dash board removed.
a, a, is the body of the cab; b, b, the wheels; and c, c, the axle; d, d, is
the head of the cab, which is constructed in a rigid form and attached to the
body a, a, by two pivots e, e, on which it is capable of moving so as to form
either an open or closed vehicle.
The head of the cab may be balanced in any convenient manner, but I
prefer to employ two bands f, f.; one end of each is attached to the head and
the other to a cylinder g, g, behind the seat containing a coiled spring which
counteracts the weight of the head.
The window or blind h, h, (see Figure 4) is formed of laths either glazed or
otherwise, and hinged together so as to be perfectly flexible, the ends of the
lath's running in grooves i, i, (see Figure 2) formed in the sides of the head
and extending round the curved top of the same, so that the window or
blind can be pulled partly or wholly down, or raised up by the occupant,
the window or blind when entirely raised, lying under the curved roof;
h, k, are the springs, which instead of being placed, as in ordinary cabs,
outside the body of the vehicle, and between it and the wheels, are placed

page_text: beneath the body (see Figure 3) whereby a much wider body than ordinarily
can be made without increasing the width apart of the wheels. 1, 1, are the
doors of the vehicle, which are made with two folds each, so as to open
wider than usual and cover the wheel, as shewn at Figure 3.
Sheet 2 of the said Drawings illustrates some other forms of vehicles to
which parts of my said Invention are applicable. Figure 5 represents what I
propose to call the "Alfred" cab, constructed to carry four persons; Figure 6
is what I propose to call the "Alexandra " cab or carriage open, and Figure 7
shows the same closed; Figure 8 is a modification of the same wherein both
beads are made to open, as shown by dotted lines, and Figure 9 represents the
applications of my Invention to a perambulator.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for "Im-
provements in Hansom Cabs, Parts of which Improvements are also appli-
cable to other Wheeled Carriages," together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would
remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the general novel construction of "Hansom" cabs and other wheeled
carriages as above described and shown in the annexed Drawings or any mere
Inodification thereof.
Secondly, I claim the construction and arrangement of the head as
described.
And, thirdly, I claim the construction and arrangement of the window or
blind as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Nottingham, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JOHN WILLIAM NOTTINGHAM. (L.S.)