Improvements in Perambulators, Basinettes, Invalid Chairs, and other like Hand Propelled Carriages.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVIDIUNAD SLUULE
Improvements in Perambulators, Basinettes, Invalid Chairs, and
other like Hand Propelled Carriages.
We EDWARD JAMES SMITH of the Firm of Hoyland and Smith of Soho
Works Heath Street South Spring Hill Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Manufacturers and FREDERICK CHARLES RANDALL of Lime Avenue, Wynn
Street, Birmingham aforesaid Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
In perambulators, basinettes, invalid chairs and other like hand propelled
carriages as ordinarily constructed there is great liability to accident in consequence
of the loosening and loss of the screw nuts by which parts of the said carriages are
connected together and the object of our invention is to remove wholly or mainly
this danger by constructing and arranging the parts of the said carriages in the
manner hereinafter described, whereby the use of screw nuts is avoided.
We will describe our invention in connection with a perambulator.
We dispense with the springs of flat steel by which the body of the carriage
is supported by the axles of the wheels and we replace the said springs by a
nearly semi-elliptical middle bar or tube situated in a vertical plane connecting
the body and axles of the carriage in the following manner.
We connect the
axles of the carriage with the lower nearly horizontal part of the said semi-
elliptical bar or tube by means of junction pieces of the kind commonly known as chill
castings, the said junction pieces being cast upon the axle and the semi-elliptical bar
or tube supported in their proper relative positions in the metallic mould in which
the junction pieces are cast. Where the two axles of the carriage are at different
levels the said chill castings are made of different depths to suit the different levels
of the axles. On the vertical ends of the semi-elliptical bar or tube we cast other
chill castings by which we connect rods or pins of wrought iron to the ends of the
said bar or tube. At each end of the body of the carriage we fix a bracket in the
horizontal arm of which is a hole suitable to fit loosely on the wrought iron pins
described.
The required spring or elasticity in the connections of the axles with the body of
the carriage is given by means of coiled springs working freely on the wrought
iron pins. On each of the said pins a coiled spring is placed before the upper part
of the pin receives the bracket on the end of the carriage, the said bracket resting
on the top of the coiled spring. The bracket being in position on the top of the
spring a second coiled spring is dropped on the part of the bracket supported on
the first named coiled spring. On the top of the pin a boss is fixed by a cross pin
or otherwise and to this boss the propelling handle of the carriage is fixed. The
arrangement of pin coiled springs, boss and propelling handle is the same at each
end of the carriage.
Perambulators constructed according to our invention have no loose parts and
are free from the inconvenience and dangers inseparable from perambulators of
the ordinary construction.
The application of our improvements to the construction of basinettes, invalid
chairs and other like hand propelled carriages differs in no essential respect from
its application to the construction of a perambulator as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 23rd day of May.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. -
Improvements in Perambulators, Basinettes, Invalid Chairs; and
other like Hand Propelled Carriages.
We EDWARD JAMES SMITH, of the Firm of Hoyland and Smith, of Soho
Works Heath Street South Spring Hill Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Manufacturers and FREDERICK CHARLES RANDALL, of Lime Avenue, Wynn
Street Birmingham aforesaid, Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature
of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In perambulators, basinettes, invalid chairs and other like hand propelled
carriages as ordinarily constructed there is great liability to accident in consequence
of the loosening and loss of the screw nuts or rivets by which parts of the said
carriages are connected together and the object of our invention is to remove wholly
or mainly this danger by constructing and arranging the parts of the said carriages
in the manner hereinafter described whereby the use of screw.nuts or rivets is
avoided.
We will describe our invention in connection with a perambulator.
We dispense with the springs of flat steel by which the body of the carriage. is
supported by the axles of the wheels and we replace the said springs by a nearly
semi-elliptical middle bar or tube situated in a vertical plane connecting the body
and axles of the carriage in the following manner. We connect the axles of the
carriage with the lower nearly horizontal part of the said semi-elliptical bar or
tube by means of junction pieces of the kind commonly known as chill castings the.
said junction pieces being cast upon the axle and the semi-elliptical bar or tube
supported in their proper relative positions, in the metallic mould in which the
junction pieces are cast. Where the two axles of the carriage are at different levels
the said chill castings are inade of different depths to suit the different levels of the
axles. On the vertical ends of the semi-elliptical bar or tube we cast other chill
castings by which we connect rods or pins of wrought iron to the ends of the said
bar or tube: At each end of the body of the carriage we fix a bracket in the.
horizontal arm of which is a hole suitable to fit loosely on the wrought iron pins
described.
