IMPROVEMENTS IN DOG CARTS AND OTHER TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Osmond, of Breakspeare Road, New Cross, in the
County, of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DOG CARTS AND
OTHER TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES."
aled the 28th April 1876, and dated the 6th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Osmond at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March 1876.
JOHN OSMOND, of Breakspeare Road, New Cross, in the County of Kent.
PROVEMENTS IN DOG CARTS AND OTHER TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES."
« IM-
My Invention relates to an improved arrangement for adjusting the body of a
two-wheeled vehicle, such as a dog cart, backwards or forwards relatively to the
wheels, so as to balance it upon the latter. An arrangement for this purpose was
described in the Specification to my previous Patent, dated 5th August 1875,
No. 2756, and this has also been effected by supporting the body on rollers carried
by the shafts; but this arrangement has the objection that the jolting of the body
on the rollers when the vehicle is in motion produces an objectionable rattling
noise.
According to my present improvements I fix upon the under side of the body
brackets which rest upon rollers carried by the ends of the springs, the brackets
being so formed that they can slide to and fro upon the rollers as the body is
shifted backwards or forwards. By preference I mount the said rollers between
jaws formed on the ends of the springs, a bar forming part of the before-mentioned
bracket resting in a groove in the roller, and being prevented from rising off the
same by means of a loop passing over the bar and secured at the sides of the jaw
of the spring by the same pin that holds the roller. This loop also forms the attach-
inent for the shaft, or it may forin part of the radius rods connected to the shafts,
such as are described in my before-mentioned Specification for elevating or lowering
the same. When these radius rods are used I prefer to fix them when adjusted to
the desired position by means of a slotted quadrant fixed to the shaft, the radius
rod having a pin projecting from its side and sliding in the slot of the quadrant, in
which it is secured in any position into which it is adjusted by means of a screw
nut on the said projecting pin. The adjustment of the body upon the springs, as
before described, may be effected either by a screw nut rotated by gearing on the
body and working on a screw spindle fixed to a transverse bar connecting the
shafts, or by a bell-crank lever having its fulcrum on the body and connected at
one end by a link to the said transverse bar, while the other end is worked by the
[Price 6d.

page_text: hand. This end of the lever has a spring attached to it, and the handle is formed
with a hinge, by which it can be bent over laterally, and it has a projection on it
which when the handle is bent over after moving the lever into the required
position forces the before-mentioned spring into the notches or teeth of a rack fixed
to the body, thus holding the lever securely in position, while when the handle of
the lever is moved back again preparatory to shifting it the spring moves out of
the rack and thus leaves the lever free; or the said spring may be extended to the
end of the handle, which in this case is made without the before-mentioned joint,
the spring being so arranged that in grasping the handle with the hand the spring
is grasped at the same time and is thus drawn out of the teeth of the rack.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Osmond in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th August
1876.
JOHN OSMOND, of Breakspeare Road, New Cross, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DOG CARTS AND OTHER TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES."
My Invention relates to an improved arrangement for adjusting the body of a
two-wheeled vehicle, such as a dog cart, backwards or forwards relatively to the
wheels, so as to balance it upon the latter. An arrangement for this purpose was
described in the Specification to my previous Patent, dated 5th August 1875,
No. 2756, and this has also been effected by supporting the body on rollers carried
by the shafts; but this arrangement has the objection that the jolting of the body
on the rollers when the vehicle is in motion produces an objectionable rattling
noise.
According to my present improvements I fix upon the under side of the body
brackets which rest upon rollers carried by the ends of the springs, the brackets
being so formed that they can slide to and fro upon the rollers as the body is
shifted backwards or forwards. By preference 1 mount the said rollers between
jaws formed on the ends of the springs, a bar forming part of the before-mentioned
bracket resting in a groove in the roller, and being prevented from rising off the
same by means of a loop passing over the bar and secured at the sides of the jaw
of the spring by the same pin that holds the roller. This loop also forms the
attachment for the shaft, or it may form part of the radius rods connected to the
shafts, such as are described in my before-mentioned Specification for elevating or
lowering the same. When these radius rods are used I prefer to fix them, when
adjusted to the desired position, by means of a slotted quadrant fixed to the shaft,
the radius rod having a pin projecting from its side and sliding in the slot of the
quadrant, in which it is secured in any position, into which it is adjusted by means
of a screw nut on the said projecting pin. The adjustment of the body upon the
springs, as before described, may be effected either by a screw nut rotated by
gearing on the body and working on a screw spindle fixed to a transverse bar
connecting the shafts, or by a bell-crank lever having its fulcrum on the body, and
connected at one end by a link to the said transverse bar while the other end is
worked by the hand. This end of the lever has a spring attached to it, and the
handle is formed with a hinge, by which it can be bent over laterally, and it has a
projection on it which when the handle is bent over after moving the lever into
the required position forces the before-mentioned spring into the notches or teeth
of a rack fixed to the body, thus holding the lever securely in position, while when
the handle of the lever is moved back again preparatory to shifting it, the spring
moves out of the rack and thus leaves the lever free; or the said spring may be
extended to the end of the handle, which in this case is made without the before-
mentioned joint, the spring being so arranged that in grasping the handle with the
hand the spring is grasped at the same time, and is thus drawn out of the teeth of
the rack.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a dog cart, to which my present Invention is
applied, and Fig. 2 is a section to an enlarged scale through one of the rollers on
which the body of the vehicle rests.
A is one of the springs made at each end with jaws, between which is mounted
a roller B. Bracket C, attached to the body of the vehicle, rest each upon one
of the rollers B, and they are prevented from rising off the rollers by being passed
through slots in arms D, by which the shafts E are secured to the springs. For
moving the body back wards or forwards relatively to the axle for the purpose of
balancing a bell-crank lever F mounted on the body is connected by a rod G to a
cross bar H, connecting the two shafts. By moving the handle of the lever F in
either direction the body is advanced or retracted, its weight being taken on the
rollers B. In order to retain the body in the position to which it has been moved
the handle of the lever F is made to act as a spring catch, as shewn in the enlarged
plan, Fig. 3, in which is the handle of the lever F, being jointed thereto, and K is
a spring lying against the side of the lever and between it and a rack Ĺ fixed on
the front part of the body. When the handle f is straight with the lever F, as
shewn in Fig. 3, the spring K lies close against the lever and clear of the rack, so
that the lever can be moved up or down as desired; but by turning the handle f
about one quarter round the spring K is pressed away from the lever and caused to
engage between the teeth of the rack (as shewn by the dotted lines), thereby
holding the lever in position.
Fig. 4 is a side view of part of one of the shafts M, hung to the springs by the
radius links N, O, such as were described in the Specification above referred to. A
quadrant or slotted are l' is attached to the shaft, and a pin 2 on the link O is
passed through the slot, in any part of which it can be secured by screwing up a
nut on the said pin, thus holding the shafts in the desired position.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim―
First. Resting the body of a dog cart or other two-wheeled vehicle on rollers
mounted on the ends of the springs, so that it can be advanced or retracted,
substantially as herein described.
Second. Securing the shafts in position by means of a pin working in a slotted
arc, the said pin being on a radius link by which the shaft is mounted, substantially
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Osmond, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
JNO. OSMOND. (L.S.)