IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE WHEELS OF TRAM CARS AND VEHICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Perrett, of 8, Victoria Chambers, in the City of
Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
ARRANGEMENT OF THE WHEELS OF TRAM CARS AND VEHICLES."
Sealed the OLL A 1810
Intel td Ontah 1050
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Perrett at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd October 1878.
EDWARD PERRETT, of 8, Victoria Chambers, in the City of Westminster. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE WHEELS OF TRAM
CARS AND VEHICLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of the wheels of tram cars and vehicles, and relates to the arrangement of
the wheel base of tram cars or similar vehicles, and also to arrangements of the
wheels which will enable the carriage to run with equal facility upon edge or tram
rails, or upon common roads.
When it is desirable that tram cars or similar 4-wheeled vehicles should have an
extended wheel base and yet be able to pass easily round curves I place a pair of
wheels towards each end of the vehicle on an axle carried in a swinging frame
pivotted somewhere between the axle and the centre of the vehicle, but provided
with means of fixing it to the vehicle. To either of these swinging frames I attach
the horses or other hauling power by means of a pole projecting to the end of the
vehicle or in other equivalent manner.
When running the front pair is left free to assume a radial position to any curve
on which the car may be. The guiding flange to each wheel necessary when the
vehicle is running upon rails is a separate and distinct construction placed upon the
back of the plain wheel where the ordinary flange is placed, and capable of sliding
Din 477

page_text: upon the back of the plain wheel when such motion is necessary, so by its projection
to form a flange on the plain wheel when used on rails, or by its withdrawal to
leave the surface of the plain wheel free to roll upon the common road.
I will describe three methods by which the desired object may be obtained, one
for cases in which the axles of the carriage are fixed, and two for cases in which
the axles revolve.
When the axle is fixed and the plain wheel revolves loosely upon the axle I fix
upon the axle a small eccentric or similar contrivance; upon this eccentric I placo
another eccentric controlled and held in position by a lever or other means; this
outer eccentric is so formed that when in one position its circumference is eccentric
to the fixed axle, and when placed in another postion its eccentricity neutralizes
the eccentricity of the inner eccentric, and the exterior surface of the outer eccentric
becomes concentric with the axle. The flange, which may be a plate or ring in one
or more parts with suitable arms, is connected to the wheel by bolts in loose holes
or other contrivances, so that whilst firmly fixed to the wheel, so far as lateral
movement is concerned, the disc is capable of a sliding movement across the wheel
when necessary. The disc is of rather larger diameter than the body of the wheel
and projects beyond it so as to form a flange, and the disc is bored out to receive
the outer eccentric previously described. When running upon rails, the eccentrics
being placed in opposition and thus neutralizing each other, the wheel and disc
move round together with equal angular motion.
When the eccentrics are placed in conjunction the flange or disc projects beyond
the wheel only on the upper side, leaving the plain body of the wheel to run upon
the road. This placing of the eccentrics in conjunction or opposition may be
effected by moving the exterior eccentric by a lever, rack, or other means, or it may
be effected by turning the axle itself on which the inner eccentric is fixed.
When the axle revolves the inner eccentric is bored out and is loose upon the
axle, but it is prevented from turning round with the axle by a stop or lever fixed
to the axle box or any other stationary part of the vehicle, and the action is then
as described for the fixed axle, i.e., by moving the outer eccentric so as to bring it
eccentric or concentric with the axle, and thus control the flange.
In some cases where the axle revolves, and where there are external axle boxes,
the internal eccentric may be kept in position by being connected by a tube over
the axle with the corresponding eccentric of the other wheel on the same axle, this
tube may be held in position, or moved by a worm wheel and screw, or by a rack
or lever, as may be convenient.
By these means a car capable of running and turning on a common road, as well
as upon a tram or edge railway, can be constructed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Perrett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st April
1879.
"IM-
EDWARD PERRETT, of 8, Victoria Chambers, in the City of Westminster.
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE WHEELS OF TRAM
CARS AND VEHICLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of the wheels of tram cars and vehicles, and relates to the arrangement of
the wheel base of tram cars or similar vehicles, and also to arrangements of the
wheels which will enable the carriages to run with equal facility upon edge or tram
rails, or upon common roads.
When it is desirable that tram cars or similar four-wheeled vehicles should have
an extended wheel base and yet be able to pass easily round curves, I place a pair
of wheels towards each end of the vehicle on an axle carried in a swinging frame
pivotted somewhere between the axle and the centre of the vehicle, but provided
with means of fixing it to the vehicle. To either of these swinging frames I attach
the horses or other hauling power by means of a pole projecting to the end of the
vehicle or in other equivalent manner. When running the front pair is left free to
assume a radial position to any curve on which the car may be.
This part of my Invention is illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed
Drawings, which shew the bed frame and the wheels and other parts beneath the
bed frame of a tram car or similar vehicle.
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 is a plan. a, a, is the bed frame; b, b, are
swinging frames carrying the axles c, c; d, d, are pivots connecting the frames b, b,
with the bed frame, and the swinging frames are, as is shown, so formed as to give
a steady support to the bed frame; e, e, are the poles to which the horses or hauling
power is attached; they are fixed to and form part of the swinging frames b, b;
ff, are pins by means of which the swinging frames can at pleasure be made fast
to the bed frame.
The car or vehicle can travel either end foremost. The pin f in front is with-
drawn to set free the frame b to which the horse or draft power is attached, but the
hinder frame b is locked fast.
Another part of my Invention relates to the wheels of vehicles required to run
at sometimes upon rails and at other times upon the common road.
It will be observed that the leading frame b is to some extent controlled and
guided by the draft, and so the wheels are led into any curve they are desired to
take. It is obvious that for a vehicle intended to travel only in one direction the
hinder axle may be fixed in relation to the bed frame.
The guiding flange to each wheel, necessary when the vehicle is running upon
rails, is a separate and distinct construction placed upon the back of the plain wheel
and capable of sliding upon the back of the plain wheel when such motion is
necessary, so as by its projection to form a flange on the plain wheel when used on
rails, or by its withdrawal to leave the surface of the plain wheel free to roll upon
the common road.
I will describe three methods by which the desired object may be obtained, one
for cases in which the axles of the carriage are fixed, and two for cases in which
the axles revolve.
When the axle is fixed and the plain wheel revolves loosely upon the axle I fix
upon the axle a small eccentric or similar contrivance; upon this eccentric I place
another eccentric controlled and held in position by a lever or other means.
This
outer eccentric is so formed that when in one position relatively to the small inner
eccentric its circumference is eccentric to the fixed axle, and when placed in another.

