New or Improved Means for Fastening the Strings of Tarpaulin Sheets or other Covers to the Frames of Railway Wagons or Trucks or other Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Means for Fastening the Strings of Tarpaulin
Sheets or other Covers to the Frames of Railway Wagons or
Trucks or other Vehicles.
I SAM WAUGH of Middleton Road Hunslet Leeds in the County of York Mill
Manager do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention refers to a new or improved means for fastening the strings of
tarpaulin sheets or other covers to the frames of railway trucks, or wagons, or
other vehicles; and has for its object to enable the same to be more easily and
quickly fastened and unloosened than by present means; and my improved means
conduce to render the strings much more lasting, as there is no liability of them
becoming so fast, or difficult to unloosen, as to necessitate the cutting of the strings,
as is now frequently the case.
My invention comprises a hack plate, which is secured to the wagon frame by
coach screws, bolts, or other convenient means. On the front of the back plate is
provided a slightly raised part, or facing, from which projects a pin or stud; cast,
rivetted, screwed, or otherwise secured to the back plate. The back plate is further
provided with a fixed curved jaw, standing up or projecting beyond the facing.
On the before mentioned pin or stud is hinged an eccentric or double armed
lever, the shorter arm of which forms a second jaw facing the before mentioned
fixed jaw, and is eccentric with regard to the said pin or stud. These two jaws
are concave, and provided with coarse rounded teeth for the purpose of gripping
the sheet or cover strings without cutting them. The space between the two jaws
is sufficiently wide, that in one position of the hinged lever jaw, the string or rope
can be readily inserted sideways; whilst if the moveable jaw is moved in the
proper direction, it tightens against and securely grips the sheet or
string. The weight of the long arm of the lever and any strain on the tight
part of the said rope or string only tends to cause the two jaws to grip the
string still more tightly.
cover
Further the angle between the two arms of the lever is such, that when the long
arm is thrown up and over to release the string, the weight of the long arm or
handle tends to hold the jaws open, until such time as the bandle is purposely
thrown down.
In order to avoid any possibility of the cover string working loose between the
two jaws, owing to the vibration or shocks of the wagon or truck on passing over
the rail joints or from any other cause, I provide the handle or long arm of the
hinged lever with a small hinged catch and form three or four teeth on the
adjoining edge of the back plate, so that the end of the catch can be pressed into
the recess in front of one or other of the teeth, thereby securely holding down the
handle, and consequently keeping the moveable jaw pressed towards the fixed jaw,
locking them so that the grip on the rope or string cannot be slackened by any
jolting or vibration of the wagon or other vehicle. The long arm or handle is
provided with a small lug at or near the point where the catch is hinged to the
handle, so that the catch cannot be thrown over so far as to fall away from the
above mentioned catch teeth, but such catch always tends to fall towards and
engage with said teeth, unless purposely held out of action. A stop tooth on the
opposite side of the back plate prevents the handle being thrown so far back, that
it or the catch are in the way of the insertion of the rope or string.
The front face of the fixed jaw is also preferably provided with a lip, or

page_text: formed along the inner edge as a lip, so as to overlap the moveable jaw slightly
when the string is gripped, whereby the before mentioned pin or stud is relieved
from any bending strain, and the opposite faces of the jaws are kept in line or
fairly set opposite each other.
The upper end of the two jaws is bevelled off at the inner concave edges, so that
the opening at this place is bell mouthed, which allows of the rope being brought
in
any direction to the top of the jaws, without the liability of the string chafing or
wearing against the upper edge of the jaws.
Dated this 6th day of January 1894.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Means for Fastening the Strings of Tarpaulin
Sheets or other Covers to the Frames of Railway Wagons or
Trucks or other Vehicles.
I SAM WAUGH of Middleton Road Hunslet Leeds in the County of York Mill
Manager do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My invention refers to a new or improved means for fastening the strings of
tarpaulin sheets or other covers to the frames of railway trucks or wagons or other
vehicles; and has for its object to enable the same to be more easily and quickly
fastened and unloosened than by present means; and my improved means conduce
to render the strings more lasting, as there is no liability of the strings becoming
so fast or difficult to unloosen as to necessitate the cutting of the strings as is now
frequently the case.
My invention comprises a back plate, which is secured to the wagon frame by
coach screw bolts or other convenient means. On the front of the back plate is
provided a slightly raised part or facing from which projects a pin or stud; cast,
rivetted, screwed or otherwise secured to the back plate. The back plate is further
provided with a fixed curved jaw, standing up or projecting beyond the facing. The
facing may however be dispensed with.
On the before mentioned pin or stud is hinged an eccentric or double armed
lever, the shorter arm of which forms a second jaw facing the before mentioned
fixed jaw, and is eccentric with regard to the said pin or stud. These two jaws are
concave, and provided with coarse rounded teeth for the purpose of gripping the
sheet or cover strings without cutting them. The space between the two jaws
is sufficiently wide, that in one position of the hinged lever jaw, the string or rope
can be readily inserted sideways, whilst if the moveable jaw is moved in the
proper direction, it tightens against and securely grips the sheet or cover string.
The weight of the long arm of the lever and any strain on the tight part of
the said rope or string only tends to cause the two jaws to grip the string still
more tightly.
Further the angle between the two arms of the lever, or more strictly between
the two radii passing through the centres of gravity of the two arms respectively,
is such, that when the long arm is thrown up and over to release the string, the
weight of the long arm or handle tends to hold the jaws open, until such time as
the handle is purposely thrown down.
In order to avoid any possibility of the cover string working loose between the
two jaws owing to the vibration or shocks of the wagon or truck in passing over the
rail joints, or from any other cause, I provide the handle or long arm of the binged
lever with a small hinged catch, and form three or four teeth on the adjoining edge
of the back plate, so that the end of the catch can be pressed into the recess in

page_text: front of one or other of the teeth, thereby securely holding down the handle, and
consequently keeping the moveable jaw pressed towards the fixed jaw, locking
them so that the grip on the rope or string cannot be slackened by any jolting or
vibration of the wagon or other vehicle. The long arm or handle is provided with
a small lug at or near the point at which the catch is hinged to the handle, so that
the catch cannot be thrown over so far as to fall away from the above mentioned
teeth, but such catch always tends to fall towards and engage with said teeth, unless
purposely held out of action. A stop tooth on the opposite side of the back plate
prevents the handle being thrown so far back, that it or the catch are in the way
of the insertion of the rope or string.
The front face of the fixed jaw is also preferably provided with a lip, or
formed along the inner edge as a lip, so as to overlap the moveable jaw slightly
when the string is gripped, whereby the before mentioned pin or stud is relieved
from any bending strain, and the opposite faces of the jaws are kept in line or fairly
set opposite each other.
The upper end of the two jaws is bevelled off at the inner concave edges, so that
the opening at this place is bell-mouthed; which allows of the rope being brought
in any 'direction to the top of the jaws without liability of the string chafing or
wearing against the upper edge of the jaws. This further enables the attendant to
obtain a "purchase" for tightening down the sheet or cover.
And in order that my invention and the manner in which the same is to he
performed may be more readily and clearly understood, I have annexed hereto the
accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 is a section of one of my
improved string fasteners.
a is the back plate, which is secured to the side of the wagon frame by coach
screws or bolts b, b. c is the fixed jaw, cast in one piece with the back plate a, and
standing out from the same as shewn most clearly in Fig. 3. dfis the double
armed lever, hinged on the stud or pin e, which is screwed into and rivetted to the
back plate a. The short arm f of the lever d f is formed as a jaw facing the fixed
jaw c.
Both jaws are curved eccentrically with respect to the stud or pin e, so that
any movement of the jaw handle d in the direction of the arrow, brings the jaws
together to grip the rope between them; whilst a movement in the opposite
direction opens out the jaws, so that the rope can be inserted sideways or withdrawn
sideways from between them.
These
g and are two catches hinged on the pin i, secured to the handle d.
catches engaging with the teeth n formed on the back plate a, prevent as above
described any possibility of the cover string working loose between the two jaws c
and f. Two catches 9 and h, or only one catch may be employed; the use of two
catches serving to give the effect of halving the pitch of the teeth n.
m is a single tooth formed on the opposite side of the back plate a, with which
the catch or catches 9 and h, or other projection attached to the handle d, engages,
to prevent the handle d and jaw being thrown over too far when inserting or
withdrawing the string between or from the jaws.
o is the lip above referred to for preventing any undue strain being thrown on
the stud e, and for keeping both jaws in line or truly facing each other.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of another design of my improved string fastener, in
which the catch h hangs downwards from the handle, so that only one movement is
required to withdraw the catch h and throw up the handle d. In this fig. the
same reference letters are used to indicate the same or similar parts as in
Figs. 1 to 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination of the back plate a provided with a fixed curved jaw c, and
a hinged moveable curved jaw f provided with a handle d and centered on a pin or

page_text: stud e secured in said back plate, the curve of the moveable jaw or of both jaws being
eccentric to the pin e, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. The combination of a back plate a provided with teeth n, a fixed curved
jaw c, a hinged moveable curved jaw f, provided with a handle d having a catch or
catches g and engaging with said teeth n, the moveable or both jaws being
curved eccentrically with respect to the centre about which the moveable jaw is
hinged, all substantially as and for the purpose or purposes herein set forth.
3. The improved cover-string fastener for wagons and other vehicles constructed
substantially as herein set forth and illustrated.
Dated this 26th day of September 1894.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicant.