Moreover, the Wheels are much better secured, and the draught of the Carriage is very much lessened.
Keep the Winch which fastens on the axle-cap in your own possession, or some curious or clumsy person may unscrew it, and let out the Oil.
“Collinge’s Axles are much more safe and secure, for they have Two Collars and Two Nuts, which screw different ways, and a linch-Pin, and a Cap which screws on over all.”—A. E.
A person who was formerly employed in Mr. Collinge’s Manufactory, told me, that with all the evident advantages of these Axle-trees, they were not such general favourites with some Coachmen as might be expected, which, for a long time, he could not any how account for—till the unaccountable cause was accidentally discovered in the two following instances.
A Coachman to a Gentleman who had Collinge’s Axles, was continually abusing them, and at length got himself discharged:—the workman met him some time after, and said, “Well, my Friend, I cannot imagine why you were such a determined enemy to our Axles, which save you a vast deal of Trouble, for they don’t need Oiling more than twice a Year; and I cannot conceive why you preferred your Common Axles, which required taking to pieces and greasing, &c. once or twice in a Week! Now, as you have left your place, and it cannot injure You, and may very greatly serve Me, pray be so good as to tell me, why you so furiously opposed our Axles?” “Why, sir,” replied Mr. Coachman, “the fact is, that what you have stated as so great an advantage in your Axles, was a great Dis-advantage to me: you know that my late Master, Mr. Rusticate, used every week to go to his Country House, which is 30 miles from Town: this gave me an opportunity of charging him 1s. 6d. for extra Grease, which did not cost me 2d.; therefore, your Axles were a dead loss of £4. a year to me!!!”
He informed me that another unconquerable opponent was the servant of a Gentleman who had a new Carriage every five years, and who gave the Old one to his Coachman:—now, as Collinge’s Axles will wear out three or four Carriages, they were taken away from the Old Carriage and put to the New one,—which made it a less valuable perquisite to the Coachman in the direct ratio of the worth of a set of Common Axles.
“When you Build a Carriage, have Collinge’s Axles;”—but remember, it is not sufficient that you order the Builder to put in Patent Axles, for some of the imitations of Collinge’s Axles are called Patent Axles; and as they are got up cheap, some Coachmakers, unless you positively desire them to go to Collinge’s Manufactory, (near the Marsh-gate Turnpike, in the Westminster Bridge Road), will, to put a pound in their own pocket, recommend the Sham Patents.
Mr. Jervis says, that he has actually seen them put down in the Bill under the Appellation of, and charged at the Price of, “Collinge’s Patent Axles.”