Improvements in Under Carriages and Obstruction Removers for Railway, Tramway, and like Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 30th Oct., 1897
Improvements in Under Carriages and Obstruction Removers for
Railway, Tramway, and like Vehicles.
I, LOUIS DE REYMOND-SCHILLER, of 100 Szondygasse, Budapest, in the Kingdom.
of Hungary, 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:-
The advantage offered by this improved constructional device is that the
vehicles (in contradistinction to vehicles with movable axle trees) are constructed
without axle journals or rotary discs, whereby all the advantages of the so-called
double trucks (vehicles with two rotary frames) are obtained, for example a steady
and safe guidance, great reliability of action when travelling at high speed,
preservation of the permanent way and of the road surface in general, small cost
of keeping in repair, and so forth.
The disadvantages connected with previous constructions, namely heavy weight,
expensive workmanship, diminished utilization of the adhesive weight and the
difficulty connected with the arrangement of any motors owing to want of space
are entirely avoided by this improved device.
can be
Another advantage of the latter consists in the fact that by reason of its con-
structional arrangement perfectly reliable rail guards and fenders
provided which absolutely prevent persons or animals from being caught by the
wheels.
The two above characterized advantages are conjointly attained by this improved
constructional device on the basis of the following principles.
A really reliable rail guard and fender whatever its shape and construction
may be, can only perfectly fulfil its purpose, if it extends down upon the rails
(permanent way) or the street paving (road surface) as the case may be, to such
an extent that neither a hand nor a foot or other bodies of similar size can find
their way underneath the rail, guard or fender.
This, however, is only possible if the rail guard or fender is arranged inde-
pendently of the vibrating body of the vehicle. Consequently for fixing the rail
guard to the vehicle only those parts of the vehicle are suitable which either not
at all or but very slightly alter their position of height relatively to the rails in
case the vehicle traverses uneven places or is irregularly loaded. Such suitable
parts of the vehicle would be:-The wheels, the axles and the axle boxes which,
however, for constructional considerations cannot be utilized for the purpose in
view
Most suitable in the second instance are the constituent parts of rotary frames
but of course only in those vehicles which rest elastically upon the rotary frames,
since only in this case the frames or mountings alter their position of height to a
small extent. For the arrangement of the rail guards or fenders the framings of
the vehicle bodies, especially in tramway vehicles, are least suitable since owing
to the small distance between the axles, to the comparatively great length of
the body of the vehicle and the considerable unevennesses of the road surface the

page_text: vehicle bodies are subject to considerable vibrations which is the reason for the
rail guards or fenders of modern tramway vehicles being usually placed at a
height of 150 millimetres, which distance, however, is much too high for ensuring
that a human or animal being may be pushed aside, for experience unfortunately
teaches almost daily that this highly placed railguard forces the bodies or objects
underneath it and passes over them under pressure, whereupon they are cut to
pieces by the wheels.
One object of this new constructional device therefore consists in providing
such framings which, being on the one hand connected as rigidly as possible with
the wheels and on the other hand arranged as independently as possible of the body
of the vehicle, will either not or but slightly alter their position of height and
which will allow of the rail guard or fender being fixed in the lowest possible
position (30 millimetres above the rails).
This object is achieved by the means hereinafter described with reference to
Figures 12 and 3.
The connection of each main axle A with one secondary axle A' is by means of
a light framer which latter is mounted on the axle boxes of the main axles
through the medium of strong and but slightly yielding equalizing springs f
which are solely intended to equalize the unevennesses of the road surface, that is
to say, to take up the concussions and movements thereby produced. The frame r
may be either directly mounted upon the axle boxes of the secondary axle (as
shewn in Figure 1 right hand side) or likewise by means of very rigid springs
(as shewn in Figure 1, left hand side).
The four wheels (two main and two secondary wheels) belonging to a separate
truck thus formed, require when traversing an uneven portion of the road surface,
to merely follow along such unevenness and therefore need no great movability
within the frame itself.
