AN IMPROVED LOCK FOR TIP CARTS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Whitelaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd February 1875.
I, ALEXANDER WHITELAW, of the City and County of Edinburgh,
North Britain, Lime Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "AN IMPROVED LOCK FOR TIP CARTS," to be as follows, that is
to say:
-
This Invention, which relates to an improved lock for tip carts, has
for its object to effect the locking of the cart body to the cart shafts
more securely and with less friction or abrasion of the lock than has
hitherto been done, and so to prevent the jolting and shaking arising
from the wearing of the locks as now used.
Along the inner face of the headstock of the cart body a plate of
iron or other suitable metal is fastened, and is provided with four
brackets or lugs, two at each side of the cart extending inwards to a
sufficient extent to embrace corresponding tongues formed on specially
constructed bolts actuated by a system of levers backwards or forwards,
as desired by the operator, in a transverse direction, and serving as
guides and supports to the bolts. A plate similar to the first is attached
to the headstock of the cart shafts, which is immediately below that
of the cart body. It is however furnished with two brackets or recesses

page_text: :
only, one at each side or transverse end, and having the slots or recesses
formed square in section, and tapering from the upper end towards the
sides of the cart. In each of these brackets or lugs is caused to slide
by the action of the said lever a tongue correspondingly formed and in
one piece with the bolts aforesaid, and constituting the lock, and they
are so arranged with regard to the levers which actuate them as to be
both freed from the brackets on the plate secured to the headstock of
the cart shaft when the hand lever is so operated, or shot therein on
the reverse motion of the hand lever, according as it is desired to perform
the operation of "tipping," or secure the body and shafts together after
"tipping."
By making the tongues and recesses of the lock with inclined upper
faces the wearing of either does not affect the efficiency of the lock,
as according as it takes place so the tongues are further forced into
the recesses, and tightly fitting no jolting or shaking of the cart body :
upon the shafts can occur, and from the mode of hanging the bolts
friction is avoided, and wearing of the lock is reduced to a minimum.
The system of levers for actuating the lock is arranged as follows:-
To the under side of the cross beam attached to the cart body tech-
nically known as the sloat, is fastened a metal plate which projects 2
towards the headstock, and upon which is pivoted a horizontally
vibrating lever, to one end of which is attached a connecting lever
actuated direct from the hand lever at the side of the cart, and to
the other a link which connects it to one of the bolts, while the other
bolt is connected to the lever pivoted on the plate at a point between 2
the pivot and the connection with the hand lever.
When it is desired to unlock the cart body from the shafts the hand
lever is extended outwards from the side of the cart, and its action
is such as to cause the tongues of the lock to slide out of the brackets
or recesses on the plate secured to the headstock of the shaft, and the g
cart body is free to be "tipped" in the usual manner. On resuming
its normal position the tongues are again shot by the reverse motion of
the hand lever.