LN- PROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTION
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Pidding, of Walcot Square, Lambeth,
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of " LN-
PROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTION."
Sealed the 17th December 1869, and dated the 21st June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Pidding at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st June 1869.
I, WILLIAM PIDDING, of Walcot Square, Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTION," to be as
follows:-
One of my said improvements is in portable rails for wheeled vehicles
to run upon, and consists in arranging in a nave (or what is known as
the box) of a wheel spokes equidistant, such spokes being in some cases
of a bow shape and in pairs, the hollows or internally bowed parts facing
each other, such bowed spokes to be connected at one end in one mortice
or socket in the nave or box, and at their extreme ends as in connection

page_text: with the portable rails. They are to be brought together into a foot or
socket connected with the portable rails, as herein after described.
The arrangement of double bowed spokes is for the object or means
of gaining elasticity (the said spokes being made of a pliable wood
or material) to allow for or compensate for the action of the springs of
the vehicle to which the said portable rail may be applied. The outer
ends of the spokes are to be brought together and fitted into a socket
or foot, which is to be attached to the portable rail (each spoke or spokes
to its particular section of such portable rail) by a bolt or stud, the said
connection to be so made as to admit of perfect freedom of action in its
working parts.
The portable rails (the form of which I do not confine myself to) are
to placed in lines or in parralel lines) their ends (that is, the end of each
length or section) being almost in close contact with each other, and
bevilled at different angles and alternately, as may be required, so that
when forming one continuous surface the wheel or wheels of the vehicle
to which the same is applied when running over them shall simul-
taneously run on two divisions of the rails when passing over their
extreme ends. The sections or portions of the portable rail are to be
secured at their ends in pairs by means of elastic bands or fastenings
fixed on to the feet or chairs, as described in my Specification of Patent,
No. 14,036, dated 24th March 1852, to allow of the wheels of the vehicle
running on the said portable rail having freedom in turning in any
required direction. The centre, or what I term the nave, of the frame
wheel of the portable rail or rails is fitted and works on an axle
connected by being forged or made in a crank form, or by the arm or
crank being fitted on at any desired angle to the axle of the running
wheel of the vehicle to which the said portable rail is to be or may be
applied. The said frame wheel of portable rail or rails is placed over and
encircles the running wheel or wheels of the vehicle, so that the portion
of the running wheel nearest the ground is in its rotation always in con-
tact with the rail or rails. I also place and fix into a nave or box spokes
equidistant, and to strengthen which I connect them together by strong
wires or suitable stays fixed where requisite. The axles of the naves are
to be firmly fixed on them, and when attached to the vehicle to be so
placed that it works freely or rotates in a slot or channel placed under
the spring (when springs are used) so formed as to allow of free motion
perpendicularly, and which will be regulated by means of projections on

page_text: the axles of such form as, when pressing against fixed rollers placed
immediately over the axle, and also under the springs (when used), the
vehicle shall always be parrallel with the road traversed. The ends of
the spokes herein just described are to or may be joined to or fixed in
yielding sockets made of india-rubber or any suitable material.
When using the rotators (as I call them) for velocipedes it is some-
times desirable to have two lines of spokes placed and fixed in each nave
in such manner as to render them self-balancing when but two rotators
are used in a vehicle.
Another improvement consists in making the spokes herein-before just
described capable of being lengthened or reduced in length at the
pleasure of the rider, in the same way as is adopted with telescopes, or by
parts sliding over each other.
In my Complete Specification I shall exemplify my Invention by
means of diagrams,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Pidding in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PIDDING, of 31, King's Row, Walworth, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Pidding, Her special licence
that I, the said William Pidding, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Pidding, my executors,
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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MECHANISM APPLICABLE TO LOCOMOTION," upon the condition (amongst others)

page_text: that I, the said William Pidding, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Pidding, do hereby declaro
the nature of said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
One of my said improvements is in portable rails for wheeled vehicles
to run upon, and consists in arranging in a nave (or what is known as
the box) of a wheel spokes equidistant, such spokes being in some cases
of a bow shape and in pairs, the hollow or internally bowed parts facing
each other, such bowed spokes to be connected at one end in one mortice
or socket in the nave or box, and at their extreme ends as in con-
nection with the portable rail. They are to be brought together into a
foot or socket connected with the portable rail, as hercin-after described.
The arrangement of double bowed spokes is for the object or means
of gaining elasticity (the said spokes being made of a pliable wood or
material) to allow of or compensate for the action of the springs of
the vehicle to which the said portable rail may be applied. The outer
ends of the spokes are to be brought together and fitted into a socket
or foot, which is to be attached to the portable rail (each spoke or
spokes to its particular section of such portable rail) by a bolt or stud,
the said connection to be so made as to admit of perfect freedom of
action in its working parts.
The portable rails (the form of which I do not confine myself to)
are to be placed in lines or in parallel lines, their ends (that is, the end
of each length or section) being almost in close contact with each other,
and bevilled at different angles and alternately, as may be required, so
that when pressing on continuous surface the wheel or wheels of the
vehicle to which the same is applied when running over them shall
simultaneously run on two divisions of the rails when passing over their
extreme ends. The sections or portions of the portable rail are to be
secured at their ends in pairs by means of elastic bands or fastenings
fixed on to the feet or chairs, as described in my Specification of Patent

page_text: No. 14,036, dated Twenty-fourth March One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-two, to allow of the wheels of the vehicle running on the
said portable rail having freedom in turning in any required direction.
The centre, or what I term the nave,. of the frame wheel of the portable
rail or rails is fitted and works on an axle connected by being or
made in a crank form, or by the arm or crank being fitted on at any
desired angle to the axle of the running wheel of the vehicle to which
the said portable rail is to be or may be applied. The said frame wheel
of portable rail or rails is placed over and encircles the running wheel or
wheels of the vehicle, so that the portion of the running wheel nearest the
ground is in its rotation always in contact with the rail or rails. I also
place and fix into a nave or box spokes equidistant, and to strengthen
which I connect them together by strong wire or suitable stays fixed
where requisite. The axles of the naves are to be firmly fixed on them,
and when attached to the vehicle to be so placed that it works freely
or rotates in a slot or channel placed under the spring (where springs
are used) so formed as to allow of free motion perpendicularly, and
which will be regulated by means of projections in the axles of such
form as, when pressing against fixed rollers placed immediately over
the axle, and also under the springs (when used), the vehicle shall
always be parallel with the road traversed. The ends of the spokes herein
just described are to be or may be joined to or fixed in yielding sockets
made of india-rubber or any suitable material.
When using the rotators (as I call them), as herein described, for
velocipedes it is sometimes desirable to have two lines of spokes placed
and fixed in each nave in such manner as to render them self-balancing
when but two rotators are used in a vehicle.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Pidding, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM PIDDING. (L.S.)