For this reason it is possible not to mount the frame elastically at all upon
the secondary axle but to rigidly fix it thereon. In this case the frame portion
mounted upon the secondary axles will participate in all movements and con-
cussions caused by unevennesses of the road surface, whilst on the contrary the
portion mounted on the main axles is only subject to comparatively slight
vibrations, because the main wheels transmit their concussions upon the equaliz
ing springs f or because the latter take up the reaction from the unevennesses.
Such a truck is also capable of safely travelling over oblique parts of the road
surface.
By this arrangement the problem of enabling the frame being kept as
stationary as possible in its position of height relatively to the road surface and
of the railguard being arranged as low as possible, is solved; this solution being
the more perfect, the more rigid the springs (f and f¹) are and being the most
perfect if the springs f¹ of the secondary axles are entirely omitted. This latter
constructional arrangement namely the combination of main axles elastically
arranged on the truck framing with secondary axles rigidly fixed (without springs)
to the truck framing forms the subject of this invention.
As owing to the arrangement of rigid springs or their partial omission, as the
case may be, the truck as a whole partly shares those movements which are caused
by the unevennesses of the road surface, the necessity arises that for ensuring the
desired steady and uniform motion of the body of the vehicle bearing springs F
must be inserted, and it is a characteristic feature of the constructional device
that the body of the vehicle is hung onto the truck by means of movable suspension
links H allowing of its moving freely.
Thus the equalizing springs f predominantly serve to take up the concussions
resulting from unevenness of the road surface whereas the function of the bearing
springs F is to equalize the alternating or unevenly distributed weight of the
body of the vehicle. The former therefore are to be adapted to yield as little as
possible in vertical direction whereas the latter must be so constructed as to
equalize as much as possible any differences of weight or load.

page_text: The second object of this constructional device, namely to transform the vehicle
similarly to the double truck vehicles while avoiding the inconvenient and
expensive axle journals or rotary discs, is inter-dependent of the above described
arrangement of the bearing springs F, for, as the connection between the vehicle
body and the truck frame cannot be rigid but must be effected through the
medium of flexible bearing, springs F, there follows the necessity of the vehicle
body being properly guided, and the most suitable means of guiding would be
to allow of the trucks radially adjusting themselves like rotary frames when
traversing curves.
This is attained in such a manner that the bearing springs F are not fixed.
immovably upon the framer but are mounted forwardly and rearwardly displace-
able upon the pivot d arranged vertically in the centre of the spring.
As represented in Figure 4 the bearing springs F can always adjust themselves
parallel to the frame of the vehicle body, during which operation the one spring
is displaced forwardly and the other rearwardly and simultaneously distorted
relatively to the franc r. As these displaced bearing springs above mentioned
carry the body frame by means of suspension links H and as the weight of the
body of the vehicle rests almost uniformly upon the suspension springs, the dis-
placement of the bearing springs and thus the distortion of the trucks must take
place symmetrically around the imaginary point which from the occurring
momenta of rotation results as the centre of rotation, that is to say, as is apparent
from Figure 4 around the point of intersection m fixed by the central line of the
vehicle body and the symmetrical line of the points of suspension.
Owing, therefore, to the above described arrangement the truck within the
vehicle frame will execute exactly the same rotary movements as if in the above
designated point m an axle journal were arranged or as if a rotary disc having its
centre in m, were used.
Deviations from this rotary movement are possible, since the suspension.
device His movable and acted upon by centrifugal force and the like. This
actuation can, however, only be slight, because such accidentally occurring forces
result in but slight and hardly perceptible horizontal components relatively to the
momenta of rotation given by the weight of the vehicle.
It has been found in practice that in tramway vehicles worked at a speed not
exceeding 30 kilometres per hour the means of guiding the vehicle bodies by
bearing springs and movable suspension links alone is sufficient and that only in
the case of higher speeds it is desirable that this means of guiding be supple-
mented for instance as shewn in Figure 4 by providing the pivot d with guide
rollers o which roll along the circular planes B of the body frame.
As these improved trucks act like rotary frames the main axles may be made
to extend longitudinally as far as desired whereby a steady and safe travelling
motion is guaranteed.
