CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON WHEELED CARRIAGES
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
POPE, of Ball Alley, Lombard Street, in the City of London, Mathematician,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Third day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-five, in the sixth year of His reign; did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Pope, His especial
licence, that I; the said William' Pope, my exors; adñiors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Pope, my exors, admiors, 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 ON WHEELED CARRIAGES;"
in which said: Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
William Pope, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, par-
ticularly 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 six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and at.
large appear.
A

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Pope, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):
11
My Invention of certain improvements on wheeled carriages consists as
follows, viz., in a detached or revolving himder axletree fitted to a second bed
A, and attached to the first bed B by a revolving spindle D, which is fixed
into the second or detached bed, the spindle being made square as far upon
the spindle from its head as the thickness of the bed or thereabouts; and
I attach to the moveable or revolving bed with its axletree two stops which
stand out or project beyond the inner face of the bed to receive, catch, or stop
the other part of the carriage when it is raised on either side to a
degree of
danger. In altering an old carriage the springs remain on the old bed, so
that the new revolving bed is free of or clears the springs; and in case of
building a new coach then (of course) I provide two beds as above, the
hinder one that revolves takes the axletree and wheels, then I add to the
first bed B that is fixed to the perch an iron or other metal plate half inch
thick, more or less, to bear the friction of the second bed, and I secure it by
bolts or otherwise as may suit the occasion, and to the second revolving bed
I place one plate to work against the other or first plate, as above, and also
two of the same sort on the outside of the bed; these are intended for strength
and to take the square part of the spindle, which spindle unites the back bed
to the other parts of the carriage so as to allow of the motion before described.
But I can vary the number of plates as well as their thickness, or I can omit
them altogether as occasion best suits. The length and thickness of the spindle
is to be governed by the weight it is intended to bear, and the length sufficient
to have or possess leverage adequate to the strain that may be occasioned
thereby. The particular length of the spindle may be from two feet to three,
more or less, and the thickness four inches by the head, moro or less, going
taper towards the end; this end is secured by a nut to adjust it and a key
to keep it from shifting, or by any other suitable means.
Thero are also pro-
vided for the spindle to traverse or revolve in a socket E, this is fixed to
the old or former bed, and also near the end of the spindle is an eye G, fixed
under the perch to take the end of the spindle which has a nut and a key
or other suitable means to keep it to its place; this nut acts in some
cases on a screw made on the spindle to regulate the proper degree of
(listance between the two beds. I also fix a metal plate or plates along the
perch to supply strength against the additional strain that may be occasioned

page_text: by the above alteration. I also occasionally adopt or make use of the usual
curricle bar H, H, and fit it up in such a way as to become a fixture
with the pole L of the carriage. By this alteration of the bar the bar rests
on the horses' backs to stop or prevent the upsetting of the carriage. I
also apply and make use of the common crank axletree A, A, to bring the
load nearer the ground, and I occasionally make use of the different parts, as
above, separately, and at other times jointly. I also apply the Invention of
the revolving axletree to two-wheel carriages, but when applied for two-wheel
carriages I make the ends of the shafts more secure to the horses' shoulders
than is done in common. This I do by bringing braces P, P, round the horse's
fore legs close up under the breast to keep the ends of the shafts from shifting
or rolling round, so as the shafts shall act in steadying the body of the vehicle,
as a man's hands do to steady a wheelbarrow.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Pope, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
Inrolled the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and twenty-six.