page_text: position its eccentricity neutralizes the eccentricity of the inner eccentric and the
exterior surface of the outer eccentric becomes concentric with the axle. The
flange, which may be a plate or ring in one or more parts with suitable arms, is
connected to the wheel by bolts in loose holes or other contrivances, so that whilst
firmly fixed to the wheel so far as lateral movement is concerned the disc is capable
of a sliding movement across the wheel when necessary. The disc is of rather
larger diameter than the body of the wheel, and projects beyond it so as to form a
flange, and the disc is bored out to receive the outer eccentric previously described.
When running upon rails, the eccentrics being placed in opposition and thus
neutralizing each other, the wheel and disc move round together with equal angular
motion. When the eccentrics are placed in conjunction the flange or disc projects
beyond the wheel only on the upper side, leaving the plain body of the wheel to
run upon the road. This placing of the eccentrics in conjunction or opposition may
be effected by moving the exterior eccentric by a lever, rack, or other means; or it
inay be effected by turning the axle itself on which the inner eccentric is fixed.
This part of my Invention is illustrated by the Figures 3 and 4, which show the
wheel as applied to a fixed axle, or rather to an axlo which does not revolve when
the car or vehicle is in motion; Figure 3 is an elevation of the wheel on the inner
or flange side; Figure 4 is a transverse section.
a is the axle; b is the inner eccentric fixed upon it; c is the outer eccentric kept
in position by the lever & which is held by some fixed part; e is the loose plate
forming the flange; ƒ, ƒ, are the bolts holding the flange and wheel g together; his
the bearing block on which rest the springs for supporting the body of the car or
vehicle; is a pin passed through the axle to hold it in either of the two positions
required; k is a square on the end of the axle by which it can be turned to project
or withdraw the flange, as desired. The axle may be provided with a chain wheel
and chain or other contrivance to turn it in the bearing blocks, so that it may be
under the control of the driver.
To adapt the wheel to a rotating axle I modify the arrangement shewn in
Figures 3 and 4 in the following manner :-
When the axle revolves the inner eccentric is bored out and is loose upon the
axle, but it is prevented from turning round with the axle by a stop or lever fixed
to the axle box or any other stationary part of the vehicle.
Where the axle boxes are inside this connection is readily made with them. The
action is then as described for the fixed axle, i.e., by moving the outer eccentric so
as to bring it eccentric or concentric with the axle it is made to control the flange.
Another arrangement applicable to a revolving axle is as follows:-
In some cases where the axle revolves and where there are external axle boxes
the internal eccentric may be kept in position by being connected by a tube over
the axle with the corresponding eccentric of the other wheel on the same axle;
this tube may be held in position or moved by a worm wheel and screw, or by a
rack or lever, as may be convenient.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate this arrangement; Figure 5 is an elevation of the
wheel from the inner or flange side, and Figure 6 is a transverse section.
is the axle; bis the inner eccentric loose on a, but held in position by the
tube ; c is the outer eccentric kept in position by the lever d; e is the loose plate
forming the flange; ff, are the bolts holding the flange and wheel g together; lis
the tube over the axle connecting the two inner eccentrics, and having a chain
wheel m upon it with chain and handle under the control of the driver.
By these means a car capable of running and turning on a common road, as well
as upon a tram or edge railway, can be constructed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The construction of four-wheeled vehicles with axles carried upon frames
pivotted to the bed frame in rear of the axle and arranged for the attachment of a
horse or other hauling power, substantially as described.

page_text: Second. The construction of wheels with a separate flange which can be projected
below the lower part of the wheel or withdrawn, as desired, by means of two
eccentrics operating substantially as described.
.
Third. The arrangements of apparatus, substantially as herein described, and
represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Perrett, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
E
E. PERRETT
L.S.)