CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEEL CARRIAGES, AND IN APPENDAGES THERETO
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
DAVIES, of Wigmore Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Coach Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kindgom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of
January, One thousand eight hundred. and fifty-one, in the fourteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said David Davies, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said David Davies, my exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Davies, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times 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
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEEL CARRIAGES, AND IN APPENDAGES THERETO; " in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said David
Davies, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
David Davies, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained
in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say:
My Invention consists, firstly, of an improved wheel plate or wheel locking
plate, applicable to four wheel carriages.
Secondly, of an improved square or quadrangular umbrella, applicable as a
covering to open carriages.
Thirdly, of a single wheel pedomotive or exercising carriage.
Fourthly, of a retiring carriage or portable urinal.
Fifthly, of an improved break, applicable to railway carriages.
My first improvement of a wheel plate or wheel locking plate consists in a
peculiar mode of constructing wheel plates with two axes or centres, so as to
enable the front wheels of a four wheel carriage to lock or turn round in a
shorter space than they can do if one central pin or bolt only is employed.
The construction of this, my improved wheel plate, is shewn by Figures 1, 2,
and 3 of the accompanying Drawings. Figure 1 is an under plate of iron,
which is affixed to the fore carriage, and turns with the front wheels. Figure 2
is an upper plate attached to the under side of the driver's seat of a brougham
'or ether four wheel carriage. Figure 3 shews these two plates as put together
and forming the complete wheel plate. The same letters refer to similar parts
of each of these Figures. A, A¹, are two studs or horns on the lower, plate
which stand up and project through the upper plate, working round or
traversing within the curved sides thereof. On the top of the studs A, A¹, are
cars a, a, which overlap and embrace the upper plate, and thereby keep the
upper and lower plates in contact. So long as the draught is in a straight
line the studs A, A', pull against the side curves of the upper plate and draw
the carriage along; but when the horse (or horses) deviates from the straight
line, the fore carriage turns or locks round upon one of the centres A or A',
according to the direction in which the horse turns. If the horse turns to the
right hand (or off' side), the fore carriage locks round upon the stud A as a
centre, and assumes the position shewn by the red lines in Figure 3; but if
the horse turns to the left hand (or near side), then the fore carriage turns
upon the centre A¹, and assumes the position shewn by the blue lines in
Figure 3.
Note that I do not claim as new and of my Invention the making of wheel
plates working upon two centres, as that has been done before. What I claim

page_text: as new and of my Invention is, the peculiar form, construction, and arrangement
of wheel plates, or wheel locking plates, herein-before described and shewn by
Figures 1, 2, and 3.
My second improvement, consisting of a square or quadrangular umbrella
applicable as a covering for open carriages, is shewn by Figures 4, 5, and 6.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the umbrella open; Figure 5. the same-partly
closed, the covering being omitted to shew the mechanism;. and Figure 6 is an
inside view or plan of the umbrella when open. B is the umbrella stick; c, c¹³, c³,
the stretchers; d, d', d, the ribs;. E is a strong metal push-piece, ferule, or
socket of a square or quadrangular form, sliding up and down the stick B,
having projecting flanges e and f at its upper and lower ends; g, g, are rods
or wires attached between the upper and lower flanges of the socket E. The
four corner stretchers c, c; which are longer than the others, are jointed at their
lower extremities to the corners of the flange f. The four side stretchers c³, c²,
are attached to the socket by the wires g, g, upon which they slide, traversing
between the upper and lower flanges. The two end stretchers, c², slide in a
similar manner upon the rods or wires g³, g³. To open the umbrella the
socket E is pushed up the stick B, when the four stretchers c, c, force out the
ribs d, d, and the stretchers c¹, c', slide down the rods or wires 9, 9, until they
come in contact with the flange f, when they force out the other ribs d', d¹.
The same thing takes place with the end stretchers c, c, which slide down
the wires 92, 93, until they abut against the flange f, when the whole of the
ribs become expanded, and the socket E is caught and supported by the
springs h, h. To close the umbrella the springs h, h, are pushed in, when
the socket E slides down the stick B, bringing with it the corner stretchers c, c,
the other stretchers sliding up the wires until they come in contact with the
flange e, when they also begin to act upon the ribs and the umbrella closes.
What I claim as new and of my Invention is, the construction of square or
quadrangular umbrellas suitable as a covering for open carriages in the
manner herein-before described and shewn by Figures 4, 5, and 6.
My third improvement consists of a single wheel pedomotive or exercising
carriage, and is shewn at Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 7 being a side elevation, and Figure 8 an edge view thereof. G, i, i,
is an outer rim or wheel, within which there is another concentric wheel K, K,
turning freely and kept in its place by a projecting flange or by antifriction
guide wheels; S is a seat or saddle; and H, H, handles attached to the inner
.wheel K; K. The user of this carriage sits astride upon the seat S, and
taking hold of the handles II, II, propels himself forward by applying his fect
to the ground. The weight of the rider upon the seat S and his hold upon

