IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES."-A communication from
abroad by Thomas Clare Hargrave, of Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
Sealed the 5th September 1868, and dated the 13th July 1868.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 13th July 1868, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY CARRIAGES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent
for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been

page_text: communicated to me from abroad by Thomas Clare Hargrave, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings making
part of this Specification.
The object of this Invention is to diminish the resistance to the
draught of railway carriages, and the said Invention consists, firstly, in
a novel means of applying the power to the wheels near to their
peripheries, thus increasing the leverage and reducing in a corresponding
degree the amount of power required to move the load.
Figure 1 is a plan of the truck and wheels of a railroad carriage
having my improvements applied thereto; Figure 2 is a side elevation of
the same; Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line y, y, Figure 1; Figures 5 and 6
are detached portions in perspective; Figures 7 and 8 illustrate modifi-
cations of my Invention.
In the said Figures A represents the truck of a railway carriage;
B, B, B, B, the wheels, each pair of which is connected together by a
hollow axle C, through which passes an axle D. The journals of this
axle carry the weight and run in suitable boxes b, secured to the truck A;
E, E, are two circular plates which are firmly secured to the ends of the
axle D, and are each provided with a flange c, which fits over a flange d
on the outer side of the wheels B. The diameter of the flange c of each
plate E is greater than that of the flange d to allow of considerable play
between the two, the diameter of the axle D being much less than that
of the interior of the axle C, so that the former cannot come into contact
with the latter. When the plate E is in place upon the wheel B the
flange c touches the flange d at one point (19) only (as seen in
Figure 4), to which point the weight of the load is transmitted from the
axle D through the plate E, and it will thus be seen that the power is
applied to the wheel B at this point (19) only, whereby a leverage is
obtained equal to the distance from the centre of the axle D to the
point 19, and the amount of power required to move the load is thus
correspondingly diminished. The difference in the diameters of the
plate E and the flange d of the wheel B causes the latter to revolve

page_text: faster than the former as it rolls around, and in order to prevent
unnecessary friction between the two the face 20 of the flange c is kept
from hearing against the wheel B by means of a shoulder f on the
inside of the plate E, against which the outer face of the flange d bears.
The difference however in the diameters of the plate E and the flange d
causes the latter to bear against the shoulder f for a short distance only,
as seen in Figure 3, whereby much less friction is created than would be
the case if the face 20 of the flange c came into contact with the
wheel B. Other devices may be employed however for this purpose
instead of that above desoribed; for instance, the flange c may be curved
or turned over to form a lip e which will fit into a groove in the
flange d, as seen in Figure 7, this device also serving to prevent lateral
vibration.
By reference to Figure 4 it will be seen that the weight of the load is
suspended from the point 19 in a manner similar to a pendulum, and
that the application of the power to the axle D will tend to carry it
forward in the line of the draught in advance of the point 19 as shewn
by red lines, and in order that the load may recover its equilibrium the
centre of gravity must advance as the axle continues to be moved
forward, the action of the plate E upon the flange d of the wheel R
when the carriage is in motion being similar to that exerted by a body
in rolling down an inclined plane. This vibration of the truck on the
point 19 as a centre causes the load to start gradually and easily when
the power is applied, and prevents the unpleasant jerking experienced in
carriages as at present constructed. If desired a band of rubber or
other elastic substance may he placed around the flange d for the flange c
to rest on, as seen in Figure 8, thus insuring elasticity and additional
traction at the point desired.
The second part of my Invention consists in the combination of two
wheels of different diameters, one running upon a flange or rim on the
other, the smaller wheel carrying the load or weight, while the larger
one acts as a lever to propel the smaller one by raising it and causing it
to move forward. The flange or rim of the larger wheel forms an
inclined plane down which the smaller wheel carrying the load is caused
to run by the force of gravitation.
Figure 9 is a plan of a railway carriage having my improvements
applied thereto; Figure 10 is a side elevation of the same; Figure 11 is
a longitudinal vertical section on the line x', x', Figure 9; Figure 12 is

page_text: a longitudinal vertical section on the line y', y', Figure 9; Figure 13 is
a transverse vertical section on the line 2, 2, Figure 9; Figure 14 is a
modification of my Invention to be referred to hereafter.
A', A', A', A', represent the carriage wheels, the axles a¹ of which run
in boxes 6' secured to a truck frame B', to which the draught is applied
at c'. Each of the wheels A' is provided with a flange or rim d¹ on
its inner side, upon which rests an auxiliary wheel C₁ of smaller diameter.
The axles e' of the wheels C¹ run in boxes f, which slide in pedestals g'
secured to a truck frame D', the weight of the load being thus supported
by the wheels C₁ which rest as before stated upon the rims d' of the
wheels A. The pedestals g' are provided with openings h³ for the
passage of the axles a', the size of the openings being sufficient to allow
the axles to vibrate freely to a considerable extent, as seen in Figure 12.
When the truck B' is moved forward by power applied at c¹ the smaller
wheels C' which carry the load are forced up the inclines formed by the
curved rims d¹ of the wheels A', as seen in Figure 12, the action of the
large wheels upon the smaller ones C¹ being similar to that produced by
a "pinch bar" when placed beneath a wheel to pry it forward. The
load is raised in both cases on an incline, so that its tendency is to run
forward until it regains its original position. Thus, as the truck B¹ is
moved forward the load is being continually raised on an inclined plane
down which it is caused to run by the force of gravitation, while a con-
tinuous action in the direction of the line of the draught is exerted
upon the wheels C' by the rims d¹ of the large wheels A¹. This action
tends to diminish the resistance to the draught and consequently the
amount of power required to move the carriage. Instead of the parts
being arranged as above described the axles of the large wheels A' might
be made hollow, the axles e' of the smaller wheels being made to pass
through them, in which case the wheels C' would be made of larger
diameter and be placed upon the outer side of the large wheels A', as
seen in Figure 14. The flange or rim whereon the smaller wheel rests
is in this arrangement upon the outside instead of upon the inside of the
larger wheel as first described. The above-described construction of parts
causes the load to start gradually and easily when the power is applied
and prevents the unpleasant jerking experienced in carriages as at
present constructed.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice,-

page_text: I claim the within-described carriage wheel represented in Figures 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, with its plate and axles constructed and operating
substantially as set forth.
I also claim the combination of the wheels A' and C¹ when arranged
to operate together, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
THO. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.