IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES AND VEHICLES, AND OF WHEELS APPLICABLE THERETO
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to André Etienne, of Francis Street, Tottenham Court
Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES AND VEHICLES, AND OF WHEELS APPLICABLE
THERETO"
Sealed the 25th November 1864, and dated the 28th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said André Etienne at the Office.
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th May,
1864.
I, ANDRE ETIENNE, of Francis Street, Tottenham Court Road, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES AND VEHICLES, AND OF.
WHEELS APPLICABLE THERETO," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvements in the construction of
carriages and other vehicles, and of wheels applicable thereto.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention I employ two springs crossing
each other at right angles, and presenting four points of support, on which
I fix a frame of wood, and suspend the carriage body thereon by the interven:
tion of two small springs on the frame, so as to create a double suspension,
and to diminish the friction.
Secondly, I support carriages, omnibuses, and other vehicles on three
wheels as follows:-I place the two wheels on one axle under the centre.
of the body in such manner that the carriage body shall rest thereon, almost

page_text: in a state of equilibrium or balance, so that the front wheel, which is placed
in a central line with regard to the two wheels, and in or beyond the frout
of the carriage, shall bear no portion of the weight, but simply serve to
steady and guide the vehicle, by which improvements only two points of
friction are created instead of four, the draught being proportionately
assisted by the reduction of about half the friction.
The third improvement in the construction of the wheels consists in making
their circumference of a series of three irregular curves; for example, if the
circumference of a circle be divided into six equal parts, and three of those
parts alternately be raised by irregular curvelinear lines, it will follow that
at three periods of each revolution the wheel will acquire an impetus, as it
revolves from the raised curves to the lesser circumference, whereby the
horses will be enabled to draw the carriage with very increased facility. The
spokes must be made of the necessary varying lengths to suit the felloes
and tyre. To prevent the overturning of the carriage, I suspend the body
thereof at each end, in a line with the centre, and above the centre of gravity,
by means of two pivots set in vertical bars, and in communication with the
springs and wheels, so that when the wheels rise over an impediment in
the road the level position of the carriage body is maintained, being aided
by the weight of the passengers, and in the event of the wheels overturning
the carriage body cannot be affected, since the pivots could have no power
to throw over the body, which would preserve its balance, and if necessary,
springs may be attached to the bottom of the carriage body to relieve any
slight shock from its settlement upon the ground.
-
The extremity of the axle remains of a round form, and I propose to place
thereon a triangular, square, or polygonal box, with spaces in the interior
corresponding to the number of sides of the box, the spaces being filled with
grease; the axle will be lubricated for a considerable length of time.
The splinter bar is made so as to be released from the pole or shafts or
the carriage frame by means of hooks and rings under the control of the
coachman, who by releasing a spring can disengage the pole or shafts or the
splinter bar, and leave the carriage to come to a state of rest.
I propose in the carriage with three wheels to place the splinter bar either
immediately in front of the front wheel, or at a distance of two or three inches
from the wheel; or it may be in two parts, for two horses, following the
direction of the fore axle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said André Etienne, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDRE
ETIENNE, of Francis Street, Tottenham Court Road, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said André Etienne, Her special license that I, the said André Etienne,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
André Etienne, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES AND VEHICLES, AND OF WHEELS
APPLICABLE THERETO," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
André Etienne, executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should
particularly 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 André Etienne, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement :-
As regards the first part of my said Invention it relates to improvements
in the construction of carriages with two wheels, the bottom of thebody is also
slightly raised in front. The axletree is slightly kneed or bent near the
spindles a, a, and the axle is also curved a little, and there are sills b, b, placed
or formed horizontally thereon, one of which sills is in the middle of the axle,
and one at each extremity thereof, near the spindles (as at Figures 1 and 1*).
These two last-mentioned sills are intended to receive two shafts fixed to the
axletree by means of bolts, said shafts being strengthened by flat iron plates
31

