Certain Improvements in Children's Mailcarts or Carriages.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Children's Mailcarts or Carriages.
I, HARRY ISRAEL HUMPHRY, of 113, Oakfield Road, Balsall Heath,
Birmingham, Warwickshire, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in children's
mailcarts or carriages my object being to provide simple and efficient means
whereby a single mailcart or carriage having a body provided with a fixed seat
facing the shafts can be readily extended for a child to lie in or so as to take two
children sitting face to face.
In carrying out my invention I provide an ordinary single mailcart body mounted
upon by preference two large wheels and provided with two shafts as usual by
which the mailcart can be pushed or drawn along the said mailcart body being
provided with one fixed cross seat having a seat back and sides and preferably
surmounted by a hood so that the child sits facing the shafts. In front of and
below the seat there is fixed to the said body and shafts what is technically known
as a well for the child's feet and lower part of the legs. The front of the well
forms what is known as a splash board. According to this invention instead of
making the said splash board a fixture as heretofore I so arrange the said splash
board that a portion of it can be turned down or raised into about a horizontal
position to form a seat for a child to sit upon facing the fixed seat, or to form an
extension which with the flap and fixed seat will give plenty of room on which to
lay the child.
I may construct and arrange the parts in various ways as I will now describe.
According to one arrangement the fixed front portion of the well terminates
somewhere about on a level with the top sides of the shafts, and adapted to slide
vertically or nearly so inside the well I provide the movable splash board which
extends upwardly for some little distance above the fixed front of the well. This
sliding splash board is made in two parts namely an upper part and a lower part
hinged together horizontally the upper part of the sliding splash board being of
sufficient depth to form a seat for the second occupant and the lower part being
somewhat narrow. The sliding splash board is adapted to slide up and down in
guides provided in the two front corners of the well the lower portion of the sliding
splash board having projecting pegs which take against the underside of the shafts
and form stops to prevent the sliding splash board being pulled up too far. By
first raising the sliding splash board along its guides as far as the said stops will
allow the upper portion of the sliding splash board can then be turned down on its
hinges into an almost horizontal position so as to form the seat for the second
occupant facing the fixed seat or so as to form the bed rest extension as stated above.
In this position the upper part of the splash board rests on a crossbar fixed to the
shafts or is otherwise supported. Then when it is desired to use the carriage as a
single mailcart for one child sitting on the fixed seat the folded down portion of the
sliding splash board is raised so as to allow of its being slided down the guides into
the well. There is or may be a rail either fixed or made to fold on the top side of
the upper portion of the splash board so as to form a back rest and sides when this
part forms the seat for the second occupant.

page_text: According to another arrangement of any invention the part of the splash board
which folds down as aforesaid is only made wide enough to form the extended bed
rest and is not made wide enough to form a seat.
Instead of the upper part of the splash board being made to slide as stated above
this part of the splash board may be merely hinged to the upper part of the front
of the well so as either to turn up and form the upper portion of the splash board
or turn down to form the seat for the second occupant or bed rest extension as stated
above suitable catches or other appliances being used to maintain the upper portion
of the splash board in its upright position.
According to another arrangement of my invention there is a fixed splash board
but this has hinged to the front and at or near its top edge the cross board forming
the seat for the second occupant which cross board when not required for use turns
down in front either inside or outside the well where it is maintained by a catch or
other means. In this arrangement of my invention there are lever catches or other
appliances to maintain the hinged cross board in position when it is forming the
seat for the second occupant.
According to another arrangement of my invention the cross bar forming the
seat for the second occupant and also forming the splash board is not connected to
the front of the well but is made to turn on side pins which are adapted to slide
in guides through a short space along the top of the shafts so that the said cross
bar will either stand in its upright position to form the splash board or it can be
raised through a short space and move forward along the guides and turn down to
form the seat for the second occupant.
Doted this 27th day of July 1894
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
Certain Improvements in Children's Mailcarts or Carriages.
I, HARRY ISRAEL HUMPHRY, of 113, Oakfield Road, Balsall Heath,
Birmingham, Warwickshire, Clerk do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in children's
mailcarts or carriages my object being to provide simple and efficient meaus
whereby a single mailcart or carriage having a body provided with a fixed seat
facing the shafts can be readily extended for a child to lie in or so as to take two
children sitting face to face.
My invention is illustrated by the accompanying four sheets of drawings on
which Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations of a children's mailcars or carniage
coustructed according to this invention, Fig. 1 shewing the splash board and parts
in the positions which they occupy when the carriage is used for two children to sit
in face to face and Fig. 2 shewing the same arranged for one child to sit in it facing
the shafts.
Fig. 8 shows the movable splash board portion of the said carriage separately.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the well part of the said carriage.
Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional elevations of the same kind of carriage shewn by
Figs and 2 but with the movable part of the splash board made in a different
.form:
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are sectional side elevations and Fig. 10 is a plan of the main
portion of a children's carriage illustrating a modification of my invention, Figa. 7
and 10 shewing the parts in the positions which they occupy when the carriage is
arranged for two children to sit in it facing each other and Figs. 8 and 9 shewing

page_text: the same parts in the positions which they occupy when the carriage is required
for one child to sit in it facing the shafts.
Figs. 11 and 12 are sectional side elevations and Fig. 13 is a plan of a children's
mailcart or carriage illustrating a further modification of this invention, Fig. Il
shewing the parts in the positions which they occupy when the carriage is arranged
for one child to sit in it facing the shafts, and Figs. 12 and 13 shewing the parts in
the positions which they occupy when the carriage is required for two children to
sit in it facing each other.
Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate a further modification of my invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figs.
In carrying out my invention I provide an ordinary single mailcart body mounted
upon by preference two large wheels and provided with two shafts a', a³, as usual
by which the mailcart can be pushed or drawn along the said mailcart body being
provided with one fixed cross seat B having a seat back b', and two sides 62, 63, and
preferably surmounted by a hood (not shewn upon my drawings) so that the child
sits facing the shafts. In front of and below the seat there is fixed to the said body
and shafts which is technically known as a well marked C for the chili's feet and
lower part of the legs. The front of the well forms what is known as a splash
board. According to this invention instead of making the whole of the said splash
board a fixture as heretofore, I so arrange the said splash board that a portion of
it can be turned down or raised into about a horizontal position to form a seat for
a child to sit upon facing the fixed seat, or to form an extension which with the
flap and fixed seat will give plenty of room on which to lay the child.
I may construct and arrange the parts in various ways as I will now describe.
According to one arrangement of my invention (see Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) the fixed
front portion c¹ of the well terminates somewhere about on a level with the
shafts a', a³, and adapted to slide vertically or nearly so inside the well C I provide
the movable splash board E, E', which extends upwardly for some little distance
above the fixed front.c', of the well. This sliding splash board is made in two
parts namely an upper part E' and a lower part E hinged together horizontally
the upper part E', of the sliding splash board being of sufficient depth to form a
seat for the second occupant and the lower part E³, being somewhat narrow. The
sliding splash board E, E is adapted to slide up and down in the guides F', F
provided in the two front corners of the well C the lower portion E² of the sliding
splash board having projecting pegs g', g, which take against the top of the
guides F, F, or against the underside of the shafts and form stops to prevent the
sliding splash board being pulled up too far. By first, raising, the sliding splash
board E, E along its guides as far as the said stops g', g², will allow the upper
portion E of the sliding splash board can then be turned down on its hinges into a
horizontal or almost horizontal position as shewn in Figs. 1 and 3 so as to form the
seat E' for the second occupant facing the fixed seat B or so as with the flap D to
form the bed rest extension as stated above. In this position shewn by Fig. 1 the
upper part E of the splash board rests on a cross-bar h fixed to the shafts a, a²,
or is otherwise supported. Then when it is desired to use the carriage as a single
mailcart for one child sitting on the fixed seat B the folded down portion E of the
sliding splash board is raised so as to allow of its being slided down the
guides F, F, into the well C as shewn in Fig. 2. Or as shewn by Figs. 4* and 4**
the splash board E', E may be arranged to slide up and down the guides F1, F2,
arranged outside the front of the well.
The upper portion E' of the splash board is by preference made with a back
rest and sides for the second occupant. These may be arranged in various ways.
For instance as shewn by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the back rest part I may be hinged to
the splash board E', so as to either stand up therefrom and form a back rest as
shewn in Figs. 1 and 3, or fall down against the board E' when the latter is slided
down into the well as shewn in Fig. 2 and the sides may be made in the form of a
rail J which is jointed to the shaft at its lower ends j' and is bent round the back

page_text: of the back rest I so as to support the same when in the position shewn by Fig. 1
and rest in a hook fixed to the back of the back rest I and near the top of the
Bame. Or as shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 the back rest part I and the sides & may be
made in a piece with the seat part E' of the splash board, the back rest I being
bent upwardly as shewn so as to form a further protection for the legs of the child
sitting on the fixed seat B when the splash board E', E' is slided back down into
the well as shewn in Fig. 6. Or as shewn in Figs. 14 and 15 the back support
may be made in the form of a rail L which is fixed to the seat portion E' of the
splash board and supported therefrom as by the uprights Z. In this case the
sides 62, 63 of the body of the carriage are continued far enough forward to form
the sides of the seat E'. In this example of our invention when the hinged
splash board has been raised and the upper part turned down in about a horizontal
position as shewn in Fig. 15 the said upper part El is maintained in this position
by small side ledges m fixed to the sides b', 62 of the carriage as shewn in
Fig. 14.
According to another arrangement of my invention which is illustrated by
Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 the front c¹ of the well C forms a fixed splash board in the
usual way but this has hinged to it at or near its top edge the cross board E' with
back rest I forming the seat and back rest for the second occupant which cross
board E and back rest I when not required for use turn down in front either
inside the well (Fig. 9) or outside the well (Fig. 8) where they are maintained by
an ordinary turn button or a catch or other means. In this arrangement of my
invention there are ordinary lever catches such as n', n² or other appliances to
maintain the hinged cross board E' in position when it is forming the seat for the
second occupant as shewn in Figs. 7 and 10.
According to another arrangement of my invention shewn by Figs. 11, 12 and 13
the cross bar E' forming the seat for the second occupant and also forming the
splash board is not connected to the front c¹ of the well C but is made to turn on
side pins o¹ o³ which are adapted to slide in the guides P1, P2 through a short space
along the top of the shafts a' a' so that the said cross bar E' will either stand in
its upright position to form the splash board as shewn in Fig. 11 or its lower part
can be raised through a short space and then moved forward along the guides P1, P
and turn down to form the seat for the second occupant as shewn in Figs. 12 and 13.
Or as will be readily understood without an illustration, the seat board E' (with or
without the back rest I) may be similarly arranged to turn down on the side
pins o, o, outside the fixed front c', of the well.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a children's mailcart or carriage the combination with the carriage body
made with a fixed seat B and fixed well C, of the movable splash board adapted
to either slide down into a vertical or almost vertical position at the front of the
well or to be raised therefrom and turned and supported in a horizontal or almost
horizontal position to form a seat or extension at the top of the well in front of
the fixed seat, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1, 2,
3, 4, 4*, 4××, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a children's maileart or carriage made with a fixed seat facing the shafts
and a fixed well for that seat the combination with said fixed seat and well of the
combined movable seat and splash board E, E, means for guiding the same into
the well and for supporting the part E' in a horizontal or almost horizontal
position to form a seat at the top of the front of the well, the seat back I hinged
to the seat El and the hinged side rails J adapted to support the seat back I, all
substantially as herein before set forth and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a children's mailcart or carriage made with a fixed seat facing the shafts
and a fixed well for that seat, the combination with said fixed seat and well of the

page_text: combined movable seat and splash board E, E³, means for guiding the same into a
vertical or almost vertical position outside the front of the well, and for supporting
the part E' in a horizontal position to form a seat at the top of the front of the
well, the seat back I hinged to the seat E', and the hinged side rails J adapted to
support the seat back I all substantially as herein before set forth and illustrated
by Fige. 4*, and 4**, of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a children's mailcart or carriage made with a fixed seat facing the shafts
and a fixed well for that seat, the combination with said fixed seat and well of the
combined movable seat and splash board E', E', means for guiding the same into a
vertical or almost vertical position inside the front of the well and for supporting
the same to form a seat at the top of the well, the seat back I and sides k being
fixed to the seat part E', all substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In a children's mailcart or carriage made with a fixed seat facing the shafts
and a fixed well for that seat, the combination with said fixed seat and well, of the
movable seat E¹ hinged to the front of the said well and adapted to either turn
down outside the same or turn up into a horizontal or almost horizontal position at
the front of the well, the hinged seat back I and the hinged side rails for supporting
the seat back I, all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figs. 7, 8 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
6. In a children's mailcart or carriage made with a fixed seat facing the shafts
and a fixed well for that seat, the combination with said fixed seat and well, of the
movable seat E¹ hinged to the front of said well and adapted to either turn down
inside the same or turn up into a horizontal or almost horizontal position at the
front of the well, the hinged seat back I and the hinged side rails for supporting
the seat back I all substantially as herein before described and illustrated by
Figs. 7, 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In a children's mailcart or carriage made with a fixed seat facing the shafts
and a fixed well for that seat, the combination with said fixed seat and well of the
combined movable seat and splash board E' E' adapted to move along guides on
the shafts so as to either occupy a vertical or almost vertical position in the front
of the well or be supported in a horizontal or almost horizontal position to
form a seat at the top of the well, the seat back I hinged to the seat E¹
and the hinged side rails J adapted to support the seat back I, all substantially
as hereinbefore set forth and illustrated by Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 29th day of April 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.