IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY WAGONS AND TRUCKS."
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Henson Henson, of No. 13, Parliament
Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY WAGONS AND
TRUCKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Henson Henson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd July 1868.
I, HENRY HENSON HENSON, of No. 13, Parliament Street, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY WAGONS AND
TRUCKS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object an improved mode of constructing
railway wagons and trucks for the conveyance of merchandize, and
more particularly for the transport of coal, whereby the damage at
present caused to coal and other friable or fragile goods when carried
in bulk on railways is greatly avoided.

page_text: In the present system of conveyance the receptacle containing the
coal or other merchandize is fixed or firmly united to the under framing
of the wagon or truck, whereby the severe shocks that the latter is
subject to by the various operations of starting, stopping, and shunting
are transmitted more or less with their full force to the coal or other
goods contained in the wagon, which in thus being caused to strike
violently against each other and against the ends and sides of the
wagon become greatly damaged, resulting in the case of coal in the
production of large quantities of "slack" of greatly reduced value as
compared with that of the coal. In addition to this great damage is
also done to the ends of the wagons or trucks, resulting in a con-
siderably increased cost for repairs or for the maintenance of the
vehicle.
Now my present Invention consists in obviating all these before-
mentioned defects, if not entirely at least in a very great degree,
by constructing the under framing of the wagon or truck and the
superstructure, body, or holding capacity thereof in two separate parts,
the latter being afterwards so connected to or supported by the former
that the body shall within certain limits be capable of more or less
free motion relative to and independent of the under framing, whereby
the transmission to the body of the wagon or truck of the shocks to
which the under framing is subjected will be prevented, the stopping or
starting the motion of the body being in such case gradually and gently
effected by the means employed for connecting or supporting the same
to or by the under framing, these means being by preference such as
will allow of the sudden motion or shock imparted to the under framing
being converted into and expended in a gentle swaying motion of the
body similar in character to that of a basket carried by the hand.
The mechanical means employed for the purposes of my Invention
may be greatly varied, thus, the body may be suspended from C springs
fixed to the under framing in a similar manner to the arrangement
employed for road carriages, the lateral motion of the body being
controlled by any suitable guides or stays, or the body may be sus-
pended by means of short chains, or by links or rings, from the under
framing, or from brackets fixed thereon; or again, the body may rest
upon the under framing or upon curved surfaces formed on brackets
fixed thereto, or upon longitudinal chains carried thereby, and either
with or without the intervention of antifriction rollers, and the body

page_text: may be held upon the under framing by any contrivance, either of an
elastic nature or capable of yielding to the motion of the body within
certain limits, such as india-rubber bands or cushious, metal springs,
studs on the body working in grooves on the framing, or vice versa,
and such like appliances; or any other arrangement may be employed
whereby the before-described principle of my Invention is carried
into effect.
It will be obvious that the under framing of the wagon or truck
may be of the same construction and materials as those which are
already in use, except in so far as relates to the employment of buffers,
these expensive contrivances being no longer required, as by my
Invention the effects of sudden and continuous pressure or shocks are
otherwise and more effectually neutralized. The body or holding
capacity of my improved wagon or truck may be made of wood, iron,
or a combination thereof, or of any other suitable material or
materials.
My Invention is equally applicable to railway wagons or trucks
already in existence by doing away with the rigid connection of the
body to the under framing and connecting it to the latter in the
manner before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Henson Henson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HENSON HENSON, of No. 13, Parliament Street, Westminister, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Henson Henson, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Henson Henson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Henson Henson,
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,

page_text: and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY WAGONS AND TRUCKS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Henson Henson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Henson Henson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say :-
My Invention has for its object an improved mode of constructing
railway wagons and trucks for the conveyance of merchandize, and more
particularly for the transport of coal, whereby the damage at present
caused to coal and other friable or fragile goods when carried in bulk on
railways is greatly avoided.
In the present system of conveyance the receptacle containing the
coal or other merchandize is fixed or firmly united to the under framing
of the wagon or truck, whereby the severe shocks that the latter is
subject to by the various operations of starting, stopping, and shunting
are transmitted more or less with their full force to the coal or other
goods contained in the wagon, which in thus being caused to strike
violently against each other and against the ends and sides of the wagon
become greatly damaged, resulting in the case of coal in the production
of large quantities of "slack" of greatly reduced value as compared
with that of the coal. In addition to this great damage is also done to
the ends of the wagons or trucks, resulting in a considerably increased
cost for repairs or for the maintenance of the vehicle.
Now my present Invention consists in obviating all these before-
mentioned defects, if not entirely at least in a very great degree, by
constructing the under framing of the wagon or truck and the super-

