IMPROVEMENTS IN CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES OR CARRIAGES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edwards, of 4, Park Road Villas,
Battersea, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the In-
vention of IMPROVEMENTS IN CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES OR CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th October 1872.
I, GEORGE EDWARDS, of 4, Park Road Villas, Battersea, in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES OR CARRIAGES,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to further improvements on the mode or modes
of constructing cabs and other vehicles or carriages described in the
Specification of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date the 30th day
of April last (No. 1287).

page_text: My present improvements have reference in the first place to the
manner of raising and lowering, and counterbalancing the heads,
windows, and other parts of cabs or other carriages, and fixing them
in any required position.
One mode of accomplishing this object is by means of a screw and 5
a revolving nut or screwed socket, such nut being turned as required
by means of cog wheels, screw pinion, rope, cord, chain or bands (with
holes, or eyelets, or other suitable catches arranged therein), and
the screw with the part affixed to it being thereby raised or lowered
at pleasure. When the space requires it the screw may be made in a l
telescopic form, one part screwing into the other part.
When more than one screw is used all the revolving nuts are caused
to be turned simultaneously, and the part raised is held in the required
position by the screw and nut.
Another mode of accomplishing this object is by means of a cord and 1
wheel, such wheel being caused to revolve and to wind the cord upon
itself, by means of a screw pinion acting upon cogs arranged on the
wheel or its axle. This screw pinion is the means employed for holding
in any required position the part of the carriage that has been raised.
Spiral or other springs may also be used either with or without the said 2
screw pinion for counterbalancing the said moveable part.
When more than one cord is used for the purpose, the several cords
-may be all wound round one wheel, whereby they are moved simul-
taneously by means of the same secrew pinion or springs.
When a windlass is used for raising or lowering the screw or the cord 2
apparatus, a suitable stop is adapted and applied to prevent the moveable
part of the carriage from being raised or lowered too far.
My improvements have reference in the second place to the mode of
fixing the lining in cabs or carriages, and to coating the outside of the
same.
3
Cloth, canvas, felt, paper, or other suitable material is fixed to the
interior of the cab or carriage to serve as a lining, by means of marine
glue dissolved in spirit and applied as paint or gold size. And instead
of painting my improved cabs and carriages in the ordinary way, they
are sometimes japanned by the hot process inside or outside, or both, 3

page_text: and in other cases the parts are or may be enamelled before they are put
together.
My improvements have reference in the third place to a simplified
mode of constructing the fore-carriage. This is effected by means of a
vertical bar or bolt passing through either smooth or screwed bearings
in the fore part of the carriage or its framing and the axle, in such
a manner as to form at once the turning centre of the fore carriage,
and to truss the axle and the front under framing of the cab or carriage.
This vertical bolt may be fixed to the carriage and turn in its bearings
connected with the axle, or it may be fixed to the axle and turn in
bearings connected with the carriage. In the latter case the driver's.
seat is sometimes fixed to the vertical bolt, so that it may turn with.
the fore carriage, thereby maintaining the driver in the same relative
position with the horse while turning the carriage. The said vertical
bolt is particularly adapted for carriages mounted on spring wheels, or
carriages without springs, and the axle is by preference made in a
trussed form for increased strength in the middle where its bearing is,
but the vertical bolt is sometimes used in connection with ordinary
axles and springs, in which case its lower end is made smooth and
passing through a smooth hole in connection with the axle yields to the*
action of the springs. The said vertical bolt is by preference made of
tubular iron or steel.
My improvements have reference in the fourth place to the
mode of fixing spring spokes to the axle boxes and to the tires or
outer circles of wheels, and to the construction of tires for the same.
The nave of the wheel is or may be cast with the axle box, and provided
with mortices or grooves into which the steel spring spokes are fitted,
and these spokes are held by set screws passing through part of the
nave into notches in the spokes, or by tongues or studs arranged in
plates which are screwed or bolted to the nave. The nave may be
cast on the spokes, or they may be fastened to the nave as well as
to the tyre with nuts and bolts, with set screws, or with screws screwed.
into the tyre, and also into the spring spokes, so as not to require nuts
and to keep the springs from rubbing against either the tyre or the
nave.
India-rubber leather or other suitable elastic material may be inserted

