Improvements in Guards for Electric Tram Cars and other Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1900-Accepted, 14th July,
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Guards for Electric Tram Cars and other Tramway
Vehicles.
I, JAMES TIDSWELL, of 75, Bismark Street, West Bowling, in the City of
Bradford, Tramway Engine Driver, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in guards for electric tram cars and
other tramway vehicles, and its object is to provide a simple and efficient means
to prevent the car from running over any one caught in its track.
For this purpose I employ a guard pivoted at its inner end and normally
supported in an approximately horizontal position a suitable distance above the
track by a catch or detent. This catch or detent may consist of a bell crank
lever pivoted to the car and connected by a rod to a vertical arm on the guard.
This lever is held in position to hold the guard up by means of a suitable catch
lever one arm of which engages the bell crank lever and the other arm is
connected to a feeler loosely swinging down across the vehicle in front of the
guard.
In case of the vehicle meeting with any obstruction on the track this feeler
is pushed inwards thus releasing the guard and the front edge falling down onto
the track lifts the obstruction and prevents the vehicle passing over it. Springs
may be provided to insure the guard falling instantaneously when released.
The bell crank lever as well as the catch lever are arranged conveniently near
the driver's foot so that the guard can be readily released by him or lifted back
into position without leaving the car.
An anti-friction roller may be provided on or both of the engaging faces of
the bell-crank lever and catch lever so that they disengage with a minimumi
amount of friction.
Dated this 12th day of September 1899
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Patent Agents, Bradford.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Guards for Electric Tram Cars and other Tramway
Vehicles.
I, JAMES TIDSWELL, of 75, Bismark Street, West Bowling, in the City of
Bradford, Tramway Engine Driver, 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: -
This invention relates to improvements in guards for electric tram cars and
other tramway vehicles and its object is to provide a simple and efficient means
to prevent the car from running over any one caught in its track.
For this purpose I employ a guard pivoted at its inner end and normally

page_text: supported in an approximately horizontal position a suitable distance above the
track by a catch or detent. This catch or detent may consist of a bell crank
lever pivoted to the car and connected by a rod to a vertical arm on the guard.
This fever is held in position to hold the guard up by means of a suitable catch
lever one arm of which engages the bell crank lever and the other arm is
connected to a feeler loosely swinging down across the vehicle in front of the
guard.
In case of the vehicle meeting with any obstruction on the track this feeler
is pushed inwards thus releasing the guard and the front edge falling down onto
the track lifts the obstruction and prevents the vehicle passing over it.
To fully describe my invention, reference is made to the accompanying sheet
of drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of
reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the views.
Figure 1, is a side elevation partly in section of such parts of a tram-car as are
necessary to show my improvements.
Figure 2, is an end view of the same.
Figure 3, is a sectional plan view of part of Figure 1 with the foot-board broken
away in places to show the parts beneath in full.
The
The guard 2 is pivoted by the rod 3 at the inner end between the lugs 4, 4
on the end cross piece of the frame-work 6 of the car. The upright arm 8
on the guard is coupled by the rod 9 to the arm 10 of the bell-crank lever 12
pivoted by the pin 13 to the lugs 14 secured to the platform 15 of the car.
other arm 16 of the lever 12 projects beneath the head 17 of the catch lever 18
pivoted by the pin 19 to the lugs 20 secured to the other side of the platform.
The other arm 22 of the catch lever extends downwards and is connected by the
rod 24 to the feeler 25 hinged by the hinges 26 to the front of the underside of
the platform.
it will be evident that if the feeler meets any obstacle in the path of the car
it will be swung inward thus releasing the lever 12 from the head 17 and
thereby allow the front edge of the guard 2 to fall onto the track. In this
position the guard will keep said object clear of the wheels of the car by either
scooping it up or forcing it along the track.
To restore the guard to its normal position it is simply necessary to press
the arm 16 of the lever 12 down until its end again passes beneath the head 17.
A spring 30 (Figure 1) stretching between the top of the arm 8 and the fixed
dug 31 is preferably provided to assist in forcing the guard down when it is
required in action.
in order that the driver may bring the guard into its acting position before
the obstacle meets the feeler the lever 40 pivoted between the lugs 41 is provided.
This lever has an arm 42 in convenient reach of the driver's foot and its other
arm 44 extends down in front of the stud 45 projecting from the rod 24. It
is therefore simply necessary for the driver to depress the arm 42 to instan-
taneously put the guard into action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
The combination with the feeler 25 and the guard 2 of the means for raising
and lowering the latter, all arranged and operating substantially as herein shown
and described.
Dated this 11th day of June 1900
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Patent Agents, Bradford.