IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEELS OF BALLAST WAGGONS, TRUCKS, OR OTHER CARRIAGES, AND IN THE MEANS OF TRANSFERRING THEM FROM A LINE OF RAILWAY TO ENABLE THEM TO ASCEND INCLINED WIRE OR OTHER TRAMWAYS TO LINES OR TERMINI AT A HIGHER LEVEL
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Dence at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1878.
JOHN DENCE, of 28, Mark Lane, in the City of London, Consulting Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEELS OF BALLAST WAGGONS, TRUCKS, OR OTHER
CARRIAGES, AND IN THE MEANS OF TRANSFERRING THEM FROM A LINE OF RAILWAY
TO ENABLE THEM TO ASCEND INCLINED WIRE OR OTHER TRAMWAYS TO LINES OR
TERMINI AT A HIGHER LEVEL,"
This Invention relates to improvements in the wheels of carriages, ballast
waggons, or trucks (tipping or otherwise), arranged to travel either upon ordinary
rails or upon wire standing ropes, inclined or otherwise.
I place the inclined wire standing ropes close to the outside of the rails where
they are securely fixed or anchored. The waggons having combined flanged and
grooved wheels (which constitute one of the chief features of this Invention)
gradually and safely mount the inclined ropes, and are hauled to their destination.
The hauling rope is attached to suitable safety apparatus attached to the fore or
other part of the carriage, so that in case of the rope breaking the truck would
remain stationary, securely held to the inclined ropes by means of safety apparatus,
such as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, dated 16th
February 1876, No. 637, or other similar safety apparatus may be employed, thus
preventing the waggons running down the incline, and thereby avoiding injury to
persons and property. For this purpose, in carrying out my Invention, the body of
a truck or waggon of suitable size is hung upon trunnions (placed slightly above
the centre of gravity when loaded) on a frame of wood or metal provided with
suitable bearings for trunnions and axles of wheels.
The combined wheels are formed with an ordinary flange for running upon rails,
and with a groove on the side like a grooved pulley to run upon the inclined ropes
or other inclined surface, being thus adapted to run either on ordinary rails or wire
ropes.
The ends of the rails where they join or approach the ropes or incline are bent
and inclined upwards, so that the truck or waggon is gradually transferred from
one travelling surface to the other without sustaining any shock, and upon its

page_text: arrival at the upper level it may either continue to travel upon wire ropes, or be
shunted on to tramways, as may be required.
By this improved construction of the combined wheels, a waggon or truck is
capable of running safely on both rail, rope, or other incline, the safety apparatus
preventing accidents in ascending the incline. By this means the body of the
truck may be used as a waggon travelling on ordinary rails for ballast or other
purposes, as well as for the purpose of a skip, thereby saving the outlay of ordinary
ballast waggons and avoiding the necessity of discharging the trucks into their skips
for ascending inclines, thus reducing the cost of labour, and in the working of gold
or diamond mines or other valuable minerals, less risk is incurred from loss by theft
in transit.