Improvements in Portable Supports for Tarpaulings or Covering of Railway Wagons or other Vehicles.
Year: 1885

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Supports for Tarpaulings or Covering
of Railway Wagons or other Vehicles.
I, HENRY WILLIAMS of 24 Albert Drive Crosshill in the county of Renfrew
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE SUPPORTS FOR TARPAULINGS OR COVERINGS
RAILWAY WAGONS OR OTHER VEHICLES" to be as follows, that is to say :-
OF
My said invention has for its object to provide an improved cheap and light
portable support for tarpaulings or covering of Railway Wagons or other vehicles.
The support is designed with intention of preventing the covering becoming
'bagged or cavities being formed in it in consequence of the goods in the wagon
being of unequal hight or only partly filling the wagon. These cavities in wet
weather become filled with rain which either permeate through the covering or is
often spilled amongst the goods by carelessness in removing the covering, In
carrying out my invention I provide a light frame of a flat, domed, or an arched
shaped, which consists of two pieces of angled iron placed about two feet apart and
suitably bound together by trellis work, the ends of the angle iron pieces being
suitably bent or shaped to clasp or grip the sides of the wagon either on the inside,
the outside, or both.
Another improvement consists in making the frame in two halves of suitable
lengths hinged together at the middle, the opening or closing of the ends of such
frame will adjust it to any breadth of wagon.
Any number of frames can be applied to each wagon. I however prefer to use
only two, and when not in use they can hang on hooks or catches at the outside of
the ends of the wagon or carried in any other convenient manner or they may be
kept at suitable stations along the road.

page_text: pupports for Tarpaunus or
of Railway Wagons or other Vehicles.
overing
I, HENRY WILLIAMS of 24 Albert Drive Crosshill in the County of Renfrew
North Britain Engineer, 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 reference being had to the accom-
panying drawing forming a part of this specification :—
86
This invention bas for its object to provide an improved cheap and light portable
support for tarpaulins or coverings of railway wagons or other vehicles. The said
support is designed with a view to prevent the tarpaulin or covering becoming
bagged" or cavities being formed therein when placed over the wagon in conse-
quence of the goods in such wagon being of unequal height or the latter being only
partially filled and thus to obviate such goods being damaged or destroyed through
the admission of water thereto and enable goods such as provisions or other goods
that require protection to be carried in deep sided wagons instead of covered vans.
These cavities in wet weather (when a tarpaulin is placed over a wagon in the
ordinary manner) become filled with rain which either permeates through the
tarpaulin or covering or is frequently spilled amongst the goods by reason of
carelessness in the act of removing the covering.
In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated as an example one method of
carrying my invention into practice. In this drawing
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of my improved supports and
Figure 2 is a similar view of a wagon with a series of such supports placed
thereon in readiness to receive the tarpaulin or covering.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in both of these figures.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a light frame a which may
be flat or doom or arch shaped or of any other suitable form. This frame consists
of two pieces b of angle iron placed say for instance about two feet apart and
suitably bound together or connected by trellis work as at c or by struts so that
when placed upon the wagon it is of sufficient width to support itself thereon
without any liability to misplacement during the putting on of the tarpaulin.
The ends of the angle iron pieces b are suitably bent or shaped to clasp or grip the
sides or ends of the wagon either on the inside or outside or both.
In Figure 2 I have shewn four of these supports or frames placed upon a wagon
transversely. Any number of such supports or frames can however be applied to
each wagon as desired. When not in use such supports can be hung upon hooks
or catches at the outside of the ends or sides of the wagon or can be carried in any
other convenient manner. Or they may be kept at suitable stations along the
road.
Instead however of arranging such supports to extend transversely upon the
wagon they may be constructed to extend longitudinally thereof and furthermore
the support or frame may be made in two halves of suitable length hinged together
at the middle. In this case the opening or closing of the ends of such frane or

page_text: support will adjust or adapt it to any breadth of wagon whilst at the same time
giving security to such support in the middle. Or instead of hingeing the two
parts together they may be arranged to slide with respect to each other suitable
rings links chains or slip rings being provided to permit the lengthening or
shortening of the entire support whilst at the same time preventing its collapse
centrally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. A portable support for tarpaulins or coverings of railway wagons or other
vehicles, consisting of a framework of angle iron united by trellis work substan-
tially in the manner and for the purposes specified.
Second. A portable support for tarpaulins or coverings of railway wagons or
other vehicles consisting of a framework or side pieces of iron united by suitable
cross bars or stays and formed in two parts so that such support may be varied as
to the length of its span substantially as herein set forth and for the purposes
specified.