Apparatus for Cleaning the Rails of Street Tramways.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Cleaning the Rails of Street Tramways.
1, CARL THEODOR BISCHOFF, of Steindamm, 108" Hamburg, in the Empire
of Germany, 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
n and by the following statement :—
The apparatus according to this invention is used for cleaning the rails of street-
wwwwways, and the following
Fil
a description thereot, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, in which
2 description thereot, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, in which
Figure is a side elevation,
Figure 2 a plan, and
Figure 3 a back view of the apparatus.
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 shew details of the apparatus, Figure 6 illustrating a section
taken on the line a bed Figure 5, and drawn to a larger scale.
The same letters and figures which are used in the drawings indicate the same
parts in all the figures of the drawings.
The apparatus or machine consists of a carriage running on four wheels, provided
with a guide wheel A and brake-apparatus, and capable of being steered. On the
carriage there is carried a box B intended for the reception of the dirt. The
cleaning of the rails is done as follows:
The dirt, mud, or water, which is in the groove of the rail is carried into the
partially closed receptacle g by the metal piece or part (shewn in detail in Figure 4,
and in modified form in Figure 7) which clears the dirt out of the groove of the
rail by sliding along the bottom of the rail-groove, and is attached to the axie e.
The receptacle is represented in Figure 5, in plan, and in Figure 6 in sectional
elevation on a larger scale. As soon as the wing h of the piece, when the latter
is sliding forward, knocks against any obstacle, the piece makes a quarter-turn on
its axle e and thus passes over every obstacle arising from the imperfections of the
rails or the damaged condition of same. Whenever a fresh obstacle presents
itself, the piece takes a further quarter-turn, and this is repeated every time there
is any obstacle met with during the journey, namely, at the commencement the
wing attends to the cleaning of the rail, then the wing i comes in action after a
quarter-turn, and upon further turns taking place the wings and m will do the
same work.
As it is requisite that the pressure of the dirt-cleaner (Figure 6) should be
regulated, the axle e of the same is carried in a bearing 14 (Figure 5) which can
slide up and down between two channel-irons, and upon the bearing 14 presses the
turned-down end of the lever 15 (Figure 6). On the lever 15 there is an adjustable
sliding-weight 16, which causes the lever 15 to press on the bearing 14, and thereby
the required pressure is obtained.
If any dirt should have remained in the rails after the passage of the clearer f,
it is thrown into the box g by means of the circular brush 8 (Figure 6), which
rotates round the axle n from left to right, and is provided with a lever 10 and
sliding-weight 12.
r
(Figure 1) is one bind-wheel of the carriage, upon the nave of which is one
half of a clutch-coupling whilst to the axle p is attached a loose chain-wheel r, upon
which is the other half of the coupling. When the chain-wheel is pressed towards
the wheel o, by means of the lever 30, the coupling is put in gear and sets the
entire machine in motion. Round the wheel there passes an endless link-chain,
which is also passed round the loose chain rollers. The outside of the chain is
also passed over the chain-wheel (which is fixed on the axle (), in order to make
this wheel turn in a different direction.

page_text: Г
Over this there is
On the same axle is the fixed chain-wheel (Figure 3).
laid a similar link-chain, which drives the wheel in (Figure 2) which is fixed on the
axle...
On this axle there is the wheely (Figure 1), over which a link chain is also
land, which drives the wheel: fixed on the axle. On this same axle is the
circular brush 8 (Figure 6), which is thus put in rotary motion from left to right,
by the forward motion of the carriage.
9 is the bearing suspended from the lever 10 (which is fulcrummed at 13 and
The bearing
provide with a sliding weight 12) and which carries the axle n.
moves in guides which consist of a channel iron 11 bent in the shape of a horse-shoe,
and admits only of an up and down motion of the bearing. The dirt which accumu-
lates in the box is raised by means of an elevator 17 and emptied into the box B
through the shute 15 (Figure 3). The motion of the elevator is brought about by
When
the same being laid over an elevator wheel which is fixed on the axle p.
this axle turns, the elevator is thereby also geared and works, and the box g is
emptied and the box B is filled. The elevator is surrounded with a sheet fron
casing, indicated in the drawing by two dotted lines. All the cleaning arrange-
ments described above are fitted to both sides of the machine, so that both rails of
the street tramway may be cleaned at the same time.
1
In onler that the machine may travel otherwise than on rails, it is necessary
that the depending parts of the same may be raised from the ground, and for this
purpose the following parts are fixed to, or suspended from a lever 20 (Figure 6) : –
The horseshoe channel iron guides 11 carrying the bearing 9; the channel iron
guides carrying the bearing 14; the semicircular guard plate 21 (Figures 1 and 2);
the lever of the first order 10 (Figure 6); the end 22 of the lever of the third
order 15 (Figure 5). The lever 20 is fulcrummed at its end 23 (Figure 2) on the
axle, and the other end rests on a piece of angle-iron attached to the box B,
when the lever is in its lowered position.
For the purpose of raising the lever 20, the hand-wheel 24 which can be
managed from the seat 25 of the driver, is provided. The wheel 21 is carried on
a short axle 26 onto which a chain leading from the lever 20 is wound, and is
provided with a paal and ratchet. 27, 28, and 29 are rollers over and under
which passes respectively, the chain connected to the axle 26 of the hand-wheel 24,
so that by turning the latter backward or forward the cleaning arrangement as
well as the guide-roller A are raised or lowered, as the case may be. The box B
is emptied through a sliding door 31, which can be made water-tight by means of
a frame and screw.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine for cleaning the rails of street-tramways, the use and application
of a turnable dirt-remover (/) of triangular, square, or equivalent form, which is
pressed on to the rails by a lever (15) with a sliding weight (16).
2. The apparatus for cleaning the rails of street tramways constructed, arranged,
and operating substantially as herein described, and as shewn in the annexed
drawings.
e
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CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A..
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.