IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY GUARDS OR FENDERS FOR THE WHEELS OF LOCOMOTIVES, RAILWAY, TRAMWAY, AND COMMON ROAD VEHICLES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SAFETY GUARDS OR FENDERS FOR THE WHEELS OF LOCOMOTIVES,
RAILWAY, TRAMWAY, AND COMMON ROAD VEHICLES." A communication
from abroad by Francois Folacci, fils, of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY-GUARDS OR FENDERS FOR
THE WHEELS OF LOCOMOTIVES, RAILWAY, TRAMWAY, AND COMMON ROAD
VEHICLES." [A communication from abroad by Francois Folacci, fils, of Paris,
France.]
This Invention relates to improvements in guards or fenders for locomotives,
railway, and tramway carriages, and common road vehicles.
The improvements consist in the arrangement of the guards or fenders with
regard to the wheels, and also in the method of construction whereby the guards or
fenders are rendered stronger, less liable to injury, and capable of being raised clear
of any obstacle.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I have in the
accompanying Drawing illustrated some examples of the improved guards or
fenders. Figure 1 shows the guard or fender adapted to a locomotive; Figure 2
shows on a larger scale an elevation of a guard or fender adapted for an outside
cylinder locomotive; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the ordinary guard iron
of a locomotive modified so as to suit it for attaching the guard or fender, as shown
complete in Figure 4; Figure 5 is a plan view; and Figure 6 an elevation of the
fore axle of a common road vehicle provided with a pair of wheel guards or fenders
slightly differing one from the other.
These guards, shields, or fenders are generally intended to be employed in pairs,
in which case they would be of small size, but the arrangements hereinafter

page_text: described are also suitable for guards or fenders of large size extending across the
whole front of the vehicle, and applicable more particularly to tramway cars and
other vehicles of narrow gauge. The smaller guards, shields, or fenders may be
applied to locomotives and railway rolling stock, tramcars, omnibuses, and all
kinds of four and two wheeled vehicles.
The small guard, shield, or fender, for locomotives (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4) are mounted
on the guard irons a, which are for this purpose provided with two horizontal
arms b, b, either forged in one therewith or attached in any suitable manner
thereto. For carriages and other vehicles the guard, shield, or fender c is mounted
upon a hanger d from the axle e placed inside or outside the wheel, or it may be
fixed to any convenient part of the body of the vehicle, or may be otherwise
mounted. The guard, shield, or fender would be fixed in all cases to the axle or
axle box, and also to the fore carriage or footboard, in order to steady and keep it
in position so as not to interfere with the movements of the forecarriage and
wheels. The guard, shield, or fender c may be constructed either wholly or partly
of sheet iron, at the upper part f of wood, leather, or indiarubber, or it may be
formed of longitudinal and vertical lattice bars superposed the one on the other
and extending from the bottom to the top of the apparatus. The guard, shield, or
fender for the purpose of deadening the shock of anything striking it may also be
faced with oil cloth, leather, indiarubber, or plaited rope suitably attached, and
between this covering and the body of the fender it may be padded with horse
hair, wool, tow, seaweed, straw, or other suitable material. A strip of indiarubber
or leather may also be applied around the bottom of the guard or fender sloping
towards the ground for the purpose of preventing direct contact with the apparatus.
In the case of locomotives the guard or fender is recessed at its base at g, and for
locomotives with outside cylinders it is recessed at the upper part h, Figure 2.
For common road vehicles the guard, shield, or fender may be so mounted that
its outside edge will be slightly within the plane of the wheel, as shown on the left
side of Figures 5 and 6, or it may be placed in front of and not project beyond the
wheel, or again it may be arranged as shown on the right hand side of Figures 5
and 6, and be recessed on its outer edge at i.
The bottom edge of the guard or fender may in all cases be strengthened by a
strip or band k of sheet iron or other suitable material, and a similar strengthening
strip may be applied at the rear corners or at other points exposed to friction
or concussion.
