Improvements in Waggonettes, Phaetons, and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st, Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 1st May, 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Waggonettes, Phaetons, and other Road Vehicles.
GEORGE SAMUEL THOMPSON, of 5 Farleigh Road, Stoke Newington,
London, N., Carriage Builder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in the construction of front seats
of waggonettes, phaetons and other road vehicles, the first part of my invention
being for the purpose of easy access to the same from the back part of the
vehicle, and the second part of my invention the design and arrangement of
improved front seats for waggonettes constructed to carry three persons.
am aware that many methods of constructing front seats to open for the
purpose of access have already been devised, but my invention differs materially
from any others in its construction.
The principal objects I have aimed at and achieved are:- ·
Firstly. Contriving a very comfortable seat and back rest to same.
Secondly. Extreme simplicity and ease in opening and closing.
Thirdly. Obviating the cutting through. of any pillar or any interference with
the body outlines of the carriage.
Fourthly. Obtaining all the aforesaid advantages combined with simplicity in
construction and altogether avoiding anything complicated.
My invention is not expressly adapted for front seats having curved backs such
as are usually fitted to Stanhope phaetons and waggonettes; though with slight
modifications it may be adapted to them, and I do not make the movable portion of
the seat with a corresponding portion of its back to move in one piece as heretofore
has usually been the case; on the contrary, I prefer to make a special, but simple
design of back for the seat particularly adapted to my invention and consider I
gain a direct advantage over others by constructing them to open separately.
The first part of my invention consists of the method of so cutting across or
dividing the front seat and the front seat back of a waggonette, phaeton or
"other road vehicle, that each may be formed into three portions, but not necessarily
equal portions: the seat back of such vehicle may be constructed of open or
closed work and be of flat or curved shape, but preferably flat, and the central
portion is hinged upon one side portion of the seat back, thereby forming a door
so hung as to open in a forward and close in a backward direction shutting in,
upon, or against the third or yet other outside portion of the seat back. A
central portion of the seat corresponding to the central portion of the seat back
which opens, is hinged upon one side to one of the adjoining portions of the
seat in such a way as to open' upwards and close down upon a rebate, or other
support attached to or adjoining the third or other outside portion of the seat ;
closing down directly in front of the bottom portion of the seat back, thereby
making at once a simple, easy, and effectual fastening to the hinged portion of the
seat back against which it closes.
•
The plan and arrangement of seats and seat backs herein described is particu-
larly applicable to front seats of waggonettes, the design and construction of which
forms the second part of my invention, such seats being specially made to carry
three persons, yet not increasing the width of the front part of the body of the
waggonette beyond that of the back part, and gives the great advantage of
enabling the first part of my invention to be conveniently applied without the
need of making the near side or one of the hind seats to move outwards at the
Co

page_text: front end in order to give extra room as would usually be required if a front seat
of ordinary width only be used.
All or any of my improvements herein before described are applicable to all existing
phaetons, waggonettes, and other similar road vehicles.
Dated this First day of August 1893.
Fig. 1. is a front elevation.
Fig. 2. is a side elevation, and
Fig. 3 is a plan of a waggonette body.
The first part of my invention consists of so dividing the front seat into three
portions, each of convenient width, as A, A', A³, and also dividing the front seat
back into three convenient portions B, B', B', shown in Figs. 1 and 3.
+
The central portion A of the seat forms a flap and is made to swing upon
binges a a so that it may be opened upwards in the direction of the dotted lines a¹
Fig. 1. and closed down upon the support a' attached to A'. The central portion B
of the seat back is made to swing upon hinges b, Figs. 1 and 3 so that it may be
opened forwards in the direction of the dotted lines Fig. 3 and close backwards
level with B' against a suitable fillet or stop at 63, Fig. 1.
The cushion c, c', Fig. 1. may for convenience be jointed at c³.
To open the seat and back for passage through, the portion c of the cushion and
the portion A of the seat may be lifted either together or separately into the
positions of the dotted lines and a Fig. 1. The portion B of the seat back may
then be swung forward to the position of the dotted lines & Fig. 3, leaving the way
clear for access.
=
To close the seat and back the operation has to be reversed, the portion A of the
seat shutting down in front of the portion B of the seat back and so securing the
latter.
i
It will be seen by Fig. 3 that the width of the body over the front seat is equal
to its width over the hind seats d d; such dimensions allowing ample accommo-
dation for three persons on the front seat, and therefore the portion A² used by
the driver does not extend so far as to form any obstruction to the free passage
of a person to or from the back portion of the waggonette.
I
The seat back shown by the accompanying drawings is constructed of closed and
flat work, but can equally as well be adapted to those vehicles having circular
backs consisting of open work.
•

page_text: The portions of the seat and seat back A and B may be hinged on either side ng.
most convenient.
My invention is applicable to various kinds of waggonettes and phaetons, but for
those accommodating two persons only on the front seat the hinged portions A and B
may be brought much out of centre, and the parts A and B would be smaller in
proportion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven❤
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination and arrangement of divided seats A, A', A³, and seat
backs B, B', B', adapted to any applicable design of seats and seat backs of
waggonettes, phaetons, and other road vehicles acting in the manner and for the
purposes herein before described and set forth in and by the accompanying
drawings.
2. The combination and arrangement of waggonettes constructed with the front
portion of the body of similar width to the hind portion, in conjunction with the
hinged part of seat, A, and the hinged part of seat back, B, so as to allow access
to and from the back or front part of the body without interfering with the
portions A¹ or A' of the front seats or of either the hind seats d. d.
Dated this First day of May 1894.
G. S. THOMPSON.