page_text: the handles II, EI, keeps the inner wheel from turning, while the outer rim
G, i, revolves around it in contact with the ground. The handles H, H, afford
the means of keeping the wheel in an upright position and of guiding it in any
required direction. In order to adapt this single wheel carriage for two
riders, a projecting seat is placed across in lieu of the saddle S, and one
rider sits on each side of the wheel which is propelled by their joint exertions.
What I claim as new and of my Invention is, the construction of pedomotive
or exercising carriages for one or two riders with only a single wheel, as
herein-before described and shewn by Figures 7 and 8.
My fourth improvement, consisting of a retiring carriage or urinal, is shewn
at Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12, Figure 9 being an external side elevation;
Figure 10, an internal side section; Figure 11, a cross section; and Figure 12,
a ground plan of the same. L, L, is the body of the carriage; W, W, the
wheels; M, the shafts, turning upon a central bolt m, so that when detached
from the stay irons n thoy may be turned up out of the way, or they may be
detached from the carriage by withdrawing the bolt m; D is the entrance
door, within which there is a counter or tell-tale F, to register the number of
persons entering the carriage; I is a water-closet, partitioned off and entered
by the door d. U, U, are troughs or urinals; and T, T, are tanks, into which
the urine flows and from whence, at the end of each day, it can be emptied,
and the tanks, urinals, and carriages thoroughly washed and cleansed; N is the
door of exit, opening from the inside and closed by a strong spring. Free
ventilation is insured by an open iron grating V, V, at the bottom of the
carriage by louvres v₁,, at the sides and by the open spaces, &, at the
upper part, in addition to which the large flaps v³, 23, covering part of the roof
can be thrown open in fine weather or closed at pleasure. What I claim as
new and of my Invention is, the construction of retiring carriages fitted with
urinals and with or without a water-closet capable of being placed temporarily
in public thoroughfares, as herein-before described and shewn by Figures 9,
10, 11, and 12.
My fifth improvement, consisting of a break applicable to railway carriages,
is shewn at Figure 13, which is a plan of so much of the under part of a
railway carriage as is necessary to show the mode of construction and action
of my break, which is an improvement upon a break for railway carriages,
registered by me, the said David Davies, on the Seventeenth day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and forty, under the Designs Copyright Act,
Victoria 2, c. 17, number 506. My present improvement consist in greater
simplicity of construction, a smaller number of parts, and a more direct
action. R, R, is the under side of the framing of a railway carriage; W, W,

page_text: the wheels; X, X, X, X, are eight shoes or breaks, brought into contact with
the wheels by means of levers L², L, turning on centres at o. The levers L³
are prolonged, and their ends attached by short links p, p, to a traversing nut
P, which moves backward and forward upon a right and left handed screw
shaft Y, lying across the under side of the carriage and working in suitable
bearings. The levers L' are shorter than the others, and have a slot e near
their outer ends, in which a pin or bolt on the levers L' works, so that any
motion given to the one is communicated to the other, and the whole series of
levers move in unison together. On one end of the screw shaft Y there is a
bevil wheel Z, to which motion is given by a corresponding wheel on a shaft,
the opposite end of which is furnished with a handle placed within convenient
reach of the guard of the carriage. Motion being thus communicated to the
screw shaft Y, the traversing nuts P approach towards each other, and acting
upon the levers L, L, cause the breaks X, X, X, X, to come in contact with
the periphery of the wheels W, W, and to grasp them with a certain degree
of force, which may be increased until rotation of the wheels is prevented.
By turning the screw shaft Y in the opposite direction, the breaks X, X, X, X,
are taken off the wheels, and they are again free to revole. What I claim as
new and of my Invention as regards the construction of breaks applicable to
railway carriages, is the mode of constructing and applying breaks on the two
opposite sides of the wheel by means of levers acted upon by a right and left
handed screw, as herein before described and shewn at Figure 13.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.