page_text: between the spring spokes and the parts where they are fixed to the
wheel, in order to prevent noise.
The sectional form of the tyre is by preference tubular or trough
shaped (L), or it may be square, oblong, or of other convenient section,
either with or without wearing tyres shrunk on.
The tyre is sometimes made trough-shaped with the hollow or trough-
shaped side outwards, and filled in with wood, or asphalt, or bituminous
compound separately or in combination, or with other substances, such
as sawdust, lime, or india-rubber used therewith, such filling-in material
protruding beyond the metal and forming the working surface of the
tyre, thereby providing an elastic contact with the road, and preventing
noise.
The wood filling is fixed in the trough iron by means of marine glue
or bituminous cement, and sometimes the wood segments or parts are
joined together by means of dowels on a continuous rod of iron upon
which they are threaded.
And lastly, for some kinds of carriages I employ for the framing
and axles tubular iron bent into the required shape, and the parts
joined together by means of screws, sockets, plugs, junctions, and
other fastenings commonly used for joining wrought-iron gas piping.
The axle when in a tubular form is made use of as a reservoir for oil
or grease in connection with sponge or fibrous material, and thereby
facilitates lubrication.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 25th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
EDWARDS, of 4, Park Road Villas, Battersea, in the County of Surrey,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the

page_text: thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
'give and grant unto me, the said George Edwards, Her special licence,
that I, the said George Edwards, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Edwards, my executors,
5 administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES OR CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Edwards, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Edwards, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
My Invention of " Improvements in Cabs and other Vehicles or
Carriages" relates to further improvements on the mode or modes
of constructing cabs and other vehicles or carriages described in the
Specification of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date the Thirtieth
day of April One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two (No. 1287).
My present improvements have reference in the first place to the
manner of raising, and lowering, and counterbalancing the heads,
windows, and other parts of cabs or other carriages, and fixing them
in any required position.
One mode of accomplishing this object is by means of a screw and
a revolving nut or screwed socket, such nut being turned as required
by means of cog wheels, screw pinion, rope, cord, chain, or bands (with
holes or eyelets or other suitable catches arranged therein), and the

page_text: screw with the part affixed to it being thereby raised or lowered at
pleasure. When the space requires it the screw may be of a telescopic
form, one part screwing into the other part.
When more than one screw is used all the revolving nuts are caused
to be turned simultaneously, and the part raised is held in the required
position by the screw and nut.
Another mode of accomplishing this object is by means of a cord and
wheel, such wheel being caused to revolve and to wind the cord upon
itself, by means of a screw pinion acting upon cogs arranged on the
wheel or its axle. This screw pinion is the means employed for holding
in any required position the part of the carriage that has been raised.
Spiral or other springs may also be used either with or without the said
screw pinion, for counterbalancing the said moveable part.
When more than one cord is used for the purpose the several cords
may be all wound round one wheel, whereby they are moved simul-
taneously by means of the same screw pinions or springs.
When a windlass is used for raising or lowering the screw or the cord
apparatus, a suitable stop is adapted and applied to prevent the movable
part of the carriage from being raised or lowered too far.
My improvements have reference in the second place to the mode of
fixing the lining in cabs or carriages, and to coating the outside of the
same.
Cloth, canvas, felt, paper, or other suitable material is fixed to the
interior of the cab or carriage to serve as a lining, by means of marine
glue dissolved in spirit and applied as paint or gold size; and instead
of painting my improved cabs and carriages in the ordinary way, they
are sometimes japanned by the hot process inside or outside, or both,
and in other cases the parts are or may be enamelled before they are put
together.
My improvements have reference in the third place to a simplified
mode of constructing the fore carriage. This is effected by means of a
vertical bar or bolt passing through either smooth or screwed bearings
in the fore part of the carriage, or its framing and the axle in such a
manner as to form at once the turning centre of the fore carriage, and
to truss the axle and the front under framing of the cab or carriage.