The abovementioned rail guard and fender may of course be fitted to under
frames other than those just described. A condition, however, for its application
is that the under frame must be but slightly elastic and that its movement in
vertical direction must be but very small.
A constructional example is represented in the accompanying drawing, in
which
Figure 5 shews a side view of the rail guard and fender fitted to a tramway
vehicle.
Figure 6 a front view thereof, whilst,
Figure 7 represents the same in plan.
To properly fulfil its function the rail guard must be simultaneously spade and
wedge shaped not unlike a plough, so as to enable it to lift the objects or bodies
and to push or roll them aside.
The rail guard thus consists of a wedge shaped surface a (somewhat like a
plough) which, so to speak, forms the wall of the rail guard and which is so fixed
to suitable supporting brackets c c of the under frame of the vehicle or to the

page_text: bearing c of the rotary frame of the vehicle (Figure 1) that the said wall stands
approximately vertically. The same may also be placed entirely verti-
cally; if, however, for any reason the vertical position cannot be employed
the wall must then be rearwardly inclined but must in no case be
inclined forwardly, in order that any objects or bodies pushed laterally out of the
track may receive a pressure of an upward tendency, but not a pressure of a
downward tendency which latter would render the removal of bodies more
difficult.
This wall must extend so high above the height of the rails in order that the
object or body may be prevented from being thrown rearwardly over the wall
whereby it would yet be brought within reach of the wheels.
The width of the rail guard and fender device must under all conditions be
greater than the gauge of the rails and may receive the same width as the vehicle
but need not be wider than latter.
In this wedge shaped wall a the likewise wedge shaped plate b is fixed which
forms the lower part of the rail guard, this plate must be guided as closely as
possible above the rails or must be so constructed that its front edge lies as
directly as possible above the rails, and its surface must present itself as nearly
horizontal as possible so as to allow of its executing an action of shovelling up.
Its object is to effect that any object or body lying upon the track may, by means
of the wedge shaped part of its front edge be either pushed out of the track to the
right or the left or if this should not take place,. such object or body may be
shovelled up and thus prevented from being pushed rolled or thrown along in
front of the vehicle.
The width of the plate bis in general, equal to that of the wall, it may, how-
ever, also slightly extend over the wall, but must in no case be narrower than
the wall.
The wedge and somewhat plough shaped wall a in connection with the shovel
shaped plate will in case an object or body be shovelled up without remaining
upon the plate b, effect that such object or body is by means of this wedge and plough
shaped wall a not displaced in front of the track but is moved laterally out of
the track and thereby prevented from being run over.
Regarding the method of fixing this rail guard and fender this fixing has to be
effected symmetrically to the axle of the vehicle or symmetrically to the axle of
the rotary frame and in such a way that the centre of the wedge shaped wall a
coincides with the centre line of the vehicle or of the rotary frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A rotary frame for railway and tramway vehicles of all kinds having this
characteristic feature that the axle springs (!) transmitting the load of the
vehicle to the rotary frame, are capable of swinging out horizontally upon the
rotary frame by oscillating around vertical pivots and are further capable of
oscillating upon their connecting pivots sideways as well as toward the front and
toward the sides at their (the springs) ends by means of drawing links H.
2. A. two-axled rotary frame of the kind ascertained in the first claim, its
characteristic feature being that the load to be received and supported by the
rotary frame is entirely or mainly supported by the one axle provided with
springs (ff) and with larger wheels, whilst the second axle, provided with small
wheels, is not fitted with springs but merely serves for easily adjusting the highly
burdened axle when traversing curves.
3. In connection with a rotary frame of the kind ascertained in the first claim,
a rail guard and fender its characteristic feature consisting in the combination of a
vertical or nearly vertical wedge shaped wall (a) acting somewhat like a plough with
a nearly horizontal likewise wedge shaped plate (b) arranged or guided as near the
rails as possible and acting like a shovel, with the object to push by the plate (6)

page_text: any objects or bodies lying upon the track, either sideways out of the track or to
first shovel them up and subsequently remove them laterally from the track by
the ploughing action of the wall (a).
Dated thie 19th dove of August
1807
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.