Instead of the guard, shield, or fender being composed of two inclined planes
• meeting at an angle as shown, it may consist of two concave or convex surfaces, or
of a series of surfaces forming steps rising from front to back. When of large
dimensions the guard, shield, or fender may be in two parts united at the apex of
the angle.
To enable the driver to raise the shield so as to pass over any obstacle it is
connected with a lever or crank, for example, the hangers d may be mounted loose
on the axle, and united by a crossbar m, to which is attached a lever n, connected
by a chain p to a lever or crank within reach of the driver, or any other equivalent
arrangement may be used for the purpose.
The arrangements herein described are applicable to the rear as well as to the
.fore axles of locomotives and other vehicles, and the two shields placed on the
same side. may be connected by longitudinal tie rods which afford additional
protection.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd September 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY GUARDS OR FENDERS
FOR THE WHEELS OF LOCOMOTIVES, RAILWAY, TRAMWAY, AND COMMON ROAD
VEHICLES." A communication from abroad by Francois Folacci, fils, of Paris,
France.
This Invention relates to improvements in safety guards or fenders for the wheels
of locomotives, railway and tramway carriages, and common road vehicles.
The improvements consist in the arrangement of the guards or fenders with
regard to the wheels, and also in the method of construction whereby the guards or
fenders are rendered stronger, less liable to injury, and capable of being raised clear
of any obstacle.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood, I have in
the accompanying Drawing illustrated some examples of the improved guards or
fenders.
Figure 1 shows the guard or fender adapted to a locomotive; Figure 2 shows on
a larger scale an elevation of a guard or fender adapted for an outside cylinder
locomotive; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the ordinary guard iron of a
locomotive modified so as to suit it for attaching the guard or fender, as shown.
complete in Figure 4; Figure 5 is a plan view; and Figure 6 an elevation of the
fore axle of a common road vehicle provided with a pair of wheel guards or fenders
slightly differing one from the other. These guards, shields, or fenders are generally
intended to be employed in pairs, in which case they would be of small size, but
the arrangements hereinafter described are also suitable for guards or fenders of
large size extending across the whole front of the vehicle, and applicable more
particularly to small tramway cars, trucks, and other small vehicles. The smaller
guards, shields, or fenders may be applied to locomotives and railway rolling stock,
tramcars, omnibuses, and all kinds of four and two wheeled vehicles.
The small guards, shields, or fenders for locomotives (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4) aro
mounted on the guard irons a, which are for this purpose provided with two
horizontal arms b, b, either forged in one therewith or attached in any suitable
manner thereto. For carriages and other vehicles the guard, shield, or fender c is
mounted upon a hanger d from the axle e placed inside or outside the wheel, or it
may be fixed to any convenient part of the body of the vehicle, or may be other-
wise mounted. The guard, shield, or fender would be fixed in all cases to the axle
or axle box, and also to the fore carriage or footboard, in order to steady and keep it
in position so as not to interfere with the movements of the forecarriage and
wheels. The guard, shield, or fender c may be constructed either wholly or partly
of sheet iron, at the upper part of wood, leather, or india rubber, or it may be
formed of longitudinal and vertical lattice bars superposed the one on the other
and extending from the bottom to the top of the apparatus. The guard, shield, or
fender for the purpose of deadening the shock of anything striking it may also be
faced with oil cloth, leather, indiarubber, or plaited rope suitably attached, and
between this covering and the body of the fender it may be padded with horse hair,
wool, tow, seaweed, straw, or other suitable material. A strip of indiarubber or.
leather may also be applied around the bottom of the guard or fender sloping towards
the ground for the purpose of preventing direct contact with the apparatus. In
the case of locomotives the guard or fender is recessed at its base at g, and for
locomotives with outside cylinders it is recessed at the upper part h, Figure 2.

