CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON WHEEL CARRIAGES
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LANE HIGGINS, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Eleventh day of August, in the ninth year of His
reign, give and grant unto me, the said John Lane Higgins, His especial
licence, that I, the said John Lane Higgins, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said John Lane Higgins, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON WHEEL CARRIAGES;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that I, the said
John Lane Higgins, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Lane Higgins, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said

page_text: Invention of Certain Improvements on Wheel Carriages, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by the Plans or Drawings hereto annexed, and
the following description thereof (that is to say):-
Fig. 1 represents an elevation of a three-wheeled carriage constructed
according to my improvements. (The body or seats are supposed to be removed
in order to explain the nature of the Invention.) A represents the fore
wheels. B, the hind wheel. C, C, C, C, the fore carriage for the body to
rest on. D, D, D, D, the springs or stays fixed on the axletree. E, the sway
bar connected with the fore carriage, and working under the perch. F, F, the
double perch framed thro' the transome G. II, the bed of the fore carriage.
I, an iron staplo fixed in the bed, and forming the double centre, as shown in
Fig. 2 and 3. (The same letters refer to the corresponding parts in all the
Figures.)
Fig. 2 is an horizontal plan of the carriage. A, A, the fore wheels. B, the
hind wheel. C, C, C, C, the fore carriage and futchells. E, the sway bar.
F, F, F, F, the double perch framed through the transome G. The fore part
of the perch rests on the bed H, and the hind part on the springs or axletree
of the hind wheel. I, I, an iron staple or two bolts fixed in the bed II (as
shown in Fig. 4). K, K, are two curved pieces framed into the transome G.
They are circular arches, described with the length of the staple I, I, as radii
from the two ends of the staple as centres. L is a bolt fixed in the piece N,
against which the bar M works when the carriage is on the lock, as shewn in
Figure 3. N, N, N, N, are pieces framed into the double perch to strengthen it.
The perch is drawn forward by the ends of the staple I bearing against the
curved pieces K, K.
Fig. 3 represents the carriage on the lock. The bed of the fore carriage is
confined by one end of the staple I against the transome at G×; the other end
of the staple works round the curved piece K; thus the wheel A advances by
an arch described from GX, and the wheel A× receeds by the smaller arch
from Gx. The staple I, I, passes over the perch to prevent its getting out of
geer.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the fore carriage. A, A, the fore wheels.
D, D, the spring stays or blocks on the axletree, and supporting the bed II.
I, the staple fixed in the bed.
Fig. 5 is an horizontal plan of the perch.
Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the transome G, showing the double perch
F, F, and the curved pieces K, K, framed through it, a body being placed on
the fore carriage, and turning with it between the wheels in the same manner
as a two-wheel carriage. The driving is rendered much safer and easier than

page_text: an ordinary four-wheel carriage; a great advantage is also gained by this con-
struction of carriage when backing or going down hill. The two ends of the
staple or bolts I, I, bearing against the transome G, the hind wheel is kept
parallel with the fore wheels, except when the driver wishes to alter his course.
Another body seat or boot may be placed over the hind wheel, with a recess
for that wheel to work in. The carriage represented in the Drawing may be
made of any customary materials, and the form or proportion may be varied
according to the kind of body or seats for which it is intended.
Having now described my improvements, I do hereby declare that my
Invention does not consist in any specific form or construction of the wheels,
axletrees, springs, or other parts represented in the Drawings hereunto
annexed, in a detached state, but my improvements consist in combining and
arranging those parts in such manner as to form three-wheeled carriages with
double-centred perches. The Drawings hereunto annexed, together with the
foregoing description, explain how the said parts are to be combined to form a
carriage of the above description, but the arrangement, forms, dimensions,
and proportions of the parts may be greatly varied to render carriages of the
above description suitable for various purposes of pleasure or utility. Such
variations will be obvious to any competent workman who may construct
carriages according to my improvement, and need not be further explained.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Lane Higgins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine.
Inrolled the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine.