Improvements in Trucks for Centre-rail Elevated Railroads.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Trucks for Centre-rail Elevated Railroads.
1 ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
Francis A. Bartholomew of Bloomfield in the County of Essex United States of
America Engineer) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The invention relates to trucks for central-rail, or so called single-rail elevated
rail-road in which the weight of the rolling stock is supported by central wheels
upon a single-rail in the apex of the structure, and balanced and guarded against
derailment by side-wheels running upon two rails, one at each side of, and at a
lower elevation than that of the said central single rail.
In constructing railroads of this kind much difficulty has been incurred for want
of suitable trucks for the cars, in as much as it has been found impracticable to
round sharp curves, or curves of a short radius, without binding so much upon the
railroad-structure as to make it unsafe.
The object of my present invention is to provide an improved construction which
will overcome this difficulty.
The improvement comprises-the arrangement, on a single truck-frame, of a pair
of central sustaining-wheels running upon the single-rail, one in front of the other;
also a pair of balancing-side-wheels set midway between the sustaining-wheels, but
whose centers are situated below them; the whole of the above set of wheels being
suitably mounted in the said frame, which is formed so as to straddle the structure;
and the said truck-frame being connected by a vertical pivot in its center, to the
bottom of the car, which latter rests upon the truck-frame and is supported on it
by an interposed suitable spring or cushion, so as to afford an easy motion to the
truck, and enabling, by the said pivot, all the wheels to act harmoniously in
rounding curves of any radius, and relieving them from any sudden jar or tendency
to bind on the structure; also the details of construction, as will be hereinafter
described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings, (to a scale of about 1 inch = 1 foot or of
the full size), making a part of this specification,
Fig. 1 represents a front- or end- view of my improved truck in position upon a
central-rail elevated railroad-structure, a portion of the bottom of the car being
shown in section and resting in position upon the truck-frame.
Figs 2 & 3 are detail side view and top view, respectively, of a bridge-bracket
secured to the car-body, and by which the car is supported upon and pivoted to
the truck.

page_text: Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the truck and of a portion of the railroad-structure,
a part of the car-bottom, as well as the supporting bridge-bracket and the inter-
posed spring being shown upon the truck in central section.
Fig. 5 is a top or plan-view of the truck, car-bottom, and railroad-structure
partly broken out.
The truck-frame is made of two parts A A¹, bolted together in the center as
shown in Fig. 5 (to clamp between them the pivot B by which the truck is con-
nected to the car) and connected at the ends, by brace-bolts a, so as to leave a
suitable opening in front and rear for mounting the central sustaining-wheels C.
These wheels have broad faces and a flange at each side thereof, adapting them to
run in proper position upon the central-rail at the apex of the structure, as shown
in Fig. 1, and are journaled in ordinary axle-boxes, and fitted to slide in vertical
guides in brackets D projecting upward from the truck-frame.
The front and rear brackets D D at each side of the truck are connected and
braced together by a tie-rod & bolted to the top of each bracket, and between the
same, and each journal-box is interposed a spiral or other spring b, to give an
elastic support to the truck and the weight sustained thereon, and enable the truck
to ride easy and without imparting any jarring movement to the car.
Crosswise of the truck, its parts A A² are further braced and connected by a
central bar c bolted at its ends to the said tie-bars d, and also by brace-bars e,
which, like the bars c are bolted to the said tie-bars d, and extend laterally down-
ward from them to the edges of the lateral extensions a¹ of the car-frame, to which
they are bolted through flanges f at their lower ends.
From the lateral extensions a¹ midway between the axles of the wheels C,
project downward oppositely placed brackets E, in which are journaled in sliding
axle-boxes, the auxiliary or balancing-wheels F. The faces of these wheels are like
those of ordinary railroad-cars, having a flange on one side only, and run upon the
lower rails at the side of the central rail of the structure. The axle-boxes of these
wheels are also provided with suitable car-springs g, which, however, are weaker
than the springs 6; the object of the wheels F not being to sustain the weight of
the truck and car, which is wholly supported by the upper or sustaining wheels C,
and the springs. b, but simply to balance the car upon the central-rail, help to
prevent derailment, and, in the case of a fracture, or other damage to the center-
rail, to retain the car in upright position upon the side-rails. Every car is
supported at either end upon a truck constructed as just described, being pivoted
upon the said pivot-pin B, and steadied laterally by ordinary segmental rubbing-
pieces a on the upper surface of the lateral extensions a² of the truck-frame, in
like manner as an ordinary fifth wheel for a wagon.
