CHEC Bassinettes and other Vehicles of a like Kind.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1838
Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1888
14 CHEC
Bassinettes and other Vehicles of a like Kind.
1 RALPH ASHTON of 14 Market Place, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
::
In a provisional Specification filed by me on the 29th August 1887, No. 11,711, I
described a method of working and actuating brakes on Bassinettes and other vehicles
of a like kind by placing springs or levers or a combination of springs and levers in
such a relative position to the handle of the vehicle, or the mechanism supporting the
handle, and the brake that when pressure is applied to the handle to put the Bassinette
or other like Vehicle in motion it will at the same time "take off" the brake through
the medium of the springs or levers or combination of springs and levers and when
this pressure is removed from the handle the brake will be put on " through the same
medium. The brake always being "on" when no force is applied to the handle of
the vehicle or when the vehicle is at rest. With some modification in manipulation
and detail my present invention is essentially the same, it comprises and has for its
object an improved method of arranging and applying brakes, or locking apparatus,
to the wheels of Bassinettes and similar vehicles, so as to insure that the brake is
always applied or one or more of the wheels locked automatically, when the vehicle
is not under the control of an attendant, and until such time as it is desired to move
the vehicle, when, by taking hold of the handle in the customary way and pressing
down a rib projecting on it by one and the same clasp of the hand (or, in an alterna-
tive arrangement, by a partial turning of the handle on its axis,) the brake is
taken off," the wheels are unlocked, and the vehicle can be put in motion; but
immediately the handle is released the brake is again automatically applied and the
wheels locked.
As the application of the brake does not by this method depend upon the volition of
anyone who may be in charge of such a vehicle it is evident that the arrangement, is a
useful and valuable one.
In order that my said invention, and the manner of performing and carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended

page_text: explanatory sheets of drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to indicate
corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 shows an elevation of the back part of a Bassinette with the arrangement
of the brake mechanism there, and the brake as applied, the hind wheels being locked
by the bolts B B. This figure shows the mechanism in its ordinary or normal state
when the vehicle is at rest. Figure 2 shows an elevation of the same, giving a partial
side view, with the brake as taken off," the two bolts B B being drawn back.
Figure 3 shows the plan of the mechanism under the bottom of the back part of the
vehicle, with the bolts B B shot between the spokes of the wheels. Figures 4 to
show some of the component parts of the mechanism in more detail, Figure 4 is one
of the levers CC, Figure 5 is one of the levers E E, Figure 6 is one of the bolts BB,
and Figure 7 is the hollow cylinder A. Figure 8 shows the combination of the
rod F and the rib G. Figure 9 shows the longitudinal section of the handle in
figure 10, with the rod F attached by the pin J in the cavity K. Fig. 10 shows an
elevation of the handle of a bassinette with the rod Fattached internally. Figure 11
shows a cross section of the handle in figure 10 with the rod F attached by the pin J
in the cavity K.
L
Referring to these figures 1 to 11-F is a straight rod extending from the
handle H of the vehicle to the two small levers E E. Its upper end passes through
perforation in the handle H, and is fastened to a longitudinal rib G, of a convenient
size and thickness to fit in a longitudinal cavity made to receive it in the upper part.
of the handle H. The perforation in the handle is made sufficiently large to allow of
the free movement of the rod through it, and the longitudinal cavity is made sufficiently
large to receive the whole of the longitudinal rib and allow it to move in and out
freely. This longitudinal rib G projects somewhat, usually about half or five eighths
of an inch, above the surface of the handle H, but when pressed down its upper
surface is flush with the handle surface. The pressing down of this rib G depresses
the rod F to which it is attached. Instead of being attached to a longitudinal rib, the
upper end of the rod F may be made to terminate inside the handle H and there be
secured, near the circumference, by means of a pin J so as to form a joint as shown
in figures 9 and 10. The handle H in this arrangement is so adjusted that it can be
.turned upon its axis, and the cavity in it, in which the rod works, is sufficiently large
to allow of a slightly eccentric motion of the rod F. By this arrangement the simple
turning of the handle H on its axis suffices to depress the rod F. The lower end of
the rod F forms a joint F with the two upper ends of the two small levers EE. The
lower ends of the levers EE are elbowed, as shown in figure 5, in order that they may
be pressed into the small holes at the ends of the short arms of the flat. levers C ů,
where they are secured by small pins, or by the ends of the spiral spring D, forming
two swivel joints E¹ E'. By this arrangement when the rod F is depressed it presses
down the upper ends of the levers E E and their elbowed ends outwards. Two rods
may be used instead of one, each acting separately on the levers C C through the
medium of other levers, or wheels with projecting nippers, but one rod only as
described and shown in the drawings is preferred.
D is a spiral spring attached to and stretched between the short arms of the
levers CC or the elbowed ends of the levers E E, its office being to keep the ends of
the levers forming the swivel joints E' E' as well as the other parts of the mechanism
in their ordinary or normal positions, when the rod F is not depressed as shown in
figures 1 and 3, and to restore them to these positions when any depression of the
rod F has ceased. The spring may be placed in other positions than the one shown,
and more than one spring may be used, and they may be either spiral, flat, or bent, as
it is evident that the same results may be obtained by many variations in these
respects, but the arrangement as described, and shown in the drawings, is the one
preferred.
A and CC in the plan figure 3 are shown as fixed underneath, and fastened to, the
bottom of the vehicle at the back part. CC are flat levers secured in position by
means of screws CC which serve also as fulcrums for the levers; the ends of their
short arms are perforated and are jointed to the small levers E E, as previously

