Year: 1886

page_text: We ARTHUR THOMAS BOON of 17 Albermarle Street St. John Street Clerkenwell
Watchmaker and ADOLPH RIES of 59 Hatton Garden both in the County of
Middlesex Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention has for its object an improvement in that class of two wheeled cab
known as the "Hansom " such improvement being also applicable to analogous two
wheeled carriages.
We construct our improved Cab so that it may hold four persons inside and can
be more easily entered either at the back or front than hitherto has been the case.
In carrying out our invention we form the body of our improved cab with a
circular front having an opening for entrance into the cab at one side near the
shafts, and instead of the drivers seat being in the centre of the back of the cab we
place it on one side, so as to allow the cab to be entered from another door at the
back of the cab.
These doors are at opposite corners or positions to one another and may be closed
either by sliding doors or any other suitable and convenient means.
The seats are arranged round the cab on each side from one door to the other
and will be found to seat two persons on each side with comfort.
Our improved cab will be found much more easy to enter than the ordinary
Hansom Cab, particularly as it may be entered either from the back or front and
the inconvenience attendant upon cabs of this style in wet or muddy weather is at
once obviated.

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Hansom or Two-
wheeled Cabs.
We, ARTHUR THOMAS BOON, of 17 Albemarle Street, St. John Street, Clerken-
well, Watchmaker, and ADOLPH RIES, of 59 Hatton Garden, both in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention has for its object an improvement in that class of two-wheeled
Cabs known as the "Hansom," such improvement being also applicable to
analogous two-wheeled carriages.
We construct our improved Cab so that it may hold four persons inside, and can
be more easily entered, either at the back or front, than hitherto has been the case.
In carrying out our invention we form the body of our improved cab with a
circular front, having an opening for entrance into the cab at one side near the
shafts; and, instead of the driver's seat being in the centre of the back of the cab,
we place it on one side, so as to allow the Cab to be entered from another door at
the back of the Cab.
These doors are at opposite angles or positions to one another, and may be closed
either by sliding doors, or any other suitable and convenient means.
The seats are arranged round the cab on each side from one door to the other,
and will be found capable of seating two persons on each side, with comfort.
Our improved cab is much more easy to enter than the ordinary Hansom Cab,
particularly as it may be entered either from the back or front, and the incon-
venience, attendant upon Cabs of this style, in wet or muddy weather, is at once
obviated.
And in order that our invention may be readily understood by persons skilled in
the art, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, shewing
the arrangement of the seats and doors.
The doors a a¹ are (by preference) made to slide in the grooves b b¹, when they
are opened; but they may be made to swing upon hinges, if preferred. The door a
is at the back of the cab, and on the "near" side, to the left hand of the driver.
The door a¹ is in front, and on the "off" side. c is the front seat, and c¹ is the
back seat, both of which are capable of accommodating two persons. d is the
e is the driver's seat,
opening in the roof for communicating with the driver.
which is fitted on the off side of the door a, and as near the middle as the size of
the door a will allow.
In order to counteract the extra weight of the driver, on the "off" side of the
cab, we make the springs on that side stronger than those on the "near" side;
and, to assist in balancing the cab, in a longitudinal direction, we fit the support of

page_text: the driver's seat with pivots at f and a screw g and fly-nut h so arranged that the
driver can thereby increase or decrease the distance of his seat from the body of
the cab.
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. In the construction of two-wheeled carriages of the description known as
"Hansom" Cabs, the arrangement and combination of the door a, on the left-hand
side of the driver, and the door a¹ on the "off" side of the front, substantially as
described and shewn on the drawings.
2. In the construction of carriages of the description aforesaid, the arrangement
and combination of the seat c at the front and near side, and the scat c¹ at the back
and off side of the same, substantially as described and shewn on the drawings.
3. In the construction of carriages of the description aforesaid, the combination
of the doors a and a¹ with the seats c and c¹, severally arranged substantially as
described and shewn on the drawings.
4. The general construction, combination and arrangement of the several and
respective parts, together forming our improvements in the construction of Hansom
or two-wheeled cabs, substantially as herein before described and shewn on the
drawings.