IMPROVEMENTS IN LANDAUS AND LANDAULETS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lewis and Thomas Hammond, trading as Lewis and
Hammond, of Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Coach Builders, and
Julius Hiller, also of Kilburn aforesaid, Coach Body Maker, for an Invention
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lewis, Thomas
Hammond, and Julius Hiller at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 9th March 1881.
JOHN LEWIS and THOMAS HAMMOND, trading as Lewis and Hammond, of
Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Coach Builders, and JULIUS HILLER, also of
Kilburn aforesaid, Coach Body Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LANDAUS AND
LANDAULETS."
Our Invention relates to the construction of landaus and landaulets with
doorways of equal width, by constructing the pillar tops so that they do not
overhang the doorway as at present, thereby affording greater facility in entering
and leaving the carriage, and allowing the doors to be opened with the glass frame.
standing in any position, thereby avoiding the necessity for lowering the glass on
entering or leaving the carriage, and which also allows of dispensing with the
ordinary lever lock.
The Invention also relates to the improvements hereinafter described in top
pillar hinges.
In carrying out our Invention the glass frame-runs stand parallel with the outside
of the pillar tops, and form a direct line with the waisting, and can be laid when
the head is open by hinging it at a point which is not visible from the front, as it
is let into the door pillar.
By this arrangement when the landau is open the door top lies on the fence rail
parallel with it, and the glass frame which slides down the back of the door pillars
is therefore partly covered by the said door top.
The glass frame-runs. on the inside of the door pillars are formed by.a light
angular or corner plate running from top to bottom of the door pillars. This corner

page_text: or angular plate also takes the lining board, being screwed from the inside before
the plate is fixed to the pillar, so that, with the exception of the thickness of the
angular or corner plate, the said glass frame is the full width of the doorway,
merely allowing the necessary clearance. The door tops are fixed from the outside
of the door pillar.
Part of the glass frame-runs in the door tops are constructed to work on pivots,
and are operated by means of springs or otherwise, which cause the glass frames to
drop into their places over the fences, and to stand parallel with the outside of the
pillar tops when the glass is raised into the head, and when the glass is lowered
into the door the said moveable part of the run automatically takes its normal
position. We provide a suitable spring for holding the door top in position when
up or down.
Our improvements in top pillar hinges for landaus and landaulets consists in
constructing the hinges so that they slide in a dovetail grooved piece fixed to the
back of the pillar top to allow the hinge to work from two given centres, for the
purpose of lowering the pillar and shortening the head, so as to bring the pillars in
line with the top of the doors when open.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Lewis, Thomas Hammond, and Julius Hiller in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th September 1881.
JOHN LEWIS and THOMAS HAMMOND, trading as Lewis and Hammond, of
Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Coach Builders, and JULIUS HILLER, also of
Kilburn aforesaid, Coach Body Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LANDAUS AND
LANDAULETS."
Our Invention relates to the construction of landaus and landaulets with
doorways of equal width by constructing the pillar tops so that they do not
overhang the doorway, as is now generally the case, thereby affording greater
facility in entering and leaving the carriage, and allowing the doors to be opened
with the glass frame standing in any position, thereby avoiding the necessity for
lowering the glass on entering or leaving the carriage, and which also allows of
dispensing with the ordinary lever lock.
The Invention also relates to the improvements hereinafter described in top
pillar hinges...
But to make our Invention better understood we will proceed to describe the
same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is an elevation
of part of a landau constructed according to our improvements, the landau being
closed; Figure 2, similar view shewing one side down and the other in course of
being laid down; Figure 3, plan of door, shewing the door tops; Figure 4, similar
view without the tops; Figure 5 shews the outside of the hinge pillar; Figure 6 is
a view shewing the inside of same; Figures 7 and 8, views shewing the improved
pillar joint in a standing position, and applied to an overhanging pillar top;
Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12 details. Similar letters in all the Figures represents
similar parts.
