IMPROVEMENTS IN WAGGONS OR TRUCKS FOR CARRYING COAL, ORE, EARTH FOR EARTHWORKS, AND OTHER MATERIALS AND GOODS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of No. 11, Wellington Street,
Strand, London, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WAGGONS OR TRUCKS FOR CARRYING COAL, ORE, EARTH
FOR EARTHWORKS, AND OTHER MATERIALS AND GOODS." A communication
from abroad by Francois Allard, fils, of Chatelineau, Belgium.
aled the 6th February 1877, and dated the 11th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th August 1876.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WAGGONS OR TRUCKS
FOR CARRYING COAL, ORE, EARTH FOR EARTHWORKS, AND OTHER MATERIALS AND
GOODS." A communication from abroad by François Allard, fils, of Chatelineau,
Belgium.
The object of this Invention is the reduction of the dead weight and of the
number of pieces forming the waggon or truck with a view to eventual repairs, it
being evident that the fewer the parts composing the waggon or truck, the more
promptly it may be repaired.
By the aid of new arrangements the ordinary angle irons, stay bars, and struts,
and even the edge frames, "bordures," are dispensed with, being replaced by ribs or
corrugations made in the sheet iron or steel forming the truck or waggon, which
ribs or corrugations may be either vertical, horizontal, oblique, or in any suitable
direction.
The bottom of waggons or trucks made according to this Invention are dished or
have raised edges all round, within which come the actual sides or body of the
waggon, whether made of sheet metal, of wood, or of a combination of both.
When the carriages and axles are carried by wooden or iron frames or cross'
pieces, the ribs on the bottom may be dispensed with, but they are necessary when
the grease or axle boxes "crapaudiues" are fixed directly to the bottom.
The dishing of the bottom is done away with on the side of the door if the
waggon is made with one or two doors.

page_text: The ribs or corrugations are obtained in a press or with steam hammer by means
of matrices or dies, between which the sheets of metal are introduced, these dios or
matrices having the form of the ribs or corrugations which it is desired to obtain.
The dishing of the bottom and the vertical edges of the sheet metal of the smaller
sides or ends of the truck are obtained in the same operation as the ribs.
A waggon made according to this Invention may have a body of sheet iron set
in a flat bottom, dished all round, tho sheets forming the body having vertical ribs
or corrugations, and at their upper part longitudinal edgings or borders of one piece
with them, in lieu of separate frames or edgings of flat iron or in profile, the groase
or axle boxes being fixed to a cross piece formed of flat iron bent to a U shape,
which arrangement permits dispensing with the ordinary frame plate or supports,
and further strengthens the bottom, so that in this case the ribs or corrugations of
the bottom are not indispensable.
Or the sheet iron or other metal bottom of this Invention may be applied to
waggons with wooden bodies, the angles of which will be furnished with sheet iron
corner or angle irons joined to their bottom by bolts at their lower part. The carriage
may be supported by longitudinal wooden cross pieces, and in this case the corru-
gations of the bottom may also be dispensed with.
The sheet iron bottom may be made with a rib or corrugation in the middle, and
the sheets forming the body have vertical ribs or corrugations.
The top edge of the body may be bent to the form of a tube, which will give
great rigidity and the advantage of being very light. To give still greater rigidity
a rod of iron of diameter equal to the inner diameter of the tube may be inserted
within this tube, which may be circular or of other form, or the top edges of the
body may be bent to a U shape.
The grease or axle boxes may be fixed directly to the bottom of the waggon, no
frame or longitudinal wooden or iron cross pieco being required. A great reduction
of dead weight results from this arrangement.
If it is desired to preserve gussets at the angles it is preferable to make them of
sheet iron or steel than to employ rolled angle irons, the sheet iron gussets or corner
pieces being more elastic and weighing less.
The ribs or corrugations of the body may be placed horizontally, the bottom
have a flat rib or corrugation, and the axle boxes be fixed directly to the bottom of
the waggon.
The sheet iron bottom with rib or corrugation may be applied to waggons with
wooden bodies, the angles being fitted with sheet iron, corner pieces, or gussets, and
the top edging being Ŭ shaped.
Latterly malleable annealed cast iron and cast steel have been substituted for
ordinary cast iron in the manufacture of grease or axle boxes to render them lighter,
but their slight resistance to wear and tear has already lead to the disuse of these
materials, particularly for collieries. Wrought iron would give more resistance, and
further render these articles even lighter, and it is with this object that this Inven-
tion also comprises an improved method of manufacturing theso grease boxes or axle
boxes. It consists in forming from a broad flat bar of iron or a piece of sheet iron
of suitable dimensions, a cone, which may be of a circular, elliptical, or polygonal
section. The two ends of the cone are united by soldering or welding by hand or
with the steam hammer, of which this forms a new application. There is then
soldered upon the top of the cone a plate of the form of the section of the cone; this
plate being soldered forms one of the closed ends of the grease or axle box; this
end might also be closed by cramping.
To solder or weld the fixing plate the cone with its small end already soldered
is introduced into a cast-iron matrix having the form of the grease or axle box. The
edges are turned up. The cone and the piece of flat iron are then heated to a
soldering or welding heat. The cone is again placed in the matrix with the flat
piece of iron which is to form the fixing plate, and the two are welded together by
hand or by steam hammer.
The bearing may be of iron, steel, or copper,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
February 1877.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WAGGONS OR TRUCKS
FOR CARRYING COAL, ORE, EARTH FOR EARTHWORKS, AND OTHER MATERIALS AND
GOODS." A communication from abroad by François Allard, fils, of Chatelineau,
Belgium.
The object of this Invention is the reduction of the dead weight and of the
number of pieces forming a waggon or truck with a view to eventual repairs, it
being evident that the fewer the parts comprising the waggon or truck, the moro
promptly it may be repaired.
By the aid of new arrangements the ordinary angle irons, stay bars, and struts,
and even the edge frames, "bordures," are dispensed with, being replaced by ribs or
corrugations made in the sheet iron, steel, or other metal forming the truck or
waggon.
In whatever way these ribs or corrugations may be utilized, and whether placed
vertically, horizontally, obliquely, or in any other suitable direction, I claim their
application to the construction of every kind and every shape of waggon or truck,
whether of sheet iron, steel, or other metal or material, or combination of materials,
and whether for use in collieries, mines, for railway works, or otherwise; also, the
application to waggons or trucks of bottoms dished or having raised edges all round,
within which come the actual sides or body of the waggon, whether made of sheet
metal, of wood, or of a combination of both.
When the train or under carriage and axles are carried by longitudinal wooden
or iron frames, or by cross pieces, the ribs on the bottom may be dispensed with, but
they are necessary when the bearings or grease or axle boxes, "crapaudines," are
fixed directly to the bottom.
The dishing of the bottom is done away with on the side of the door if the
waggon is made with one or two doors.
The ribs or corrugations are obtained in a press or with steam hammer by means
of matrices or dies, between which the sheets of metal are introduced, these dics or
matrices having the form of the ribs or corrugations which it is desired to obtain.
The dishing of the bottom and the vertical edges of the sheet metal of the smaller
sides or ends of the truck are obtained in the same operation as the ribs or
corrugations.
Any suitable kind of press or steam hammer may be used in the stamping of the
sheets of metal forming the truck or waggon.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, represent a sheet-iron truck of this Invention with flat bottom
dished all round; the sheets forming the body have vertical ribs or corrugations,
and at their upper part longitudinal edgings or borders of one piece with them
in lieu of edging of flat iron or in profile. The grease boxes, "crapaudines,"
are fixed to a cross piece formed of flat iron bent to a U shape, which arrange-
ment permits dispensing with the ordinary frame plate or supports, and further
strengthens the bottom, so that in this case the ribs or corrugations of the bottom
are not indispensable.
A, sheet-iron body; B, bottom with raised edges or dished all round; C, C',
vertical ribs or corrugations; D, section through C, C¹; E, cross pieco carrying the
trains or under frames; F, bearings or grease boxes, "crapaudines;" G, "trains" or
under frames and axles; H, section at G.
Figures 6 & 7 represent the application of the sheet-iron or other metal bottom

page_text: to waggons with wooden bodies, the angles of which are furnished with sheet-iron
corner or angle irons joined to the bottom by bolts at their lower part. The body
and axles are carried on longitudinal wooden supports, and in this case the corru-
gations of the bottom may also be dispensed with.
A, wooden body; B, dished bottom of sheet iron; C, corner or angle irons; D, cross 5
bars; F, longitudinal wooden supports; E, "trains" or under frames and axles.
Figures 8, 9, and 10 represent the application of the sheet-iron bottom with a rib
or corrugation in the middle. The sheets forming the body have vertical ribs or
corrugations.
The top edge of the body is bent to the form of a tube; this tube gives great 1
rigidity, and has the advantage of being very light. To give greater rigidity a rod
of iron of diameter equal to the inner diameter of the tube may be inserted within
this tube may be circular or of other form, or the top edges of this body may be
bent to a U shape.
it;
The "crapaudines," bearings, or grease boxes are fixed directly to the bottom of 1
the waggon, and no longitudinal wooden or iron supports or cross pieces being then
required, a great reduction of dead weight results from this arrangement.
If it is desired to preserve gussets at the angles it is preferable to make them of
sheet iron or steel than to employ rolled angle irons, the sheet iron gussets or corner
pieces being more elastic and weighing less.
A, body of waggon; B, bottom with a flat rib; C, vertical ribs or corrugations;
D, edges formed out of the sheet iron; E, sheet-iron corner or angle piece; F, grease
boxes; G, "trains" or under carriage.
2
Figures 11, 12, and 13 represent the application of the ribs or corrugations placed
horizontally; the bottom has a flat rib or corrugation, and the grease boxes are 2
fixed directly to the bottom of the waggon.
A, body; B, bottom with rib or corrugation in the middle; C, horizontal ribs or
corrugations; D, grease boxes; E, trains or under carriage.
Figures 14, 15, and 16 represent the sheet-iron bottom with rib or corrugation
applied to waggons with wooden bodies; the angles are fitted with sheet-iron corner a
pieces or gussets, and the top edging is U shaped.
A, wooden body; B, sheet-iron bottom; C, shect-iron corner pieces or angle
irons; D, edge, " bordure," U shaped ; E, grease boxes; F, "train" or under carriage.
Latterly malleable annealed cast iron and cast steel have been substituted for
ordinary cast iron in the manufacture of grease or axle boxes to render them lighter, 3
but their slight resistance to wear and tear have already led to the disuse of these
materials in most coal mines. Wrought iron would give more resistance, and further
render these articles oven lighter, and it is with this object that this Invention also
comprises an improved method of manufacturing these grease boxes. It consists (as
shown, Fig. 17) in forming from a broad flat bar of iron or a piece of sheet iron of 4
suitable dimensions a cone, which may be of a circular, elliptical, or polygonal
section. The two ends of the cone are united by soldering or welding by hand or
with the steam hammer, of which this forms a new application. There is then
soldered upon the top of the cone or plate of the form of the section of the cone; this
plate being soldered forms one of the closed ends of the grease or axle box; this 4
end might also be closed by cramping.
To solder or weld the fixing plate the cone with its small end already soldered
to it is introduced into a cast-iron matrix having the form of the grease or axle
box. The edges are turned up. The cone and the piece of flat iron are then heated
to a soldering or welding heat. The cone is again placed in the matrix with the flat
piece of iron which is to form the fixing plate, and the two are welded together by
hand or by steam hammer.
The bearing may be of iron, steel, or copper.
The hole for the introduction of the grease may be placed either at the top of the
box or at the sido.

page_text: that side of the cone which is to receive the fixing plate; E, plan view of the small
end; F, fixing plate at the moment of being welded on the cone; G, piece of iron at
the moment of welding on the small end; H, cast matrix or die serving to weld the
grease boxes; I, bearings; J, hole for introduction of
grease.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.