IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUCKS FOR CONVEYANCE OF CATTLE BY RAILWAY
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Wilson, of No. 289, Lawnmarket,
Edinburgh, Scotland, Butcher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TRUCKS FOR CONVEYANCE OF CATTLE BY RAILWAY."
Sealed the 20th October 1871, and dated the 25th July 1871.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 25th July 1871, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WILSON, of No. 298, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland, Butcher, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRUCKS FOR CONVEYANCE OF CATTLE BY RAILWAY,” 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 De-

page_text: claration that I am the true and first Inventor thereof, and that the
same is not in use by any other person or persons to the best of my
knowledge and belief.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Wilson, 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 :-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the arrangement
and construction of trucks or waggons for the conveyance of horses,
cattle, sheep, and other animals on railways with more safety and
comfort than by the present system, and in apparatus or means for
feeding and watering the animals. I provide a small cistern com-
municating with a larger cistern for carrying the water, the latter
being so constructed that it forms part of the roof of the carriage.
The smaller cistern contains a regulating ball cock for the purpose of
keeping a constant and equal supply of water in all the troughs. The
ball cock may also be fitted up in a part of any of the troughs, thereby
dispensing with the smaller cistern. By these means the animals are
supplied with water during the course of their journey, and the supply
may be so regulated as to prevent waste.
Another part of my Invention consists in applying in the construction
of the said carriages or waggons angled iron to the door standards and
other parts of the framework of the carriage, and fitting the wooden
parts into the said iron. In the event of collisions or other accidents 2
carriages or waggons so constructed would be much less liable to injury
or damage.
Another part of my Invention consists in the peculiar construction
and "lie" of the floor of the carriage whereby the feet of the cattle
are kept from slipping, and facilities for cleaning out the carriage are 3
afforded.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood
I shall now proceed to set forth the particulars of my said improvements,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the letters
and figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1 represents the framework of a carriage, the side shafts A, A,
being on the same level as the main shafts B, B. The cross rails C
3

page_text: are morticed and tenoned into the shaft A, the main shaft being securely
fixed at each end by the buffer rails E, E, and checked into cross rails
of the same level; D are angled rails on the end of the said carriage,
and may be made of angled iron, each end being of one piece firmly
3 bolted to the framing.
Fig. 2 is a bird's-eye view of the carriage with the roof taken off
shewing the way in which the floor is laid to prevent slipping and
facilitate the sweeping operations. The flooring is made of two thick-
nesses, and is laid as represented in the Drawing Fig. 4, which is a
section of the line marked C, B, upon Fig. 2. Letters H represent the
troughs for holding the water. These are fitted with lids so that only
the one at the side to which the head of the animal is turned will be
accessible for use, and being placed between two stalls each serves two
animals; G are division stalls with the ends L, L, made to swing
thereon to facilitate the entry of the animal. These parts (L, L,) are
made fast when the truck door is shut.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the carriage or waggon shewing the mode in
which the angled iron is applied for the door standards and for the general
framing of the sides and top of the carriage. A represents the supply
cistern and B represents the regulating cistern on the same level as the
troughs. The pieces of angled iron used as door standards have the
bottom ends split up so that the one half may lie down the outside
of the side shaft of the carriage (A, Fig. 1), while the other half lies
along the shaft and is firmly bolted to it. The top rail of the carriage
is also made of angled iron going the whole length and round the end
of the carriage. The door standards are riveted to the top rail with one
end passing under the lower side and fixed thereto. The cross rails of
the roof are of T-iron bent to the rounds and riveted to the top rail;
Ş shews the mode of ventilation which may be increased as required.
Fig. 4 represents a section of the floor of the carriage and is made
of boards of different thicknesses to prevent the feet of the animals
from slipping and to facilitate cleaning.
Fig. 5 represents the fixed division (K, Fig. 2) in the carriage or
waggon, and is made of wood fixed in an iron bar at the bottom and
bound with a half-round iron rail at the top bent to the curve.
Fig. 6 represents the divisions (G, Fig. 2). These divisions are made
similar to the other divisions K having an iron bar at the bottom and

page_text: a half-round iron rail at the top curved to the pattern and carried up to
the roof for strength.
Fig. 7 is a section shewing the arrangement of the troughs and hay
racks, which latter are fed by means of the boles (W, Fig. 3). This
Figure also shews the piping leading from the regulating cistern B to
the troughs, and also shews (V) the arrangement for preventing dunging
in the troughs not in use. The longitudinal pipe may be fitted with
cocks for turning off the water to clean out the troughs.
Figs. 8 and 9 are modifications shewing carriage for carrying ten
cattle but made without the divisions (G, Fig. 2). The troughs may
also be made in the form of a three-quarter cylinder turned out a little
on each lip, and hung on its centre and so balanced that when not in
use one half of the cylinder is next the animal's head. And so that the
trough can be easily turned on its centre by the animal when it desires
water. The trough when so shut is completely prevented from being
dunged. The trough is suspended to the side of the carriage by iron
brackets and the water is supplied to the trough by means of a pipe led
along one of the brackets and passing through the centre pivot. The
joint at the pivot may be supplied with a stop-cock to open and shut
with the action of the trough.
Fig. 10 shews the trough when not in use; Fig. 11 shews the trough
when used by the animal; and Fig. 12 is a plan of the trough.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same may be used and practically carried into
effect I would observe that I do not claim anything which is secured
to William Reid, by his Patents, No. 3174, 1864, or No. 3257, 1868,
but that what I claim as novel is,―
First. The peculiar construction of the flooring as herein-before
described, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The application and arrangement for supplying and regu-
lating the troughs as herein-before described, or any mere modification
thereof.
Third. The application of angled iron instead of wood or other
material hitherto used for the door standards and framing of the sides,
ends, and partitions of the carriages as herein-before described, or any
mere modification thereof.

page_text: Fourth. The peculiar arrangement of the framing of the body of the
carriage or waggon, as herein-before described.
And, fifth. The general arrangement of the carriage or waggon and
the combination of parts, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Wilson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord 1871.