AN IMPROVED BREAK APPLICABLE TO WHEELED CARRIAGES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ker Aitchison, of New North Street, W. C.,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED BREAK
APPLICABLE TO WHEELED CARRIAGES"
Sealed the 4th May 1858, and dated the 6th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ker Aitchison at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the:
1. 6th November 1857.
I, ROBERT KER AITCHISON, of New North Street, W. C., in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED BREAK APPLICABLE TO WHEELED CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-.
This Invention relates chiefly to wheeled carriages used upon. common
roads, and is applicable principally to such as are drawn by two or more
horses or other animals, but with slight variations or modifications it may also
be adapted to single-horse vehicles. This Invention is designed for the
purpose of making such breaks self-acting, that is to say, so applying and
constructing the break that as soon as the horses are checked the break is
spontaneously applied with a force corresponding with the force or suddenness
of the check given to the horses or other animals. The break will also
always act upon the wheels when the vehicle is descending a hill. In
applying this Invention to an ordinary two-horse vehicle the hinder part of
the pole is made longer than usual, and passes through a socket or between

page_text: two rollers attached to the splinter bar. The end of the pole is furnished
with a forked piece which passes round the pin upon which the fore carriage
turns, and is attached by a link to two break levers. These break levers
vibrate upon centres attached to the springs or other convenient part of the
carriage, and their outer ends carry breaks of wood or other suitable material
which act against the peripheries of the fore wheels. Thus it will be evident
that (the fore end of the pole being connected to the collars by straps or
chains as usual) as soon as the horses or other animals are checked the pole
will be thrust back, and will apply the breaks with a corresponding force. It
will also be evident that in the same manner the break will be spontaneously
applied whenever the vehicle has a tendency to overrun the horses in descend-
ing a hill.
A spiral or other spring is to be applied to the break levers or
the pole, so as to withdraw the breaks and thrust the pole forwards as soon
as the backward pressure is removed and the horses commence to draw, or
the spinter bar, may be so connected to the pole as to draw it forward as soon
as the traces tighten. The pole must be provided with a pin or bolt to lock
it and prevent it sliding backwards whenever it is desired to back the carriage
without applying the break. This bolt may be made self-withdrawing by a
spring, and be brought into action by a lever or cord under control of the
driver.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Ker Aitchison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
KER AITCHISON, of New North Street, W. C., in the County of Middlesex,.
send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Ker Aitchison,. Her special licence that I, the said Robert Ker
Aitchison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, .
the said Robert Ker Aitchison, 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, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
.

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Ax
IMPROVED BREAK APPLICABLE TO WHEELED CARRIAGES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Ker Aitchison; my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 Robert Ker Aitchison, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say :-
My Invention relates chiefly to wheeled carriages used upon common
roads, and is applicable principally to such as are drawn by two or more
horses or other animals, but with slight variations or modifications it may
also be adapted to single-horse vehicles. This Invention is designed for the
purpose of making such breaks self-acting, that is to say, so applying and
constructing the break that as soon as the horses are checked the break is
spontaneously applied with a force corresponding with the force or suddenness
of the check given to the horses or other animals. The break will also
always act upon the wheels when the vehicle is descending a hill. In
applying this Invention to an ordinary two-horse vehicle the binder part of
the pole is made parallel, and passes through a socket or between two rollers
attached to the splinter bar. The end of the pole acts against a forked rod,
which passes round the pin upon which the fore carriage turns, and is
connected by a pin to two break levers. These break levers vibrate upon
centres attached to the springs or other convenient part of the carriage,. and
their outer ends carry breaks of wood or other suitable material. which act
against the peripheries of the fore wheels. Thus it will be evident that (the
fore end of the pole being connected to the collars by chains or straps as
usual) as soon as the horses or other animals are checked the: pole will be
thrust back, and will apply the breaks to the wheels. with a corresponding
force. It will also be evident that in the same manner the break will be
spontaneously applied whenever the vehicle has: a. tendency to overrun the
horses in descending a hill. A spiral or other spring is to be applied to the
break levers or the pole, so as to withdraw the breaks and thrust the pole
forwards as soon as the backward pressure is removed and the horses com-

page_text: mence to draw, or the splinter bar or the traces may be so connected to the
pole as to draw it forward as soon as the traces tighten. The pole must be
provided with a pin or bolt to lock it and prevent its sliding backwards when-
ever it is desired to "back" the carriage without applying the breaks. This
bolt may be made self-withdrawing by means of a spring, and be brought
into action by a lever or other contrivance under control of the driver.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention of "An Improved
Break applicable to Wheeled Carriages," I will proceed to describe more in
detail the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, and in order that
the same may be perfectly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings représenting two ways of arranging this break, one with the levers
working horizontally and the other with the same placed vertically, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof.
a
Figure 1 is a section of part of the fore carriage of an omnibus or other
siinilar two-horse vehicle, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the same. : A, A, is
the pole; B, B, the splinter bar; C, C, the futchells; D; D, the fore axlė;
E, E, the springs; and F, F, the wheels. The pole is connected to the
futchells by means of a split pin passing through the plate b, which is bolted
to the futchells, but is provided with slots to allow of the pole sliding back
when the breaks are applied. The backward end of the pole acts against a
plate c attached to a forked rod G, G, which passes through two holes in the
transverse bearing H, H, and is connected to the two break levers I, I, by
a pin working in a slot. These two levers I, I, vibrate upon fulcra at d, d,
attached to the springs E, E, and at their outer ends carry the breaks K, K.
It will be seen that the shoes in which the wooden blocks are fixed are
furnished with bosses or lugs e, e, which swivel on the rounded ends of the
levers, so as to allow the break to bed itself accurately upon the surface of
the wheel, and also to compensate for the movement of the springs. ff, are
rollers between which the pole slides; and 9, 9, is a spiral spring to withdraw
the breaks as soon as the horses commence to draw; L, L, is the bolt, which
is in the form of a quadrant, and slides vertically on two rods h, h, passing
through sockets attached to the sole of 'the carriage. This; bolt acts against
a catch i, fixed to the plate b, b, and is connected by rods k, k, to a treadle or
foot plate within reach of the driver's foot. The bolt L, L, is ordinarily held
up out of the way of the catch i by springs, but when depressed by the
driver's foot (as shewn in Figure 1) it comes behind the catch, and thus
prevents the pole from sliding back, and applying the breaks when "backing"
the vehicle.

page_text: Figures 3 & 4 shew similar views of a slight modification in the arrange-
ment of the leverage communicating from the sliding rods G, G, to the breaks
K, K. The same description and letters of reference apply to these Figures
as to Figures 1 and 2, the difference in the arrangement being that the break
lever I is vertical, and is keyed upon a shaft J, J, mounted in bearings d, d; the
ends of the said shaft being cranked as at j, j, and carrying the breaks K, K.
It is evident that a very slight alteration would adapt either of these
modifications to a single-horse vehicle.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention of "An
Improved Break applicable to Wheeled Carriages," together with the manner
of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that
I am aware that a sliding pole has been previously employed for the purpose
of applying the breaks by a direct thrust against the front part of the wheel,
and therefore to the sliding pole I lay no claim; but what I do claim as my
Invention is the arrangement of sliding rods and levers for communicating
the motion of the sliding pole to the breaks (as shewn in the Drawings, and
above described), whereby an increase of power is gained, or any mere modi-
fication thereof, whereby the same end or object is or may be attained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Ker Aitchison, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
ROBERT KER AITCHISON. (L.S.)
BRISTOW HUNT, Sol & Patent Agent,
1, Serle St., Lincoln's Inn.