AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RETARDING OR STOPPING THE PROGRESS OF WHEEL CARRIAGES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Buck, of Wellington, in the County
of Somerset, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR RETARDING OR STOPPING THE PROGRESS OF WHEEL
CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 1st February 1854, and dated the 3rd December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Buck
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd December 1858.
I, CHABLES BUCK, of Wellington, in the County of Somersetshire,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RETARDING OR STOPPING THE PROGRESS OF WHEEL
CARRIAGES" to be as follows:-
On each side of the cart or carriage, and immediately in front of the
wheels (the hind wheels, if there are four,) are placed two self-acting
breaks forced against the periphery of the wheels by a spring, but con-
nected with the shafts or fore carriage of the vehicle in such manner
that when the horses draw upon the shafts or fore carriage the breaks
are withdrawn from off the wheels.

page_text: Whenever the vehicle has a tendency to run forward upon the
horses, as in descending hills, the spring forces the breaks into contact
with the wheels, and retards or stops their progress, the force of contact
being still further increased by the resistance of the horses against the
shafts or fore carriage. If the vehicle is to be backed, the action of the
breaks is stopped by inserting a bolt.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Buck in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES BUCK, of Wellington, in the County of Somersetshire,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of
our. Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Buck, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Buck, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Buck, my exccutors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands and Isle of Man, an Invention of "AN APPARATUS FOR
RETARDING AND STOPPING THE PROGRESS OF WHEEL CARRIAGES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Buck, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Buck, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention of "An Improved Apparatus for
Retarding or Stopping the Progress of Wheel Carriages," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
-
On each side of the cart or carriage, and immediately in front of the
wheels (the hind wheels, if there are four,) are placed two self-acting
breaks forced against the periphery of the wheels by a spring, but con-
nected with the shafts or fore carriage of the vehicle in such manner that
when the horses draw upon the shafts or fore carriage the breaks are
withdrawn from off the wheels. Whenever the vehicle has a tendency
to run forward upon the horses, as in descending hills, the spring forces
the breaks into contact with the wheels, and retards or stops their
progress; the force of contact being still further increased by the
resistance of the horses against the shafts or fore carriage. If the
vehicle is to be backed, the action of the breaks is stopped by inserting
a bolt.
And in order that the same may be more fully understood reference
is had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon.
Figure 1 being a side elevation of a van or wagon having my im-
provement applied thereto, and Figure 2 a plan view of the under side
of the same. The same letters refer to similar parts in each of these
Drawings. A, A, is the floor line of the body of the wagon; B, B, the
framing of the fore carriage, and 6 the wheel plate (both of which are
shewn by the dotted lines only in Figure 2); C, C, are the front wheels;
and D, D, the hind wheels; E, E, is a hollow frame or guide, formed by
continuing downwards and enclosing a portion of the sides and front of
the wagon. Within this guide a frame G, G, slides backward and
forward between two springs ff. To the hinder part of the frame
G, G, are attached two arms H, H, having on their outer extremities two
blocks or shoes I, I, immediately in front of and concentric with the
peripheries of the wheels D, D. The springs fand fi are employed for
the purpose of counteracting any shock that might otherwise be given
to the horse or the wagon by the sudden movements of the frame G, G.

page_text: These springs may be of any approved form and material, and of any
required degree of strength, but I prefer to make the front spring f
stronger than the other one. To the fore carriage either shafts, or a
polo inay be affixed, and the horse or horses harnessed thereto in the
usual manner. The upper part of the wheel plate or locking plate b
is fixed to the under side of the sliding frame G, G, and the lower part
on the upper side of the fore carriage B, B; the perch bolte does not
pass through the floor of the wagon, as it usually has done, but is put
through the sliding frame G, G, and the fore carriage B, B, connecting
them and causing them to move backward and forward together. The
fore carriage B, B; turns upon the perch bolte in the usual manner,
but the frame G, G, has a backward and forward motion only. When
the horse or horses draw upon the fore carriage B, B; the frame
G, G, presses forward against the spring f, which yielding, permits the
frame to pull against the front of the wagon and draw it forward,
the break blocks I, I, being.at the same time removed out of contact
with the wheels D, D. But when the carriage has a tendency to run
forward and press upon the horses (as in descending hills, for instance)
the resistance offered by the horses, in conjunction with the action of
the spring f, forces back the sliding frame G, G, and brings the breaks
I, I, into forcible contact with the wheels D, D, thereby retarding or
stopping the progress of the vehicle.
The same effect is produced by pulling up the horse to check the
speed or to stop the progress of the carriage, the backing of the horse
applying the breaks to the wheels.
k
On again starting, the first effect of the draught is to remove the
breaks from off the wheels, when the carriage moves forward unim-
peded. A plate is affixed to the sliding frame G, G, and projects
through the front of the wagon; in this plate there is a hole for the
reception of a bolt. When it is desired to back the wagon for. load-
ing, unloading, or any other purpose, the bolt is inserted in the hole in
the plate k, which prevents the backward movement of the frame G, G,
and the breaks I, I, so that the wagon may then be moved either
backward or forward as freely as if the retarding apparatus had not
been applied to it. In adapting this my improvement to two-wheel

page_text: vehicles, such as carts, for instance, the sliding frame G, G, and the
break blocks I, I, are attached to the shafts of the vehicle.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed the van or wagon is shewn
as not being mounted upon springs, but when springs are employed
they will take their usual places upon the fore and hind axletrees.
Note, that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-
before described and shewn, as many of them may be varied (to suit
the altered circumstances of the particular vehicle to which the improved
apparatus is required to be applied) without prejudice to the character
of my said Invention.
What I desire to claim as new and of my Invention is the improved
apparatus for retarding or stopping the progress of wheel carriages
by means of self-acting breaks applied to the wheels thereof by the
forward movement of the vehicle, or the backward movement of the
horses, substantially as herein-before described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Buck, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
W* BADDELEY.
CHA BUCK. (L.S.)