IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE WINDOWS OR SHUTTERS OF CARRIAGES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Baker, of Caledonian Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Coachmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE
TO THE WINDOWS OR SHUTTERS OF CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 11th December 1877, and dated the 15th June 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Baker at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th June 1877.
JAMES BAKER, of Caledonian Road, in the County of Middlesex, Conchinaker.
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE WINDOWS OR SHUTTERS OF CARRIAGES."
My Invention of improvements applicable to the windows or shutters of carriages
is more particularly applicable to that class of carriages known as Hansom cabs, but
is also applicable to other forms of carriages.
In Hansom cabs the front is closed in when required by lowering a jointed
window frame, which is usually hinged at its upper part to the framing of the
carriage. These window frames, as heretofore constructed, project a considerable
distance into the interior of the carriage while they are being raised or lowered to
open or close the front, and are liable to strike the passenger inside the carriage
unless he carefully holds his head back while the window frame is being moved..
Moreover, these frames (as now arranged) cannot, without inconvenience, be kept
partly opened and partly closed.
The object of my Invention is to obviate these defects and to remedy the incon-
veniences of the present system, and to this end I divide the movable window frame
ör shutter into two separate and distinct parts, which are capable of being moved
either separately or in combination, so that either the upper part or the lower part
of the front may be closed, leaving the other part open; or the whole front may be
opened or closed, as may be desired.
In carrying out my Invention both of the movable parts may be glazed, or the
upper one only-may be glazed, and the lower one constructed in the form of a solid,
or a perforated, or open shutter. These frames are provided at each corner with
steel spindles or pins, on which are mounted small brass rollers, with india-rubber

page_text: tyres or felloes. These rollers run in F shaped grooves, made pärtly in the vertical
sides and partly in the horizontal top rails of the framing of the carriage.
Each of the moveable frames works in separate grooves on each side, and therefore
is perfectly independent of the other frame. Moreover, the upper ends of the
vertical side grooves join the outer ends of the horizontal top grooves. The vertical
and horizontal parts therefore form continuous grooves of F shapes, so that the
movable frames can be drawn up the vertical grooves and along the horizontal
grooves by one operation.
The movable frames are raised or drawn up by means of cords or analogous
devices, as at present, and are held in the raised position by securing the end
of the cord in any convenient manner.
When it is desired to lower the frames it will only be necessary to loosen the cord,
and as the horizontal part of the grooves dips towards the front, the frames, when
not held back by the cord, will slip forward out of the horizontal part of the groove
and down the vertical part into their proper position.
If it be desired to actuate the inovable frames separately, they must be provided
with separate cords.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Baker in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 15th December
1877.
JAMES BAKER, of Caledonian Road, in the County of Middlesex, Coachmaker.
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE WINDOWS OR SHUTTERS OF CARRIAGES."
My Invention of "Improvements Applicable to the Windows or Shutters of
Carriages" is more particularly applicable to that class of carriages known as
Hansom cabs, but is also applicable to other forms of carriages.
In Hansom cabs the front is closed in when required by lowering a jointed
window frame, which is usually hinged at its upper part to the framing of the
carriage. As heretofore constructed and operated these window frames, while being
lowered or raised to open or close the front, are projected a considerable distance
into the interior of the carriage. Under these circumstances the doubled-up window
or shutter is liable to strike the passenger inside the carriage unless he carefully
holds his head back while the window frame is being moved. Moreover, these
frames (as now arranged) cannot without inconvenience be kept partly opened and
partly closed.
The object of my Invention is to obviate these defects and to remedy the incon-
veniences of the present system, and to this end I divide the moveable window
frame or shutter into two separate and distinct parts, which are not hinged together
as heretofore, but are capable of being moved either separately or in combination, so
that either the upper part or the lower part of the front may be closed, leaving the
other part open, or the whole front may be opened or closed as may be desired.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn in sectional elevation two views of
the upper part of a Hansom cab, with my Invention adapted thereto.
Fig. 1 represents the front as closed in, the window frames a and a* having been
lowered into their places..