page_text: This vertical bolt may be fixed to the carriage and turn in its bearings
connected with the axle, or it may be fixed to the axle and turn in
bearings connected with the carriage. In the latter case the driver's
seat is sometimes fixed to the vertical bolt, so that it may turn with
the fore carriage, thereby maintaining the driver in the same relative
position with the horse while turning the carriage. The said vertical
bolt is particularly adapted for carriages mounted on spring wheels or
carriages without springs, and the axle is by preference made in a
trussed form for increased strength in the middle where its bearings are;
but the vertical bolt is sometimes used in connection with ordinary
axles and springs, in which case its lower end is made smooth, and
passing through a smooth hole in connection with the axle yields to the
action of the springs. The said vertical bolt is by preference made of
tubular iron or steel.
And my improvements have reference in the fourth place to the
mode of fixing spring spokes to the axle boxes and to the tyres or
outer circles of wheels, and to the construction of tyres for the same.
The nave of the wheel is or may be cast with the axle box, and provided
with mortices or grooves into which the steel spring spokes are fitted, and
these spokes are held by set screws passing through part of the nave
into notches in the spokes, or by tongues or studs arranged in plates
which are screwed or bolted to the nave. The nave may be cast on
the spokes, or they may be fastened to the nave as well as to the tyre
with nuts and bolts, with set screws, or with screws screwed into the
tyre and also into the spring spokes, so as not to require nuts, and to
keep the springs from rubbing against either the tyre or the nave.
India-rubber, leather, or other suitable elastic material may be inserted
between the spring spokes and the parts where they are fixed to the
wheel, in order to prevent noise.
The sectional form of the tyre is by preference tubular or trough-
shaped (U), or it may be square, oblong, or of other convenient section,
either with or without wearing tyres shrunk thereon.
The tyre is sometimes made trough-shaped with the hollow or trough-
shaped side outwards, and filled in with wood, or asphalte, or bituminous
compound, separately or in combination, or with other substances, such
as sawdust, lime, or india-rubber used therewith, such filling-in material

page_text: Fig. 7 is a diagram shewing my arrangement of one spiral spring
to counterbalance equally the two sides of a hood, window, or other
moveable part of a carriage.
Figures 8 and 9 are a front elevation and longitudinal section of my
improvements in the fore carriage as applied to my spring wheels, or to
carriages without springs; and Figure 10 shews their application to
carriages with ordinary springs.
Figures 11 and 12 are diagrams shewing how I fix steel spring spokes
to naves and axle boxes.
Fig. 13 is a section of a nave and part of a tyre, shewing other
methods of fastening steel spring spokes.
Fig. 14 is a section of part of a tyre shewing how I fasten steel
spring spokes without holes in them.
Figures 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 are sections of iron tyres or outer
circles of wheels, shewing various methods I employ for fastening steel
spring spokes, and in some cases an extra tyre shrunk on the tubular
tyre, and also my method of filling the tyres with wood and bitumen.
Fig. 21 represents part of a tyre with the method of fixing wood
to it.
Figures 22, 23, and 24 are plan, side elevation, and back elevation
of a hansom cab, shewing how I employ tubular iron and fittings similar
to those used for joining wrought-iron gas piping, and serves also in
explaining the application to other kinds of cabs and other vehicles or
carriages.
Figures 25 and 26 are longitudinal section and cross section of my:
improved cast-iron nave for steel spring spokes as applied to and serving
to explain my improved hollow axle and lubricating arrangement.
111
In Figures 1 and 2, p¹ is the door of carriage to which is connected
at p¹ the revolving nut or socket q'; p₁, recess in door; r¹, window frame,
to which is fixed at 1 (and also at the other end not shown) the
screw When this apparatus is applied to raising and lowering
a carriage window one apparatus, as above described, is placed at the
centre of the window, or one apparatus is placed at each side of the
window frame, and the two revolving sockets q' are turned simul-

