M K C H 
made a faw-carf, or flit, in the wedge, as fliown at a, fig. 6. 
and a wedge of iron, or other fuitable material, b, is fixed in 
the faid flit, fo that, when the fpoke enters the mortice,- 
the tliick end or bafe of the wedge ftrikes againft the box 
or bottom of the mortice, which forces the wedge into the 
faw-carf, or Hit, of the fpoke, and forms a dove-tail in 
the mortice, as very clearly fhotvn at A, fig. 15. It is ob¬ 
vious, that the width of the wedge fhould be equal to tile 
thicknefs of the fpoke. The whole fubftance of the fpoke 
is alfo beveled at the fitoulder, as (hown in fig. 7. and like- 
wife the upper fides of the mortice in the nave of the wheel 
to receiveths fpoke, which adds confidefably to the ftrength 
of the wheel. Fig. 8. reprefents the end- view of the nave, 
ec, fig. 9. reprefent two linch-pins, which are to be put 
through the holes ee, fig. 5. in the front of the nave, and 
revolve in the groove f, figs, xo and 15. In the axle-arm, 
a plate of iron, brafs, or other fuitable metal, is repre- 
'ferrted at d, fig. 9, which is to be fcrewed over the head's 
of the linch-pins, to prevent them from rifing. This 
plate is made of a circular form, to fit the nave. Before 
the wheel is placed on the axle-arm, the hind-cap, fig 10, 
and In, fig. 15, are palled over the flioulder-collar at a , 
fig. 10. and the cap-collar, fig. 12, fcrewed tight on to the 
fhoulder-collar of the axle. At a, fig. 10, a ring of lea¬ 
ther c, fig. 15, is placed between the cap-collar and the 
hind-part of the nave, to prevent the oil from efcaping off 
the arm, and the two linch-pins fixed as before-mentioned. 
The hind-cap is next fcrewed on to the flanch g, figs. 5 
and 15. this revolves with the wheel-, and is a fecond fe- 
curity for keeping it on the axle, fo that the wheels would 
even, without the linch-pins, be fecure and fafe. The 
front-cap, reprefented by fig. 13, and i k, fig. 15, is next 
fcrewed on to the flanch h , figs. 5 and 15. with a rihg of 
leather between the cap and the flanch. Fig. 14. repre¬ 
fents the nave ©f the axle-arm in its proper Hate. The oil 
is to be put in by taking out the fcrew at n, figs. 14 and 15. 
which is to be replaced when filled. The caps and collars, 
figs. 11, t2, and .13, are made of brafs, or other metal or 
mixture of metals. 
No wheel-carriages are of more importance to a com¬ 
mercial and manufacturing country than ftage-coaches ; 
and perhaps in no kingdom of Europe has the fyftem of 
'travelling in public vehicles been carried to greater per¬ 
fection, as to comfort and fpeed, than in Great Britain. 
The danger, however, of travelling by thefe coaches makes 
confiderable deduction from their accommodation other- 
wife ; it is but too well known that this inode of travelling 
is liable to frequent and ferious accidents. Every attempt 
therefore that promifes to be nfeful in diminifhing fuch 
danger fhould have all poflible publicity. With this 
view we lay before our readers the account of an inven¬ 
tion to render ftage-coaches more fecure from danger; the 
inventor of which, the Rev. William Milton of Heckfield, 
Hants, has obtained a patent for it. 
The danger of ftage-coaches arifes fometimes from over¬ 
turning, and fometimes from breaking down. 1. The over¬ 
turn is, in general, occafioned either by taking two fide- 
wheels into too deep a hole or ditch, or ever too high a 
bank ; or, fecondly, by running down more quickly than 
the carriage is calculated to do, from the top to the fides 
of a rounded rOad ; or, laftly, by turning a fharp corner 
with too great velocity. In the two firft cafes, the danger 
arifes from the centre of gravity of the total coach and 
load being placed too high; and in the laft inltance, of 
turning the fharp corner, from the fame centre (but which 
we mu ft now confider as the centre of the vis inertia) being 
alfo placed too high. The danger in the two firft cafes 
grows often out of the very circumftances of the road, and 
meets every one’s comprelienfion ; the laft, which is lefs 
obvious, is generally owing to the mere will of the driver; 
and the better the road, the more is he tempted, without 
any intention, to go on to produce it; it requires there¬ 
fore to be more generally underftood than it is. It may 
be thus explained : A carriage is going along a ftraight 
level road at the rate of nine miles an hour; then, if you 
Vol. XIV. No. 1004. 
