Improvements in Car Fenders and Road Sweepers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1994-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
Improvements in Car Fenders and Road Sweepers.
I, WILLIAM HOFMEISTER of No. 231 East Tenth Street, New York City, in
the County of New York, State of New York, United States of America, Stamper,
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 car fenders, and has for its object to provide a simple,
cheap, readily constructed and perfectly operating device of this character, which
will present a soft surface to the person deposited therein, and collapse beneath
his weight to form a repository, which will strike the body with a yielding impact;
and which will brush off all small obstructions and prevent small children from
being caught thereunder.
The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts
hereinafter fully described.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the forward end of a car having attached
thereto a fender embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the car, and longitudinal vertical section through
the centre of the fender.
In the practice of my invention, I secure to the dash-board supporting rods A' of
the car A at each side, loops or sleeves a, connected by standards b, from the top
of which I suspend frames B substantially triangular in form and bolted to said
standards by means of a bolt c extending therethrough and through a brace c¹ upon
the top of the frames B.
These frames B are open throughout and provided with vertical bars d extending
from top to bottom of the same and are connected at the rear by means of a cross
bar B', and a base plate B2 extending across the bottom thereof. At the front of
the frames are formed forwardly ranging extensions B³ having strengthening
braces or bindings C upon the upper and under faces thereof, which said braces
project beyond the front of the extensions to form slots C¹ in which are mounted
the trunnions D' of a rubber or other roller D.
Immediately behind the roller D is a diagonally arranged brush E, the reduced
ends E' of which are slideably mounted in vertical slots E2 in the extensions B³, one
of which slots is near the front of the extension and the other near the rear of the
opposite extension.
Pivoted at the top of the frames B and at the forward ends thereof between
the same,
are shafts e and e¹ on which are mounted the upper and lower
sections and F1, which constitute the collapsable portion of the fender, said
sections being normally held together by means of a tongue franging longitudinally
along the upper edge of the section F', which enters a similar groove f' in the lower
edge of the section F.
Said sections are thus normally supported diagonally from or near the top of
the dash board A2 of the car approximately to the bottom thereof, in alignment
with the upper faces of the frames B; and upon these sections are placed flexible
fabrics or padded bodies G G¹ which may be either mattresses, blankets or of any
other desired material.
The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The car being

page_text: in motion, the roller D will engage the track or rest immediately above the same,
and the brush E contact with the ground and sweep off to one side all dirt, stones
or other small obstructions. And should the ground be irregular or the car
oscillate, the said roller and brush will yield vertically to accommodate themselves
thereto, and should such oscillation or irregularity be great, the sleeves a sliding
upon the dash board rods A' will permit the frames B to yield as well.
When the fender comes in contact with a body, the roller D revolving strikes
said body with but sufficient force to trip up the same, whereupon said body falls
against the blankets or mattresses G G, its weight forcing apart the sections F, F¹.
the latter dropping to an approximately horizontal position, or slightly lower, and
resting upon the plate B', whereby it forms a seat for said body, and the section F
dropping to the vertical position and forming a back therefor. Thus all danger
to life or limb is prevented.
The advantages resultant from the use of this invention will be manifest to all
who are conversant with the general class of devices to which the same appertains.
I do not confine myself to the exact formation of parts or details of construction
herein set forth and illustrated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A car fender comprising a collapsable body supported in front of the car-
platform, and having rigid frames at either side thereof, and padded material
upon said collapsable body, substantially as shown and described.
2. A car fender comprising approximately triangular frames supported at each
side thereof in front of the car-platform, sections pivoted between said frames at
the top and bottom, normally held together to range diagonally downward upon a
common plane, and adapted when borne upon to separate and collapse, and a
support or base connecting the frames at the bottom and adapted to receive the
sections thereon when the same collapse, substantially as shown and described.
3. A car fender comprising a collapsable frame secured in front of the car-platform,
a roller journaled in the front thereof, and a brush mounted behind said roller, both
the said roller and brush being vertically yielding with respect to said fender,
substantially as shown and described.
4. A car fender comprising two frames secured to the dash-board supporting bars
of the car, and having forward extensions in which are mounted a roller and a
brush, sections pivoted between the top and bottom of the frames held together by
a tongue and groove connection, and adapted when borne upon to collapse, and
flexible material laid upon said sections, substantially as shown and described.
5. A car fender comprising two approximately triangular frames secured to the
dash-board supporting hars of the car, connected by a base plate and having
forwardly projecting extensions in which are yieldingly mounted a roller and a
diagonal brush, sections pivoted between the top and bottom of the frames, held
together by a tongue and groove connection in a common diagonal plane, and
adapted when borne upon to separate, and the lower section fall to the horizontal
position by gravity, and the upper section to the vertical position and pads or
blankets laid upon and secured to cach section, substantially as shown and
described.
6. A car fender comprising standards having sleeves thereon which slide upon
the dash-board supporting bars of the car at each side, approximately triangular
open frames bolted to the said standards and having vertical bars extending from
top to bottom of said frames, a cross bar connecting said frames at the rear, and a
base plate secured between the same, forwardly ranging extensions upon said frames
having diagonally opposite slots therein in which is mounted a brush to be upwardly
yielding, braces surrounding the extensions upon their upper and lower faces and
projecting in front of the same to form slots, in which is journaled a rubber
roller, rigid sections pivoted between the frames at the top and at the forward

page_text: ends thereof, having a longitudinal tongue and longitudinal groove respectively at
their points of junction, whereby they are normally maintained in a common
diagonal plane, and when borne upon will swing or collapse to the horizontal and
vertical positions respectively, and padded bodies resting upon and secured to said
sections, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.