US831571A - Baby-carriage. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 83l',571. PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906. F. H. RODRIGUBS. BABY CARRIAGE.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT,23.1B05.

a- 11mg 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. RODRIGUES, OF (IONNELLSVILLE. PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE T. (JRlFFlN, OF UONNELLSVILLE, PENN SYL- VANIA.

BABY-CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

To all w/wmit Duty concur/t.

Be it known that I, FRANK H. Ronni- GUEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Connellsville, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Baby-Carriage, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in baby-carriages.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of baby-carriages, more especially the means for steering the same, and to provide a simple and inexpensive construction for enabling the direction of the front wheels of a baby-carriage to be readily changed without lifting them from the round and also without releasing the handles by means of which the baby-carriage is propelled.

further object of the invention is to enable the steering mechanism for changing the direction of the front wheels to be readily locked against movement with the front wheels straight or in alinelnent with the rear 2 5 wheels when the carriage is left in the charge of a small child or other incompetent person.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construc- 3 5 tion within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is'a plan view of the running-gear of a baby-carriage provided with steering mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the wheels of the near side being removed to show the construction more clearly. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, illustrating the construction for locking the steering-lever at a central point. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the steering-lever. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View illustrating the manner of securing the wheels on the pivotally-mounted spindles of the front axle. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction for locking the steering mechanism out of operation. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the substantially T- shaped lever which cooperates with the looking device for holding the steering mechanisnioutof operation. Fig. 9isa detail viewof the guide or keeper for the operating-lever.

Like numerals of reference designate cor.- responding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the front axle of the runninggear of a baby-carriage provided with pivotally-mounted spindles 22, to which is secured front steering-wheels 3. The front axle is rigidly secured to the side bars 4 of the running-gear and is provided with enlarged ends having vertically-alined perforated ears 5, which are spaced apart to receive the inner portions of the front spindles 2. The front spindles 2, which are pivoted between the ears by vertical pins 6, are pr0- vided with rearwardly-disposed arms 7, arranged at right angles to the spindles and connected by a pair of transverse links 8 with a rearwardly-extending arm 9 of a substantially T-shaped lever 10. The lever 10 is also provided with inwardly and outwardly extending transversely-disposed arms 11 and. 12, and the said rearwardly-extending arm 9 has its outer or rear end enlarged and provided with a pair of laterally-projecting ears 13, which are ivoted by a pin 14 or other suitable fastening device to the inner ends of the transversely-disposed links 8 in bifurca tions thereof. When the T-shaped lever is oscillated, its rearwardly-extending arm 9 will be swung transversely of the runninggear and will carry with it the arms 7 of the pivotally-mounted spindles. This will effect a change in the direction of the front or steering wheels 3 of the baby-carria e without lifting the front of the carriage. he pins 6, which secure the spindles to the front axle, are provided at their upper ends with heads and with ke s at their lower ends; but any other suitabfe means may be employed for retaining the pins (3 in the openings of the ears and the inner ends of the front spindles.

The outer transversely-dis osed arm 12 of the substantially T-shaped ever 10 is connected by a longitudinallydisposed rod or bar 15 with an inner arm 16 of atransverselydisposed rock-shaft 17, which is journaled in suitable bearings 18 of one of the side bars 4 at a point in rear of the rear axle 19. The transverse rock-shaft is also provided with an outer arm 20, which is connected by an upwardlyextendin bar or rod 21 with a stceringdevcr lhe steering-lever 22 is fulcrumed at an intermediate point on a stud or pin 23, which projects laterally from one of the handles 24 of the baby-carriage, and the said lever 22, which is disposed longitudinally of the carriage, has its front arm connected by a pin 25 with the said rod 21. The rear arm of the lever 22 is provided with a suitable grip or handle 26, which is arranged adjacent to the handle 24 and. is adapted to be grasped simultaneously with the same, whereby the baby-carriage may be steered without releasing the handles by which it is propelled. The handles 24 extend rearwardly from upright bars or members 27, which are suitably connected with the side bars of the frame of the running-gear and which may be of any desired construction. The front arm of the steering-lever is arranged within a curved guide or keeper 28, mounted on the contiguous handle and composed of inner and outer curved sides and connecting end portions. The inner side of the guide or keeper is provided with a central notch 29, which is engaged by a lug or projection 30 of the steering-lever when the latter is in a central position. The steering-lever is capable of sufficient lateral spring to disen gage the lug or projection from the central notch of the curved guide or kee er, and when the lug or projection is broug it opposite the'noteh it is carried automatically into engagement with the same by the spring action of the steering-lever. The direction of the front wheels is changed by swinging the rear arm or handle portion of the steering-lever either upward or downward from its intermediate position. The curved guide or keeper is formed integral with a sleeve or bearing 31, in which is mounted the stud or pin 23 and which is provided with front and rear flanges or projections suitably secured to the contiguous handle 24 of the carriage. The stud or pin 23 is suitably secured in the sleeve or hearing 31, which preferably consists of a casting and which forms a convenient means for mounting the steering-lever onthehandle of the baby-carriage.