AN1C 5. 6®i 
imagine the horles. or pulling-poWer, fo be in an inftant 
withdrawn, yet will the carriage continue its motion for 
ten, fifteen, or more, yards, and at firft with the fame ve¬ 
locity, and in the fame ftraight line, in confequence of the ac¬ 
quired motion. Suppofing now, the coach with its four 
iiorfes going the nine miles an hour along a fine level road, 
but which lias a Jlrarp andfudden corner to turn ; the coach¬ 
man knows it, and willies to keep his velocity ; the horfes 
are aware of both, and, by the animal dexterity-with 
which they are gifted, contrive to make,the turn without 
reinitting any thing of their fpeed. Not fo the coach 
which follows them ; that has a tendency to p'erfevere in 
its ftraight line ; and the centre of its effort to do fo is 
the centre of its vis inertia, the very centre of it^ gravity. 
If this centre be low, the turn of the corner may be made 
with no other inconvenience than a fhort awkward Aide of 
the hind-wheels, onward in the original direction ; whereas, 
if it be high, there will be no Aide, but the coach will be over¬ 
turned, and overturned nearly at that point where its broad- 
fide is at rectangles to the ftraight line of road it has been 
thus forced to quit; for at that point the bafe againft fuch 
an overturn will be the moft diladvantageous, and the 
check to the onward motion the greateft. The remedy of¬ 
fered againft all thefe caufes of the overturn, (whether by a 
ditch, bank, rounded road, or fharp ebrner), is to bring 
down this centre, by placing as much of the luggage as pofli¬ 
ble in a luggage-box, below the body of the carriage ; the body 
not being higher than ufual. 
2. From the overturn, we pafs to the confideration of 
the breaking-down; this we mult reckon on happening as 
often in thefe patent ftage-coaches as in others. Wheels 
will come off or fail, or axles will break, in future, as they 
have done heretofore ; but againft the difaftrous and fatal 
confequences of fuch accidents, the remedy offered may be 
thus deferibed : On each fide of the luggage-box, with 
their periphery below its floor, and each as near as may be 
requifite to its refpeffive aElive wheel, there is placed a fmall 
Jirong idle'wheel, ready, in cafe of breaking-down, on either 
fide, to catch the falling carriage, and inftantly to continue 
its previous velocity, till the coachman can pull up his 
horfes, thereby preventing that fudden flop to rapid mo¬ 
tion which at prefent conftantly attends the breaking-down, 
and which has fo frequently proved fatal to the coach¬ 
man and outfide paflengers. In cafe a fore-wheel comes 
off, each end of the fore-carriage has its idle wheel. By 
this provifion we fliall be, to all effeeft of fafety, continu¬ 
ally travelling with two carriages under us. The bottom 
of this luggage-box is meant to be about fourteen inches 
from the ground ; and the idle wheels feven, fix, or five 3 
but, if at a ftill lefs diftance, little inconvenience would 
refult, for, when either of them takes over an obftacle in 
the road, it inftantly, and during the need, difeharges 
its relpeftive affive wheel from the ground, and works in 
itsftead. See Plate IX. fig. 16. If thefe two principles of 
fafety were applied to the defeription of the feveral ftage- 
coach accidents we meet with, there is no doubt but a ge¬ 
neral convi&ion would arife, that the fafety by thefe modes 
is (in vehicles of all kinds) perhaps as great as can confift 
with rapid loco-motion ; and that,fooner or later, legiAative 
authority, in fome fnape or other, may judge it necefiary 
to interpofe, for the purpofe of controlling a prejudice 
againft the form eflential to this mode of fafety. The trial 
and proof which thefe principles have been brought to, have 
not only been by public exhibition, and with preparation j 
but in all the fuddennefs, alfo, of afrual heavy work ; and 
the refult in both cafes has been fo exactly the fame, as to 
give continual aiTurance of the full effefl of the remedy, as 
often as the cafualties of the road (hall bring it intoafiion. 
The aim in the arrangement of this coach of fafety, has 
been to bringdown the load, and coniequently, the centre 
of gravity, as low as poflible : this is thought to make the 
coach look heavy ; and this word, by the ready operation 
of a prejudice, has been tranferred to its going; and one 
fpecific reafon added withal, that, becaufe the load is low, 
the draught mult be heavy. This point, however, has, in 
8 L the 
