IMPROVE- MENTS IN PERAMBULATORS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Frederic Simmons of Ardencote, Thornhill Road,
Croydon in the County of Surrey, traveller, for an Invention of IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PERAMBULATORS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Frederic Simmons
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th October 1882.
THOMAS FREDERIC SIMMONS of Ardencote, Thornhill Road, Croydon, in the
county of Surrey, traveller, IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS
First. In the form and relative position of the handles.
These handles are placed in the rear of the perambulator, in lines parallel to the
line of motion of the perambulator, and not at right angles thereto.
The said handles are two in number and can be grasped by the hands with the
palms facing towards each other.
The said handles may be in the shape of a plough-handle, or an egg, or a globe,
or a tusk, or a crook, or the two sides of a right-angle with the point of the angle.
rounded off.
The said handles may or may not be connected by a cross-tie or bar, traversing
the space between them..
Second. The invention also provides for the steering of the perambulator without
tilting it up or raising any of its wheels from the ground.
This steering is provided for by an arrangement passing down the back and
underneath the perambulator, connecting all or any of the wheels with the handle
or handles.
The said arrangement acts through moveable cranks and rods.
The steering is effected by the shifting from side to side of either or both handles,
so altering, through the said arrangement, the relative position of the wheels as to
cause the perambulator, when propelled, to pass to the right, or to the left, or to
progress in a straight course.
The said improved handles may be used with or without the said steering
arrangement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Frederic Simmons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th April 1883.
THOMAS FREDERIC SIMMONS of Ardencote Thornhill Road Croydon in tho
County of Surrey traveller IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS
In referring herein to the vehicles to which the Invention is applicable. the word
perambulator is used as denoting children's carriages invalid-carriages and all
vehicles similarly pushed or guided by hand to which the Invention may be
usefully applied.
The objects of the Invention are:-
First The placing of the handle or handles by which the perambulator is
propelled or steered in a position or positions more advantageous and comfortable
to the grasp than is at present customary the said handle or handles to be of
suitable shape or shapes
Second. The steering of the perambulator from the rear by means of the said
handle or handles, without tilting it up or raising any of its wheels from the
ground
Third The prevention of the continual swerving of the perambulator from a
straight course at present common and caused either by a misplacement of the
wheels in construction or by their displacement during use
The aforementioned objects are thus attained :-
First. The handles are placed in the rear of the perambulator in lines parallel to or
about parallel to its line of motion when propelled instead of at right angles thereto
as has been the custom hitherto The said handles are so placed as to be grasped
by the hands with the palms facing towards each other
The said handles may be in the shape of a plough-handlo or an egg or a globe or
a tusk or a crook or a curved cylinder or the two sides of a right angle with the
point of the angle rounded off
The said handles may be used either with or without the steering apparatus
liereinafter described When used without the said steering apparatus the said
handles may or may not be connected by a cross-tie or bar traversing the space
between them.
Second. The beforementioned steering is effected through an apparatus passing
from the handles down the back and underneath the perambulator connecting a
pivoted axletree carrying the front wheel or wheels with one of the handles The
handle rod carrying the said handle passes through suitable brackets or bearings in
which it turns
By shifting the said movable handle from side to side the relative position of the
wheels is so altered through the said apparatus as to cause the perambulator when
pushed to turn to the right or to the left or to travel in a straight line
In order that the nature and novelty of my Invention may be clearly understood
and readily put into practice I now proceed to explain the drawings hereto
appended
The same reference letters indicate the same parts in each figure
Figure 1. is a side elevation of the perambulator
Figure 2. is a plan of the aforementioned steering apparatus
Figure 3. is a front view of the said steering apparatus
Figure 4., is a plan of a modification in the form of the said steering apparatus:
which may be substituted for that represented in Figures 1. and 2.
Figure 5. is a view of the said handles when used without the said steering
apparatus
In the drawings A is the axletree carrying the front wheels A is attached to B
a spindle turning in C and D attachments to the springs of the perambulator

page_text: Upon the spindle B is fixed the crank E which may be placed either above or
below D The. end of the crank E is connected by a rod F with the end of a
crank G which is fixed to the lower end of H one of the rods bearing the handles
This handle-rod turns in two brackets or bearings I and K fixed to the lower and
upper rims of the back of the perambulator H may represent either the rod
bearing the right handle or the rod bearing the left handle the other handle-rod in
either case being attached immovably to the perambulator Instead of the crank G
there may be used for giving motion to the connecting-rod F a segment of a
cogged wheel and a rack In Figure 4 instead of the connecting-rod represented in
Figures 1 and 2 the lever F is introduced the fulcrum L of which is a pin attached
to the bottom of the perambulator The ends of the said lever are connected' by
slots and pins working therein with the cranks E and G These cranks are fixed
respectively to the ends of the spindle B and the handle-rod H shown in the other
figures
On account of the unevenness of some surfaces over which the perambulator may
travel it is necessary that there be maintained a certain degree of stiffness in the
working of the steering apparatus thus described To effect and regulate this
either a spring washer is inserted between the attachment D and the crank E or
the attachment D is a spring plate bowed upwards when at rest and becoming'
straight under pressure of M a lock-nut screwed upon the end of the spindle B
Where the axletree A.comes into contact with the attachment C there are two
bosses or bearings In order to prevent the axletree A acted upon by the spindle B
turning too far a stud or pin is fixed to either bearing playing in a slot in the other
bearing.
The axletree of the hinder wheels may be pivoted in a manner similar to that
hereinbefore described as applying to the axletree of the front wheel or wheels in
which case the cranks E and G may or may not act directly upon each other by
the use of a slot and pin working therein without the interposition of either
the connecting-rod marked F in Figures 1 and 2 or the lever marked F in
Figure 4
Having now described the nature of my Invention and explained the manner in
which the same is carried into effect I claim as novel and original and therefore
secured to me by the Letters Patent hereinbefore cited:――
First The construction of perambulators with the handles placed in position as
hereinbefore described
And second The construction of perambulators capable of being steered or guided
from the rear by the movement of the handle or handles thus placed without the
perambulator being tilted up or any of its wheels being raised from the ground the
said steering to be effected by means of the apparatus substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the drawings hereto appended
In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Frederic Simmons have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twelfth day of April in the year of our Lord 1883.