Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning or Clearing Hollow or Grooved Tramway Rails.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Mar., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
TRUVIDIONAL
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning or Clearing Hollow or
Grooved Tramway Rails.
I, DOMINIQUE CÉSAR LE BRAS, of 10 Rue du Jour, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus applicable to all vehicles
running upon a road formed of hollow or grooved rails for the purpose of cleaning
such rails automatically.
In order to be really practical, an apparatus or tool for cleaning hollow or
grooved tramway rails should fulfil the following conditions :-It should be
applicable to all kinds of vehicles, that run on such rails, be cheap, light, and
strong; not liable to wear the rail, or offer any undue resistance to the motive
power; it must be securely fixed and so arranged as to adapt itself, without
external assistance, to the inflexions and movements met with in its passage round
curves and over crossings, points, rail joints and various obstacles such as stones
and so forth that may get into the groove, or be met with on the ground when
derailment takes place and when once in place must require a minimum of attention
and be easily adjusted and finally it must be as durable as possible.
These desiderata are secured by the arrangement of cleaning or clearing apparatus
hereinafter described.
A stem screw threaded at its upper end passes freely through a supporting piece
to which it is fixed adjustably by means of two nuts and washers. The said
support may be of any form and composed of tee, angle, or flat, iron, or iron or
steel of other suitable section; it is fixed rigidly to the body of the vehicle
preferably at a point which brings the cleaning or clearing instrument in front of
and as near as possible to the point of contact of the front wheels with the rails in
order to avoid as much as possible the tendency of such instrument to
out of the groove while passing round curves of short radius. But the position
of this support may be chosen if preferred so that the cleaning or clearing
instrument is either placed between the front and back wheels or behind the
hinder wheels.
come
Below the support the stem is formed with grooves into which are screwed a
few of the spirals of a strong helical spring the lower spirals of which are screwed
into similar grooves formed in the upper end of a cleaning or clearing instrument
the lower end of which takes into the groove or hollow of the rail.
The parts thus connected together by means of the spring constitute a cleaning
or clearing arrangement the lower end of which can rise up out of the groove of the
rail when the resistance encountered by the cleaning or clearing instrument is
greater than that of the spring.
The spring may be arranged so as to utilise its compressive instead of its tensile
action and in some cases the tension spring may be supplemented by a compression
spring.
In order to prevent the projection of mud into the spiral spring the latter may
be covered with a flexible sheath of vulcanised indiarubber or other suitable
material. The apparatus may also be provided with a dirt or water guard.
The elastic connection which characterises my invention may be arranged with a
helical spring as above described or with a pendant of elastic material such as
indiarubber for example which, like the above described spring, offers sufficient
resistance not only to force the cleaning or clearing instrument to push before it

page_text: the mud filling the groove of the rail but also to clear and drive out compacted
earth and snow, which however are comparatively seldom met with. Furthermore,
to enable the cleaning or clearing instrument to penetrate better and more easily
into hard earth, it may be formed as a wedge, a spur, a ploughshare, and 50
forth.
The cleaning or clearing instrument may comprise a part which moves in the
groove of the rail and of two side wings which hang over the surface of the rail for
the purpose of cleaning such surface at the same time as the groove; but to enable
the instrument to adapt itself better to all the movements of the vehicle the wings
may be omitted, for the surface of the rail is generally cleaned sufficiently by the
sweepers, the wind, the passage of pedestrians and carriages, and even by the
wheels of the vehicles which carry the cleaning and clearing apparatus. When
however the wings are considered necessary, they may be formed by means of a key
or cotter fixed in the stem of the cleaning or clearing instrument. Furthermore
the wings, or the key or cotter, can be adjusted into such a position, especially
during rain, as will prevent the collection of dirt. In all cases the cleaning or
clearing instrument and the wings should be of a material softer than the rail in
order that they may wear rather than the rail.
According to a modification of the above described arrangements, the cleaning
or clearing instrument is pressed against a sphere, which terminates the supporting
stem, by means of springs attached to two branches of the support. If preferred
this support may have four or any other number of branches and a corresponding
number of springs for holding the cleaning or clearing instrument.
The cleaning or clearing instrument may be terminated by a flexible net of
indiarubber or an iron trellis work etcetera or a flexible steel blade which removes
more or less completely all traces of dust from the rail.
