IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Ritchie, of Billiter Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 28th February 1868, and dated the 24th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Ritchie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th October 1867.
J, HENRY RITCHIE, of Billiter Street, in, the City of London, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages, and consists in
constructing a four-wheeled semi-open carriage in the following manner :-
The body of the carriage is made with a rigid head overhanging the back seat,
and on this head at the front the driver's seat is formed, and under the driver's
seat to give it a firm support from the fore part of the body two metal columns
are erected; they carry also the coachman's footboard. In front of these
columns and immediately over the locking frame of the fore wheels on the
fore part of the body is a platform on which luggage may be carried. The
interior of the carriage has a back seat for two persons, who are protected from
the weather by the head above mentioned, and also by a rigid aprou or cover
over the knees; this apron or cover is jointed at its lower end and in front to
the body of the carriage immediately behind the metal pillars. When the

page_text: apron or cover is raised it rests against the pillars and allows room for entering
and leaving the carriage; also when the apron or cover is so placed a narrow
front seat may be set up to carry two more persons inside the carriage.
Waterproof blinds are fitted at the front and sides further to protect the
persons in the carriage from the weather. There may be three outside seats
on the head of the carriage, one by the side of the coachman and two behind
with their backs to him. These outside seats are provided with hinged or
folding backs, which when the seats are out of use turn down and cover them
so that they may not be exposed to the wet.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Ritchie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
RITCHIE, of Billiter Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Ritchie, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Ritchie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Henry Ritchie, 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 CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Heury
Ritchie, 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 Henry Ritchie, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages, and consists in
constructing a four wheeled semi-open carriage in the following manner :-The
body of the carriage is made with a rigid head overhanging the back seat,
and on this head at the front the driver's seat is formed, and under the driver's
seat to give it a firm support from the fore part of the body two metal columns
are erected; they carry also the coachman's footboard. In front of these
columns and immediately over the locking frame of the fore wheels on the
fore part of the body is a platform on which luggage may be carried. The
interior of the carriage has a back seat for two persons. There may be three
outside seats on the head of the carriage, one by the side of the coachman
and two behind with their backs to him.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing shows a side view of a carriage constructed according to my
Invention.
The body as will be seen is of novel form, but in the method in which it is
framed and put together there is no especial peculiarity, and a coach builder
with the assistance of the Drawing will be able readily to construct it. At the
front the body is extended to form a flat table or platform a', which may be
used to carry luggage and may have a low guard rail round its front end as
the Drawing indicates. Underneath this platform are the locking frames, the
lower one of which is mounted on the springs 6 and has the shafts attached to
it in the usual way. At the back of the body the side bearers of the frame
are extended at a², they are suitably strengthened by bracket irons a³, and have
the springs c fixed to them. a is a footboard at the back of the carriage
carried by bracket irons fixed as is indicated to the back of the body; this
foot board is for the accommodation of two outside passengers who have their
seats on the roof; a³ are the step irons for mounting to these seats. These
seats may advantageously be protected when out of use by a hinged board
folding down over them, but which when the seats are in use turns up and
serves as a back to the seats, being suitably padded for the purpose. In some
cases carriages may be constructed without this outside back seat. The front
part of the roof is supported from the platform a¹ beneath by two metal
pillars d, d, one on each side, and on the roof immediately over these pillars
the driver's seat and a seat for one passenger is placed. The footboard e for
these seats is carried by brackets springing from the pillars d. Within the

page_text: carriage there may be German shutters shutting down to the hinged flap f, so
as completely to protect the two inside passengers from the weather, or with a
imilar object waterproof blinds may be used. The flap is jointed to the front
edge of the platform a' at f'; it may when opeu rest against the pillars, but
by preference I arrange it to lie down flat on the platform a' and so to form
two front seats. The top of the flap is made in two parts binged together to
admit of the flap taking this position, and the part which is furthest from the
joint fwill then turn up, and resting against the pillars d will form a low back
for the front seats. In some cases the front of the carriage may be closed in
with glass like a brougham. A pole may be substituted for the shafts-so that
the carriage may be drawn by two horses. I would remark that by con-
structing carriages according to my Invention great strength, lightness, and
elegance are attained, and these carriages are also very roomy and easy in the
draft.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Ritchie, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
ROBT. WILLIS,
Gent".,
7, Billiter Street,
London.
HENRY RITCHIE.
(L.B.).