page_text: Fig. 2 is a view snewing the bottom frame partly lowered, or in the act of being
lowered.
In carrying out my Invention both of the moveable parts or frames a and a* may
be glazed for the upper one only may be glazed, and the lower one constructed in
the form of a solid, or a perforated, or open shutter. These frames a and a* are
provided at each corner with steel spindles or pins, as indicated by the dotted
circles a¹, a, in the Figures. On these pins a¹, a³, are mounted small brass rollers
with india-rubber tyres or felloes, and these rollers run in 1 shaped grooves b, b¹,
made partly in the vertical sides and partly in the horizontal top.rails of the framing
of the carriage.
It will be seen that each of the movable frames a, a*, works in separate grooves
band b¹ on each side of the carriage, and therefore is perfectly independent of the
other frame. Moreover, the upper ends of the vertical side grooves b, b', join the
outer ends of their horizontal top grooves. The combined vertical and horizontal
parts, therefore, form continuous grooves of F shape; so that the moveable frames
u, a*, can be drawn up the vertical grooves and along the horizontal grooves by one
operation.
The movable frames a, a*, are raised or drawn up by means of cords c, c, or
analogous devices, as at present, and are held in the raised position by securing the
end of the cord c in any convenient manner.
When it is desired to lower the frames a, a*, it will only be necessary to loosen
the cord c, and as the horizontal parts of the grooves b, b¹, dip towards the front, the
frames, when not held back by the cord, will slip forward out of the horizontal parts
of their grooves and will drop down the vertical part of the groove into their
position, as shewn at Fig. 1, and will thus close in the front of the carriage.
proper
In order that the frames a, a*, may be at once moved forward in the horizontal
parts of the grooves when the cords c are released, the frames a, a* are provided
with springs e, f, which will always have a tendency to shoot them forward, so that
the steel spindles at the front ends of the frames will be brought up to and allowed
to drop over the rounded corner of the grooves so that the frame may run down the
vertical part of the groove, as shewn at Fig. 2.
It will be understood that as regards the lower frame a, the coiled spring e in the
horizontal groove b¹ will give the first impetus to push forward the frame, after
which the latter will descend of its own weight; and, if its retaining cord be
sufficiently slackened, it will drop to the bottom of the vertical groove into the
position shewn at Fig. 1.
In the Drawing I have shewn the lower part of the cord c¹ (whereby the lower
frame a is suspended) as extending from the bottom rail of this frame up to and
through a hole in the central vertical bar of the upper frame a*, thereby, in some
measure, connecting the two frames together, but not in such a manner that they
must necessarily always work together. After passing through the upper frame, the
cord cof the lower frame is conducted over a guide pulley g on the roof of the
vehicle and back to some spot which will be convenient for the driver.
The upper frame a* is provided with an india-rubber spring f, which is connected
by one end to the framing of the carriage and by the other end to the window
frame a*, as shewn in the Drawing. Another cord c is secured to the lower bar of
the upper frame a*, so that the latter may be lifted by means of the cord and drawn
back into the horizontal part of the groove b, thereby elongating the rubber springf
and putting it in tension, so that when the cord c is slackened again the spring will
draw forward the frame a* and bring the studs a¹ at the ends of the lower bar of
the frame up to the rounded corner of the grooves b, from which it will drop into
the vertical part of the grooves b, and be brought into the position shewn at Fig. 1.
From the foregoing explanation it will be understood that the two frames a and
a* are operated by two separate cords, and that both parts can be made to act
together by pulling the two cords simultaneously. If, however, it be desired to
actuate the moveable frames a, a*, separately, this may be done by operating with
the separate cord c and c³, so that either the one or the other frame may be raised

page_text: or lowered by operating with the corresponding cord without interfering with the
other frame.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements Applicable to the
Windows or Shutters of Carriages," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid, mounting the moveable frames a and a* in separate grooves, constructed
and arranged, as herein shewn and described, so that such moveable frames may be
worked independently of each other, as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Baker, have horeunto set my hand
and seal, the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One 1
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.