page_text: structure, body, or holding capacity thereof of two separate parts, the
latter being afterwards so connected to or supported by the former that
the body shall within certain limits be capable of more or less free end
motion relative to and independent of the under framing, whereby the
transmission to the body of the wagon or truck of the shocks to which
the under framing is subjected will be prevented, the stopping or starting
the motion of the body being in such case gradually and gently effected
by the means employed for connecting or supporting the same to or by
the under framing, these means being by preference such as will allow
of the sudden motion or shock imparted to the under framing being
converted into and expended in a gentle swaying motion of the body,
similar in character to that of a basket carried by the hand.
The mechanical means employed for the purposes of my Invention,
may be greatly varied, thus the body may be suspended from C springs
fixed to the under framing in a similar manner to the arrangement
employed for road carriages, the lateral motion of the body being con-
trolled by any suitable guides or stays, or the body may be suspended by
means of short chains or by links or rings from the under framing or
from brackets fixed thereon; or again, the body may rest upon the
under framing or upon curved surfaces formed on brackets fixed thereto,
either with or without the intervention of antifriction rollers, and the
body may be held upon the under framing by any contrivance either of
an elastic nature or capable of yielding to the motion of the body within
certain limits, such as india-rubber bands or cushions, metal springs,
studs on the body working in grooves on the framing, or vice versa, and
such like appliances; or any other arrangement may be employed
whereby the before-described principle of my Invention is carried into
effect.
It will be obvious that the under framing of the wagon or truck may
be of the same construction and materials as those which are already in
use, except in so far as relates to the employment of buffers, these
expensive contrivances being no longer required, as by my Invention the
effects of sudden and continuous pressure or shocks are otherwise and
more effectually neutralized. The body or holding capacity of my
improved wagon or truck may be made of wood, iron, or a combina-
tion thereof, or of any other suitable material or materials.
My Invention is equally applicable to railway wagons or trucks
already in existence by doing away with the rigid connection of the

page_text: body to the under framing and connecting it to the latter in the manner
before described.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are shewn some of the
various arrangements by which my Invention may be carried into
practice.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation, and Figure 2 shews a transverse
section of a railway truck or wagon, of which the body A is constructed
separate from the under framing B, and is suspended by means of links
C, C, from strong brackets D, D, fixed to the under framing B. The
links C being made to fit upon strong cylindrical pins E fixed on the
body A and on other similar pins F carried by the brackets D, it will
be seen that the body A is free to swing backwards and forwards in a
longitudinal direction upon the pins F as centres, whereby it is evident
that any violent shock experienced by the under framing will not be
transferred to the body, but will only cause a comparatively gently
swaying motion to be imparted to the latter. The body may either be
supported entirely by the links C, or part of the weight may be taken by
rollers G, G, fixed on the under framing B upon which the body rests
by means of guide rails H, H, formed with curved surfaces, as shewn, in
order that they may keep in contact with the rollers as the body is
caused to rise and fall when oscillating on the pins F as centres.
Figure 3 shews a part side elevation of a truck or wagon of which the
body A is suspended by links I from strong C springs J fixed on the
under framing B, or in place of C springs rigid brackets of a somewhat
similar form may be employed, as shewn at K, at Figure 4.
If springs
are used in combination with the longitudinal motion, it will be evident
that the ordinary bearing springs may be dispensed with. Instead of
fixing the C springs or brackets on the under framing beyond the ends
of the body, as shewn, they may be arranged as shewn in side and end
elevation at Figures 5 and 6, where the brackets or springs L are situated
at the side of the body A as in the first arrangement, the body being
however in this case recessed at the ends to such an extent as to prevent
the bracket or spring L from projecting beyond the side of the body.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I in
no way limit myself to the arrangements for carrying the same into
practice hercin-before described, as these may obviously be greatly varied
without departing from the essential feature of my Invention, whereby

page_text: the body or superstructure of a railway wagon or truck is constructed
separate from the under framing, and is so suspended or supported there-
from or thereby, or from or by parts fixed to the under framing, that the
body shall be capable of more or less free end motion relative to and
independently of the under framing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Henson Jenson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.