improvements in Apparatus for Kaising and Lowering the Heads of Carriages, Perambulators and other Hooded Vehicles.
Year: 1885

page_text: improvements in Apparatus for Kaising and Lowering the Heads
of Carriages, Perambulators, and other Hooded Vehicles.
We HENRY WEATHERILL of 33 Beech Street, Cheetham, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Commercial Traveller and WILLIAM PETTINGER WEST
WEATHERILL of the same place Coach Builder do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE
"
RAISING AND LOWERING OF CARRIAGE HEADS" to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the raising and lowering of the hoods or heads of
victorias, landaus, perambulators and other hooded vehicles and has for its object
to enable the operations to be effected with ease and expedition. We employ
springs which act upon parts so arranged as that the hood or head is raised self-
actingly with a little assistance at the commencement, given by an occupant of the
carriage or by a person outside the same. We employ a rocking shaft which
extends across the carriage body and is provided with lever arms which are jointed
to spring links which work on the head props. These links are compressible in
length and tend to extend. A spiral spring or spiral springs act upon the rocking
shaft to impart a tendency for it to rotate in its bearings this rotation raising the
head or we may otherwise apply springs to act upon the lever arms. When the
head is down the spring links are compressed to their shortest length and resist
the tendency of the shaft to turn but when the head is slightly raised the parts are
moved into positions which permit the shaft to complete the elevation or if
preferred the springs may be of more moderate power so as only to assist in the
elevation of the bead. In some cases we extend the upper joint pin to the interior
of the carriage and provide a handle whereby the said pin may be turned in order
to move the joint between the link and the lever arm so as to facilitate the
operation from the interior of the carriage. We may also connect the "cant rail"
with the said joint pin or prop so as to be able to use the said "cant rail" as a lever
especially when lowering the head. In modifications we employ spring links to
draw or push up the head by retraction or expansion, the fulcra of the springs
being in front of or behind the hinge joint of the carriage head according to
whether retractive or expansive force is used. For retractive links simple bands or
lengths of vulcanised caoutchouc may be used or the links may be telescopic and be
provided with internal or external spiral springs. We prefer to make such telescopic
|Ĵinks with a joint which is arranged to be situated in about the same horizontal

page_text: line as the hinge joint of the carriage head so that when the head is quite down
the links do not tend to raise the head. A corresponding effect is obtained when
using caoutchouc links by causing the link to bend upon a stud or fixed part which
is so situated as that the line of pull shall not pass above or much above nor much
below the centre of the head hinge joint. When a retractive link is fixed a little
in front of the said binge joint the tendency for the link to lift the head commences
as soon as the head has been raised a short distance. To provide for an accurate
adjustment of the length of the links we may apply screw caps at the top or
bottom thereof, whereby the links may be set to the exact necessary length_or
re-adjustment to compensate for wear may be effected by the same means. The
pressure of the spring may likewise be increased or moderated by manipulating
a screwed stop on the sliding rod in the link. When applying the aforesaid means
of adjustment to the bottoms of the head props of landaus we fix or form a stop on
the sliding rod which stop comes in contact with the interior of the adjustable
screwed cap and limits the play of the rod and spring.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Raising and Lowering the Heads
of Carriages, Perambulators, and other Hooded Vehicles.
We HENRY WEATHERILL of 33 Beech Street, Cheetham, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Commercial Traveller and WILLIAM PETTINGER WEST
WEATHERILL of the same place Coach Builder do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING
THE HEADS OF CARRIAGES, PERAMBULATORS AND OTHER HOODED VEHICLES and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawings :—
Our Invention relates to the raising and lowering of the hoods or heads of
Victorias, Landaus, perambulators and other hooded vehicles and has for its object.
to enable the operations to be effected with ease and expedition. We employ
springs which act upon parts so arranged as that the hood or head is raised self-
actingly with a little assistance at the commencement given by an occupant of the.
carriage or by a person outside the same.
In order that our Invention may be fully understood we will describe the same
with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein our Invention is illustrated
as applied to a perambulator hood.
In the said drawings Figs. 1, 2 and 3 drawn about one fourth the full size are
side elevations of the hood framing of a perambulator. Figs. 1 and 2 showing the
parts as when the hood is raised and Fig. 3 as when the hood is down. Disregarding
the scale the same Figs. will illustrate the application of our Invention to the
hood of a larger carriage as for example the hood of a "Victoria." In Figs. 1
and 3 a. a. represent the framing of the hood and b. one of the spring links which
we employ to assist in the raising of the hood. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the
said link. The link is capable of being extended in length, a spiral spring c.
tending to retract the link. The said spring is enclosed within a tubular case in
which slides a rod d. which is provided at one end with an eye g. for attachment to
the hood or to the fixed point as the case may be. A corresponding eye is formed
in a cap h. which screws on the tubular case at the other end of the link. The end
of the rod d is screwed to receive a collar f. against which the spring abuts. This
collar can be adjusted in position upon the rod to regulate the power of the spring.
When the link is subjected to a tensile strain sufficient to overcome the resistance
of the spring the collar f. slides in the case thereby compressing the spring. The
length of the link in its contracted form can be regulated by turning the screwed
cap h upon the case. Fig. 5 illustrates a modification in the formation of the link.
In this example the link end h. enters into one end of the case and engages with
the screwed collar f. so that the latter can be turned to adjust its position upon the
rod and thereby to regulate the length of the link. When the adjustment is
effected the part h. is fixed by means of a pin i. or by other suitable means the
link end acting as a stop to limit the contraction of the link. To prevent rattling
the rod slides in an elastic ring or packing at 62. In Figs. 1 and 3 the link is
attached by one end to a stud k. which is fixed to an extension of the hinge or neck
plate t. to which the lower ends of the hood ribs a, a. are hinged the said stud

