Improvements in the Construction of Life Guards for Tramway and other Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1891-Accepted 30th May, 1891
COMPLETE DIEUIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Life Guards for Tramway and
other Engines.
We, ISAAC FITCHEW CUTTLER, and JOHN HENRY CUTTLER, both of
16 Blackburn Road, Darwen, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, and JOHN
GEORGE COOK, of 328 Blackburn Road, Darwen, aforesaid, Traffic 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:-
The object of our invention is the construction of an apparatus suitable for
attachment to the front of tramway and other engines, for the purpose of preventing
accidents by the automatic removal of anything bulky that may be laying on the
tramway track, in such a manner that, the wheels of the engine will not pass over
the same.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of the bottom section of a tramway
engine carriage with our improved apparatus attached thereto, a portion of the
carriage plate being cut away to show the attachment.
Fig. 2. is a plan of the same, and
Fig. 3. an enlarged detail of one of the brackets with the guard plate attached
thereto.
To the lower portion in front of the engine carriage frame, we secure two or
more brackets A. by bolts B. or other suitable means, and upon each of these
brackets A. we mount another bracket C. somewhat similar in construction and
attached to the former bracket by means of rod D. passing vertically through both
brackets as shown by Figs. 1 and 3. At the lower end of rod D. between the
flanges of the two brackets, is a collar D¹ upon which the bottom flange of
bracket C rests, and encircling the rod D is a spiral spring E. compressed between
the bottom flange of bracket C. and top flange of bracket A.
Upon the top of each rod D. we place two nuts N. and to the brackets C we
attach the life guard plate F. by any convenient means. On the plate F coming
in contact with any obstruction on the track, such as an extra high paving stone set
too high to allow the guard plate to pass over it freely, it would rise to a sufficient
height to allow the guard plate and engine to pass over the obstruction, the spiral
spring E being meanwhile in a state of further compression, but when the plate
clear of the obstruction, it resumes its normal position.
The life guard plate F can be adjusted to any convenient height with respect to
the road surface, by means of the nuts N. which, on being screwed down, the rod D.
raises the bracket C. and thereby the guard plate F. by means of collar D' on
underside of the bottom arm of bracket C. the upper arm of said bracket
sliding on boss G. of bracket A. thus by these means, the position of the guard
plate F. may be regulated to suit the surface of the road over which the engine is
to travel, so that the bottom edge thereof may pass over the surface at any distance
above same as may be desired, and yield when passing over slight projections, but
rigid should the guard plate come in contact with anything standing above the
lower edge of the plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
The combination of the brackets A and C with the rod D. spring E and guard

page_text: plate F. all arranged substantially in the manner shown and as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 20th dow of Anvil 1001
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.