Improved Mechanism or Apparatus for Enabling the Doors 'of Carriages to be Opened by the Coachman or Driver. Without Leaving the Box.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Mechanism or Apparatus for Enabling the Doors 'of
Carriages to be Opened by the Coachman or Driver. Without
Leaving the Box.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been communi-
cated to me from abroad by Paul Sohège of 58 Chausée d'Antin, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to mechanism or apparatus for enabling the doors of
carriages to be opened by the coachman or driver without rendering it necessary
for him to descend from the box.
An apparatus constructed according to this invention is provided with an air
compresser or other like motor placed within reach of the driver and the door or
preferably the door frame is fitted with fastenings which are connected with the
said air compresser or motor by. a small tube for example which may be concealed
in the frame of the carriage in any convenient position.
By means of the compresser the driver is enabled to cause compressed air for
example to act upon one or the other of the fastenings (in the case of a carriage
with two doors for example) so as to cause either of the doors to open as required.
The air compresser is composed of a hollow cylinder closed at both ends and con-
taining in each extremity a rubber air ball or bag one of which works the fastening
of the near side door whilst the other works the fastening of the door on the off
side. These air balls are compressed by plates or pistons placed between them in
the cylinder and moved by a lever or arm fixed upon a rock shaft worked by the
driver being also acted on by a spring or springs which tends to maintain it
constantly in the middle or neutral position.
The door fastening preferably attached to the fixed frame of the door at the top for
example is enclosed in a suitable case screwed to the woodwork and is provided with
a door spring carrying a projecting stud or pin working in a slot in the case and
engaging with the door being of sufficient power to cause the door to fly open when
the fastening is released. Two parallel spindles work in bearings in the case. 'One
spindle carries a pawl or trigger and a lever arm. A spring acts on the pawl and
tends to maintain the lever arm in a horizontal position. The other spindle carrics
a latch or cam shaped bolt capable of engaging with a corresponding recess in the
door and presenting a tooth or projection capable of engaging with the aforesaid
pawl or trigger which constantly tends to engage with the tooth under the action
of the spring herein before referred to.
The nose of the latch or bolt is protruded by the action of a spring which
imparts the required rotary motion to the spindle.
The lever on the pawl or trigger spindle is acted on by one extremity of the
shorter arm of a lever working on a pin on the side of the case. The extremity
of the other preferably the longer arm of this lever is provided with a plate which
is acted on by an air bag or rubber ball capable of being expanded by the com-
pressed air which is supplied to it through the tube hereinbefore described.
When the door is in the closed position it is prevented from yielding to the
action of the door spring by the protruding bolt or latch which in turn is fixed or
retained in the protruded position by the pawl or trigger.
In order to open the door the driver simply compresses the corresponding rubber
ball on the box so as to expand the ball or air chamber in the fastening and rock
the pawl or trigger spindle thereby releasing the latch or bolt and enabling the
door to fly open under the action of the door spring. The door is provided with

page_text: +
a spring, catch or plate which yields so as to slip over the protruding latch or bolt
when the door is being closed and re-engages with the latch when the closing
movement is completed.
It is evident that any other suitable means for transmitting motion from a distance
may be employed to work the fastening.
For example the air may be exhausted in place of being compressed or any
other suitable compressible or incompressible fluid or electricity may be employed
to work the fastening.
By means of this improved mechanism, the driver is enabled to open either door
of a carriage with two doors for example by means of one lever or handle the
handle being moved in one direction to open the one door and in another direction
to open the other door.
Dated this both d
Draumbes 1900
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Mechanism or Apparatus for Enabling the Doors of
Carriages to be Opened by the Coachman or Driver Without
Leaving the Box.
JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Paul Sohège of 58 Chaussee d'Antin
Paris in the Republic of France Engineer and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to mechanism or apparatus for enabling the doors of
carriages or public vehicles for the conveyance of passengers to be opened by the
coachman-or-driver without rendering it necessary for him to descend from the-box
or-seat.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood-I shall-now-pro-
ceed to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several-figures-on
the annexed sheet of, drawings the same letters of reference indicating corre-
sponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in elevation an air compressing
mechanism which may be employed in connection with the apparatus-as-hereinafter
explained in connection with a vehicle having two doors and
Figure 2 represents this air compresser in section-the section being taken on the
line A. B. Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents the lock mechanism or door fastening in elevation the cover
plate being removed in order to expose the interior.
Figure 4 represents the fastening in plan and
Figure 5 represents the same in section on the line C. D Figure 3.
The apparatus constructed according to this invention as represented in the
accompanying drawings is provided with an air compresser or other like mechanism
for transmitting motion worked by a lever handle placed within reach of the driver,
and the doors or preferably the door frames are fitted with fastenings which are
connected with the said air compresser or motor by small tubes for example which
may be concealed in the frame of the carriage in any convenient position.
The air compresser employed in the apparatus hereinafter described and
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is placed in any convenient position near the drivers
seat so as to enable him to work it by hand. By means of this compresser the
driver of a carriage or public vehicle is enabled to cause the compressed air for
example to act upon ouc or the other of the door fastenings (in the case of a
carriage with two doors as in the arrangement illustrated for example) so as to
cause. either of the doors to open as required. The air compresser Figures 1
+

page_text: upon
and 2 is composed of a hollow cylinder 1 closed at both ends and containing in
each extremity a rubber air ball or bag and 2 (indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 1) one of which works the fastening of the near side door by means of a
tube 8 whilst the other, works the fastening of the door on the off side by
means of a tube 8¹. These air balls are compressed by plates or pistons 3, 31
placed between them in the cylinder and moved by a lever or arm 4 fixed
a rock shaft 5 worked by a hand lever 6 under the control of the driver, being
also acted on by a spring or springs 7 and 71 made of equal strength so as to
balance one another and maintain the lever 4 normally in the middle or neutral
position represented by dotted lines in the drawing. By means of these spring's
the apparatus is prevented from opening the doors accidentally under the influence
of the shaking or jolting of the vehicle. This arrangement of the air compresser
and its connections enables the driver to supply air under pressure to the apparatus
connected with the fastening of either door separately or in succession.
This compressed air operates the door fastenings as hereinafter explained. The
fastening as illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 is screwed or attached to the frame
of the door being preferably arranged on the upper side so as to engage with the
upper edge of the door and is provided with a bolt or latch which engages with
the edge of the door and maintains the latter in the closed position. The mechanisın
is enclosed in a suitable metal case 25 of rectangular shape having flanges 26
enabling it to be screwed to the woodwork. This case contains the following parts
namely:
(1) A steel door spring 22 carrying a stud or pin 23 working in a slot 24 in the
side of the case through which it projects so as to engage with a recess in the
upper edge of the door the spring 22 being of sufficient strength to cause the door
to open to a certain extent when the fastening is released. In Figure + the spring
is represented in dotted lines in the position which it occupies when the door is
open that is to say expanded. In shutting the door the spring is bent and the
pin 23 moved to the other end of the slot 24.
(2) A support or bearing for two parallel spindles 14 and 17. The spindle 14
carries a pawl or trigger 15 and a small horizontal lever arm 13. A. blade
spring 16 (Figure 5) bearing against the pawl tends to maintain the lever arm 13
in a horizontal position. The spindle 17 carries a latch or cam shaped latch 18
capable of engaging with a corresponding recess in the door and presenting on its
upper side a tooth or projection 19 capable of engaging with the aforesaid pawl
or trigger 15. The nose of the latch or bolt is protruded by the action of a
spring 20 which imparts the required rotary motion to the spindle one extremity
of the said spring being attached to the spindle 17 and the other extremity being.
attached to the bearing supporting the latter. The action of this spring tends to
move the latch 18 to the position represented in Figure 5 by automatically rotating
the spindle after the latch has been released from the door.
(3) A lever 10-11 working on a pin 12 on the side of the case.
The short
arm 11 of this lever acts upon the arm 13 on the spindle 17 which retains the
arm 13 in the position represented in the drawing (Figure 4). The longer arm 10
of this lever is provided with a plate which is acted on by an air bag or rubber
ball 9 arranged between the plate and the side 25 of the case and capable of being
expanded by the compressed air which is supplied to it from the apparatus
represented in Figure 1 through the tube 8 or 8 herein before described.
When the door is in the closed position the parts of the fastening occupy the
positions represented in Figure 5 it is prevented from opening or yielding to the
action of the door spring 22 and pin 23 by the protruding end of the bolt or
latch 18 which in turn is fixed or retained in the protruded position by the pawl
or trigger 15 engaging with the tooth 19. In order to open the door the driver
simply compresses the corresponding rubber ball on the box so as to expand the
ball or air chamber 9 in the fastening and move the lever 10-11 upon its fulcrum 12.
The short arm 11 of this lever (Figure 3) is thereby caused to act upon the
arm 13 and rock the pawl or trigger spindle 14 thereby disengaging the trigger 15

page_text: from the tooth 19 and releasing the latch or bolt 18 so as to enable the door to fly
open under the action of the door spring 22, the cam or latch 18 being pushed
back by the action of the door which overcomes the resistance of the spring 20.
When the door is clear of the latch 18 the latter is returned to the vertical position
represented in Figure 5 by the action of the spring 20 and the trigger 15 reengages
with the tooth 19. The door is provided with a spring catch or plate not shown in
the drawing which yields so as to slip over the inclined or bevelled-side of the
protruding latch 18 when the door is being closed and reengages with the latch
when the closing movement is completed. It is evident that any other suitable
means for transmitting motion from a distance may be employed to work the
fastening. For example the air may be exhausted in place of being compressed or
water or any other suitable compressible or incompressible fluid or electricity may
be employed to work the fastening.
By means of this improved mechanism the driver of a carriage or public vehicle
for the conveyance of passengers is enabled to open either door or both doors (in
the case of a carriage with two doors for example) by means of one lever or handle
the handle being moved in one direction to open the one door and in another
direction to open the other door.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A latch or fastening for a carriage door enabling the door to be released by a
lever or handle worked by the driver and combined with means for enabling the
said lever or handle to operate or release a latch or spring bolt so as to enable
the door to open substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a carriage or public vehicle with two doors door fastenings constructed as
hereinbefore set forth the fastenings being released by moving arms or levers by the
intervention of compressed air or other like agent capable of transmitting motion-to
both fastenings from one hand lever placed within reach of the driver and enabling
him to open either or both of the doors without quitting his seat substantially-as
hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. Mechanism for enabling doors-of carriages or public vehicles to be opened by
_the driver without leaving the box the said mechanism being arranged and
operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1891
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.