Constructing a Portable Stand, Carriage, or Cart for the purpose of Starting Horses, Pedestrians, or Cyclists, in Races or other Competitions.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1891—Accepted, 27th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Constructing a Portable Stand, Carriage, or Cart for the purpose of
Starting Horses, Pedestrians, or Cyclists, in Races or other
Competitions.
I, CONSTANTINE HENDERSON of 29 Montague Place Russell Square Architect
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
I propose constructing a portable stand carriage or cart secured on suitable
wheels to render the conveyance of the same from place to place easy and
convenient.
The stand carriage or cart may be made in any desired form or shape in wood or
metal or both combined.
To the inside of the stand carriage or cart I fit up a tubing on one or both sides
and into this tubing I secure a spiral wire or spring. I then fix a flag staff to the
tubing and when so fixed I attach the spiral wire or spring to the cord fixed to the
flag and when I desire to lower the said flag or withdraw it from view press
another spring connected to the spiral wire in the tubing which may be done with
the foot or hand and thereupon the spiral wire or spring in the tubing instantly
withdraws or lowers the flag previously exposed to view.
In another method I adopt instead of withdrawing the flag down the tubing as
before described I make a powerful spring by coiling several circles of wire of a
suitable substance and affix same and one of the ends thereof to the outer side of
the stand carriage or cart and the other end of this wire I continue straight in the
form of an arm to any length require it for the purpose of a flag staff and at the
extreme end of this wire I fix the flag. On the inside of the stand carriage or cart
I provide another coiling spring with a catch which passes through the side of the
stand carriage or cart and holds the spring arm in position until it is required to be
released and the flag withdrawn. This the starter who occupies the stand carriage
or cart effects by taking hold of a loop which I provide by the other end of the
before mentioned coiling wire on the inside of the stand carriage or cart or he can
with his foot press the said loop down and thereby withdraw the catch and set free
the arm of the other spring which I use as my flag staff and immediately it is
thrown back or down which ever may be thought most desirable and the flag out
of sight.
Another plan I adopt is as follows:-In the front of the stand carriage or cart 1
make a hole or slot through which I pass the staff or handle to which the flag is
attached, the handle or staff being of such length as to allow the flag to be as far
from the face of the stand carriage or cart as may be considered desirable to enable
the whole field to see it clear of everything else. The before mentioned hole or
slot being in such position as may place the flag at such height above the ground
as may be considered desirable.
At the point where the flag staff passes through the front of the stand carriage
or cart it is made to pivot either by a metal pin passing through a metal bush lined
hole in the staff or by placing a metal band or hoop round the staff which metal
band or hoop has two pins forged or cast solid with it. Suitable bearings being
provided in the front of the stand carriage or cart for the pin which passes through
the staff or pins which are attached to its side the staff will turn easily on the pin
or pins. The inner end of the flag staff extends inside of the stand carriage or cart
for such a length as may be found convenient.
Inside the stand carriage or cart and attached to the side and at a convenient
distance from the centre on which the flag staff pivots I fix a suitable spring catch

page_text: which holds down the inner end of the flag staff. When it is desired to drop the
flag the spring catch is pressed and the inner end of the staff released, the outer
end with the flag attached at once falls, the staff turning on the before described
pivots, the other or inner end of the staff or handle at the same time rising. If the
starter wishes to replace the flag he has only to take hold of the inner end of the
staff and pull it down when the catch being self-acting it at once holds it in place.
The outer end of the stuff may be weighted if it is desired to make the fall
quicker.
The floor of the stand carriage or cart is on an average about four feet above the
level of the ground. This I deem essentially necessary in order to give the starter
a proper and commanding elevation which I deem essential so that he may have a
clear and complete view of a long stretched outline of competing horses pedestrians
or cyclists which is a most difficult thing to obtain when the starter is on a level
with them. This gives him an opportunity of seeing and calling attention to any
competitor whose position he may desire to have altered; and also enables him to
get the pedestrians horses or cyclists as the case may be into a proper and correct
Line which is practically impossible to be done on foot when any number of horses
pedestrians or cyclists are competing, but by this means he is able to prevent any
unfair advantage in the starting to occur without his immediate observation and it
also gives the starter the means to effectively countermand any start that he may
consider unequal.
The stand carriage or cart is portable. I fit up the inside of the stand carriage
or cart with one or more seats and at the front I provide a drawer or box for
keeping a book or books of reference and on opening the said drawer or box I make
the lid to turn over outwardly so as to form a desk or shelf along the whole width
of the stand carriage or cart and on this desk or shelf the starter places his book
with the names of the horses and jockies or the names of the pedestrians or cyclists
as the case may be.
In my Specification I describe as front that portion of the stand carriage or cart
which faces or is next the course but when on locomotion this would be the back as
the pole or shaft for attaching the horse or horses for the purpose of moving the
stand carriage or cart is on the opposite side.
The portability of the stand carriage or cart is a matter of great convenience as
on many courses such as Newmarket the various races are started from various
points.
The mechanical arrangement for lowering or raising or putting the flag out of
sight or again placing it in position is very quick and certain in its movements
which is a great advantage as it enables the starter to drop the flag the instant he
has got all the horses in a line and with the certainty of all the jockies seeing the
flag drop or go out of sight, but in the event of a false start which is very unlikely
with my improved arrangement to, at once replace the flag in position.
For several reasons it is preferable that the flag should not be in the starters
hand but as in this case in a clearly defined position where any number of
competitors can see it which they are quite unable to do when the starter has to
hold it in his hand whilst trying to get his competitors into a line to effect a fair
and equal start.
From the stand carriage or cart the starter has the whole of his field in
view and can give his directions and countermands to those who may be trying
to get advantage in the start or otherwise offending during which time the flag
remains in its proper position and not being dodged about by the movements of
the starter which is most perplexing to the jockies or pedestrians or cyclists
who have to look out for its being dropped and when possibly they have lost
sight of it while in this case it is kept steadily fixed in a known position well
in sight of the whole field until the starter drops it by the mechanical arrange-
ment before referred to. The starter has also his book at hand to make such
notes as he may deem necessary. These several improvements and entirely new
arrangement; will render a starters duties simple and perfect whereas at the

