IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR- RIAGES.
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge
and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-
RIAGES. A communication from abroad by Pierre Varney-Morlet, of
Langres, France, Coach Builder.
"
-
Sealed the 3rd January 1865, and dated the 11th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th July 1864.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No.
11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-
RIAGES," (a communication to me from abroad by Pierre Varney-Morlet, of
Langres, France, Coach Builder,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the application to the fore carriage of friction
rollers or spheres, thereby obviating the necessity of greasing the slides. The
slides of fore carriages as now made are three in number, the back one being
three times as large as the fore ones; these slides, with the pieces carrying
the ironwork of the cross bar, make nearly half the circumference of the circle
or ring on which the fore carriage slides with more or less pressure, according
to the load it carries. A circle or ring or wheel rail of five feet three inches

page_text: in circumference will be in contact with other parts made of wood and iron
for from twenty-seven to twenty-nine inches, and it follows that the horses
are sensibly fatigued by the movements of the fore carriage which are made
with difficulty even when the slides are kept constantly greased. Further,
after a journey of three or four miles, the mud thrown up by the horses' hoofs
mixing with the grease forms a paste, and the friction acting on the grit
renders the movements of the fore carriage still more fatiguing. Lastly, the
greasing demands attention, and leaves much to desire on the score of clean-
liness. All these inconveniences and others inherent to the fore carriages
now in use will be avoided by substituting friction rollers or spheres in lieu of
the existing slides, thus rendering the movements of the fore carriage free and
easy, no matter what pressure be brought upon them, and obviating the
necessity of constant lubrication. The friction rollers and their spindles and
pivots may be of tempered steel, the wear will consequently be trifling
and their strength very great. Three different forms of friction roller may
be used, cylindrical and spherical, with the flat circle wheel rail or ring
of the present system, and grooved friction rollers with the ring placed
edgeways.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington
Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence that I, the said
William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES," (a communication to

page_text: me from abroad by Pierre Varney-Morlet, of Langres, France, Coach Builder),
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Gedge,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawing, and to the figures and letters of reference placed thereon:-
This Invention consists in an improved fore carriage moving on friction
rollers or spheres, the advantage being the suppression of the greasing of the
slide bars of the ordinary arrangement. The slide bars of the ordinary fore
carriage are three in number, the back one being three times larger than the
fore ones.
These slide bars with the bearers of the ironwork of the cross bar
(B, Figure 1), make nearly half the circumference of the top ring or wheel
rail of the fore carriage on which it slides with more or less pressure according
to the load in. the carriage. A ring or wheel rail, say 5 feet 3 inches in
circumference rubs against wood and iron for about 27 to 29 inches, the con-'
sequence being that the horses are sensibly fatigued by the movements of the
fore carriage which are made with difficulty even when the slide bars are
constantly greased, which requires continual attention and leaves much to
desire as regards cleanliness. Further, the grease which is applied daily lasts
but a very little time, for scarcely has the carriage travelled two or three miles
when the mud cast up under the wheel rail by the horses' feet forms a coating
and the friction then taking place on sand and grit renders the movements very
fatiguing to the horses. This very important point as regards the movement
of fore carriages has hitherto been neglected or forgotten, nevertheless if a
calculation were to be made of the fatigued felt by horses in consequence
of the difficult movements of the fore carriage it would be found that their
powers are overtaxed, and that this inconvenience has not hitherto been
remedied. The principle adopted has been to bring the weight as much as
possible on the bind carriage to ease the fore one and so render the movements
freer, but every carriage will not permit the fore part to be so relieved, and in
any case there is always a certain pressure on the slide bars, the movements-
of which are never easy.
After minute examination of the harnessed.

page_text: horses the Inventor has fitted an arrangement of fore carriage which,
by means of friction rollers or spheres, does away with the slides, and the
objections to which they are opened, and offers advantages which merit
appreciation. Firstly, it does away with the difficult movements, no matter
what the pressure brought upon the friction rollers or spheres, which roll
and give a free-and-easy motion to the fore carriage; further it gives
greater ease to the horses than the other arrangement; and, lastly; by
suppressing the continual labour and dirtiness of the greasing it gives the
comfort of great cleanliness. The friction rollers, spindles, and pivots being
of tempered steel are proof against wear, and offer every security as to
strength. This arrangement will be found more graceful than the other,
and makes no noise. For fore carriages with friction rollers a single drop of
oil 2 or 3 times a year on each side the friction rollers suffices to avoid
rust, but the fore carriage with spheres requires no greasing, it is fitted
with two rings or wheel rails that above overlapping each side of that
beneath, and guarding the slides or grooves for the spheres from any.
dirt. These arrangements of fore carriage may be adapted to any sort of
vehicle, even those for carrying heavy loads, and also to artillery carriages
with the greatest advantage, the strength of the friction rollers and spheres
varying with the load which the carriage is to bear.
Different forms of friction roller may be used, cylindrical and spherical
or grooved, as will be seen on reference to the annexed Sheet of Drawing.
At Figures 1 and 3, A indicates slides, and B, cross bar. At Figure 4,
C indicates a sphere, and B, lower ring or wheel rail. At Figure 5, A indi-
cates grooved rollers. At Figure 7, A is the friction roller; B, spindle;
C, bearing; and D, ring or wheel rail. And at Figure 8, A, spindle; B,
ironwork securing same in position; and D top rail.
Figures 1, 2, 3*, 4*, and 5*, shew a modification of this Invention,
consisting in the application of a greasing or lubricating roller applicable
to every description of fore carriage. Figure 1*, front view of the greasing
roller and ring or wheel rail. A, roller, which is always in the oil;
B, spindle, which passes through the roller; the two ends are square,
entering into grooves on each side the lower ring or wheel rail C; D, space.
existing round the roller for the introduction of oil; E, leather or india-
rubber, which presses against the roller to prevent the oil coming out;
F, ironwork fixed by two screws, and which serves to keep in position the
leather and the spindle of the roller; G, ring or wheel rail placed on
the roller and overlapping each side of the under ring or wheel rail to
preserve it from dirt. Figure 2*, side view of greasing roller. A, roller;

page_text: B, spindle of roller, the two ends of which are square; C, lower ring or
wheel rail; D, place for the oil; E, leather or caoutchouc which keeps
in the oil; F, ironwork, which overlaps the leather; G, ring or wheel
rail on the roller. Figure 3*, view of one part of the ring or wheel
rail drawn usual working size with the roller A, the leather B, and the
ironwork C, the dotted lines indicating the spindle. Figure 4*, ring or
wheel rail drawn with three rollers; four may be used for heavy carriages.
Figure 5*, regulating tool which serves to regulate the rollers to the same
height on the fore carriage. The spindle A enters the socket of the fore
carriage; the guide B turns on the spindle; the ironwork with socket C is
sliding, and serves to regulate the diameter of the rings or wheel rails; and
the regulator D regulates the equal height of all the rollers. The oil for the
lubricating rollers may be renewed every year.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)