The required spring or elasticity in the connections of the axles with the body.
of the carriage is given by means of coiled springs working freely on the wrought
iron pins. On each of the said pins a coiled spring is placed before the upper part
of the pin receives the bracket on the end of the carriage, the said bracket resting
on the top of the coiled spring. The, bracket being in position on the top of the
spring a second coiled spring is dropped on the part of the bracket supported on
the first named coiled spring. On the top of the pin a boss is fixed by a cross pin.
or otherwise and to this boss the propelling handle of the carriage is fixed. The
arrangement of pin, coiled springs, boss and propelling handle is the same at each
end of the carriage.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings
the manner in which our invention is to be performed....
Figure 1 represents in side elevation; Figure 2 in longitudinal section; Figure 3
in plan and Figure 4 in end elevation (with portions broken away) a perambulator
constructed according to our invention;
Figure 5 represents in side elevation; Figure 6 in vertical section; Figure 7 in
plan and Figure 8 in end elevation drawn to a larger scale; the spring arrangement
by which the body of the carriage is suspended and vibration or tremor prevented
from being transmitted through, the wheel axles to the body of the carriage.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.

page_text: a, a is the body of the perambulator suspended to the vertical.ends of the nearly
semi-elliptical middle tube b (or bar) in the manner hereinafter described; c, care
the axles of the wheels which axles are connected to the semi-elliptical middle.
tube b by junction pieces or chill castings d, cast upon the said tube band upon
the axles c, c (see Figure 2). The casting of the junction. pieces d, d upon, the
tube b and axles c, c is effected in chill moulds in the ordinary way. To the vertical
ends of the middle tube b, the wrought iron rods or pins e, e are connected by the
cast junction pieces or chill castings at ff the said cast junction pieces or chill
castings being cast upon the said: tube and pins or rods by the use of chill moulds
(see the section Figure 6). The body a of the carriage is suspended to the pins or
rods e, e on the ends of the middle tube b so that the said body may yield when
pressure is put upon it and the vibratory motion communicated to the said middle
tube & through the axles c, e prevented from being transmitted to the said body in
the following manner.
i, are the brackets fixed on the ends of the carriage body a. Each bracket is
provided with an eye or collar at the middle of its horizontal arm which works
upon the end pine, the bracket resting upon and being supported by the coiled
spring working freely on the said pin e. One end of the spring k takes a bearing
on the underside of the collar or eye of the bracket, and the other end is
supported on the top of the casting f. Between the top of the eye or collar 12 of
the bracket and the propelling handle g a second coiled spring is placed. The
propelling handle y is fixed to the screwed top of the pin or rod e by the screw
nut h, the part of the handle which fits upon the flattened top of the pin or rod e
being lined with metal as seen in Figure 6. The coiled spring & is placed upon the
pin e before the said pin receives the bracket and after the bracket has been put
in position on the top of the spring k the other coiled spring is placed on the
pin e and made to rest on the eye or collar of the bracket i. The propelling
handle g is then fitted on the top of the pin e and fixed by the screw nut h. The
arrangement of parts is the same at each end of the perambulator.
It will be understood that the tremor or vibration communicated to the middle
tube & through the axles c, e is absorbed or deadened by the coiled springs & on which
the body is supported and that by the use of the upper and lower springs k, lat
each end of the perambulator the suspended body a readily yields when pressure is
put upon it, the said springs following the sliding collars or eyes 2, * of the brackets
as they rise and fall upon the pins e, e.
In place of the tubular middle part b, a bar may be used.
Perambulators constructed according to our invention have no loose parts at the
connection of the body with the axles and are free from the dangers inseparable
from perambulators of the ordinary construction.
The application of our improvements to the construction of basinettes, invalid
chairs and other like hand propelled carriages differs in no essential respect from
its application to the construction of a perambulator as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention.
and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we claim
as our invention of "Improvements in Perambulators, Basinettes Invalid Chairs
and other like Hand Propelled Carriages" ;-
First. Connecting the nearly semi-elliptical middle bar or tube, by the ends of
which the carriage body is supported to the axles of the carriage by junction pieces
of the kind commonly called chill castings substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. Connecting by cast junction pieces or chill castings the vertical ends
of the semi-elliptical middle bar or tube of the carriage to the rods or pins on
which the supporting and anti-vibratory springs of the carriage are placed and to
which the propelling handles are fixed substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Thirdly. The arrangement or combination of the vertical pins or rods, e, e;.
eyed brackets or supports i, 2, and coiled springs k,l for suspending the body of
the carriage and for preventing or reducing the transmission of the vibration or.
tremor from the axles of the carriage to the suspended body of the carriage
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the Twenty-ninth day of Jannorv 1001
EDWARD JAMES SMITH.
FREDERICK CHARLES RANDALL.