page_text: taneously by moving backward or forward the band or chain q¹¹,
which is provided with eyelet holes which fit the studs q", and the
window is thereby raised or lowered as required. By this arrangement
the window is held temporarily fixed to the door and does not require
to move in grooves, but can be closed in rebates like the lower part of
the door, so that when the hood and window of a carriage are raised
the door may be opened without lowering the window. When I apply
this screw apparatus to raising or lowering any other part of a carriage,
I place one or more of the screw apparatus fastened in any suitable
position to the part to be raised, and pass the chain, band, or cord over
all the sockets q¹; or the sockets q¹ may be otherwise made to revolve.
When I apply my screw apparatus to raising a hood, I prefer to do so
as shewn at Fig. 4; 8" is a screw fixed to the hood 8¹¹ at t¹ (and also at
the other end not shewn); " is a revolving socket attached to the body
of the carriage.
When the windlass u¹ and cog or bevil wheel u are turned they act
upon the pinion u¹¹¹ (part of the socket (") and move the screw 811 and
the hood up or down as required.
1, cog wheel;
this apparatus
The rope w
In Fig. 5, v is a windlass; o, screw pinion;
wo, pulley to which a rope wo" is fixed at one end, and
is fixed to the carriage body w¹ll in any suitable place.
is guided over suitable pullies, as at x¹, and fastened to the hood at x".
When the cord 10" is wound over the pulley or wheel w¹ the hood is
raised, and vice versa.
]
Both the screw apparatus, as shewn at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the 2
rope apparatus, shewn at Fig. 5, hold or retain the parts raised by their
aid in any required position without the aid of additional catches.
In Figures 8, 9, and 10, ¹ is a vertical bolt made either solid or
tubular, varying in diameter for the proper distribution of strength, and
for facilitating its being screwed to the axle and the fore framing a
of the carriage 1. The bearings m¹ in the axle and framing are
threaded to receive the vertical bolt, which being screwed or threaded
partially or throughout with the same pitch of thread (though it may
have different diameters) serves at once to truss the framing and axle,
and without other bearings for the fore carriage to turn upon. This bolt 3
may be keyed either to the axle or to the framing, and only turn on one

page_text: or the other, and when I key it to the axle I sometimes fix to the top
of it the driver's seat o¹, as shewn, so that when the horse turns the
improved fore carriage by the trussed axle and the vertical bolt
the driver is turned with it and kept in the same relative position with
the horse. When I use this vertical bolt with ordinary springs the
lower part K is made smooth," and passing through a smooth hole
at m in or attached to the axle, it rises or falls with the action of the
springs n. This vertical bolt may be placed, as shewn, in the centre
of the axle or forward, as required. The bearings for the said vertical
bolt may be smooth instead of being screwed, as above described. The
shafts or pole are connected with the axle in any convenient manner.
In Figures 11 and 12, u are spring spokes; w¹, mortices cast or cut
in axle box, and shewn without spokes in them; a", plates screwed or
bolted to axle box and holding the spokes between them; 6", notches
cut in spokes and tongues or studs in one of the plates a" to prevent the
spoke from being drawn out. Sometimes the plates a" are cast with
the axle box d", in which case the spokes are fixed by set screws
passing into the notches b¹¹, and at other times the mortices in the cast
iron are made larger than the springs and filled in with fusible metal,
as shown at W¹¹ (Fig. 11).
Other kinds of fastenings are shewn in Figures 13 and 14; 6¹ is a
screw for fastening spring spokes to tyres c¹¹ and nave or axle box d¹;
, metal block or plate; and e, wood or bituminous block between
which the spring spoke u is held and fastened to the channel iron
tyre c", by means of the bolts and nuts ¹¹; a in Figures 14 and 15
is an extra wearing tyre.
In Figures 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 u represents the spring spoke; c¹¹,
the tyre in cross section, which tyres vary in shape according to the
different requirements; 6¹, bolts; and e', nuts for fixing the spring spokes
to the tyres; g³, wood filling.
ร
In Fig. 21, u is the trough-iron tyre with the trough turned outward
and filled in with wood segments g¹, which are held in place and
together by means of the dowels ¹, or the rod i, and marine glue.
The space not occupied in any of these hollow tyres by the springs
or their fixings is or may be filled in with asphalte, wood, sawdust
and asphalte, or any suitable combination with bituminous substances;