page_text: explained, the ends of their long arms are forked and engage the inner ends of the
bolts B B forming with them loose joints inside the hollow cylinder A. It is not
absolutely necessary that the ends of the levers should be forked, although this
formation admits of easily jointing and disjointing; any other suitable and convenient.
arrangement for jointing with the bolts may be substituted.
The levers CCare S inches long and are fixed parallel to each other at a distance
of 4 in., they have each a perforation one and a half inches from one end through
which the screws or fulcrums CC pass. The length of the levers E E is 3 in. from
the joint F to the joint E¹ E¹. By this proportionate arrangement and relative
length of levers a downward movement of in. to in. of the rib G gives a
horizontal movement of about 2 in. to each of the bolts B B. It will be seen that
the length of the horizontal movement given to the bolts B B may be regulated by
varying the relative lengths of the short and long arms of the levers CC and the
distance at which these levers are placed apart; also the length of the downward
and upward movement of the rib G may be regulated by varying the lengths of the
levers EE in relation to the length of the horizontal movement of the short arms of
the levers C.
A is a hollow cylinder with a horizontal slit or aperture A¹, and contains the
rods B B, guiding and keeping them borizontal as they are shot or withdrawn by
the levers C. The horizontal aperture serves to admit the ends of the levers and to
allow of their free "to and fro" movement when withdrawing or pushing forward
the bolts B B. This hollow cylinder is secured firmly to the body of the vehicle.
Instead of a hollow cylinder loops or rings may be attached to the vehicle to guide
and support the rods B B, but the hollow cylinder is preferred.
BB are two bolts placed in the hollow cylinder A, where their inner ends are
loosely jointed to the ends of the levers CC, their free or outer ends when shot and
projecting from the ends of the cylinder passing between the spokes of the wheels in
which position they effectually prevent the wheels turning. The bolts are made of
wood or light metal, but preferably of a light tough wood of sufficient strength to
resist the strain of the wheels. They are also made to slide with as little resistance
and as much freedom as possible inside the cylinder.
The mechanism may be arranged so as to lock the fore wheels or only one wheel,
and varied to suit the requirements of different designs of bassinettes and similar
vehicles.
In the ordinary or normal state of this mechanism or combination the bolts B Bare
shot between the spokes of the wheels, and are kept there by the contracting pull of
the spring D acting upon the short arms of the levers CC; the bar G is partly
raised above the surface of the handle H and kept so raised by the same contracting
pull of the spring at the elbowed ends of the levers EE as shown by figure 1 in the
drawings.
The action of the mechanism or combination is-When the handle H of the
vehicle is taken hold of accompanied by a slight pressure of the hand on the rib G in
clasping it this rib G is forced into the cavity beneath, thereby depressing the rod F
which pressing on the joint F' forces down the levers EE at the same time pushing
further apart their elbowed ends. This outward movement of the elbowed ends
of the levers draws out or stretches the spring D, and forces outward by the same
movement the two short arms of the levers CC, the long arms of these lovers being
drawn inwards bringing with them the bolts B B along the inside of the cylinder A,
and so thereby unlocking the wheels thus leaving the vehicle free to move.
when, either intentionally or by accident, the hold of the handle of the vehicle is
relinquished the spring D, relieved of the pressure conveyed through the rib G, the
rod 1, and the levers E E, contracts to its former state and thereby automatically
forces back all the parts of the mechanism or combination to their original positions
through the medium of the levers EE and CC, the rod F and the bar G being
raised again and the bolts B B being shot between the spokes of the wheels, thus
preventing any movement of the vehicle whilst left unattended.
And
The nature and novelty of my improvements consist in fixing and applying to

page_text: Bassinettes and similar vehicles the mechanism I have herein described; and in so
adjusting and fixing the spring or springs in the mechanism or combination that the
holts are automatically kept shot between the spokes of the wheels thereby effectually
locking them; and in so adjusting and connecting the rod, and the rib attached to it,
in the mechanism or combination, with the handle of the vehicle that whenever the
handle is used for moving the vehicle the simple and ordinary act of so doing,
accompanied by sufficient pressure of the hand on the projecting rib to press it into
the cavity in the handle, (or, in an alternative arrangement, by partially turning the
handle on its axis) will put the combination into motion and thereby "take off" the
brake, and unlock the wheels; and, as a further result of the adjustment of
the spring or springs just mentioned, on the handle being released the rod with its
attached rib being thus relieved of the pressure of the hand will be forced, by the
spring or springs, to their former positions as will also all the other various parts of
the mechanism or combination, the brake becoming thereby automatically "put on
and the wheels of the vehicle locked, which forms the essential feature purpose and
advantage of my invention.
25
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 arrangement of the bolts BB, hollow cylinder A; levers CC, spring D,
levers E E, rod F, and rib G, with a Bassinette, or similar vehicle, and its handle, all
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
2. The fixing and adjusting of a spring or springs in the brake mechanism or
combination attached to a Bassinette or similar vehicle and its handle all substantially
as and for the purposes herein described.
3. The spring D in combination with the levers C C and EE all substantially as
and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
4. The adjusting and arranging of a rod between the brake mechanism of a
Bassinette or similar vehicle and the handle of such vehicle, and so connecting one
end of the rod with the combination of levers and a spring or springs of the brake
mechanism, and adjusting the other end of the rod to the handle of the vehicle,
that the vehicle cannot be moved until the handle has first been partly turned upon its
axis, or, by another adjustment of the rod with the handle, until a projection on the
handle has been pressed down by the ordinary act of taking hold of and clasping
the handle to move the vehicle, all substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
5. The rod F in combination with the rib G and its adjustinent to the handle H, all
substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in
the accompanying drawings.
as
6. The rod F in combination with the handle H and the pin J all substantially
and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.