The apparatus hereinbefore described is applicable more especially for cleaning
the rails of tramways. But by placing the spur of the cleaning instrument to the
right or left of the groove and by notching at a suitable place the point of
the switch, the spur of the cleaning or clearing instrument may be made to
engage therein, and to open the switches whichever direction the vehicle may be
moving in.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning or Clearing Hollow or
Grooved Tramway Rails.
I, DOMINIQUE CÉSAR LE BRAS, of 10 Rue de Jour, Paris, in the Republic
of France, 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
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying sheet
of drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of this invention is to provide au apparatus applicable to all vehic'es
running upon a road formed of hollow or grooved rails for the purpose of cleaning
such rails automatically.
In order to be really practical, an apparatus or tool for cleaning hollow or
grooved tramway rails should fulfil the following conditions :-It should be
applicable to all kinds of vehicles that run on such rails; be cheap, light and
strong; not liable to wear the rail or offer any undue resistance to the motive
power; it must be securely fixed and so arranged as to adapt itself without

page_text: curves and over crossings, points, rail joints, and various obstacles such as stones
and so forth that may get into the groove or be met with on the ground when
rerailment takes place, and when once in place it must require a minimum of
attention and be easily adjusted, and finally it must be as durable as possible.
These desiderata are secured by the arrangement of cleaning or clearing
apparatus hereinafter described.
Referring to the annexed drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus taken through the longitudinal
axis of the groove of the rail.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan taken on the line 1-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken through the axis of the
apparatus.
Figures 4 and 5 are two sectional elevations, taken in planes at right angles to
each other, of an apparatus similar to that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 but
arranged in a slightly different way.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 show the same apparatus arranged in slightly different
forms but having the essential characteristics of Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The arrangement comprises essentially a rigid stem a of iron or other suitable
material fixed firmly to the vehicle, a cleaning or clearing instrument 6 of iron, or
other suitable material, running in the groove or hollow of the rail, and a helical
steel spring establishing an elastic or flexible connection between
parts a and b.
the
The stem a, screw-threaded at its upper end, passes freely through a supporting
pieced to which it is fixed adjustably by means of the two nuts eel and the
washers ee. The said support d may be of any form and composed of T, angle,
or flat iron, or iron or steel of other suitable section; it is fixed rigidly to the body
of the vehicle preferably at a point which brings the cleaning or clearing instru-
ment 6 in front of and as near as possible to the point of contact of the front
wheels with the rails in order to avoid as much as possible the tendency of such
instrument b to come out of the groove while passing round curves of short radius.
But the position of this support & may be chosen if preferred so that the cleaning
or clearing instrumentis either placed between the front and back wheels, or
behind the hinder wheels.
d
Below the support d the stem a is formed at its part a¹ with grooves into
which are screwed a few of the spirals of a strong helical spring c, the lower spirals
of which are screwed into similar grooves formed in the upper end 61 of the cleaning
or clearing instrument b, the lower end of which takes into the groove or hollow of
the rail.
The parts a', thus connected together by means of the spring c, constitute a
cleaning or clearing arrangement the lower end of which can rise up out of the
groove of the rail when the resistance encountered by the cleaning or clearing
instrument b is greater than that of the spring c. The dotted lines in Figure 1
show the cleaning or clearing instrument raised in a direction opposite to that of
the motion of the vehicle shown by the arrow x.
The spring c may be arranged so as to utilise its compressive instead of its
tensile action.
Figure 3 shows an arrangement in which the tension spring c is connected to an
intermediate part a³ which is connected by a compression spring c to the stem a².
The height of the spring c is determined by the maximum and minimum oscilla-
tions due to the springs of the vehicle at the point where the cleaning or clearing
instrument is fixed. In Figures 4 and 5 the parts a' and bare halved together
at the point where they join. They are, like those above described, connected
together. by the spring c, the ends of which are screwed into threads or grooves
formed on the said parts.
In order to prevent the projection of mud into the spiral spring, the latter may
Be covered with a flexible sheath of vulcanized indiarubber or other suitable
.

page_text: material. The apparatus may also be provided with a suitable dirt or water
guard.
The elastic connection which characterizes my invention may be arranged as
shown in Figures 6 to 10 with a helical spring as above described, or with a
pendant of elastic material such as indiarubber for example, which, like the above
described spring c, offers sufficient resistance not only to cause the cleaning or
clearing instrument b to push before it the mud filling the groove of the rail but
also to clear and drive out compacted earth or snow, which, however, is compara-
tively seldom met with. Furthermore, to enable the cleaning or clearing instrument
to penetrate better and more easily into hard earth, it may be formed as a wedge
as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or as a spur, a ploughshare, and so forth.
In Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, the cleaning or clearing instrument is shown as
comprising a part 6 which moves in the groove of the rail, and two side wings g g¹
which bang over the upper surface of the rail for the purpose of cleaning such
surface at the same time as the groove, but to enable the instrument to adapt itself
better to all the movements of the vehicle, the wings g g' may be omitted, for the
surface of the rail is generally cleaned sufficiently by the sweepers, the wind, the
passage of pedestrians and carriages, and even by the wheels of the vehicles which
carry the cleaning or clearing apparatus. When, however the, wings y g' are
considered necessary, they may be formed of a key or cottar G fixed in the stem of
the cleaning or clearing instrument as shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, the
wings g g', or the key or cotter G, as the case may be, can be adjusted into such a
In all cases
position, especially during rain, as will prevent the collection of dirt.
the cleaning or clearing instrument b and the wings g g¹ should be of a material
softer than the rail in order that they may wear rather than the rail.
༡
In Figures 6 and 7, the cleaning or clearing instrument is connected to the stem a
which is fixed to the support d on the vehicle by means of the nut and the
spring c surrounding the stem a. The dotted lines in Figure 6 show the extreme
position that the instrument can take when it encounters an obstacle in the groove
of the rail.
Figure 8 illustrates a modification in which the stem a is fixed horizontally to the
support d, and the cleaning or clearing instrument is arranged to slide on the
stem a in the direction of the arrow, compressing the spring e when it meets an
obstacle as the vehicle moves in the opposite direction, that is from left to right in
the figure. The cleaning or clearing instrument b is fitted loosely on the stem a so
that when it meets with an obstacle which it cannot remove it passes over it by
turning into an oblique position on the stem a, the spring c restoring it to the
vertical position after it has passed over the obstacle.
In Figures 9 and 10 the cleaning or clearing instrument is pressed against a
sphere which terminates the supporting stem a by means of the springs ce
attached to two branches d' d' of the support d. If preferred this support d may
have four or any other number of branches and a corresponding number of springs
for holding the cleaning or clearing instrument b.
The cleaning or clearing instrument may be terminated by a flexible net of
indiarubber, or an ion trellis work, etcetera, or a flexible steel blade, which removes
more or less completely all traces of dust from the rail.
The apparatus hereinbefore described is applicable more especially for cleaning
the rails of tramways. But by placing the spur of the cleaning instrument b to the
right, or left, of the groove, and by notching, at a suitable place, the point of the
switch, the spur of the cleaning or clearing instrument may be made to engage
therein and to open the switches whichever direction the vehicle may be
moving in.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A cleaning or clearing apparatus for hollow or grooved tramway rails,

page_text: which consists of a stem fixed adjustably to a support secured to the body of the
vehicle, a cleaning or clearing instrument engaging in the hollow or groove of the
rail and attached to the aforesaid stem by a flexible connection, substantially as
described, and illustrated in the drawings.
Second. In a cleaning or clearing apparatus for hollow or grooved tramway rails,.
a stem fixed adjustably to a support secured to the body of the vehicle, and a
cleaning or clearing instrument engaging in the hollow or groove of the rail and
attached to the said stem by one or more helical springs, combined, arranged and
operating substantially as described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 3 of the
drawings.
Third. In a cleaning or clearing apparatus for hollow or grooved tramway rails,
the support d secured to the vehicle, the stem a secured to said support, the cleaning
or clearing instrument b, the said stem and the said cleaning or clearing instrument
being halved together at the parts a' b in a plane transverse to the road, and
connected together by the spring e, substantially as described with reference to
Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.
Fourth. In a cleaning or clearing apparatus for hollow or grooved tramway rails,.
the support d, the stem a fixed to the said support, the cleaner 6 and the spring c,
combined, arranged and acting substantially as described with reference to
Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings.
Fifth. In a cleaning or clearing apparatus for hollow or grooved tramway rails,
the fixed stem a having a terminal sphere K, the cleaner 6 held to the sphere K by
the springs cc and the support d, combined, arranged, and acting substantially as
described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings.
Dared this 200 nov AI March 1894
D. C. LE BRAS,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.
0641 UNLULA IU AB10 DUZ SLUI DIB
D. C. LE BRAS,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.