US206038A - Improvement in children s carriages - Google Patents

Description

G. E. PHELPS. Children's Carriages.

No. 206,038. Patented July 16, I878.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. E. PHELPS. Children's Carriages No. 206,038. Patented lu|y16,1878.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

GEORGE E. PHELPS, OF APPLETON, 'ISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDRENS CARRIAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,038, dated July 16, 1878; application filed April 10, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PHELPS, of Appleton, in the county of Outagamie and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Childrens Carriages; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in childrens or invalids carriages, 850.; and consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts, by which the forward axle can be turned around its transom-bolt, fifth-wheel, or vertical pivot by means of the rear handle, on which the operator pushes to propel the carriage forward. By this arrangement a carriage of this kind can easily be operated from behind, so as to swing or turn it to the right or left without raising the front wheels above the ground, and this can be done with one hand only on the handle, leaving the operator free to use the other hand in carrying packages or otherwise, as is oftentimes required.

In the ordinary childrens carriages the objection is found that the two shafts are not located parallel with each other, which compels the person propelling such a carriage to push it apparently to one side or the other to make it go straight forward, and to do this requires usually both of the persons hands. This is a great disadvantage, and is entirely overcome by my invention, which is simply arranged so that it can be guided, pushedfand turned in any desired direction with great ease and facility.

The handle and rod by which the carriage is pushed and guided are made so that they can easilybe changed from the rear to the front of the carriage, if it is desired to have a change, so as to pull the vehicle instead of pushing it from behind.

The invention is carried out as follows The forward axle is free to turn around a bolt or pivot, and to said axle is jointed a pair of rods extending to the rear below the body of the carriage, which rods are connected together behind the rear axle by means of a short crossbar or link, provided with a pair of holes, into which the lower forked ends of the handle are inserted when the carriage is to be pushed and guided from behind.

The shank of the handle is provided with an annular groove, that is inserted into a stationary bearing secured in a suitable manner to the rear part of the carriage-frame. This bearing, whereit encircles the grooved part of the shank of the handle, may be made as an ordinary fork, having perforations through which a suitable looking-pin is inserted to keep the handle in place during its operation, although I prefer to make such bearing in two parts, hinged together at the rear, and provided with a suitable spring bolt or look, or other simple fastening, by which the shank of the handle can easily be inserted in said hearing and locked, so as to allow it to turn freely therein.

The small cross-bar or link that unites the parallel rods below the carriage-body may be dispensed with, and the forked ends of the lower part of the handle inserted directly into the perforations made in the rear ends of the parallel rods without departing from the spirit of my invention. The said parallel rods are guided on the rear axle, which is done by providing such rods at or about this place with slotted openings, through which a set-screw is screwed into the axle, passing loosely through each slotted opening in each of the parallel rods; or, what is the same, each rod may be allowed to move loosely through an eye or loop attached or made in one piece with the rear axle.

To the forward axle is secured a similar bearing for the handle like the one previously described at the rear, which bearing may be hinged or not, at pleasure, to the forward axle, and it is furthermore provided with two perforations in its lower end for the insertion of the lower ends of the forked handle.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the handle can easily be detached from the rear bearing and attached to the front one when it is desired to pull the carriage from the front.

0n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a carriage provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a plan view, the body of the carriage bein g removed. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the running-gear. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of the locking device for the bearing; and Fig. 5 represents an enlarged side view of the grooved shank of the handle.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the diti'erent parts of the drawings.

a is thebody of the carriage, attached to the rear axle b and frame 0 e. (I is the forward axle, that is allowed to swing freely around the pin or bolt 0. ff are the forward wheels, and g g are the rear wheels. I: h are the parallel rods, hinged in their forward ends to the movable front axle (I, and jointed to the rear axle I), being, for this purpose, provided with slots h h, through which the setscrews h h are inserted, and secured to the rear axle I). As an equivalent for said slots and setscrews the said parallel rods may slide within staples or eyes attached to said rear axle.

The extreme rear ends of the parallel rods h h are provided with perforations h h, to which is connected the link or cross-bar I, provided with perforations, into which the lower projecting forked ends 111 m of the handle m are inserted when the carriage is to be guided and pushed from behind. n is the stationary bearing for the handle m, which bearing is secured to the frame 0, and where it encircles the handle m it may be forked, as shown at n in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and provided with a locking-pin, h; but for better class of work I prefer to make such hearing as shown in Fig. 4, where o is the hinge, 0 the hinged half, and 0 an ordinary spring-bolt fitting into a recess, 0, on the part 0, when the bearing is in its locked position around the grooved place p on the handle m, as shown in Fig. 5.

q represents the front hearing, with its lower perforations q q for the insertion of the handle and its lower forked ends when it is desired to pull and guide the carriage from the front.

The said front bearing q may be hinged to the front axle, as shown in the drawings, or permanently secured thereto, if desired.

The dotted lines M show the position of the handle locked to the front bearing qq' q when the carriage is to be drawn from the front end.

What I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim is-- 1. In combination with the stationary rear axle b and the movable front axle d, as described, the parallel rods h h, jointed to the front axle d, and sliding upon the rear axle b, the connecting-link l, forked handle mm m, and the bearing n n n or its equivalent, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the stationary rear axle b and the movable front axle d, parallel rods h h, detachable forked handle in m m, and the front bearing q q q, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I have'aflixed my signature in presence of two witneses.

GEORGE E. PHELPS.

\Vitnesses:

W. W. IIUrcHINsoN, UHAs. S. PHELPS.

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