CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLI-, CABLE TO WHEELED CARRIAGES, OR VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT DESCRIPTIONS, CALCULATED TO RENDER THEM MORE SAPE AND COMMODIOUS
Year: 1818

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
MATTHEWS, of Gretton Place East, Bethnal Green; in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send. greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third did, by His,
Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Nineteenth day of November now last past, for himself,
His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Matthews,
His especial licence, that I, the said Henry Matthews, my executors, admi-,
nistrators, and assigns, and such others as I or they should at any time agree
with, and no others, during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLI-,
CABLE TO WHEELED CARRIAGES, OR VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT DESCRIPTIONS, CALCULATED
TO RENDER THEM MORE SAPE AND COMMODIOUS;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Henry Matthews, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the date

page_text: of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Matthews, do hereby declare that my said Invention is fully and par-
ticularly described by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof, that is to say:-
The present form of stage coaches is such as to oblige a Jarge portion of
passengers and parcels to be placed on the roof at between eight and nine
feet from the ground, and the remaining outside passengers nearly as high, so
that should the outside be loaded, and not the inside (which frequently
happens), it is possible that the centre of gravity may be between seven and
eight feet from the ground, and the track of the wheels only four feet eight
inches apart, which, with a quick motion and an inclining road, are sufficient
to make thinking persons uneasy, for at present no adequate provision has
been made to prevent accidents, should the centre of gravity pass the track of
either of the wheels. If a column of fifteen feet in height and only four feet
eight inches in diameter was to pass along at a quick rate, every one would
expect to see it fall; and yet this would be exactly as safe as one of the
present stage coaches loaded as above described, the breadth of the base being
the same in both as well as the height of the centre of gravity. Passengers,
both inside and out (except those on the roof), set on single seats. The space
under them is lost, or nearly so, being too small for stowing anything to
advantage. The inside passengers sit breathing in each others' faces, and so
close as not to admit room to change the position of their legs. No one can see
out of the windows without stooping forwards and looking sideways,-a painful
position, at which time the other passengers are excluded from the prospect,
however beautiful. The luggage on the outside is liable to pilfering, and
damage from wet. The back part is frequently so constructed as to admit of
two or three persons, besides the passengers, clinging to it.
My improvements, as applicable to stage or other coaches, consist of double
seats in the centre for inside passengers, to sit nearly back to back, looking
towards the side windows, so that they may see the prospect, have room for
their legs, and not incommode each other. See B, B, in the annexed Drawing.
C, the space under the seats forming the back boot or luggage box. E, F, G,
seats provided for the whole licenced number of outside passengers, at a
pleasent height (about six feet six inches). These seats, being broad, and two
together, the space under them forms the front boot or luggage box H.
The whole of the luggage is under lock; no part of it exposed to wet or
pilfering, or left to incommode the passengers. The luggage rests at I, about

page_text: three feet six inches from the ground, instead of eight feet nine inches; thus
the centre of gravity is lowered between two and three feet. The axletree
should be lengthened so as to make the track of the wheels about five inches
wider or further from each other than at present; it will then be scarcely
possible for such a coach to turn over, as the two wheels on one side may run
on a bank two feet four inches high without losing its balance. See K. But
in order to remove all apprehension on that head, the following plan may
(if desired) be added, viz:-From each side of the body let an iron crutch
hang pendant, the bottom of which forms a spring reaching within about six
inches of the ground L, so that if any part of the carriage should break, the
body, and the part where the outside passengers are, can only fall six inches,
and that on a spring which will prevent sudden concussion; and should any-
thing heave the coach on one side, the pendant crutch on that side strikes
the ground before the body of the coach can pass the line of gravity, or go
beyond it's balance; nothing is left to human agency. The crutch acts of
itself by always keeping perpendicular. See M. The crutch I consider rather
as a superabundant caution, but by no means absolutely necessary. To prevent
the wheels from flying off, the box may be of equal diameter at both ends, to
admit of the axletree or arms being put through from the outside (see N), and
fastened to the bed in the centre with screws and nuts O, O; the wheels are
thus secured by solid knobs of iron, like the head of a kitchen poker, instead
of linchpins P.
To prevent the common wheels now in use from flying off, I adopt a
new combination of the old lock and linchpin, by applying padlocks to
the linchpins, so that nothing but the proper key can take off the wheel or
draw out the linchpin. 1, the end of the axletree or arm. 2, the linchpin,
with a hole in the bottom of it. 3, a small but strong padlock, with the
shackle put through the hole in the linchpin, and locked. 4, the washer.
Single-horse chaises are so constructed at present that when a horse falls
persons are mostly thrown out, and the hoods are very heavy. To lessen those
inconveniences, I cause the greater part of the weight to hang to the back
springs Q. The front springs (on which only a small part of the weight rests)
have holes at the ends like the eye of a needle. Sec R. The small springs
which come from the bottom of the chaise are not fixed to the front springs
on which they rest, but small irons pass through the eyes to within about three
or four inches of the ground, part of which forms the steps S, so that if the
horse should fall the front of the chaise can only fall about three or four inches,
and that upon a spring. The hood is composed of silk, and is quite concealed
between the panels and the stuffing, except when it is required to be up.