page_text: placed above and under said shafts (as at Figure 2), with cross bar and steps.
The axle near the two outer sills is flattened, and made a little larger length-
wise for about three inches, in order to receive the two cross springs, which
are strongly fixed to the axletree by bolts (see Figures 1 and 2). These two
springs may also be fixed to the axle without bolts, if necessary (as at Figure 3).
'The sill at the middle of the axle is intended to receive a longitudinal spring,
mentioned above, which is fixed by two bolts or two stays (as at Figure 4).
The two cross springs are destined to bear the whole weight of the body of the
carriage and its contents, and the third or middle spring is intended and
employed solely to keep the body in equilibrium, and not to bear any part of
the weight; two iron ends of the shafts, which received the tapered ends of
the wood, are fixed thereto by bolts at the middle of each of the shafts.
using shafts of this construction, the steps are fixed to the body of the carriage
on each side thereof, and carriages with two wheels may be built in the same
manner; thus it will be seen that a carriage with two wheels can be made
either a cabriolet, as at Figure 5, or any other form of two-wheel carriage, by
employing the preceding elements of construction. The two ways pointed at
above to make a shaft in order to put a horse to being the same and
optional.
In
At Figure 6 I make an oval frame or a square A, E, B, F, in wood; at the
two points A and B 1 fix firmly a bar of iron A, B, on the extremities of
which I fix two springs A, D, B, C, and on its centre at point O a long curved
spring E, F, and all in the same manner as the three springs are placed and
fixed as in Figs. 12*. The frame thus completed is fixed on the four heads
of the three springs aforesaid, or else I propose to expend at the two
extremities of the crossed springs above named two small springs as I, J,
Fig. 6, attached to the extremities by their centre, and to fix the four
extremities of these small springs under the two shafts of the body in front
and behind the axletree by means of bolts and a collar. In cabriolets with
crossed springs I replace the two small curved extremities A and B by two
helical springs C, D, which are fixed above the two extremities of the main
spring, and to the bottom of the body above them, see Figures 7 and 8.
As regards the second part of my said Invention, which relates to improve-
ments in the construction of carriages with three wheels, it consists in com-
bining the wheels with the body and other parts in the following manner:-
The bodies of these carriages may be suspended behind in the usual manner,
the body, together with almost the whole weight of the load, are supported by
two wheels connected together as usual by an axle, upon which and near those
parts where the wheels are placed lies the flexible parts of two springs S, one

page_text: of which is shewn at Figure 9, placed under the body, and lengthwise thereof
on each side, and fixed underneath to the front part of the body at T (as at
Figure 9. To insure the solidity of the carriage and a strong point of
resistance at the part U of the poll bolt, I fix within the two shafts of the
body and on each side thereof a strong plate of iron V, shewn at Figure 10
similar to those commonly put in carriages; these two plates meet edgewise
in the box, as at Figure 11, and thus serve as a seat for the coachman; the
front ends of these plates terminate in a species of parallel ears X, male
vertical lengthwise, and leaving between them a space of about half an inch
to receive the box for the poll bolt. Y, of which the dimension of the flat part
is equal to the opening of the two ears which finishes the two strong plates
above mentioned, and this corresponding ear being introduced between the two
ears of the strong plates is there strongly fixed by bolts, which go through and
unite the three ears, as shewn. I place horizontally a small spring in the
coachman's box, the flexible end of this spring bearing on the opening of the
box of the poll bolt in such way that the front of the carriage rests by means
of this spring upon the head of the poll bolt (as at Figure 11). I also place
in front of the body, and in the centre of the width thereof, a wheel of nearly
the same diameter as the hind wheels; this wheel occupies the place of the
two small wheels in front, as commonly employed in four-wheel carriages.
The effect of thus arranging the wheels is that the weight of the body is borne
by the hind wheels only, the fore wheel serving more particularly as a guide
wheel, and by these means I reduce very considerably the amount of friction;
and I propose to build omnibuses on three wheels upon the above principle
of construction.
I would remark that in constructing the front wheel inthree-wheelcarriages
the two sides of the nave starting from the middle lengthwise should be turned
symetrically, the spokes should be let in perpendicularly round the nave, and
not obliquely, as commonly practised by wheelwrights. The middle of the
thickness of the felloe being exactly in an horizontal line with the middle of
the nave perpendicularly to its axis, the wheel therefore must be quite straight.
There is an iron pivot square throughout the whole length ofthenave, strongly
fixed in the centre thereof, said pivot projecting about two and a half inches
on each side of the nave; these two extremities should be turned true,
tempered, and fitted exactly in two boxes hereafter particularly described and
referred to. Z, A, are two uprights, embodied with the poli bolt, the lower
ends of these uprights are connected by means of stays and bolts to a piece of
iron B, placed horizontally and slightly curved as at Figure 12. This piece of
iron B, of which there are two, is intended to receive a spring C slightly

page_text: concave, placed underneath the same, and fixed to the two extremities of each
piece of iron by small loop holes or by bolts to the middle of each spring, and
underneath the same I fix on each side of the nave, by a stay and bolts, the
box D before mentioned for the reception of the turned pivots, which project
beyond the nave. These pivots are provided with a nut at their extremities
to prevent their coming of the boxes. To each of the pieces of wire B and
C₁ I fix, by stays or bolts, another piece of iron E, to receive the shafts (in
case of only one horse being put to, or the splinter bar in case of two horses
being put to, see Figure 12.
Omnibus with 3 wheels, Fig. 13; Figure 14 is a plan view. The body
is divided into two compartments representing two bodies of carriages, with
four wheels, joined back to back, and having consequently the two back
seats A, B, back to back, the two front seats C, 1), are at the extremity of the
back, the seats for each person are separate, with arms to rest upon as an
arm chair. These two compartments are separated by a back, commencing
from the top of the seat, and raised just to the centre only, of the height of
the interior of the body (see Figure 15); the omnibus has then four doors,
but for service in towns the two doors placed on the right side of the carriage
will be shut, and will only be put into use if preferred. The passages will
get out and get in generally by the left door of each compartment.
The four doors E, F, G, H, can be also used, that is, two E, F, in front of
the omnibus, and the other two G, H, behind the omnibus, see Fig. 13, but
in that case the seats will be lengthwise in the length of the body, instead of
being transverse.
Stairs will be established, with balusters, behind the omnibus, to com-
municate easily with the outside, see plan, Fig. 16. Four steps, situated
under the omnibus, and each communicating with each door, will be invisible
during the movement of the omnibus (see Fig. 17), the surface I, J, K, L,
forming the floor of the omnibus, the side I, J, the opening of the door; M,N,
the door; P, the step, fixed under the omnibus, and pivoting on the axis of a
spiral spring R. The door M, N, in opening on its hinges M, a chain S, T,
makes the pallet u turn the step to the outside of the vehicle, and to return it
to its place by the action of the spring when the door is shut. In the interior
of the omnibus, close to each of the two seats in the centre, placed back to
back, and at the entrance of the doors; are placed four tin tubes covered, for
the purpose of holding umbrellas. Two speaking tubes, of india-rubber, are
suspended interiorly, in the centre of each compartment, in fact, so that from
all places the passengers can correspond with the conductor. A small cord is
to be established between the conductor and driver for signalling. Finally, 'a'

page_text: lever break is to be placed under the body for the conductor to operate with
his foot, and assist in stopping the vehicle.
CABS WITH THREE WHEELS.
First system of construction.-I propose to give to the body a curved form
in front, so as to allow of placing the two doors A, B, slightly curved them-
selves on each side, in front and slightly on one side of the body (see Fig. 18);
or I propose to place the doors in the square front of the body, slightly turning
them at the two parts G, H, (see Fig. 19), the rest will as regards the seats
remain as herein named. On the front of the body, and interiorly, I place a
small upright vertically, for support of the height of an ordinary seat. I fix
on each side of top of that upright two seats with hinges, so that they can be
raised or lowered or disappear entirely in placing them one against the other,
back to back, when they are not occupied. The driver by leaving his seat
opens and shuts the door, raises and lowers the two seats in front, the one at
the back being fixed in its place like in an ordinary vehicle.
Second system of construction.-I propose to construct the body in a
rounded form, and a little larger on each side and at the back, without a door
or driver's seat in front, see Fig. 20. I place the driver's seat E behind, and
on the right side of the body, so by those means he may have next to him on
his left a door k, of the largest width possible. In the interior I place two
seats as shewn. Part of the top of the vehicle opens by a hinge, to facilitate
correspondence with the driver, and a cord is arranged between him and the
passengers, as before mentioned.
The axle in each of these constructions should have the form shewn at
Fig. 21, so that its body p, q, can suit itself obliquely underneath the vehicle.
Figure 22 is an elevation; Figures 22* are plan views of the cabs.
As regards the third part of my said Invention, which relates to the con-
struction of four-wheel carriages, I would remark that the body of a four-
wheel carriage of any shape can in like manner be suspended by means of
cross springs the same as for a two-wheel carriage, as before stated, by placing
the body upon two cross springs fixed upon the hind axle, and fixed on the
balance similar to the bodies of carriages with two wheels, by a longitudinal
spring fixed upon a sill in the middle of the axletree. Two sorts of shafts
fixed upon the two sills near the extremities of the axle, and strengthened by
plates of iron above and under, meeting in front of the head of the great longi-
tudinal spring, are intended to receive the necessary apparatus of the fore
carriage, but as regards bodies for very long public carriages (such as omni-
buses), it is requisite to put two cross springs to support the hind part of the

page_text: body, and two other cross springs also upon a piece of iron embodied with the
perch in an horizontal and perpendicular direction to the perch to support the
front of the body. The perch may be of one piece only, as in Figure 12*, or
of two pieces.
As regards the fourth part of my said Invention, which relates to improve-
ments in the means of preventing the overturning of carriages when horses
take fright, it consists in connecting the splinter bar to the carriage and
operating thereon in the following manner and by the following means:-To
the extremity of the two small chains marked A, B, at Figure 23, by means
of which the horses keep hold of the carriage, or can by backing cause it to
move forward and backward, and commonly called poll chains, I securely fix
a tube C, of about six or seven inches long, the opening of which is formed
taper; I place at the end of the pole a piece of iron in the shape of a truncated
cone D, which fits easily the above-mentioned tube; and I maintain the tube C
in its place until it is required to be released by means of a weak leather strap,
the effect of which is the least jerk forward will break this, strap, and separate
the tube from the poll, as at Figures 23 and 24.
Another mode of accomplishing theabove object is by placing two rings E, F,
at the extremity of the small chains, and passing them over one or two hooks
fixed on each side of the extremity of the pole, or one hook only under the
pole, as at Figures 25 and 26. The splinter bar intended to receive the
extremities of the four traces, by means of which the horses draw the carriage,
is partly in iron and partly in wood (see Figure 27, splinter bar closed,) upon
the iron part I fix two small springs G, H, which are very flexible, and made
of one single plate just behind each horse. The extremities of each spring are
provided with a pin of about two inches long to go in and out freely from a
hole bored vertically in the iron part of the splinter bar (see Fig. 27).
When
the small springs are bearing their whole length upon the splinter bar in the
whole thickness of it, and on the contrary, when the four heads of the spring
are raised, the four pins then come out of the holes the whole length (see
Figure 28, splinter bar open). Now, on the front facing of the iron part of
the splinter bar to each vertical hole I make four large mortices I, J, K, L,
to receive the four eyelet holes placed at the extremities of each of the traces
(see Figure 27). It is evident that the traces are thus fixed to the splinter
bar as long as the springs keep flat on the splinter bar, and on the contrary,
escape when the heads of the springs have risen. The splinter bar above
mentioned is composed of a bar of iron of about half an inch in thickness, and
about one and a half inch in width, except at the part of the eyelet holes, where
it will be about one inch thick and two inches wide, the length being that

page_text: of a common splinter bar. I place on the iron part a slip of wood of the
same dimensions as the splinter bar as to its length and width, and about one
inch thick; the bar is bored with four holes, through which pass four pins,
situated at the extremities of the little springs. To the upper extremity of
each pin is screwed a head in the shape of a ball or otherwise, and these four
heads are on the upper parts of the wooden slips, and touch that piece of wood
at the lower part in such manner that by raising the wooden slip the horses
may be readily disengaged from the carriage. I fix perpendicularly in the
middle of the slip of wood a rod of iron, about one foot or eighteen inches
long, and at the upper extremity of this road I fasten a string, which passes
along the coachman's footboard, and a holder at the extremity of the string
lays precisely between the foot of the coachman (see Figure 27, splinter bar
closed). In the event, therefore, of the horses suddenly taking fright, the
driver has only to raise the holder placed between his feet, that is to say the
slip of wood placed upon the splinter bar, and the horses, finding themselves
instantaneously loose from the splinter bar, start forward and draw after them
the tube out of the extremity of the pole, or the rings from the hooks at the
extremity of the pole. I propose also to attach a string to the aforesaid
holder to enable persons inside the carriage to unloose the horses independant
of the coachman.
As an improvement on the splinter bar I suspend the bar of wood placed
upon the iron bar, and I replace it by a curved bar of iron I, M, N, J,
Figure 29, which passes 3 or 4 inches above the footboard on which rest the
feet of the driver; by this means the driver, instead of pulling up the bar of
wood with his hands mostly occupied, he places and pushes his foot on the
small pallet P, fixed on the middle of the iron bar I, M, N, J, the two
extremities of the bar traversing the iron splinter bar A perpendicularly at
the two points I, J, by passing in two holes where it must slip easily from the
top to the bottom reciprocally, the same bar in lowering itself causes another
bar G, H, to descend about an inch and a half, to which bar it is fixed at the
two points K, L; by this means the bar G,H, pushing at the same time on
the four extremities on the top springs C, D, E, F, letting loose the four
traces that hold the horses to the splinter bar, the horses are thus instantly
separated from the carriage.
As regards the last part of my said Invention, which has reference to the
construction of wheel boxes and axletree spindles, it is as follows:-The nave
of the wheel is the same as that in the common wheels, the box is the same
as the common boxes, but entirely closed at the small end, on the outside of
which there is an eye R to receive a linch pin after the nave box has been

