IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELED CARRIAGES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Portus, of Morpeth, in the Colony of New
South Wales, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELED
CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 18th November 1856, and dated the 26th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Portus at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th June 1856.
I, JOHN PORTUS, of Morpeth, in the Colony of New South Wales, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WHEELED CARRIAGES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of carriages,
carts, and other vehicles of the class in which the shafts are inflexibly attached
to the body, or so connected that they do not move independently of the body
when the vehicle is in motion, in such manner that the power of the animal
drawing the vehicle may be more effectively applied than according to the
existing system of arranging and working such carriages. In carts made
according to this Invention, the body is disconnected from the axle and its
wheels, provision being made for the traverse of the body to a greater or less

page_text: extent, behind or before the axle, just as it may be desired to throw weight
upon the shafts, or take weight off them.
When a steep hill is to be ascended, the traction of the horse acting upon
the cart body draws forward the body and its load, so as to give the horse
increased power in taking the load up the incline. Provision is made by
means of suitable gearing for throwing the weight behind the axle when the
cart comes again upon a level part of the road. Conversely, when the cart
descends a hill, the holding-back action of the horse throws the weight behind
the axle; whilst, by means of suitable gearing, the driver can at any time
regulate and adjust the proportion of the weight to be thrown upon the shafts.
It will be obvious to the practical man that this Invention is applicable to
two-wheeled carts or carriages of all kinds.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Portus in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PORTUS, of Morpeth, in the Colony of New South Wales, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Portus, Her special license that I, the said John Portus, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Portus, my
executors, administrators, or 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 WHEELED
CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Portus,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Portus, 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 following statement
in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of carriages,
carts, and other vehicles of the class in which the shafts are inflexibly attached
to the body, or are so connected that they do not move independently of the
body when the vehicle is in. motion, in such manner that the power of the
animal drawing the vehicle may be more effectively applied than according to
the existing system of arranging and working such carriages. In carts made
according to this Invention, the body is disconnected from the axle and its
wheels, provision being made for the traverse of the body to a greater or less
extent behind or before the axle, just as it may be desired to throw weight
upon the shafts, or take weight off them. When a steep hill is to be ascended,
the traction of the horse acting upon the cart body draws forward the body
and its load, so as to give the horse increased power in taking the load up
the incline. Provision is made by means of suitable gearing for throwing the
weight behind the axle when the cart comes again upon a level part of the
road. Conversely, when the cart descends a hill, the holding-back action of
the horse throws the weight behind the axle; whilst, by means of suitable
gearing, the driver can at any time regulate and adjust the proportion of the
weight to be thrown upon the shafts. It will be obvious to the practical man
that this Invention is applicable to two-wheeled carts or carriages of all
kinds.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended, and shall now proceed to describe, a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings, showing the practical working out of the same.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cart as constructed according to my
improved system, and Figure 2 is a plan of the axle, and a portion of the
framing details, with the cart body removed; Figure 3 is a side elevation, and
Figure 4 is an end elevation, of a gig, showing the application of the improved
arrangement to this class of vehicle. In the cart arrangement, the axle A of
the wheels B is fixed to two wooden blocks C, having iron plates D upon their
top surfaces.
These plates D are each formed with three raised blocks
rounded on the top, to reduce the friction between the bottom surfaces of the
cart shafts and the upper surfaces of the plates. One of these raised blocks
is exactly over the axle, and the other two near the centres of the slots in the
plates D. The blocks C and plates D are slotted to receive vertical bolts E,

page_text: by means of which they are attached to the body F of the cart, the slots
allowing the cart body to be shifted longitudinally upon the blocks C, so as to
bring the wheels either forwards or backwards, as regards the cart, for the
purposes herein-before explained. The adjustment is effected by means of
racks G, attached to the under sides of the front projecting ends of the
plates D, which racks are in gear with pinions on a transverse horizontal
shaft H, carried in brackets attached to the body F of the cart. A handle I
is fitted loosely on the shaft H, and turns it by means of a bolt which gears
into notches on a wheel or disc J fixed on the shaft, so that it is never necessary
to turn the handle completely round, the bolt being shifted to a new notch in
the wheel J, when required.
The handle I can be fixed in any position upon
a curved plate K, by means of a small handle; the plate K being attached to
the cart body F. Thus, by drawing the handle, or long lever I, in the proper
direction, the wheels are moved forwards or backwards, so as to throw the body
of the cart behind or before, accordingly as the cart is descending or ascending
a hill. In the gig represented in Figures 3 and 4, the scroll irons A, by means
of which the axle B is connected, through the springs C, to the shafts D of the
gig body E, are not immoveably attached to the shafts, but are fitted with
staples or straps F, which allow them to slide longitudinally upon the shafts.
Racks G are fixed to the under sides of the scroll irons A, and in gear with
these racks are pinions on a transverse horizontal shaft H, carried in brackets
attached to the gig shafts D. The shaft H carries a bevil wheel I, in gear
with a bevil pinion on a vertical shaft J, fitted with a handle K, in a con-
venient position for the rider, who can adjust the position of the gig body with
perfect ease whilst the vehicle is in motion. Instead of the handle K, a
hand wheel with a smooth rim may be used with superior convenience
and effect.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the arranging and constructing carts, carriages, and other vehicles in
such manner that the action of the animal drawing the vehicle is made to
increase or reduce the weight of the load pressing upon the animal, as herein-
before described.

page_text: Second, the system or mode of constructing and arranging carriages, carts,
and other vehicles, so that the position of the wheels may be altered by means
of racks and pinions, or other suitable mechanical contrivance, for the purpose
of adjusting the load so as to ease the draught in ascending or descending
hills or unlevel roads, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Portus, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-third day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
JOHN PORTUS. (L.S.)