page_text: present time the difficulty of starting a number of horses pedestrians or cyclists
is almost insurmountable.
Dated this Seventh day of August 1890.
CONSTANTINE HENDERSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Constructing a Portable Stand, Carriage or Cart, for the purpose of
starting Horses, Pedestrians or Cyclists in Races or other Com-
petitions.
I, CONSTANTINE HENDERSON, of 1 Thornhill Road, Leyton, in the County of
Essex, Architect, 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 the construction of a portable stand, carriage or cart for
the purpose of starting horses, pedestrians, or cyclists in races or other competitions
and has for its object the instantaneous movement of a starting signal, held or
retained in position by certain mechanism, and which assumes another position
when released instead of the method of hand signalling heretofore adopted for the
purpose.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have appended the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a
plan view of a carriage or cart fitted with a signal. Figure 3, 4 5 and 6 represent
modifications of the releasing mechanism.
In carrying my invention into effect I may employ a cart or carriage as shewn
by Figures 1 and 2 of any suitable shape or construction, but preferably arranged
so that the floor thereof is about four feet from the ground for the purpose of
allowing the starter to command a view of the field, course or the like. Upon one
or both sides of said carriage A. I may place a flag staff 13, pivoted or otherwise
jointed at C, and connected to a powerful coiled spring in the manner shewn by the
detailed view Figure 4. The arrangement of said spring is such that the vertical
position of the flag staff is maintained by a catch a against the tension of said
spring S. The catch a is shown more particularly by the view Figure 7, and is
connected in any suitable manner to and with a pedal & Figure 2. The starter in
the act of raising the flag staff depresses the catch a and the staff is retained in a
vertical or approximately vertical position thereby. When it is desired to signal
the start by striking or lowering the flag, the catch a is released by the depression
of the pedal or by an equivalent device under the control of the starter, such for
instance, as a hand lever, cord, or loop. The tension of the spring S causes the
staff B to descend instantly as shown by the dotted outline Figure 1. This arrange-
ment may be modified in the manner shewn by the detached view Figure 5, in
which the staff B is pivotted at D and caused to fall by the action of gravity when
the catch a is withdrawn. A counterweight E may be attached if necessary to aid
and accelerate the fall of the staff. The end of the staff B may be prolonged
beyond the pivot D, and the catch or bolt a placed so as to operate against and
with said prolongation. I may further modify the device by employing a spiral
spring F, Figure 6, which may be placed below the pivot D, or above it as may be
desired, the action of the catch or bolt a being the same as in the cases hereinbefore
described.
A further modification is shewn by Figure 3, in which the staff B is placed within
a tube G, and retained against the tension of a spiral spring H by a catch lever
and pedal J under the control of the starter, so that when released it is caused to.
descend behind a screen or otherwise, out of the range of vision. Or 1 may
rigidly attach the staff B to the cart, carriage or stand, and cause the
flag to be

page_text: carried by a cord or halliard, the end of which is controlled by the spring H, so
that when this is released, the tension thereof lowers said flag.
I wish it to be understood that any form of cart carriage or stand may be
employed in carrying out my invention, and I do not confine myself to any
particular form of spring, catch, pedal or gravity device for lowering the signal or
for retaining it in an upright or vertical position.
I provide one or more seats d in the stand, carriage or cart, and also a box K,
Figures 1 and 2 for the purpose of holding the books and other necessary_articles.
The top of the box K may be elevated as shown in order to serve as a desk, and
may or may not be used as a driving seat when closed in cases where the stand,
carriage, or cart is adapted as an ordinary vehicle to be moved from place to place
by a horse or other animal.
My invention comprises, therefore, a portable stand, carriage or cart, upon or in
which the starter may remain while performing his duties, and a device whereby
the signalling is effected instantaneously by a single movement instead of by hand
entirely as heretofore, and further, an arrangement for holding books and the like,
which also forms a desk. The whole apparatus contains every requisite for a
starter, and is capable of being readily transported from place to place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First. The portable stand, carriage or cart for starting horses, pedestrians or
cyclists at races or other competitions substantially as herein described.
Second. The combination of a moveable flag, or flag staff, controlled by a catch
and operated by the action of a spring or by gravity, with a portable stand,
carriage or cart substantially as and for the purposes as herein described with
reference to the drawings.
Third. The combination of a box with a desk lid, with a portable stand, carriage
or cart substantially as and for the purposes herein described, and as shewn.
Dated this 30th day of April, 1891.
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.