Improved Means and Apparatus for Washing Railway and other like Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Washing Railway and other like
Vehicles.
I, CHARLES ALEXANDER WHEELER, of 14, Harley Road, Willesden, County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention has for object, washing the sides of railway carriages, railway
covered vans, and like vehicles mechanically.
on
To carry my invention into practice, I mount on suitable staging or
of the
or
vehicle to be
vehicles capable of being moved along,
washed being moved, revolving brushes and water sprinklers, so arranged
that they can be caused to approach and the brushes be put into
contact by hand levers, the brushes and in
some cases the sprinklers
also having an up and down motion, or be set at an angle to ensure
all parts of the vehicle's sides being washed from the roof caves to the bottom
side frame or frames, if the apparatus be in duplicate.
To carry my invention into use, say, at a railway siding and under cover, I
secure a skeleton frame on a staging and by over head gear of rope or the like,
I cause brushes vertically set to pulleys to rotate, the brushes being shielded by
screens to which water spraying nozzles or jets are arranged preferably at or near
the upper part, so that the spray water can trickle down the side of the vehicle
simultaneously with the revolving of the brush or brushes, the shaft or shafts of
which are so fitted that by hand levers, either of them can be put in touch with
the vehicle to any degree of pressure and also have an up and down motion by foot
spuds under the control of an attendant.
The vertically arranged brush or brushes can also be set at an angle for acting
against the lower curve of the side body of the vehicle, the shaft of each vertical
brush being, so to speak, suspended and guidable in a foot plate in which the lower
end can be slid a short distance.
In conjunction or alone, particularly for the upper part of the vehicle, the
brush or brushes can be arranged horizontally, and by a hand lever it can be
swung and be caused to bear close up under the roof eaves and well into the louvre
ventilator strips, the brush lever and its bearer having an up and down and
sideways travelling motion in addition to the swing motion, the screen of this
brush having also the water nozzles or jets for spraying purposes.
The water for both sets of brushes, if both sets be fitted, may be supplied under
pressure from a head or force, or from different supplies, and one supply may be
soapy or of some cleansing liquid, and the other or others of clear water according
to the number of brushes fitted and the way they are arranged.
The vehicle can be moved to and fro singly, or a train of vehicles with all the
windows closed can be passed in and out of the siding and can be washed, say,
with the soapy or rough cleansing liquid while passing in, and by the attendant
shifting the taps, they can be rinsed by the clear water on the return,

page_text: The spray nozzles or jets are connected by flexible hose piping to the chief
supply.
If the brush shafts be provided with reverse clutches, they can be rotated in
either direction and be changed as desired.
The spray of rough cleansing liquid may be sparingly used, such as for attacking
the dirt which a stronger flood of clear water can wash off by aid of the second or
third set of brushes.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London.
Agent for the said C. A. Wheeler.
CUMI 172.17.1. 17
Improved Means and Apparatus for Washing Railway and other like
Vehicles.
I, CHARLES ALEXANDER WHEELER, of 14, Harley Road, Willesden, County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention has for object, washing the sides of railway carriages, railway
covered vans, and like vehicles mechanically.
To carry my invention into practice, I mount on suitable staging revolving
brushes and water sprinklers, so arranged that they can be caused to approach
and the brushes be put into contact by hand levers, the brushes and in some cases
the sprinklers also having an up and down motion, or be set at an angle to ensure
all parts of the vehicle's sides being washed from the roof eaves to the bottom side
frame or frames if the apparatus be in duplicate.
To carry my invention into use, say, at a railway siding and under cover. I
secure a skeleton frame on a staging and by overhead gear of rope or the like,
I cause brushes vertically set to pulleys to rotate, the brushes being shielded by
screens to which water spraying nozzles or jets are arranged, so that the spray
water can be sprayed on to the sides of the vehicle simultaneously with the
revolving of the brushes, the shafts of which are so fitted that by hand levers,
either of them can be put in touch with the vehicle to any degree of pressure.
The water for both sets of brushes, if both sets be fitted, may be supplied under
pressure from a head or force, or from different supplies, and one supply may be
soapy or of some cleansing liquid, and the other or others of clear water according
to the number of brushes fitted and the way they are arranged.
The vehicle can be moved along singly, or a train of vehicles with all the win-
dows closed can be passed in and out of the siding and can be washed, say, with
scany or rough cleansing liquid while passing in, and by the attendant shifting
the taps they can be rinsed by the clear water by the following brush.
The spray nozzles or jets are connected by flexible hose piping to the chief
supply.
If the brush shafts be provided with reverse clutches, they can be rotated in
either direction and be changed as desired.
My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 end elevation of two platforms on which my apparatus in duplicate
is represented as for washing the sides of a railway carriage, the mechanical cleans-
ing appliances being revolving brushes having a side swing action under the care