The pivotal-connection between the car and the truck is formed by a strong
bracket G bridging an opening in the car bottom H, through which the sustaining-
wheels C and their boxes, brackets, and braces project above the car-bottom, as
shown in Figs 1 & 4. The said bridging bracket G, preferably constructed as
shown in Figs 2 & 3, is bolted with its end-flanges to the car-bottom H, and is
provided at its center with a hub and a vertical bore through the said hub, by
which it fits to turn freely upon the pivot B.
A strong spring S of any suitable construction, preferably of rubber strengthened
by circumferential iron-bands, as shown in Fig. 4, is interposed around the pivot
between a flange around the lower end of the said pivot, and the underside of the
aforesaid hub of the bridge bracket G, and upon the said spring S is sustained the
entire weight of that part of the car and its load intended to be carried one one
truck.
I is the central-rail at the apex, and i the side-rail at the base of the structure.
The upper end of the pivot-pin B is turned off to reduce its diameter and form a
shoulder; and upon the said reduced portion h is fitted to turn the hub of a
brake-lever K, which hub has laterally opposite lugs, by which, and pivotal links
it is connected to the upper end of brake-blocks or brake-shoes M, whose lower,

page_text: ends are hinged or pivoted to lugs m upon the adjoining flanges N, by which the
parts A A' of the truck-frame are bolted together around the pivot-pin.
The brackets M, are arranged, as shown in the drawing, so as to be readily
thrown in or out of contact with the central sustaining-wheels C, when required,
by simply operating the brake-lever K.
From the foregoing it will be observed, that the construction is strong, simple,
neat and compact; also that the bottom of the car is below the central sustaining
wheels C, and, by increasing the height of the bridge-bracket G, may, if desired,
be brought down nearly flush with the rail at the apex of the structure, thereby
insuring increased steadiness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, 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:
1st A truck-frame supporting the car wholly above the railway structure and
carrying wheels of varied heights of bearings, said truck-frame being centrally
pivoted, so that all the wheels thereon may act in concert.
2nd A truck-frame provided with upward projecting brackets carrying, in the
centre-line lengthwise of the truck, two main or sustaining wheels, and provided
also with downward projecting brackets rying on axles in the center-line cross-
wise of the truck two auxiliary or balancing side wheels, said truck-frame being
attached to the car by a vertical swivel or pivotal connection located centrally
between the said four wheels.
3rd A truck-frame provided with two main or sustaining-wheels to run in line
with each other upon the elevated center rail, and two lateral auxiliary or
balancing-wheels to run parallel with each other upon the lower side rails, and
preferably provided also with a centrally located swivel or pivot, in combination
with a car movable upon the said pivot, and a spring interposed in the said pivotal
connection between the said car and truck-frame.
4th A truck provided with two sustaining-wheels, two balancing-wheels and a
central pivot, all arranged as before stated, in combination with a car-bottom hung,
below the centers of the sustaining wheels, by a bridge-bracket swiveled upon the
said pivot, with or without a spring interposed in the pivotal connection between
the said bridge-bracket and truck.
5th A truck-frame of two similar parts A and A¹, bolted together in the middle
by means of flanges N around a central pivot, for attachment to the car, and united
at the ends by stay-rods a leaving end-openings with sustaining-wheels C mounted
therein between upward projecting brackets D, said truck-frame having also lateral
extensions a¹ with rubbing-pieces a' and downward-projecting brackets E carrying
balancing-wheel F, in combination with tie-bars & connecting the fore and aft
brackets D at each side of the truck, and cross-braces e secured to the said tie-
bars d and secured with their end-flanges f also to the said lateral extensions a¹
substantially as shown and described.
6th A truck provided with two sustaining wheels, two balancing-wheels and a
central pivot, all arranged as and for the purpose before stated, in combination
with a brake-lever fulcrumed upon the said pivot and connected to actuate brake-
shoes or friction-blocks against the faces of the said sustaining-wheels.
Dated thin and day of a 100R