CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON WHEEL CARRIAGES, BY MEANS OF WHICH THEY ARE LESS LIABLE TO OVERTURN, WILL FOLLOW WITH LESS DRAFT, GO DOWN HILL WITHOUT DISTRESSING THE HORSES, AND HAVE LESS FRICTION ON THE AXLETREE THAN ANY NOW IN USE
Year: 1786

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BESANT, of London, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the
Twenty-ninth day of November, in the twenty-seventh year of His reign,
did give unto me, the said John Besant, His special licence that I, the
said John Besant, during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON
WHEEL CARRIAGES, BY MEANS OF WHICH THEY ARE LESS LIABLE TO OVERTURN, WILL
FOLLOW WITH LESS DRAFT, GO DOWN HILL WITHOUT DISTRESSING THE HORSES, AND
HAVE LESS FRICTION ON THE AXLETREE THAN ANY NOW IN USE;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John Besant,
under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and how the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His
Majestie's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next after the
date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being
thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Besant, do hereby declare that my said Invention of Certain Improve-
ments on Wheel Carriages by means of which they are Less Liable to Overturn,
will Follow with Less Draft, go Down Hill without Distressing the Horses, and
have Less Friction on the Axletree than any now in Use, is and are described
°

page_text: in the Plan or Drawing herein made, and the explanations and references
thereto as follows (that is to say) :-
Explanation and Reference to Figure 1.-A is a small leaver, to
which is fixed the strap B, which passes under the boot and through
the transum to the end of the leaver C, which falls into a catch at the
back of the sway bar, and prevents the fore carriage from locking when-
ever the coachman thinks it necessary by putting his foot on the leaver A.
D is a strap and chain which hangs to a crook at the back of the boot, and
takes up or lets out to its proper length, and passes under the bottom of the
body and over a small roller at E, which is fixed on the middle of the
axletree bed, and down to the end of a leaver, which has its fulcrum at the
ends of the axletree bed, from thence continues on to the circle F, F, F,
which is fixed on the nave of the wheel, the end of a gripe fitting or clipping
that circle when the carriage is going down hill, the tendency of the body
forward strains the strap D, and causes the gripe to impede the motion of the
wheel in proportion to the descent of the hill. G, G, is the point of the springs
or clamps of the perch by which the two carriages are fixt together; and as the
weight of the body falls behind both the axletrees, the elasticity of the perch
(it being but in two lengthways) admits of the axletrees, pressing against the
fore part of the boxes of the wheels, whereby the action of the body on the
carriage assists the horses. H, H, the two braces which support the body,
each end of which is fixed to its opposite body loop, and passes over a circular
support or spring, which spring or support is suspended by a strong brace or
fulcrum at or near the place, as shewn by the Drawing, by which the body has
an easy motion fore and aft, as well as sideways, at the same time has a strong
tendency to keep in an horizontal position, and by suspending the bar or spring
that supports the body at both ends (that is, before and behind) by a strong
brace or fulcrum, the overturning of the carriage will only set the body down
on its bottom between the fore and hind wheels when they lay flat on the
ground.
Reference to Figure 2 & 3, being an Explanation of the Box and Arm.
A, the foot of the spoke, which is dovetailed in by the shoulder of the box. B
is a raised collar on the arm, over which comes the plate C, which is bolted on
with four bolts, all through the stock, which effectually prevents the wheel
from coming off, at the same time greatly strengthens the nave. D is a tube
fixed in the axletree bed, which passes through the collar B into a grove, as
shewn by Figure 3, which grove passes along the top of the arm, and supplies
it with oil or water. E is a screw which, when the point of the arms is worn,
may be turned farther in to tighten it; but in many cases enclosing the

page_text: the me through which the four
bolts pass.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Besant, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty-six.
1HOS WALLER.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1786, the aforesaid John Besant came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according
to the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand seven hundred and eighty-six