Certain Improvements in the Manufacture of Perambulators.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in the Manufacture of Perambulators.
I GEORGE REUBEN PRICE Perambulator Manufacturer of 187 & 188 Gooch Street
Birmingham Warwickshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists first in a new construction of Perambulator, or other bodios
made of wicker, wire, &c. thus ; after having cut the rods to their proper lengths,
I then bend each rod in or about the middle part thereof, whereby i make two stakes
of the one rod; the object of bending which is, for the better fastening it to the
outer edge of the wood bottom of the body. I then begin to build up the bodies,
starting from the bottom upwards. Having formed a suitable bead of wood or other
material, I take the same & place it over the bent part of the rod, & then pass a nail
or other fastenings through it & the rod, or, between the bent part of the rod, thereby
fastening the bead & the rod together to the wood bottom, & so on with each alternate
rod till all of them are thus fixed by the bead to the bottom. The method of fastening
the rods at the top part of the body is thus contrived. Instead of useing two hoops
to fasten them between as is usual, I purpose useing but one hoop & I fasten the rods
thereto on the inner side with staples or other fastenings.
My second improvement is in connexion with the under-carriage which consists of
a flat bar lying across the middle of the wheel-axles, & fixed to them both which
bar supports a curved or C spring upon which the body hangs suspended by two
cars fastened to the ends of the body for hanging upon the hooks formed at each end
of the spring.
My third improvement is in respect of the propulsion of the carriage. By the
contrivance of a rod proceeding from each end of the driving-handle formed of half
round iron carried through a socket fixed to the upper part of the back spring,
supporting the body & thence down to the centre bar of the axletrees & passing
through a socket fixed thereat. The principle or action of steering is thus contrived.
At the bottom end of the handle rod is fixed a cross bar which gives motion to two
steering rods lying in an horizontal position whereby the front wheels may be turned
to the right hand or left hand as required when steering the carriage.
To prevent the swinging motion of the body, I fix to the bottom a fork capable of
being dropped down over each side of the spring, thus preventing any side oscillation.

page_text: My fourth improvement is in connexion with the axletree which is formed of a
round rod from end to end without collars or shoulders; being screwed at the ends
for nuts, or having holes to admit of cotters to keep the wheels from coming off. To
prevent the wheels from working hackwards I fasten a cap to the hub of the wheel
by two or more screws or other fastenings which cap covers the entire end of
the axle.
My fifth improvement refers to a new method of fixing the spokes of metallic wheels,
thus the hub being formed of a piece of tube driven into two flanges, being grooved
for the reception of the spoke wires, which after being placed in each of the grooved
flanges are afterwards brazed, thus combining the different parts together.
Dated this 28th day of August 1888.
Certain Improvements in the Manufacture of Perambulators.
I, GEORGE REUBEN PRICE Perambulator Manufacturer of 187 & 188 Gooch Street
Birmingham Warwickshire 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 :-
I having already briefly described my invention in the manufacture of perambulators
I will now more particularly proceed to describe them by aid of the accompanying
drawings reference being had to the letters & figures thereon. My first invention
consists in a new construction of body made of wicker or wire &c. thus: After having
cut the rods to their proper lengths Fig. 9, a, a. I then bend each rod in or about
the middle part thereof whereby I make two stakes of the one rod Fig. 10, a, a.
The bending of which is also for the better fastening it by nail hole b, Fig. 10. to the
outer edge of the wood bottom of the body. I then begin to build the bodies starting
from the bottom upwards. Having formed a suitable head a; Fig. 11. of wood or
other material I take the same & place it over the bent part of the rod & then pass a
nail or other fastening through it & the rod b; Fig. 11. or, between the bent part
of the rod e; Fig. 11. thereby fastening the bead & the rod together to the wood
bottom d; Fig. 11. & so on with each alternate rod till all of them are thus fixed by
the bead to the bottom. Or, after the same manner 1 proceed to build up the body by
interlaceing ihin strips of wood e; Fig. 11. between the stakes one above another until
I reach the top; or, in courses at intervals; or, mixing it with other materials f;
Fig. 11. to give a more effective appearance. The method of fastening the rods at

