Improvements in Sweeper Cars, applicable for Sweeping Snow.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 7th July, 1900
Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM ALPHONSUS MCGUIRE, of 112, North
Sangamon Street, Chicago, in the State of Illinois, United States of
America, Manufacturer.
Improvements in Sweeper Cars, applicable for Sweeping Snow.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 sweeper cars applicable for sweeping snow, and
especially adapted for use in street railways, and particularly that class of cars
in which rotary-brushes driven by suitable power are located below the car, for
the purpose of sweeping the tracks clear of snow. Heretofore, in cars of this
class, it has been the custom to mount the brooms, and particularly brooms in
the form of rotary-brushes driven by suitable power, below the car with their
axles in a line diagonal to the track, in order that the snow may be swept forward
and to one side as the car moves. In order to properly support such brushes, it is
necessary that they should be carried under the body of the car or under the
platform, and one difficulty which has arisen in the use of these cars lies in the
fact that the snow which is thrown diagonally forward and to one side by the
brush strikes the base of the car, and is not thrown clear of the track.
It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a peculiarly-shaped car
body and platform, with the brushes so mounted with reference thereto as to
avoid this difficulty. Again, in cars of this description, it has been the practice
heretofore to have two rotary brushes, one near each end, which extend only
about half-way across the space from side to side, which being driven simul-
taneously from a single axle sweep each one-half of the width of the track. It
is another object of this invention to provide such cars with brushes extending
diagonally entirely across the space to be swept, one at each end of the cars,
and to provide new and improved means by which either one of said brushes
may be driven from a single axle, according to the direction in which the car
moves.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved device for
supporting the brushes or sweepers, whereby the same may be readily and con-
veniently raised or lowered, as may be desired.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the car;
Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the bottom of the car, seen from above;.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail, being a side elevation.
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail, being a top or plan view of one end of the
bottom of the car, with top and sides removed, the bottom being partially cut
away to show the mounting of the brushes;
Figure 5 is an enlarged detail, being a front view of the broom-axle and means
of mounting the same;

page_text: Figure 6 is an enlarged detail, being a side view of one of the brush-
hangers; and
Figure 7 is an enlarged detail, being a vertical section on line 7-7 of
Figure 4.
"
11 indicates the body of a car mounted upon a base 12.
At each end the
base 12 is carried out into platforms 13, the outer edge of which is diagonal to
a line running longitudinally of the car, as is best shown in Figures 2 and 4.
14 indicates rotary brushes which are mounted upon axles 15 (see Figure 5)
below the car. The axles 15, mounted as hereinafter described, extend across
the car from side to side diagonally of a line longitudinally of the car and of the
track, and parallel with the front edge of the platforms 13, and at such a dis-
tance behind the platforms that the outer surface of the brushes 14 will extend
almost out to a line dropped vertically from the outer edge of the platforms 13.
When the brushes are rotated to sweep the snow as the car passes along a track,
the snow thrown outward and forward will be clear of the car by reason of the
relation of the position of the brushes to the platforms.
16 indicates a sprocket-wheel which is keyed or otherwise secured to the
axle 15, for the purpose of connecting the same with the driving-shaft herein-
after described. 17 indicates hangers which are secured to the bottom of the
car, the construction being best shown in Figure 6. The hangers 17 consist
of a bracket 18 and of a curved link 19 which is secured to the bracket 18 by
bolts 20, so that upon the removal of either of the bolts the link 19 may be
swung outwardly from the bracket to permit the insertion of the brush, as
hereinafter described. When the link is secured in place a slot 21 is formed
by the bracket 18 and the link 19, which is curved in the arc of a circle whose
radius is the distance between the central longitudinal line of the said slot and
the axis of the driving-shaft, hereinafter described. 22 indicates a brace, one
end of which is secured to the bracket 18, and the other to the bottom of the
car. 23 indicates a block which is adapted to enter the slot 21 and slide
freely therein, and is provided with a journal in which the axle 15 rotates.
24 indicates lugs which are journalled upon the axle 15. 25 indicates chains
which are secured at one end of the lugs 24, pass over sheaves 26 and are
fastened at their other ends to a shaft 27 below the bottom of the car which is
journalled at its upper end to the bottom of the car, and at its lower in a block 28
which is supported by a brace 29. 30 indicates a gear which is keyed or other-
wise secured upon the shaft 27, and meshes with a gear 31. The gear 31 is
keyed or otherwise secured to the lower end of a shaft 32 which extends
vertically through the base of the car. 34 indicates a ratchet-wheel which is
keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 32. 35 indicates a pawl which is
pivoted on the upper surface of the block 33, and is adapted to engage the
ratchet-wheel 34. 36 indicates a collar which is keyed or otherwise secured to
the shaft 32; and operates to hold the ratchet 34 upon the shaft 32 and prevent
longitudinal movement thereof, so that the shaft 32 is supported on the block 33.
37 indicates a brace, through the upper end of which the shaft 32 passes.
38 indicates a hand-wheel which is fastened on the upper end of the shaft.32.
When the shaft 32 is rotated by the hand-wheel 38 in the proper direction,
the chains 25 are wound upon the shaft 27, and the axle 15 carrying the brushes
is lifted to any required position and held by the engagement of the pawl 35
with the ratchet 34. When it is desired to lower the brushes, the pawl 34 is
disengaged in the usual way, permitting the rotation of the shafts 32 and 27,
and the brushes drop by their own weight, the blocks 23 sliding in the slots 21.
39 indicates a driving-shaft which is journalled in suitable bearings 40 above
the Hoor of the car and extends diagonally across the car parallel with the
brush-axles 15, and is driven by any appropriate mechanism in the car, which
may be connected, for instance, with the sprocket-wheel 41 secured to the driv-
ing-shaft 39. 42-43 indicate sprocket-wheels which are rotatably mounted
upon the shaft 29, and are connected by means of sprocket chains 44 with the

page_text: sprocket-wheel 16 upon the brush-axle 15, passing through suitable openings 45
in the floor of the car. In Figure 4 only one of these chains is shown in place,
the other being removed for convenience of illustration. 46 (see Figure 2) in-
dicates hoods or casings of ordinary construction to protect the sprocket-wheels
42-43 and the sprocket-chains 44. 47 indicates a hood or casing of ordinary
construction to protect the sprocket-wheel 41. 48 and 49 indicate clutch members
which are feathered upon the shaft 39 so as to slide to and fro thereon, and are
adapted to engage with corresponding clutch members 50 and 51 upon the
sprocket-wheels 42 and 43 respectively. 52 and 53 indicate levers which are
pivoted upon supports 54 and 55, and engage with the clutch members 48 and
49 respectively. By the moving of the levers the clutches are thrown into and
out of engagement, so that either one or both of the sprocket wheels 42 43
may be engaged and rotated by the rotation of the driving-shaft 39. In ordinary
practice only one will be used, driving the broom at the forward end of the car
according to the direction in which the car is running, the other being thrown
out of operation, though it is obvious that the other broom may be rotated to
assist in the work if necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1
1. In a sweeping-car, the combination with a car-base having a diagonal
end, of a brush located below said car-base diagonally of said car and parallel
with said diagonal end, substantially as described.
2. In a sweeper-car, the combination with a car-base having a diagonal end,
of a rotary-brush journalled below said car diagonally of said car and parallel
with said diagonal end, and means for driving said brush, substantially as
described.
3. In a sweeper car, the combination with a car-base having diagonal ends;
of rotary-brushes journalled below said car-base diagonally of said car and
parallel with said diagonal ends, and means for driving said brushes either singly
or simultaneously, substantially as described.
4. In a sweeper-car, the combination with a car-base having diagonal ends,
rotary-brushes journalled one at each end of said car below said car-base diagonally
of the same and parallel with said diagonal ends, of a driving shaft intermediate
of said brushes, two sprocket-wheels journalled on said shaft and adapted to be
connected each with one of said brushes, and clutch mechanism adapted to
cause either or both of said sprocket-wheels to be rotated by said driving-shaft,
substantially as described.
Dated this 13th doy of Dh
1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C..
Agents for the Applicant.