Improvements in Baby Carriages.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Baby Carriages.
I WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY Patentee 79 Jamaica Row Birmingham do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Constructing the handles or shafts for propelling a childs carriage with hinges
or other fastenings at their bottom ends & securing same to the axles or other
supports on which the handles or shafts will reverse or turn over from one end to
the other either separately, or both together, enabling the vehicle to be propelled
or drawn from either end desired or placing them in an upright position for saving
space when not in use, the shafts or handles being kept in position desired by a
spring bolt or other suitable fastenings.
Dated this 9th day of August 1894.
Improvements in Baby Carriages.
1, WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY, Patentee, 79 Jamaica Row, Birmingham, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to enable the handles of baby carriages or mail
carts to be readily reversed from one end to the other, so that such carriages may
be pushed or drawn from either end, and also when required the handles may be
placed in a vertical position so that the space occupied will be greatly reduced,
thus rendering the vehicle very compact when not in use, a great advantage where
the space is limited. The handles may be reversed separately or both together
and are retained in either position by spring bolts or catches, all as hereafter
described.
My invention will be readily understood with reference to the accompanying
drawing of which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of so much of an underframe of a baby carriage as is
necessary to illustrate my invention,
Fig. 2 is an end diagrammatic view showing the position of the wheels,
Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively end and side elevation's partly in section of a
spring catch or clip for securing the handles in position, and
Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of Fig. 3.
According to my invention I mount upon an axle two wheels A A, the said
axle carrying a framework B for supporting a suitably constructed body of a baby
carriage, such for example as that described in my Patent Specification dated
18 October 1893 No. 19616; two wheels C C are carried in bearings one at each
end of the framework B, these limiting the rocking movement of the carriage.
Upon the axle I mount brackets D on each side of the vehicle, upon which
brackets are pivotted the lower ends of handles E, the handles E being free to turn
and be retained in either of the dotted or intermediate positions as shown at Fig. 1,

page_text: by spring catches F fixed upon the handles or shafts E. The spring catches F
lock into segments or as shown in Fig. 1 engage with what I may call a handle
adjusting guide F2. The action of this adjusting guide F2 upon the spring catch F
(as shown at Fig. 1) is such that when the handles are being placed in either of the
positions as indicated by the dotted lines, upon the bolt F coming into contact
with the adjusting guide, it is thereby forced back and continues in this position
until the bolt F¹ coincides with or arrives at a hole in the adjusting guide F2 and
the spring forces the bolt F¹ into the hole of the said guide F2 and thus locks the
handle or handles and the adjusting guide or guides together.
I form several holes in the guide F2 so that the height of the handles may be
varied to suit the requirements of different people. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a
form of catch wherein a segment F2 is placed in a vertical position; in this case
the bolt F is always in contact with the segment F2. Upon the handle EI pivot
at G a lever G¹ engaging at its lower end with a lug upon a plate G³ shown in
section on an enlarged scale at Fig. 5; upon G2 is a projecting pin or bolt F' which
is held in contact against the segment F2 by two pins F3 having collars at their
outer ends against which springs K K act; it will be seen that upon turning the
handle E down so as to bring the pin F1 over one of the holes in the segment F2,
that by the action of the springs K K the bolt F' will be forced into the hole and
the segment and handle thus locked together, and when it is desired to release
same, by pressing the lever G', the bolt F' is withdrawn and the handle is free to
be turned or shifted into any desired position.
It will readily occur to anyone that although I have not shown other ways of
operating the catches F, yet I may employ such means as a strap, cord, or the like,
attached to the bolt F¹ and thus operate the catch from near the end of the handles.
It is also obvious that such modifications as reversing the action of the catches and
effecting the release by depressing a rod would be a mere constructional
equivalent.
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 baby carriages, the reversible shafts or handles E pivotted at or about the
main axle, an adjusting guide or segment F2 attached to the frame and formed with
holes, notches or equivalents, in combination with spring catches on the said
handles E adapted to automatically take into the apertures in the guide or
segment F2, together with means for releasing the said catches by means of strap,
cord, rod, or lever, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
2. In baby carriages the combination with the devices and arrangements as
claimed in Claim 1 comprising the reversible bandles or shafts and fixing and
releasing appliances, of the construction and arrangement of convertible body as
described in my Specification of Patent No. 196163, all substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
3. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts comprising
my herein described improvements in baby carriages, substantially as described and
illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of May 1895.
WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY.