IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE FOLDING HEADS OF CARRIAGES
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1886.
Complete Left, 26th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th Apr., 1887.
I, JAMES ROCK of No. 6, Binswood Place, Royal Leamington Spa, in the County
of Warwick, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE FOLDING HEADS OF CARRIAGES, to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to carriages having folding heads constructed wholly or in
part of framework, panels and glass.
The accompanying drawing represents part of the body of a carriage with my
improved method of folding the corner pillars, end panel or frame and roof, applied
to it.
As the drawing shews a part only of the body and folding head it should be explained
that the corresponding corner pillar at the other side of the body folds in the same
manner as the one shewn in the drawing and that they are connected by the part of
the roof which is attached to them, consequently it must be understood that although
the singular number is used in the following description of the drawing, it applies
equally to both corner pillars at one end of a carriage head, with their respective folding
parts and the roof attached thereto.
'a, is the body of the carriage.
b, the part of the corner pillar, fixed to the body.
:
and 'd, are moving parts attached to the same by hinges.
e is a part of the roof, attached to 'd,' in the same manner.
The moving part 'c, folds inwards towards the body; the moving part 'd, folds
outwards and carries the roof 'e,' with it. The dotted lines above the pillar, 'b,' shew
the position of all the parts when the head is closed, c¹, d', and 'e' corresponding
to c, d, and e, respectively, in the defined outlines, which shew the position of the
parts thus indicated, when the head is partly folded. When the head is completely
folded, c, d, and e' are all perpendicular. The folding part, 'd, and the corre-
sponding part on the other side of the body, may be connected by cross rails framed
into them, and the frame so formed may be either panelled or fitted with glass. When
the space between the end of the body and the seat of the driver is small, the moving
part d, or the frrme just described, may be divided at or near the middle, horizontally,
the lower part being then first raised in closing the head, and then the upper part with

page_text: the roof attached; the lower part' being understood to mean that part which is lowest
when the head is closed.
it
33
The folding arrangement thus shewn and described is well adapted for a half headed
carriage, such as a Hansom," or "Kellner Cab, the pillar '' and the folding
part e, being cut obliquely as at 'f' to correspond with the angle to which the front
pillar or hoop-stick of the head falls when the head is put down to throw the carriage
open.
The dotted lines in the lower part of the drawing shew an arrangement for
facilitating the raising of the moving parts and the roof, to close the head.
To cach of the paris 'c' and 'd, at their ends by which they are hinged to the
pillar I attach a small curved lever forming a half circle with the hinge pin as its
centre. These semicircular levers or half pulleys are channelled at the outer edge to
receive the chains-or cords, 'g,' and 'h. These chains or cords meet at 'which
is the eye of a rod 'k,' passing downwards through a channel formed for the purpose
in or at the inner side of the pillar ',' and the lower framework of the body. On
this rod a spiral spring may be placed in such manner as to draw the rod downwards
and thus counterbalance the weight of the moving parts, 'c,' and 'd, and the roof 'e,'
and render it easy to close them.
Instead of or in addition to a spring, a lever, I may be attached to the framework
of the body at 'm,' and connected with the rod k,' at ';' the long arm of the lever ','
may be carried to a point at or near the seat of the driver, whether in front or behind,
where he may conveniently cause it to act upon the rod 'k, with foot or hand as may
be preferred, for the purpose of raising the moving parts e,' and 'd, and the roof'e.'
The lever may be reversed if so required by the position of the driver in relation
to the folding head.
It is obvious from inspection of the drawing that by pulling the rod 'k, downwards,
the moving parts c, and 'd, will rise together and meet at the perpendicular simul-
taneously. When these parts are not sufficiently heavy to require assistance from a
spring or a lever, it will still be convenient that the paris ',' and 'd, should rise
together by a single movement of the operator.
For this purpose it will only be necessary to connect the two half pullies before
described by means of a chain or cord attached to the open end of the one upon the
moving part 'd, where it is dotted in the drawing, and passing thence over the peri-
phery of the half pulley upon the moving part ',' to the point where the pulley is
fixed to 'c. The chain or cord thus running in the channels formed in the periphery
of the two pullies will cause the parts 'e, and 'd, to move together when the part 'd,'
is lifted for the purpose of closing the head, while, the chain or cord being flexible, it
will allow the moving part 'c,' to be raised and put in its place first, if at any time
it should be so preferred.
When this latter arrangement is used, the chains 'g,' and 'h, the rod k, and the
lever will not be required.
Datad this First love of Tuly, 1986

page_text: 1, JAMES ROCK, formerly of No. 6 Binswood Place, Royal Leamington Spa, in the
County of Warwick, but now of No. 21, Parliament Hill Road, Hampstead in the
County of Middlesex, 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:—
My Invention relates to Carriages having folding heads constructed wholly or in
part of framework panels and glass.
The drawing left with my Provisional Specification represents part of the body of
a carriage witli my improved method of folding the corner pillars, the end panel or
frame, and the roof, applied to it.
As the drawing shews a part only of the body and folding head, it should be
explained that the corresponding corner pillar at the other side of the body folds in
the same manner as the one shewn in the drawing, and that they are connected by
the part of the roof which is attached to them, consequently it must be understood
that although the singular number is used in the following description of the drawing,
it applies equally to both corner pillars at one end of a carriage head, with their
respective folding parts and the roof attached thereto.
a, is the body of the carriage.
6, is the part of the corner pillar fixed to the body.
and 'd, are moving parts attached to the same by hinges.
e, is a part of the roof attached to 'd,' in the same manner.
The moving part 'c,' folds inwards towards the body; the moving part 'd, folds
outwards and carries the roof 'e,' with it.
The dotted lines above the pillar ',' shew the position of all the parts when the
head is closed, c, d, and e¹, corresponding to "c," d, and e respectively in the defined
outlines, which shew the position of the parts thus indicated when the head is partly
folded. When the head is completely folded, c, d, and e, are all perpendicular. The
folding part d, and the corresponding part on the other side of the body, may be
connected by cross rails framed into them, and the frame so formed may be either
panelled or fitted with glass.
:
The folding arrangement thus shewn and described is well adapted for a half-headed
carriage such as a Hansom,' or a 'Kellner Cab, the pillar b, being cut obliquely, as
at f, to correspond with the angle to which the front pillar or hoopstick of the head
falls when the head is put down to throw the carriage open.
The dotted lines in the lower part of the drawing show an arrangement for facili-
tating the raising of the moving parts and the roof, to close the head.
To each of the parts c, and d, at their ends by which they are hinged to the pillar b,
I attach a small curved lever or pulley, forming part of a circle with the hinge pin as
its centre. These curved levers or pullies are channeled at the outer edge to receive
the chains or cords g, and h, these chains or cords meet at i, which is the eye of a

page_text: rod, passing downwards through a channel formed for the purpose in or at the inner
side of the pillar b, and the lower frame work of the body. On this rod a spiral spring
may be placed in such manner as to draw down the rod k, and thus counterbalance the
weight of the moving parts c, and d, and render it easy to close them.
Instead of, or in addition to a spring, a lever L, may be attached to the framework
of the body at m, and connected with the rod k, at n, the long arm of the lever l, may
be carried to a point at or near the seat of the driver whether in front or behind,
where he may conveniently cause it to act upon the rod k, with foot or hand as may be
preferred for the purpose of raising the moving parts c, and d, and the roof e.
The lever, may be reversed if so required by the position of the driver in relation
to the folding head.
It is obvious from inspection of the drawing that by pulling the rod k, downwards,
the moving parts c, and d, will rise together and meet at the perpendicular
simultaneously.
When those parts with the roof are not sufficiently heavy to require assistance from
a spring or a lever, it will still be convenient that the parts c, and d, should rise
together by a single movement of the hand of the operator. For this purpose it will
only be necessary to connect the two curved levers or pulleys before described by
means of a chain or cord attached to the open end of the one upon the moving part d,
and the cord or chain passing thence over the periphery of the pulley upon the moving
part c, as shewn by a dotted line in the drawing, to the point where that pulley is fixed
to it may be fastened there, and the motion of the part d, when so connected with
the part e, will cause that part to rise simultaneously with the part d, when the latter
is lifted for the purpose of closing the head. If, instead of fixing the chain or cord
C, it is carried back after passing over the pulley upon c, to the outer edge of the
part d, and there fixed, the part e, will then fall as well as rise when the part d, is
moved in opening or closing the head.
to
When this last described method of connecting the moving parts c, and d, is used,
the chains 9. and h, the rod k, and the lever 1, will not be required.
The folding arrangements above described are applicable either to a half-headed
carriage such as a Placton or a Hansom Cab, or to the front end of a Landau, or to
either or both ends of a glass-coach or a Brougham.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1st. The method of jointing and folding the corner pillars and end frame of a
carriage head, as drawn and described.
2nd. The method of causing the moving paris of corner pillars and end frame of a
carriage head so arranged, to move simultaneously, as also drawn and described.
6711 1000