page_text: slipped into the nave, and in its place the box at the large end is provided
with a strong and large washer S, embodied with it, and of the same width as
the large end of the nave, upon which it fits exactly when it is in its place
(see Fig. 30). The spindle of the axletree is rounded at the small end, and
fitted in the box so as to leave a space of about a quarter of an inch between
the extremities of its small ond and the bottom of the box,. At the large end
of the spindle there is a strong washer T; adhering to the axletree, as in
common axles (see Figure 31). Behind the washer of the axletree there is
another washer U, composed of two pieces fitted and capable of turning around
the axletree. It is of the same diameter as the washer of the large end of
the box, leaving between them a space sufficient to lodge the washer of the
axle around which they must turn together, one before the other behind;
the washer behind is slightly concave, to receive four or five leather washers of
different diameters placed upon the other, in order to form a certain thickness
in the middle, and gradually diminishing in thickness toward the washer,
where it will be reduced to the thickness of a single leather again. Another
washer V, of the same size as the former, also formed of two pieces and fitted
on the axletree, slightly concave, is intended to enclose and press the leather
washers between the concave parts of the said washers. The last washer is
provided with a slight projecting border, which enters into a groove made
around the washer upon which it is fitted. There are three or four strong
bolts passed through the last washer behind V, which good through all the
washers (except that of the axletree around which they turn) as well as the
navė in its whole length, and by means of nuts at the extremity outside of the
small end of the nave thereby fasten all those parts strongly together. At
the small end of the nave a cap X encloses the small end of the nave, and
covers entirely the linch pin and the ends of the nuts belonging to the long
bolts. Lastly, a hole Y bored in the middle of the length of the edge of the
washer screwed around the washer of the large end of the nave, and closed by
a screw let in flush, the said hole being used to introduce oil, which passes
amongst the inner parts of the box, and which are thus kept continually
lubricated (see Figure 32).
The next part of my Invention consists in making wheels of irregular
circumference and with unequal spokes. I divide the circumference of the
wheel into three equal parts, see Figure 33, the first part A to X, the second
part X to Y, and the third part Y to A, the three spokes commencing at
centre o of the wheel, and arriving each one of them at the point of the cir-
cumference; A, X, Y; are equal, and longer than all the others; thus, for
example, in the first part of A to X the space O, A, is the longest, and each

page_text: of the others O,E,O,F,O,G, successively shorten in length, starting from the
poin's A up to point G, that divides the first third of its circumference int)..
two equal parts and of the same curve, in consequence in starting from the
same point G up to the point X the spokes are successively augmenting in
length,and following a progression equal to that from G up to A; it will be the
same for the second and the third portion of the circumference of the wheel.
The result of this arrangement is that there exists three circular parts of the.
wheel higher than the other points of their circumference; however, to conceal
from notice such imperfect circumference, I fix on the extreme side of the
joints of the wheel's circumference at the points A, X,Y, three pieces of sheet
iron, curved according to the curve traced like a spoke, equal to the spoke A,
see Fig. 33, so that the piece of sheet iron will make the irregularity of the
three-thirds of the circumference of the wheels disappear to the eye: The
three pieces of sheet iron are fixed each of them at the three points A, X, Y,
and act successively as a spring in arriving on the ground, so as to return
immediately they no longer touch the ground. The piece J, K, fixed at the
point J by two small pins on the felloes, is sufficiently distributed to leave
of plate iron the necessary play upon its pivot x, see Figure 34.
'The last part of my Invention relates to the construction of carriages which
cannot be overturned.
Fig. 35 shews a carriage swung on pivots fore and aft. To maintain the
balance of the body when some one enters into the carriage or leaves it,
I arrange a small strap o, p, q, attached under the carriage to the perch p,
and which will break as soon as the body shall be overturned right or left
(see Fig. 36); the pole will pivot at its point of junction E with the fore
carriages in such a manner that the body and the four wheels of the carriage,
in such a manner that the body and the four wheels of the carriage when upset
leave the pole H, I, the bar f, g, and the horses in the same position as before
the accident, see Figure 37; the coachman, whose seat being a part of the
body n, will be able to remain in his former position, and consequently to
master his horses in all cases, see Figure 38.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention of improvements
in the construction of carriages and wheels, and in the means of preventing
the overturning of the same when the horses take fright, I desire it to be
isin ctly understood that I do not claim the exclusive use of any of the
separate parts above mentioned and referred to, except in so far as the same
may be employed in combination and for the purposes of my said Invention,
which I hereby declare to consist in, and I claim, constructing carriages and
apparatus connected therewith, substantially in the manner and for the

page_text: purposes herein-before particularly described, set forth, and represented by
the illustrative Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said André Etienne, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
ALEX PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
ANDRE ETIENNE. (L.S.)