page_text: For common road vehicles the guard, shield, or fender may be so mounted that its
outside edge will be slightly within the plane of the face of the wheel, as shown on the
left side of Figures 5 and 6, or it may be placed in front of and not project beyond
the wheel, or again it may be arranged as shown on the right hand side of Figures 5
and 6, and be recessed on its outer edge at i. The bottom edge of the guard or
fender may in all cases be strengthened by a strip or band k of sheet iron or other
suitable material, and a similar strengthening strip may be applied at the rear
corners or at other points exposed to friction or concussion.
Instead of the guard, shield, or fender being composed of two inclined planes
meeting at an angle as shown, it may consist of two concave or convex surfaces, or
of a series of step-like surfaces rising from front to back. When of large dimensions
the guard, shield, or fender may be in two parts united at the apex of the angle.
To enable the driver to raise the shield for the purpose of passing over any obstacle
it is connected with a lever or crank handle. For example, the hangers d may be
mounted loose on the axle and united by a crossbar m, to which is attached a
lever n connected by a chain p to a lever or crank handle within reach of the
driver, or any other equivalent arrangement may be used for the purpose.
The arrangements herein described are applicable to the trailing as well as to the
leading axles of locomotives and other vehicles, and the two shields placed on the
same side may be connected by longitudinal tie rods, which afford additional
protection. The guard, shield, or fender may also be made to serve as a support
for the vehicle and prevent it overturning in case of an axle or wheel breaking by
placing one of these fenders in front of each wheel. This arrangement is shown in
Figure 7, in which the guard, shield, or fender a is attached to the axle box b, as
before mentioned; and in order to adapt it for the purposes of a support it is
provided with an upward extension c terminating in a flat head d, between which
and the body framing e is placed a spiral spring, indiarubber cushion, or other
equivalent. The spring, while allowing freedom of movement to the body of the
vehicle, serves to deaden the shock in the event of an axle breaking, when the body
of the vehicle would rest upon the head d of the guard or fender which forms a
prop or support.
Figure 8 represents a modification in which the guard or fender is fixed directly
to the framing e of the vehicle without any cushion. This arrangement is chiefly
applicable to tramway cars, in which the oscillatory movements of the body in
travelling are but trifling. Figure 9 shows the guard or fender fixed to the axle
box and with an upward extension c and head d, but without any spring. This
arrangement is intended for vehicles in which the movements of the forecarriage
and body are considerable. The form and details of arrangement of the wheel
guards or fenders may also be otherwise varied without departing from the
Invention. These wheel guards or fenders may be used in winter as snow clearers,
and particularly the large guard or fender for removing other obstructions from the
line and so prevent derailment.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The arrangement of safety guard, shield, or fender for the wheels of
locomotives constructed of metal of the form shown recessed at g and attached by
frames b, b, to the guard irons a, substantially as shown and described.
2nd. The arrangement of wheel guard, shield, or fender c for common road
vehicles mounted on hangers d, carried by the axle e, substantially as shown and
described.
3rd. A wheel guard, shield, or fender constructed as described and faced with
· leather, indiarubber, or plaited rope upon a cushion of horse hair, tow, straw, or
other suitable material, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
4th. In a locomotive with outside cylinders the employment of a wheel
guard, shield, or fender of metal of the form shown in Figure 2, having a
recess h.

page_text: 5th. A wheel guard, shield, or fender for common road vehicles recessed at i
and provided with a strengthening strip k, substantially as shown and described.
6th. The means of raising the wheel guard, shield, or fender consisting of
hangers d loose on axle e, cross bar m, lever n, and chain p, as shown and
described.
7th. A wheel guard, shield, or fender attached to the axle box and provided with
a spring c, upon which the body frame e bears, substantially as shown and for the
purpose specified.
8th. A wheel guard, shield, or fender mounted upon the carriage framing e, as
represented in Figure 8.
9th. A wheel guard, shield, or fender attached to the axle box and provided with
a vertical arm c and head d, substantially as shown in Figure 9 for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of September. A.D. 1881.