When it is desired to leave the baby-carriage in the care of a small child or other incompetent person, the steering mechanism is held against movement by means of a looking device 32, preferably consisting of a vertically-movable pin piercing the rent axle and rovided at its upper end with an oblong hea which when turned longitudinally of the front axle is adapted to fit against the inwardly-extending transversely-disposed arm 11 of the substantially T-shaped lever H). The arm 11 is provided at its end with a straight face for engagement with the locking device, which is vertically movable to lift its head out of engagement with the arm 11 and to carry it mto engagement with the same. When in engagement with the arm 11, the Tshaped lever is firmly held against pivotal movement. The head of the locking device is retained in engagement with the arm 11 by means of a coiled spring 33, disposed on the pin of the locking device and interposed between the lower face of the front axle and a suitable stop 34, which is preferably in the form of a disk and which serves as a convenient means for grasping the locking device when it is desired to lock or release the steering mechanism. Any other suitable means may be employed for engaging the inwardly-extending arm 11 of the T-shaped lever for locking the steering mechanism against movement.

Each of the front wheels 3 and the rear wheels 35 is provided with a hub 36, closed at the outer end and provided at the inner end with an exteriorly-arranged flange 37, spaced from the adjacent portion of the wheel to rovide a groove and adapted to be engaged )y a clip 38. The clip 38 consists of a vertically-movable bolt or pin 39, piercing the spindle and provided at the upper end with a clamping-head having a groove at its lower face to receive the annular flange 37 of the hub. The clip is maintained in engagement with the flange of the hub by means of a coiled spring 40, disposed on the pin and interposed between the lower face of the spindle and a nut 41 or other suitable stop of the lower end of the pin or bolt 39. When it is desired to remove any one of the wheels, it is only necessary to lift the clip out of engagement with the annular flange 37. This construction also enables the wheels of a baby-carriage to be quickly secured on the spindles.

Havin thus fully described my invention, what I c aim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a running-gear having an axle and rovided with pivotally-mounted spindles, o' a lever mounted on the axle and having an arm extending along the same, a locking device mounted on the axle and engaging the arm for holding the same in its position longitudinally of the said axle, and. operating mechanism for oscillating the lever.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a running-gear having an axle and. provided with pivoted spindles, a lever mounted on the axle andhaving an arm extending to one side of the running-gear, operating mechanism located at such side of the running-gear and connected with the arm for oscillating the lever, and means for locking the lever against movement.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a running-gear having pivoted spindles provided with arms, of a substantially T-shaped lever having, a longitudinal arm connected with the arms of the spindles, said lever beinp also provided with transversely-1lisposed arms, operating mechanism connected with one of the transverselydisposed arms, and a locking device for en gaging the other transversely-disposed arm.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a running-gear having pivotally-mounted. spindles, of a lever connected with the spindles and provided with. arms, and a locking device consisting of a vertieally-n'lovable pin mounted on the runninggear and provided with a headfor engaging the arm of the lever, said head being carried into and out of engagement with the arm by the vertical movement of the pin, and means for operating the lever.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a running-gear provided with pivotally-mounted spindles having arms, of a lever provided with transverse and longitudinal arms, links connecting the longitudinal arm with the arms of the spindles, a rock-shalt having; opposite arms, means for connecting one ol" the arms of the rock-shaft with the transverse arm of the lever, and a steering-lever mounted on the running-gear at the handle portion thereof and connected with the other arm of the rock-shaft.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a running-gear having pivoted spindles and provided with a propellinghandle, of a steering-lever fulerumed at an intermediate point and provided at one of its arms with a lug, said lever being capable of lateral spring, a guide or keeper receiving the lever and having means at one side for engagement with the lug, and means for connecting the steering-lever with the pivoted spindle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto allixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. RODRIGUES.

Witnesses:

GERA LUTz, ANDREW BROZOVEY.

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