IMPROVEMENTS IN VEHICLES OR ROLLING STOCK FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Cleminson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1883.
JAMES CLEMINSON of Westminster Chambers in the City of Westminster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VEHICLES OR ROLLING STOCK FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
"
My invention is designed to enable vehicles to pass readily along curved
portions of railways or tramways as well as along straight parts thereof, and is
applicable not only to railways and tramways of ordinary type, but also to such as
are used in connection with hauling appliances such as cables, ropes, chains or the
like for moving vehicles along them, whether laid on, above, or beneath the ground
in a tunnel or tube having a slot along its course.
Also my invention is applicable in cases where compressed air or vacuum is
employed for moving vehicles and whether or not the rails have longitudinal
grooves or flat or similarly shaped heads flush with the surface of the roadway.
According to one arrangement for rolling stock of railways and tramways each
axle is arranged with its wheels in a frame that I will call an axle frame. It is
separate from the main frame of the vehicle and may be large enough to carry the
bearing springs and axleboxes wholly, these being free to move or act independently
of but within guide horns or guards of the ordinary description attached to the
axleframe in a vertical plane, or the axleframe may be attached to the axleboxes
and move therewith, the bearing springs being also connected at their centres to
the axleboxes or to the axle frame; the said guide or guides being dispensed with
altogether or attached to the main frame as may be most convenient.
In either case the body or upper structure of the vehicle may rest directly on the
axle frames, or may be suspended therefrom or from the extremities of the bearing
springs. Two or more such axle-frames are employed under a vehicle, those at its
extremities being provided each with a pivot, or pivots, so that each can rotate or
swivel within certain limits. The axle of each axleframe is placed in advance of
the pivot of such axleframe.

page_text: .
When a six carrying wheeled vehicle constructed according to my invention
leaves a straight and enters a curved way its wheels will follow the change of
direction of the rails whilst the vehicle body being rigid will become a chord the
arc to which will be formed by the curved road the vehicle body displacing itself
laterally over the central pair of wheels, whose axle assumes a position convergent
to the centre of the curved road.
In constructing a vehicle according to my invention on eight wheels I sometimes
group the four of the wheels nearest the centre of the vehicle in an axleframe
which may be held in suitable slides or guides, or it may be provided with a pivot
the said pivot being fixed in a position central to the two axles or nearer to one of
the axles than to the other.
Hence it will be understood that whilst on a straight road the axles of the wheel-
base according to my invention will be parallel with each other and at right angles
with the rails of the road,-whilst on a curved road the axles will be at different
angles to each other, but at right angles or approximately so to the rails of the
road.
Thus, according to my invention, a flexibility is imparted to the wheel-base
which enables it to adapt itself automatically to the sinuosities of the road.
As above described the frames carrying the axles are not connected to each
other each axle and its wheels having free and independent action, but in some
cases it may be convenient to connect them together wholly or in groups.
I combine guide wheels with axles and frames arranged to provide a flexible
wheel-base is above set forth. There may be one or more such guide wheels on or
under each axle.-or arranged in advance or in rear of the axles in suitable guides,
guards, or frames that can be raised and lowered or detached when the guide
wheels are not required to be in use. The carrying wheels employed in conjunction
with such guide wheels may have plain cylindrical peripheries, or other convenient
forin.
In the case of railways or tramways worked by cables, ropes, chains, compressed
air or vacuum the rails of which are flat on their upper surfaces I combine the
carrying wheels and their axles arranged according to my invention as above
described with the guide wheels so arranged as to run in the slot or other aperture
through which the grippers or other connection of the vehicles with the cable or
other propelling power passes into the tube or channel whilst the side or carrying
wheels run on the rails.
By this combination I produce and control the desired flexibility of the wheel-
base or the radial action of the axles of the vehicles and cause the said axles to
assume positions at right angles with the rails and also cause the side or carrying
wheels to maintain their positions upon and follow the rails whether the road be
curved or straight. The guide wheels may be made to run in the groove or grooves
of the rail where rails having grooves are used.
