IMPROVE- MENTS IN WITH COARDWALAN
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Roberts, of Bruton Street, Bond Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WITH COARDWALAN
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Roberts at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th March
· 1854.
I, JOHN ROBERTS, of Bruton Street, Bond Street, in the County of Middle-
sex, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CABRIOLETS " to be as follows:-
The object and intention of this Invention is to render cabriolets safer, more
convenient, and lighter than heretofore, which may be effected by constructing
such vehicles in the following manner :-Firstly, instead of having doors in the
front of the vehicle, as in the Hansom's cabs, I place doors at the back part
thereof, and I arrange and dispose the seat thereof for two or more persons, in
such manner as that the sitters may face the horses, in the ordinary way of
riding in vehicles intended to carry two persons. And a peculiar feature in
this Invention consists in making the seat moveable upon a pivot or otherwise,
thereby enabling the passengers to leave and enter the vehicle by one or other
of the doors, or by that door which is nearest to the kurb of the street, road,

page_text: or way. Secondly, I form the lower half of the front part of the vehicle
closed, and I make the upper half so as to close or open by means of a
sliding window, which when down fits into the before-mentioned lower and
closed half, and partakes of the same curvature or shape. And in constructing
cabriolets for the use of the public, I place a platform between the closed part
of the front and the dash-board, for placing luggage upon, and I
seat for the driver either behind or at the right hand side thereof, as may be
found most convenient for opening and closing the doors without dismounting
for that purpose; and it is this mode of constructing cabriolets that constitutes
this Invention."
arrange the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of- the- conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
September 1854.....
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBERTS, of Bruton Street, Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, Doctor of
Medicine, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Roberts, Her special licence. that I, the said John Roberts,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Roberts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should" at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, shoult and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF CABRIOLETS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Roberts, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Roberts, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof (that is to say) :-
:
My improvements in the construction of cabriolets apply equally to cabriolets
intended for private and public use, and are designed chiefly with a view of ren-
dering such vehicles safer, easier, and more commodious than those heretofore
constructed.and in common use. The said improvements I effect by construct-
ing cabriolets in the following manner :-In the first place, instead of..having
the doors in the front part of the vehicle, as in the cabriolets extensively used,
and commonly known in England as "Hansom's cabs," I place two doors at
the back part thereof, and I arrange and dispose the seat thereof (when the
vehicle is intended to carry not more than two persons) in such a manner as
that the sitters may face the horses in the ordinary way of riding or sitting in
vehicles intended to carry two persons. And a peculiar feature of novelty
in my Invention consists in making the said seat moveable upon a pivot or
centre or otherwise, thereby enabling the passenger or passengers to leave and
enter the vehicle by one or other of the doors, as may be most convenient or
desirable, or by that door which is nearest to the curb or footpath of the street,
road, or way: Secondly, I form the lower half of the front part of the vehicle
with a hollow panel, and I make the upper half of the front part of the same
so as to close or open by means of a balanced, suspended, or sash window, or
Venetian or Louvre blind, which when lowered fits or slides into the before-
mentioned lower and closed half or hollow panel, and partakes of the same
curvature or form. And in constructing cabriolets for the use of the public,
I place a platform between the closed part of the front of the vehicle and the
dash-board for placing luggage upon, and I arrange the seat for the driver
behind and between the two doors, thus enabling him to open or close the
doors of the vehicle without dismounting from his seat. I also place the lever
or handle for opening the doors, and an apparatus (hereafter described) for
turning the seat round, either within control of the driver alone, or the pas-
senger, or both, as may be found most convenient or expedient. My improve-
ments in the construction of cabriolets will be fully explained and more readily
understood by referring to the Sheet of Drawings hereto annexed,, and the
following explanation thereof:
The Drawing is made to a scale of about three-quarters of an inch to a foot,
and. has similar letters of reference. placed upon corresponding parts of, the
vehicle in the several Figures, in so far as such said parts appear or can be seen
at each of the said Figures respectively. Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing.
represents a side elevation of a cabriolet.constructed according to my Invention,

page_text: and Figure 2 is a back view of the same; Figure 3 is a vertical sectional
view of the cabriolet as it would appear if divided through the line A, B, and
Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the same as it would appear if divided
through the line C, D.
a, a, represents the body of the cabriolet attached to the shafts b, b, by
springs c, c, being suspended from the axle d, d, by the springs e, e.
I would here observe, that it will be evident that the body of the vehicle may
be supported or suspended in any other convenient manner, for instance, by
means of the springs j, j, as represented at the detached view, Figure 5; or
instead of the half spring ", a cross spring *, shewn in dotted lines, may be
used, which is the arrangement I prefer to employ in constructing cabriolets
for public use. f. f, are the running wheels; g, g, is the drivers seat; h, h, are
the two doors for ingress and egress. These doors h, h, are to be furnished
with handles o, o, placed outside at or near the top of the same, so as to be
convenient of access to the driver without dismounting, and connected by wires
to the spring latches p, p, the handles of which are placed inside within reach
of the passengers; i, i; is the closed front part or front panel of the vehicle,
which forms (as it were) a box, into which the curved window k, k slides
when lowered; 1, 1, is the moveable seat capable of turning upon a pivot or
centre at m, and supported upon friction rollers n, n. This seat may either be
so constructed as to be entirely under control of the passenger, or it may be
worked by means of a chain q, q, one end of which is attached to each side
of the seat; the chain passes round a toothed pulley r, r. connected to a handle
or lever s, s, within reach of the driver, as may be considered preferable or
expedient. I would here observe, that the moveable seat 1, l, is kept steady
and prevented from oscillating whilst the vehicle is in motion by means of the
hinged elbows,, Figure 3, one of which must be raised by hand or otherwise
when it is required to turn the seat round. I also propose to attach a hook to
the front panel as at t, Figure 1, in order to hang thereon a safety rein, by
means of which the vehicle may, when desired, be driven from the interior by
the passenger.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said improvements in
the construction of cabriolets, together with the manner of carrying the same
into practical effect, I desire it to be distinctly understood that what I claim as
my Invention is, the constructing cabriolets with two doors placed at the back,
and with a seat or seats capable of being moved in such a manner as to allow
the passengers to ride facing or looking forwards, and to enter and leave the
vehicle from behind by either door, as preferred, by whatever means such

page_text: moving of the seat may be effected, and however such vehicle may be suspended
or supported upon the running wheels.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Roberts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
ALEX PRINCE,
Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
JOHN ROBERTS. (L.S.)