While pursuing this I came across a reference in the Intellectual Property EXchange Limited (IPEXL) web site to a patent taken out by him in 1912/1913 for United Kingdom Patent 191228178-A. The patent was for 'Improvements in or connected with Movable Announcements, Maps, Route Indicators and the like' and the wonderfully complex description - beat this, Heath Robinson! - ran:
28,178. Horniman, W. J. M., Richardson, J. R., and Byrom, T. Dec. 6. Moving-map and like indicators for vehicles. -One or more webs, bearing announcements, maps, routes, &c. are operated by a vehiclepart so as to indicate the position of the vehicle at any moment, admit of the adjustment of the webs and reversal of their travel, and allow automatically for the deflexion of the vehicle in traffic. The route-web may be wound upon a drum Q, passed between a rubber-coated roller Q and a spring- pressed roller, led across the device to another pair of rollers, one spring-urged upon the other rubber-coated roller, and on to a roller Q. A band bearing the names of theatres &c. may be arranged in a similar manner between the rollers R', R'. The rollers R, R, Q, Q are urged against bevel-wheels J, K, L, M by spring-cups Q, R, and the bevel-wheels gear with wheels H, HI love the idea of the 'band bearing the names of theatres &c'.having teeth I, I capable of engaging clutch-members I, I rigidly secured to a shaft F. The rubber-coated rollers are all geared up to the bevel-wheels J, K, L, M and effect the travel of the webs. A flexible cord C, driven from a wheel of the vehicle, drives a worm-wheel D with clutch teeth E, E' capable of engaging clutch-members E, E3 on a shaft F according to the position of a lever G, which controls the longitudinal movement of the shaft F and is operated by the conductor of the vehicle so as to reverse the direction of travel of the web when desired. A key controls the bevel-gearing W, W and enables the shaft F to be rotated manually so as to adjust the web when necessary. To compensate for the vehicle having to deflect its course, a lever Z, Fig. 9, is connected to the steering-gear and is deflected thereby. If moved to the right, it causes a rod Z to slide, rotates a lever Z about its pivot Z, and moves a disk Y along a shaft Y towards the centre of a disk Y, driven by a wheel of the vehicle. If moved to the right, the lever Z again causes a diminution in the speed of rotation of the disk Y' and, consequently, of the cord Y, which, in this case, drives the worm-wheel D, Fig. 4.
Illustration from Espacenet Patent Search web site (2)
Application Number: GBD191228178
Publication Number: 191228178 (A)
Application Date: 1912-12-06
Publication Date: 1913-07-17
Inventor:
HORNIMAN WILLIAM JOSEPH MASSER
RICHARDSON JOHN ROBERT
BYROM THOMAS
Assignee:
HORNIMAN WILLIAM JOSEPH MASSER
RICHARDSON JOHN ROBERT
BYROM THOMAS
Full Text at United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (IPO).(3)
TomTom and GPS, eat your heart out!
Google maps - a Masser did it a century ago!
William Joseph MASSER took the name HORNIMAN after his marriage to Minnie Louisa but as I said, that's another story.
Why the interest in an in-car route planner? Well, William Joseph was importing a car which he sold as the Mass, from France - there is a picture of a 1905 Mass 8 hp 2-Seater on the Classic Cars web site showing a registration number LC 5670. The description runs:
Why the interest in an in-car route planner? Well, William Joseph was importing a car which he sold as the Mass, from France - there is a picture of a 1905 Mass 8 hp 2-Seater on the Classic Cars web site showing a registration number LC 5670. The description runs:
Lot 317
Dukes Auction, Vintage Cars & Automobilia
19th May 2010
1905 MASS 8HP TWO SEATER
Registration Number: LC 5670
Engine Number: 18097
Mass motor cars were built in Courbevoie, Seine, for the English market and took their name from their importer, Mr Masser-Horniman. From 1912, it was sold in its homeland under the name of its manufacturer, Pierron.
Initially, there were only single cylinder versions of the 4 ½ hp and 6hp models, but in 1905, two and four cylinder versions arrived. From 1907 and up until the Great War, the range became more advanced.
This example was found in the 1950's by John Jarvis, having been left in a garage in Highgate by its then owner since before the First World War. Since its rediscovery, the Mass has been part of the collection of the late John Ahern. Correspondence in the history file confirms that it was also part of the Patrick Collection up until 1996.
Now in restored condition, this attractive Edwardian motor is finished in blue with black wings has black leather upholstery and is complete with a beige double duck hood, brass radiator, rear mounted spar and side lighting. It is thought to be the sole surviving example of the marque.
The aforementioned vast history file includes important data and history notes, photographs, the V5C registration certificate, and a VCC Dating Certificate No. 652, dated 12th June 1957.
Careful recommissioning may be appropriate following museum storage.Duke's appears to be an auction house in Dorchester, England (5).
£10,000-15,000. (4)
|
| 1905 8 h.p. single cylinder De Dion Engined tonneau LC 5670
Acknowledgements to motorbase.com |
 |
| Another view of LC 5670 Acknowledgements to motorbase.com |
|
| DL 557 with Raymond Porter (driving) and George Marvin
Acknowledgements to Northwood Village web site |
50 Years AgoAnd how did John Robert RICHARDSON come into it? He was William Joseph's partner according to the Motorbase web site which states:
March 6, 1954
The oldest running Island motor-car was sold by its owners to an automobile enthusiast in America. The 22hp 1903 Mass car, with a registration of DL 557, did a maximum speed of 50mph and 18 miles to the gallon.(7)
1903 - 1923
Like the Marlborough, the Mass was built in France but sold largely on the British market, and its name came from the British importer Mr Masser-Horniman. The first cars were assembled voiturettes typical of their period, with 4 1/2hp Aster or 6hp De Dion Bouton engines and tubular frames, many components coming from Lacoste et Battmann. A 10hp 2-cylinder De Dion with twin carburettors was offered in 1904.
Ownership of the company is somewhat uncertain; Masser-Horniman was described as the proprietor in 1904, with premises in Ladbroke Road, North London and the 'principal' in France was Leon Pierron. From 1912 his name was used for the cars sold on the French market. The manager of the Courbevoie factory in 1907 was Englishman J.R. Richardson whose Lincolnshire-based company also sold Masses and made Richardson cars. It is possible that the Richardson was in fact, a Mass; certainly the smallest Richardson of 1905 had a 6 1/2hp single cylinder, as did the smallest Mass.
In 1911 the biggest Mass had a 4.9 litre 4-cylinder engine and for 1913 came the first six. By then it was becoming difficult to sell cars in England, and Mass Cars Ltd took on agencies for American R.C.H. and Paige cars, selling the latter under the name of Mass-Paige.
Source: Nick Georgano / The Beaulieu Encyclopaedia of the Automobile (8)
Sources cited:
- http://www.mocavo.com/The-Annual-Index-to-the-Times-1906/399312/498 retrieved on 18 January 2014
- http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=EPODOC&II=0&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=19130717&CC=GB&NR=191228178A&KC=A
- http://patent.ipexl.com/GB/191228178ZZDASHZZA.html retrieved on 18 January 2014
- http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/car-advert/mass/8hp/1905/93672/ retrieved on 18 January 2014
- http://www.dukes-auctions.com/ retrieved on 18 January 2014
- http://www.northwoodvillage.org.uk/the-mass-by-t-c-hudson/6039/ retrieved on 18 January 2014
- http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/friday-march-5-2004-5428.aspx retrieved on 18 January 2014
- http://www.motorbase.com/manufacturer/by-id/2033015246 retrieved on 18 January 2014 citing Georgano, Nick. 'The Beaulieu Encyclopaedia of the Automobile'