page_text: b (Fig. 6), wheel or drum round and upon which the cord or chain c
is wound, by means of the cog wheel d, and a screw pinion and windlass
similar to those described in Fig. 5.
In some cases part of the bearing spindle or shaft is formed into a
screw having a thread corresponding with the thickness of the rope c,
or the width of its guides (when any are used), and turning in a corre-
ponding female screw arranged in the bearing at f keeps the cord c
opposite its respective guide pullies. The cords or chains arc
sometimes used in connection with spiral or other springs (not shewn),
for the purpose of counterbalancing the weight of the hood or part
of a carriage to be raised or lowered by the cord c, and when required.
the part of the shaft h where the cord y is fixed may be made like the
verge of a watch, to compensate for the varying tension of the spring.
This apparatus is placed under the seat, or in any suitable position at
the disposition of the driver or the passengers as required, and one of 1
the cords is used for raising and the other for lowering.
In Fig. 7, i is a spiral spring which I place under the seat, or in any
convenient part of the carriage, or in the door; j, cord or chain passing
over suitable guide pullies % and fastened to the part to be raised by
means of compensating verges or excentrics where required; is a 2
screw adjuster for adjusting the tension of the spring i by shortening or
lengthening the cord j.
In Figures 22, 23, and 24 m represents tubular iron in parts joined
together by means of the joints n, forming together the framing of a
hansom cab. Framing made in this manner I sometimes enamel in 2
parts, as also the parts of the sheet-iron body, which are not previously
soldered together; and at other times I japan by the hot process the
whole of a carriage together, or parts of it.
In Figures 25 and 26 o is a hollow steel or axle arm joined to the
hollow iron axle p by means of the joint q; but sometimes the arms o. 3
and the axle p are made in one piece only; r is the nave and axle box
cast in one piece, with the mortices s cast or made therein for the
spring spokes t, but. for ordinary wooden naves the part useful only as
axle box is made; are set screws for fixing the spring spokes by being
screwed into notches formed in them. This axle box is made oil-proof 38
in the usual way, by means of leather washers . The oil has access to

page_text: the cavities v, w, x, by means of the passages x¹³, x¹¹, and also by a spiral
groove (not shewn) formed inside the axle box; thus a circulation is
kept up between and wo (or vice versa) by the turning of the wheel.
The fibre y serves at once for causing capillary attraction of the oil and
to impede the circulation of dirt; z is a screw cap holding the collar A
and the axle box in place; B, set screw forced into notch in the end
of the axle arm to fix the screw z. The collar A is kept from revolving
by means of a stud or tooth arranged in it, and which tooth fits into a
slot or notch formed in the end of the axle arm. The joint q may be
made to suit the framing of the carriage for which it is intended, or the
framing of the carriage may be fixed to the axle with clips in the usual
manner, and sometimes I fill in the space p' with fusible metal, wood,
cork, or other suitable material.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim
as of my Invention is,-
First. The screw apparatus for raising hoods, windows, and other parts
of carriages, as represented at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, and described.
Secondly. The cord or chain apparatus in connection with the screw
pinion for raising, lowering, or holding in any required position the
moveable parts of carriages with or without the screw bearing, as shewn
in Figures 5 and 6, and described.
Thirdly. The application of spiral springs for balancing parts of
carriages, in the manner described with reference to Figures 6 and 7.
Fourthly. Fixing paper, canvas, felt, or other suitable material with
marine glue, or bitumen, and india-rubber dissolved in spirit to the
insides of carriages to form the lining thereof, and to prevent noise;
also japanning by the hot process and enamelling iron carriages, as
described.
Fifthly. The simplified fore carriage with or without the driver's seat
to turn with it, as shewn in Figures 8, 9, and 10, and described.
Sixthly. The mode of fixing spring spokes to naves and tyres or outer
circles of wheels, and the construction of naves and outer circles of wheels
for the same, as shewn and described with reference to Figures 11 to 21
inclusive, and Figures 25 and 26.

page_text: Seventhly. The construction of the framing of carriages with hollow
tubing and junctions, as described with reference to Figures 22, 23,
and 24.
And, lastly. The application of hollow tubing to axles of cabs and
other vehicles or carriages, as shewn in Figures 25 and 26, and 5
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edwards, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
GEORGE EDWARDS. (L.S.)