Method of and Apparatus for Clearing and Watering Tram and other Rails.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1887.
Complete Left, 1st July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th Aug., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Apparatus for Clearing and Watering Tram
and other Rails.
I JOHN PROSSER of The Cedars Portland Avenue Upper Clapton in the County
of Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to clear the deposits of Mud or other matter from
Tram or other Rails and to water or moisten the same.
According to one arrangement I construct a Tram Car or other Vehicle fitting the
same with a series of Revolving Brushes Drums and shafts, so arranged as to be set in
motion by the movement of the Tram Car or other Vehicle the said Brushes being
brought into contact with the Rails remove the mud or other matter from the Rails
and convey the same up through a trough into a receptacle from which the mud or
other matter can be removed from time to time. In some cases I employ in com-
bination with this arrangement a Tank or Tanks fitted with Pipes in conjunction
with Cocks or Valves which conduct Water or other liquid on to the Rails either
intermittently or continuously as may be desired the water or other liquid can be
conducted onto the Rails either before or after the clearing by the Brushes.
According to another modification of my invention 1 employ in combination with
the said Brushes Scoops for removing the Mud or other matter from the Rails the
Revolving Brushes raising the Mud or other matter from the Scoops up the troughs
into the receptacle.
For the purpose of breaking up the Mud or other matter I employ projections on
each side of the Vehicle in front of the Brushes which may be raised automatically
and act as Ploughs in breaking up the Mud thereby assisting the Brushes in their
action.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Apparatus for Clearing and Watering Tram
and other Rails.
I, JOHN PROSSER, of The Cedars, Portland Avenue, Upper Clapton, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman 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 certain appliances preferably in combination on a car or 5
trolly capable of being drawn on an ordinary tramway and the objects are :-
1. To loosen dirt from the grooves of tram rails by means of scraping appliances.
2. To brush or sweep the loosened dirt from the grooves and top of the rail and to
carry same up an incline into a receptacle.
3. To water or moisten the tram rail and if necessary the track also.
4. To distribute gravel on the track to give a good foothold for horses or in the case
of frosty weather to distribute salt to soften the snow or ice to render it suitable for
horses to travel on.
The manner in carrying my invention into practice will be understood by reference
to the annexed drawings, in which at Figure 1 I show an elevation partly in section 1
of a trolly or vehicle provided with flange wheels A A capable of being run on
ordinary tram metals, the appliances being arranged for working in either direction of
travel without turning the vehicle round.
Figure 2 shows the lower part or bottom framing B B of the vehicle.
Figure 3 being a half end elevation of the same.
CC are the scrapers attached to springy plates D D so that they can yield when
striking against, say, a stone firmly fixed in the groove of the rail, these plates are
attached to rods E E and can be lifted by foot levers F F when not required for use,
the levers being held by the pawls G for that purpose.
1
HH are a series of brushes arranged in an endless manner round four sprocket or chain 2
wheels I, I, I, I, two of which I, I, are near the rails and capable of being depressed
into contact by means of the capstan head J working upon the screw arm K, the cross
head L of which has the rollers I, I, by blocks M M attached thereto. The other
rollers II' are within a casing N, the ends of which form part of a receptacle P,
which the dirt when lifted by the brushes fall after travelling up the incline plates QQ
from which receptacle the dirt can be permitted to fall by moving sliding doors.
into
RR are water tanks, one at each end of the vehicle and S S are pipes leading
therefrom for furnishing water, or it may be brine in frosty weather, for moistening
the dirt to facilitate a more easy action of the brushes. The pipes S S by having a
branch connected to them may be used for watering the track on which the horses 3
travel.

page_text: Instead of said tanks being charged with liquid they may contain salt or it may be
gravel to be distributed over the track, in which case I provide a falling flap door
near the bottom, through which the salt or gravel can fall according to requirements
by the oscillatory motion of the vehicle.
I give motion to the brushes by means of chain or strap gear T, T, from pinions U, U,
in gear with spur wheels V, V, fitted loosely on the axles W, W, but capable of being
put in motion therewith by the clutch and lever X. This spur gearing is arranged at
opposite corners as seen more particularly at Figure 2 so that motion is given to the
brushes from the direction of travel, the driver having the appliances at that end
under his command.
There are two sets of brushes, one set on each side directly over the rails. The two
lower sprocket wheels I', I', of each side are coupled by shafts Y, Y, so that all the
brushes are put in operation from either direction of travel of the vehicle. The
brushes are in sections and when linked together form an endless chain.
Each brush is composed as seen at Figure 4 of a combination of steel wire a and
strips of cane or bass b, the steel wire running in the groove of the rail and the bass
on the surface or tread.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The trolly or vehicle shown on the annexed drawings for use on tramways and
having as part thereof the scrapers C, C, endless brushes H, H, receptacles P,
tanks R, R, water pipes S, S, all arranged as and for the purposes described.
The 1st day of July 1001.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said John Prosser.