An Improved Cab Rest.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1591
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Cab Rest.
I, HENRY CHARLES SIMPSON of 22 Pitfield Street, Hoxton London Tradesman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: :―
The object of my invention is to provide a rest or support to two wheeled vehicles
such as hansom cabs, when the same are at rest waiting for a fare; and by means
of this rest take off the weight from the horses back. A hinged support is at
present used for this purpose, but owing to its faulty arrangement and design it is
quite useless for practical purposes, as the least movement of the horse will throw
it out of gear. For the purpose of my invention, I provide a stout metal rod
working on a pivot attached to the shafts, and so arranged that a shoulder upon the
said rod abuts on part of a fixed block when the rod is perpendicular. The base of
this rod which touches the ground is provided with a ball castor so that the rod
may be dragged along the ground without altering its position. A tension spring
is fitted from near the bottom of the rod to a point upon the cab behind the same,
and a chain or other similar attachment is secured to the front part of the rod near
its base, this chain passes over a point in front of the perpendicular rod, and is then
attached to one arm of a lever or similar appliance and from this lever a connection
is made by chain or crank and rod movements to the drivers seat so that when
required he can pull up the rod or support into a perpendicular position, thus
overcoming the strength of the spring, and the pulling attachment can be locked
by any suitable appliance. Thus it will be seen that when the rod is fixed in its
vertical position the chain attachment prevents it going backwards, and the
shouldered head prevents it moving forward, thus should the horse move slightly,
the rod or support is not thrown out of action, and the ball castor at base reduces
to a minimum the friction along the ground. When the driver requires quickly to
start his vehicle, it is only necessary as soon as he occupies his sent to release the
lever fastening on front chain, and the spring at back of rod immediately pulls the
same out of action to a required safe height. In order to secure the more perfect
working of the improved rod or rest at its hinged or pivotted joint, I may find it
necessary to provide an additional block as a base, secured by screws to the body
of the cab or shafts.
This block is provided with a suitable socket or recess in which will work easily
the head of the supporting rod. A pin passing through the head of this rod and
the socket before mentioned will form a pivot on which the head of the rod works.
Should it be necessary to provide another rod of different length, this can be easily
done by taking out the pin and refixing therewith another rod of required length.
The various parts will be made as far as possible so as to be easily replaced, so that
should one part get broken it can be easily replaced with a new one, may prefer
to wind up my improved chain or cord which brings the rod into a perpendicular
position by means of turning round a wheel provided with a ratchet and spring
pawl, the latter being easily released by the foot of the driver when required.
Dated this 14th day of April 1891.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: UOMI LEID
An Improved Cab Rest.
I, HENRY CHARLES SIMPSOx, of 22 Pitfield Street, Hoxton, London, Tradesman,
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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a rest or support to two wheeled
vehicles such as hausom cabs, when the same are at rest waiting for a fare; and by
is
means of this rest I take off the weight from the horses back. A hinged support
at present used for this purpose, but owing to its faulty arrangement and design it
is quite useless for practical purposes, as the least movement of the horse will throw
it out of gear.
For the purpose of my invention, provide a stout metal rod
working on a pivot attached to the shafts, and so arranged that a shoulder upon the
said rod abuts on part of a fixed block when the rod is perpendicular. The base
of this rod which touches the ground is provided with a ball castor so that the rod
may be dragged along the ground without altering its position. A tension spring
is fitted from near the bottom of the rod to a point upon the cab behind the same,
and a chain or other similar attachment is secured to the front part of the rod near
its base, this chain passes over a point in front of the perpendicular rod, and is then
attached to one arm of a lever or similar appliance and from this lever a connection
is made by chain or crank and rod movements to the drivers seat, so that when
required he can pull up the rod or support into a perpendicular position, thus
overcoming the strength of the spring, and the pulling attachment can be locked
by any suitable appliance. Thus it will be seen that when the rod is fixed into its
vertical position, the chain attachment prevents it going backwards, and the
shouldered head prevents it moving forward, thus should the horse move slightly,
the rod or support is not thrown out of action, and the ball castor at base reduces
to a minimum the friction along the ground. When the driver requires quickly to
start his vehicle, it is only necessary as soon as he occupies his seat, to release the
lever fastening on front chain, and the spring at back of rod immediately pulls the
same out of action to a required safe height.
In order to secure the more perfect working of the improved rod or rest at its
hinged or pivotted joint, I may find an additional block necessary as a base, secured
by screws to the body of the cab or shafts.
This block is provided with a suitable socket or recess in which will work easily
the head of the supporting rod. A pin passing through the head of this rod and
the socket before mentioned will form a pivot on which the head of the rod works.
Should it be necessary to provide another rod of different length, this can be easily
done by taking out the pin and refixing therewith another rod of required length.
The various parts will be made as far as possible so as to be easily replaced, so that
should one part get broken it can be easily replaced with a new one, I may prefer
to wind up my improved chain or cord which brings the rod into a perpendicular
position by means of turning round a wheel provided with a ratchet and spring
pawl, the latter being easily released by the foot of the driver when required.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings,
Figures and 2 are vertical sections of my improved apparatus, Figure 1
showing it in its ordinary position and Figure 2 when it is in use; and
Figure 3 a detail view of a modification.
is a grooved block, fixed to the base of the cab, through which the pin 2 passes,
forming a pivot for the block 3, into which is screwed the rod 4. To the upper end
of this block 3 is attached the chain 5 passing over the pin 6 and pulley 7 and
thence to the drivers box. This block has also on each side a shoulder 3*
concentric with the pin 2 which abuts against a ledge on the interior of the slot in
block, for the purpose hereinafter described. The rod 4 is provided with a

page_text: spring 8 the other end of which is attached to the top of the standard 9 which
supports the grooved pulley 7. The lower end of the rod is screwed into the
socket of the ball castor 10.
Instead of the grooved pulley 6, I may use a bell crank lever 11 as shown in
Figure 3, to which chains may be attached.
When the apparatus is to be used, the chain 5 is pulled by the driver, any
suitable device being provided, such as a pawl and ratchet wheel, for holding the
chain after being pulled, drawing the rod into the perpendicular position as shown
in Fig. 2, the ball castor resting on the ground, thus taking the weight of the cab
off the horses back. The cab is not supported by the pin 2, the shoulders 3 and
the ledge before described taking the weight. The rod cannot pass beyond the
perpendicular as the block 3 comes against the face 13 of the block 1, and thus the
rol is held securely in position. When the chain is released. the spring &
immediately draws the rod up into the position shown in Fig. 1, the face 16 of the
block preventing it going farther than necessary.
Should another rod be required, the one in use can be unscrewed, and a new one
readily inserted.
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 1
claim is-
(1) A cab rest, consisting of a pivotted rod, means, such as a chain actuated by
the driver, for bringing it into operative position, a block to prevent it passing the
desired position, and a spring, which, when it is to be taken out of action will raise
it from the ground, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
(2) A cab rest of the kind mentioned in Claim 1 having a ball castor at its end
substantially as described and shown in the accompanying drawings and for the
purpose specified.
Dated thin 12th low of Lan1900
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.