page_text: being situated some distance in front of the centre of the hinge and a little below
the same.
The other end of the link is jointed to a stud r. which is fixed on the
side of the front rib as clearly shown. There is a corresponding link on the other
side of the bood. When the hood is down as in Fig. 3 a straight line drawn from
centre to centre of the link eyes passes below the centre of the hinge joint so that
the links have a slight tendency to keep the hood down. When however the hood
is being raised the said straight line soon passes above the hinge centre and the
links then assist in raising the hood and if the springs are sufficiently strong the
raising of the hood will be completed by the spring links alone. The links can be
regulated in length so that when the hood is up the links are contracted to their
shortest limits as regulated by the stops. If preferred the stud or fixed point k.
may be on the carriage body as for example at the point indicated by the dotted
circle . To impart a finish to the hood when lowered as in Fig. 3 we form the
joint with a curved or rounded hinge part x. as shown. In Fig. 2 a simple spiral
spring . regulated by means of a screw m. passing through a link 8. pivotted on
the stud . is substituted for the spring link. Springs of vulcanised caoutchouc
might be applied in the same manner but I prefer to employ the spring links.
When raising the hood by means of expansive links I employ the link represented
by Fig. 6. In this example the spring tends to thrust outward the rod d. the end
of the spring pressing against an adjustable collar f. which screws upon the rod;
The pressure of the spring is regulated by means of a ferule n which screws into
the end of the case and serves as an adjustable stop for the spring. The rod slides
in a cap o. which screws upon the said ferule and is provided with a rubber ring' b¹
as in the case of Fig. 5. The cap o. serves to lock the ferule after it has been
adjusted. The links are applied in the manner indicated in Fig. 7 the fixed point p.
being behind the hinge instead of being in front of the same. In our Provisional
Specification we described part of our Invention as consisting in the employment
of a rocking shaft but we prefer the simpler arrangement included in the said
Provisional Specification and herein described and make no claim herein to the
use of the said rocking shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is
1. The springs or retractive links applied substantially as and for the purpose
set forth and indicated with reference to Figs. 1 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. The application to the hoods of vehicles of retractive springs or spring links.
which in each case are connected with the front rib of the hood and with fixed
points in front of the centre of the hinge or neck platė joint pin substantially as
and for the purpose set forth and indicated with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of
the drawings.
3. The construction of spring links substantially as and for the purposes set forth
and indicated with reference to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings.
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