page_text: the top part is thus contrived. Instead of useing two hoops to fasten them between
as is usual I purpose useing but one a; Fig. 12. & I fasten the rods thereto on the
inner side with staples b, b, Fig. 12. or other fastenings.
I will now describe the several parts which when combined or put together will
make my new mode of steering & propelling perambulators.
Fig. 1, shews the shape of the perch bar which carries the curved support for the
suspended carriage body. It is bent under at the front end, a, so as to take a
socket, b, in which works freely the centre pin or peg of the front axle.
hole
Cy
Fig. 2, shows the perch bar fixed to the hind axletree a, a, with two bolts b, b. The
is for receiving the lower part of the steering rod it is kept in its position of
action. d, d, are bolt holes for fixing the curved body support at flexures backward
& forwards as shown in Fig. 6, a, a.
Fig. 3, is a front view of the front axle with arrangements for giving to the front
wheels their steering motion. a, a, is the front axle is the centre peg which is made
to pass into a socket of the perch bar (though in some instances I shall dispense with
the socket) in or through which it turns freely & is kept in place by a split cotter
passing through the top part of the peg over a washer. c, c, are pegs which serve
as points of motion acted upon by eye rods connected with the steering rod at the
back of the carriage. These three points form a part of the front axle.
Fig. 4, is a front view of a collarless axle to be hereinafter described. Its
adaptability for wheels motion is as already described in Fig. 3, excepting at c, c,
where holes receive the horizontal rods which in this case are peg rods left freely to
move therein to give side motion to the wheels.
Fig. 5, is the steering handle &c. used in propelling the carriage. a, is the driving
handle. b, b, is the upright steering rod & is made either of half round or round iron.
In the former case the flat sides lye against each other & are flexioned to form part of
the handle. A socket clip, c, is used to confine the half round rods at the juncture
where the handle is formed of part thereof. This socket clip serves also to give to
the upright rod its topmost fixed position it being fixed at the top part of, & to the
curved body support at a Fig. 7, while the bottom part of the rod is kept in its fixed
central position by the rod passing through the hole at the back end of the perch bar
at, b, Fig. 7. At the bottom of this rod & underneath where it passes through the
perch bar there is fixed a cross bar d, d, which being a fixture to the upright rod can
be turned backwards & forwards by the handl part a. Thus is obtained an horizontal
motion by the means of the two rods e, e, lying horizontal to the front axle & connected
therewith at the points c, c, Fig. 3, & 4, & thence passing under the hind axle &
connected with the points f, f, of the steering rod.
Fig. 6, shows the body spring or support as attached to the perch bar. It is a
curved bar bent inwards at its upper ends having a hook at each end, a, a, to hold
an eye cach b, b, which are fastened to the top rail of the body of the carriage at c c.
d, is where the socket of the steering rod rests on the flat projection fastened to the
back flexion of the curved bar.
Fig. 7, shews the arrangement of parts for driving & steering.
Fig. 8, shews the arrangement as steering to the right by the intersected lines, &
vice versa.
If it is wished at any time to prevent the swinging motion of the body I fix to
the bottom thereof a fork capable of being dropped down over each side of the
spring thus preventing any side oscillation.
My new & improved make of perambulator axletree is its being formed of a round
rod from end to end without collars or shoulders, being screwed at the ends for
nuts, or having holes to admit cotters to keep the wheels from coming off: &, to
prevent them from working backwards I fasten a cap to the hub of the wheel by
screws or other fastenings, which cap covers the entire end of the axle.
My new & improved method of fixing the spokes of metallic wheels is thus:
the hub a, a; Fig. 13. being formed of a peice of tube having two flanges fixed
thereon b, b; Fig. 13, which flanges being grooved c, c, c, c; Fig. 13, & 14. for the
reception of the spoke wires; which spoke wires a, a, a, a; Fig. 14. place in the

page_text: grooves & then braze them to the flanges, which having concave & convex sides can be
fixed on either side: thus combineing these different parts together.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said
invention & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The making of bodies of wicker & chip or thin strips of wood as already
specified & the use of one hoop only to fasten the rods &c. to at the top part of the
body.
2nd. The perch bar & its purpose for connecting the front & hind axles together
as specified.
3rd. The driving or pushing handle; the metallic part being of the shapes of &
put together as described.
4th. The principle of steering & arrangement of parts for that purpose as shewn
in Fig. 8.
5th. The collarless axletree as described & the method of fastening the wheels
thereto as described.
6th. The arrangement of parts & putting together of hub & spokes of metallic
wheels as specified.
Dated this 12th day of December 1888.
GEORGE REUBEN PRICE.