IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR SHUNTING OR MOVING RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hamer, of Northwich, in the County of Chester,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR SHUNTING OR
MOVING RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hamer at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1878.
WILLIAM HAMER, of Northwich, in the County of Chester.
APPLIANCES FOR SHUNTING OR MOVING RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
For the purpose of this Invention I use a lever, the fulcrum of which is in or on
some fixed part of the carriage frame or parts connected therewith, such as the horn
plates of a railway or tram carriage.
A convenient way of carrying this Invention into effect is as follows:-I form
the fulcrum of the lever in or on a bracket or plate, which may be of wrought iron,
and has two claws which fit over one of the horn plates, one above and the other
below the carriage spring; this plate or bracket is removed by slightly raising it,
and then lifting the claws off the horn plate. To the end of the lever beyond the
fulcrum is jointed a swivelling link; to the lower pendant end of same is jointed a
clamp or gripper, which fits around the sides of the rim or tyre of the wheel.
The clamp may conveniently be made of round wrought iron, or it may be flat
and of cast or malleable cast iron.
The fulcrum may be formed in a chain or bar suspended from the framework of
the carriage.
The action of the appliance when placed on the horn plate or other portion of the
carriage frame is as follows:-On depressing the outer end of the lever the end on
the other side of the fulcrum is raised thereby, canting the clamp, the sides of which
thus jamb or gripe the sides of the rim or tyre, and on continuing the depression
the wheel is turned in a forward direction. On raising the lever the clamp becomes
loose, and can be let fall down a suitable distance for taking another bite.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Hamer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th January
1879.
.
WILLIAM HAMER, of Northwich, in the County of Chester.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPLIANCES FOR SHUNTING OR MOVING RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
For the purpose of this Invention I use a lever, the fulcrum of which is in or on
some fixed part of the carriage frame or parts connected therewith, such as the horn
plates of a railway or tram carriage.
4
A convenient way of carrying this Invention into effect is as follows:-I form
the fulcrum of the lever in or on a bracket or plate, which may be of wrought iron,
and has two claws which fit over one of the horn plates, one above and the other
below the carriage spring; this plate or bracket is removed by slightly raising it,
and then lifting the claws of the horn plate. To the end of the lever beyond the
fulcrum is jointed a swivelling link; to the lower pendant end of same is jointed a
clamp or gripper, which fits around the sides of the rim or tyre of the wheel.
The clamp may conveniently be made of round or flat wrought iron or steel, or
cast or malleable cast iron. I prefer steel because of the facility for giving it a
hardened wearing surface on the gripping parts.
The fulcrum may be formed in a chain or bar suspended from the framework of
the carriage.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shews an ordinary railway waggon fitted
with my improved shunting appliance; Figure 2 is a plan of the latter as applied
to a wheel and Figures 3, 4, and 5, are details of same.
a is a chain hooked on to a hook b, which is held by one of the bolts c for fas-
tening the horn plate d to the framing of the carriage. The chain a carries the
fulcrum e for the shunting lever f; to the lower end of the latter is jointed a clamp
or gripper g, which fits around the sides of the rim or tyre of the wheel j, and with
its rectangular shank fits easily in and through the joint piece k, which latter by a
bolt is jointed to and fits between the doubled end of the lever f, as shewn in
Figure 2. The clamp g is formed with a notch in the lower part of its shank, as
shewn in Figure 4. m is a ring or staple passed through the end of the shank of
the jawg to keep it from falling out of its place in the joint piece k. Figure 5 is a
side view of the latter and of the end of the shank of g.
The action of the appliance when placed on the horn plate d or other portion of
the carriage frame is as follows:-- -On depressing the outer end of the lever f the
end on the other side of the fulcrum is raised, thereby canting the clamp g, the
sides of which thus jamb or grip the sides of the rim or tyre j, and on continuing
the depression the wheel is turned in a forward direction. On raising the lever f
the clamp g becomes loose, and can be let fall down a suitable distance for taking
another bite.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this my Invention, I
declare that I claim, the application to a shunting lever suspended from the horn
plate or other convenient part of the carriage of a clamp for gripping the wheel
tyre, all substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hamer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
WILLIAM HAMER. (L.S.)