In carrying out the first part of our Invention the door tops a carrying a portion
of the glass-frame-runs, as hereinafter described, stand parallel with the outside
of the pillar tops b, and form a direct line with the waisting. The door tops a
can thus be laid either when the head is open or closed by hinging each run at
a point c, which is not visible from the front as it is let into the door pillar d.
By this arrangement when the landau is open, as shewn in Figure 2, the door
top a lies on the fence rail f parallel with it, and the glass frame g, which slides
down the back of the door pillars d, is therefore partly covered by the said door
top.
The glass-frame-runs g' on the inside of the door pillars are formed, as shewn in
Figure 4, by light angular or corner plates h, running from top to bottom of the
door pillars d. These corner or angular plates h also take the lining board i, being
screwed from the inside before the plate h is fixed to the pillar d, as clearly shewn
in Figure 4, so that with the exception of the thickness of the angular or corner
plates h the said glass-frame 9 extends the full width of the doorway, merely
allowing the necessary clearance. The door tops a are fixed from the outside of
the door pillar, as shewn at j, Figure 5.
Figure 6 shews the inside of one of the hind pillars d, with the frame g standing.
standing sufficiently high for the glass to have struck the part of the run, so as to
bring the run in a direct line with the glass run behind the door pillar for the
purpose of allowing the glass to slide up into the head.
For this purpose the part k of each of the glass-frame-runs in the door tops a is
constructed to work on pivots l, and is operated by means of a spring m (or
otherwise), which causes the glass-frame to drop into its place over the fence, and
to stand parallel with the outside of the pillar tops when the glass is raised into
the head, and when the glass is lowered into the door the said moveable part k of
the run automatically takes its its normal position. n, Figure 10, is a spring
(which may be of the usual construction) for holding the door top in position when
up or down.

page_text: The herein before described spring m is shewn in the detached view, Figure 11,
which is a view of the run k from the inside, the spring m being behind the run,
the said spring also keeps the glass-run parallel with the front of the pillar top
when not in use by the glass frame, and in the right position to be laid down
upon the fence when the head is closed or open, and in the latter case it makes
a complete finish of the fence rail, and, as hereinbefore described, partly covers the
top of the glass frame when its place.
Our improvements in top pillar hinges for landaus and landaulets consists in
constructing the hinge so that it can slide in a dovetail grooved piece fixed to the
back of the pillar top, which allows the hinge to work from two given centres for
the purpose of lowering the pillar top and shortening the head, so as to bring the
pillar top in line with the top of the doors when open.
This part of our improvements is shewn in Figures 7, 8, and 9.
o is the dovetail grooved piece fixed to the back of the pillar top; in the dovetail
groove o slides a long dovetail 7 on the pillar joint or hinge p, which is preferably
placed as shewn; q is a jointed rod pivotted to the standing pillar 8, and to the
pillar top t, as shewn.
By this construction of hinge or joint when the pillar top t is lowered in
opening the head, the pillar top falls closely behind the standing pillar, the sliding
dovetail allowing a certain amount of slide, whereby the head is shortened.
The dotted lines, Figure 7, shew the position of the parts when the head is
down.
Having thus described our said Invention, and the best means with which we
are acquainted for carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that
we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein laid down and shewn in
the Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar
character of our Invention, but what we do claim is,―
Firstly. The construction as herein described of landaus and landaulets with
doorways of equal width by dispensing with the overhanging pillar tops, sub-
stantially in the manner hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing.
Secondly. The peculiar construction and employment of glass-frame-runs for
landaus and landaulets, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein before described and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
10, 11, and 12 of the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The construction and employment of the improved pillar hinge or joint
for landaus and landaulets, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 7, 8, and 9 of
the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hammond, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Lewis and Julius Hiller, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one
Witness,
G. F. REDFERN,
Patent Agent,
4, South Street,
Finsbury.
THOMAS HAMMOND. (L.S.)