page_text: of attendants operating hand levers. The invention therein consists of vertical
brushes A on shafts B, B, held by links C, C to pivotted shafts D, D, stepped at
the lower ends into sockets E, E, affixed in the platforms F, F, and at the upper
ends in sockets G, G, of a cross beam H. The shafts D) are under control of the
hand levers I, I, for forcing the brushes A, A, into cleansing action with the sides
of the carriage J as indicated or be swung sideways right or left by attendants,
the brushes being revolved by chain gear from some prime mover.
The end elevation shows pulleys K, K, on the shafts B, B, being driven by
chains L, L, over pulleys M, M, running loosely on the shafts 1, 1), said
pulleys M, M, being coupled to other pulleys N, N, which can be driven by any
desired means for transmitting the motion to the brushes A, A.
The shafts D, D, by straps P, P, support screens or shields Q, Q, which partially
surround the brushes A, A, as on the left hand side of the figure, the screens or
shields Q, Q, having water pipes R, R, vertically arranged at their edges and
perforated for spraying water on to the carriage in advance of the brushes A, A,
as the carriage is being pushed or drawn along on the rails S, S, such as under
a shed in which the washing apparatus is fitted.
The vertical pipes R, R, have bends T, T, at the top, and each bend has a tap
for opening or closing as desired, if both taps of each apparatus be "on," the water
from the leading vertical pipe will wet the side of the carriage, then the operation
of the brushes A, A, will shift the dirt which the following spray will wash down
as the carriage passes slowly along. In the majority of cases however, the advance
spray will be sufficient for the brushes to remove the dirt and leave the carriage
sides sufficiently clean, the dirt being of a light adhesive dust like character,
the reverse of mud such as is found on common road vehicles.
The water supply may be from one main such as at U, U, governable by the
tap V, or in cases where two waters, one soapy and the other plain, two supply
pipes can be arranged so that the soapy water (warm or cold) can be first sprayed
on, then the brushes, and finally the clear water for removing off the dirt.
The swing-brush apparatus, as explained, is particularly applicable for carriages
having guards projecting sight boxes, which brush when the carriage moves
forward or backwards can be pushed by the side swing out of the way and so pre-
vent the brush being injured without reference to any action on the part of an
attendant.
Figure 2 represents on the right hand portion and Figure 3 separate plan, a
short length of revolving brush A with side swing action on the shaft D and pro-
vided with perforated water pipes T in a similar manner to the brushes previously
described, said brushes and shafts B, D, being suspended from the bracket W
affixed to the cross beams H, H, and controlled for side swing action against the
upper part of the outside body of the railway carriage and the windows therenf
by the hand lever I as before described.
The left hand side of Figure 2 has a repeat of the brushes referred to at Figure 1
with this exception, instead of a side swing motion being imparted the brush A
is drawn to and fro by the hand lever I, the shaft B being slidable with the
sockets E, G, in slotted plates X and bracket W by the links C, C, connected to
the shaft D which has a swing motion imparted by the hand lever I, to which
shaft D the lugs Y, Y, are rigidly fixed, the screen Q moving to and fro with the
brush A and also the perforated water pipes as part thereof.
This brush A is revolved from the pulley K in a way before mentioned, and
in addition to the revolving action it has an up and down motion imparted to it
by the cam 7 on the lower end of the shaft B riding on the vertically arranged
roller affixed on the sliding socket E.
In this case, the brush A is caused to approach and be in touch with the carriage,
only when the hand lever I is forced round with its shaft D¹, the brush A being
returned to its normal position by the return spring Z".
I have arranged the hand lever I with a loose snug, so that it
can be thrown to the right or to the left for engagement of the notches in the

page_text: snug a, said arrangement allowing the hand lever I to be lifted and turned inwards
clear of the path on the platform F.
This to and fro arrangement will be further understood by reference to the
plan view, Figure 4, in which I show one brush A in contact with the carriage J,
and one brush drawn back and away from the carriage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is: ---
1. Railway carriage washing apparatus, consisting of revolving brushes A,
screens Q vertical water spray pipes in combination and carried by shafts B, D,
and capable of side swing by band lever I, as set forth and shown.
2. Kailway carriage washing apparatus, consisting of revolving brushes A,
screens Q, and vertical water spray pipes in combination, and carried by
shafts B, D, and capable of reciprocation by hand lever I, as set forth and shown.
3. Railway carriage washing apparatus, consisting of combined up and down
and revolving brushes A, screens Q, and vertical water spray pipes arranged and
acting in the manner set forth, and as represented on the annexed drawings.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London.
Agent for the said Charles Alexander Wheeler.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London.
Agent for the said Charles Alexander Wheeler.