One or both of the carrying wheels can be loose on the axle, it being either a
fixture or free to rotate either in conjunction with or independently of the said
wheels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Cleminson in the Great Seal Patent Office 'on the
23rd July 1883.
JAMES CLEMINSON of Westminster Chambers in the City of Westminster
IMPROVEMENTS IN VEHICLES OR ROLLING STOCK FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
My invention is designed to enable vehicles to pass readily along curved portions
of railways or tramways as well as along straight parts thereof and is applicable
inter alia in cases where compressed air or vacuum is employed for moving
vehicles and whether or not the rails have longitudinal grooves or flat or similarly
shaped heads flush with the surface of the roadway.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, Fig 1 shows a side
elevation and longitudinal section, and Fig 2 a plan of so much of a vehicle'as is
necessary to illustrate the application of my invention; and Fig 3 is a cross section
of the same.
A is the main frame. B B are the axle frames; CC are the pivots
around which the axleframes B B are free to swivel; the said pivots are made of
sufficient length to allow of the rise and fall of the superstructure of the vehicle
due to the compression or extension of the bearing springs D. The main frame A
is suspended from the extremities of the bearing springs D by arms E and
suspensory links F within which arms Ẹ the said links F have ample freedom to
allow of the swivelling and other motions of the axle frame.
For the purpose of joining the axleframes they are constructed each with a pole
formed of two pieces G and G which are stayed by pieces H and H. At the point
of junction of the said pole and stays the pieces are united by a plate or piece I on
which is formed a boss or equivalent wherein is or are bored a hole or holes for
the reception of the pin or pins J and J which secure the articulating and con-
necting link K to the said joining pieces I I as usual in the well known Cleminson
flexible wheel base construction.
The said articulating link is formed with a piece ii turned up at the ends, and
against the said turned up ends the controlling springs L L bear whilst they also
bear against the brackets M M; by this meus the tendency of the axleframes to
assume a position normal to a straight road is assisted and excessive violent or
jerky swivelling action of the axleframes is controlled or prevented.
In order to sustain the extremities of the poles the pieces J J are projected up
from the said articulating links, and at their upper ends a pulley k is fixed: the
said pulley runs freely on the bar and thus whilst the axleframes have perfect
freedom of action in all directions they are always under control.
It will be understood the axle frame is attached to the axle boxes and moves
therewith, the bearing springs being also connected at their centres to the axle-
boxes, or to the axleframe.
It is to be noted that the axle of each axle frame is placed in advance of the
pivot of such axle frame.
When a vehicle constructed according to my invention leaves a straight and
enters a curved way its wheels will follow the change of direction of the rails
whilst the vehicle body being rigid will become a chord the arc to which will be
formed by the curved road. In constructing a vehicle according to my invention
on eight wheels I sometimes group the four of the wheels nearest the centre of the
vehicle in an axle frame which may be held in suitable slides or guides, or it may
be provided with a pivot the said pivot being fixed in a position central to the two
axles or nearer to one of the axles than to the other.
Hence it will be understood that whilst on a straight road the axles of the

page_text: wheelbase according to my invention will be parallel with each other and at right
angles with the rails of the road,-whilst on a curved road the axles will be at
different angles to each other, but at right angles or approximately so to the rails
of the road.
Thus according to my invention a flexibility is imparted to the wheel base which
enables it to adapt itself automatically to the sinuosities of the road.
As just above described the frames carrying the axles are not connected to each
other each axle and its wheels having free and independent action, but in some
cases it may be convenient to connect them together wholly or in groups.
In my provisional specification I proposed to combine guide wheels with axles
and frames arranged to provide a flexible wheel base as above set forth but I do
not now attach importance to such arrangement. I would remark that in the
construction I have illustrated one or both of the carrying wheels can be loose on
the axle, it being either a fixture or free to rotate either in conjunction with or
independently of the said wheels
Having described the nature of my said invention and the manner of performing
it what I claim is the arrangement and construction of the wheel base of vehicles
or rolling stock for railways and tramways substantially as hereinabove described
and illustrated
In Witness whereof I the said James Cleminson have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty third day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.