IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES WITH REFERENCE TO THE RADIATION OR ADAPTATION OF THEIR WHEELS TO CURVES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWARD GOODMAN SHEWARD of 110 Cannon Street in the City of London,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES WITH REFERENCE TO THE RADIATION OR
ADAPTATION OF THEIR WHEELS TO CURVES to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to the construction of railway, tramway and other vehicles
in such manner that their wheels are readily enabled to radiate or adapt themselves
to curves and the improvements mainly consist in so connecting the wheels,
bearings, springs and axle-boxes to the body of the vehicle as to allow of their
lateral or radiating motion while at the same time maintaining their secure attach-
ment to the vehicle, and providing for their return to the normal position on
reaching a straight portion of the line.
For this purpose I connect each end of the bearing-springs to a rod or bar passing
through a socket which is firmly fixed to the sole-bar or bottom of the frame of the
vehicle. The rod or bar is free to slide in the socket and projects beyond it
sufficiently to admit of a spring being carried thereon, the ends of this spring
bearing respectively against the socket and against a washer on the end of the rod.
The socket may be attached to the sole-bar or bottom of the frame of the vehicle
either parallel to the longitudinal centre of the vehicle or at an angle suited to any
radiation the wheels may be required to make on curves; when the socket is
parallel to the longitudinal centre the rod or bar is connected to the springs by one
or more links. For the centre pair of wheels which do not radiate but simply have
lateral motion in going round curves the socket should be at right angles to the
longitudinal centre; and in cases where it may be thought sufficient for the other
wheels to adapt themselves to curves by simply lateral motion without radiation
the sockets used in conuection with these wheels may likewise be at right angles to
the longitudinal centre. In all cases the bearing-springs are attached to the axle-
boxes in any ordinary manner so that the wheels, axle-boxes and bearing-springs

page_text: may all participate either in a lateral motion or in an angular motion as may be
arranged.
The action will be readily understood:-In going round a curve the wheels,
axle-boxes and bearing-springs in their lateral or angular movement cause the rods
or bars to slide in their sockets so as to act upon the springs which are carried
thereon compressing some and distending others, and when the vehicle again reaches
a straight piece of line these springs by resuming their normal position replace the
wheels, axle-boxes, bearing-springs and rods or bars in their original positions.

page_text: I EDWARD GOODMAN SHEWARD, of 110 Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES WITH REFERENCE TO THE RADIATION OR
ADAPTATION OF THEIR WHEELS TO CURVES" and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to the construction of railway and tramway vehicles in
such manner that their wheels are readily enabled to radiate or adapt themselves
to curves and the improvements mainly consist in so connecting the wheels,
bearing springs and axle boxes to the body of the vehicle as to allow of their
lateral or radiating motion while at the same time maintaining their secure attach-
ment to the vehicle, and providing for their return to the normal position on
reaching a straight portion of the line.
For this purpose I connect each end of the bearing springs to a rod or bar passing
through a socket which is attached to or formed in a bracket fixed to the sole bar
or hottom of the frame of the vehicle. The rod or bar is free to slide or move in
the socket and projects beyond it sufficiently to admit of a spring being carried
thereon, the ends of this spring bearing respectively against the socket and against
a washer on the end of the rod. The socket may be either parallel to the longi-
tudinal centre of the vehicle or at an angle suited to any radiation the wheels may
be required to make on curves; when the socket is parallel to the longitudinal
centre the rod or bar may be connected to the bearing spring by one or more links.
For the centre pair of wheels which do not radiate but simply have lateral motion
in going round curves the socket may be either at right angles or parallel to tho
longitudinal centre, and in cases where it may be thought sufficient for the other
wheels to adapt themselves to curves by simply lateral motion without radiation
the sockets used in connection with these wheels may likewise be at right angles to
the longitudinal centre. In all cases the bearing springs are attached to the axle
boxes in any ordinary manner so that the wheels, axle boxes and bearing springs
may all participate either in a lateral motion or in an angular motion as may be
arranged; and as provision must be made to enable the end axles and their brasses
to angle themselves in their boxes, the brasses should work on a centre in the crown
of the axle box, or in the movable sliding piece when such is placed between the
brass and the axle box crown.
The action will be readily understood:-In going round a curve the wheels, axle
boxes and bearing springs in their lateral or angular movement cause the rods or
bars to slide or move in their sockets so as to act upon the springs which are carried
thereon, compressing some and distending others, and when the vehicle again
reaches a straight piece of line these springs by resuming their normal position
replace the wheels, axle boxes, bearing springs and rods or bars in their original
positions.

page_text: Figure 1 of the annexed drawings is a side elevation of so much of a railway
vehicle as is necessary to illustrate my invention. a is one of the bearing springs;
to each end thereof is connected by means of a link h a rod or bar b which passes
through a socket c; this socket is attached to a bracket d fixed to the sole bar or
bottom frame of the vehicle and is free to swivel on its vertical axis. The rod b
is free to slide in the socket and projects beyond it; at its outer end the rod has
a washer or abutment fand between this washer and the socket is a spring g. The
bearing spring a is attached to the axle box i so that the wheel, axle box and
bearing spring may all participate in the same angular or lateral motions, and the
axle box should be bevelled at the sides as shown at 1, in Figure 2 (which is
a horizontal section of the axle box) to permit or facilitate the angular movement.
As the radiation of a pair of wheels does not take place from quite the centre or
middle of their axle, the journals and brasses are liable to jam but this I overcome
by making provision for the axles and brasses to angle themselves in their boxes,
the brasses being made to work on a centre m (see Figure 3 which is a vertical
section of the axle box) in the movable piece n; or when this piece n is not
'employed the centre m is in the axle box crown o.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent modifications of the arrangement of the rod or bar b,
Bocket c, bracket & and spring g shown in Figure 1.
Figure 7 shows a modification in which the socket c is formed in the bracket d,
the rod b moving axially within it when acted upon by the bearing spring in going
round a curve; in this case the spring g, one end of which is attached to the washer
or nut while the other end is held by the bracket d, is twisted instead of being
compressed as in the other modifications; but in all modifications where there aro
one or more links between the bearing spring a and the bar 6 the spring g may be
attached to the washer nut and bracket so as to be twisted under any turning
movement of the bar b.
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, in respect of railway and other vehicles with reference to the radiation or
adaptation of their wheels to curves, is
1. Connecting the wheels, bearing springs and axle boxes to the body of the
vehicle in such manner as to allow of their lateral or radiating motion while at the
same time maintaining their secure attachment to the vehicle and providing by
means of springs for their return to the normal position on reaching a straight
portion of the line, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination with the bearing springs of the rods or bars b, sockets c,
springs and brackets d fixed to the sole plate or bottom frame of the vehicle,
substantially as described.
3. The means hereinbefore described for enabling the wheels of railway or other
vehicles to radiate or adapt themselves to curves.