Improvements in Apparatus for Moving Railway Waggons by Hand.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Moving Railway Waggons
by Hand.
I, LOUIS LUTHER MÉRAT (otherwise known as Louis Luther Mérat-Renard), of
Tonnerre, in the Department of Yonne, France, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a convenient and portable apparatus
which may be used by a shunter or porter to move a railway waggon or carriage
in a siding or other position, by himself, and without the aid of others, or horse-
power.
To this end, the apparatus consists of two bars, each having a curved end. One
of these bars is attached to the waggon, while the other is arranged with a fork to
take onto a rail or into the ground.
The bars are set parallel to one another at a certain distance apart, and are
arranged to slide one on the other by the action of a toothed wheel operated by a
lever, and arranged between the two bars, the inner edges of which are toothed, to
form racks.
As the wheel is rotated, the bars are moved in opposite directions, and the
part to which they are attached, which offers the least resistance, is bound to
move.
The bar which enters the ground is provided with a stay to strengthen it.
When this bar is to operate on the rail, the fork is provided with a wedge-piece
operated by a lever pivotted to the fork, this wedge piece being thus driven between
the fork & the rail.
One arm of the lever is curved, and has a slot in which works a pin on the wedge,
so that as the lever is rocked on its pivot, the curved slot will operate on the pin, to
drive the wedge forward.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1898.
Improvements in Apparatus for Moving Railway Waggons
by Hand.
I, LOUIS LUTHER MÉRAT (otherwise known as Louis Luther Mérat-Renard), of
Tonnerre, in the Department of Yonne, France, Manufacturer, 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:-.

page_text: which may be used by a shunter or porter to move railway waggons or carriages
in sidings or other positions, without the aid of horse-power or other power.
To this end, the apparatus consists of two bars, each having a curved end. One of
these bars is attached to the waggon, while the other is arranged with a fork to take
onto a rail or into the ground.
The bars are set parallel to one another at a certain distance apart, and are arranged
to slide one one-the other by the action of a toothed wheel, operated by a lever, and
arranged between the two bars, the inner edges of which are toothed, to form
racks.
As the wheel is rotated, the bars are moved in opposite directions, and the
part to which they are attached which offers the least resistance is bound to
move.
'
The bar which enters the ground is provided with a stay to strengthen it.
When this bar is to operate on the rail, the fork is provided with a wedge
piece, operated by a lever pivotted to the fork, this wedge piece being thus
driven between the fork & the rail.
One arin of the lever is curved, and has a slot in which works a pin on the wedge,
so that as the lever is rocked on its pivot, the curved slot will operate on the pin, to
drive the wedge forward.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 shews, in elevation, the apparatus applied to a waggon in its working
. position.
Fig. 2 is a front view of a buffer, with the apparatus attached thereto.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the claw.
Fig. 4 shews, in side elevation, an arrangement of clamp for taking onto the
rail.
Fig. 5 is a front view thereof;
Fig. 6 is a plan thereof.
The apparatus consists of two bars A and B, having at their ends bent
portions A¹ and B¹: Each extremity, or 6¹, of these bent portions A¹ or B¹,
engages with the rectilinear portion of the other bar, A or B, upon which it slides,
through the intermediary of a roller a² or 2. The bars A and B may thus be
displaced the one with respect to the other, and will thus constitute a frame of
variable length, the longer sides of which are formed by the straights parts of the
bars A and B.
On the inside edges of the frame, and along its greatest length, there are rack
teeth a³ ³, and between these latter, and engaging therewith, is a toothed wheel C,
kept between the bars by two discs c c. Mounted upon the axle of this wheel C,
is a socket c¹, into which is fitted a lever D.
The bar A, at its end a, is connected by a pivot e to a plate E, curled round at its
ends e e¹. This plate fits onto the face of the buffer, according to its diameter,
and is rigidly secured thereto by the clamp e², operated by a screw e³.
The bar B is also curved at B2, so as so point towards the earth, and it terminates
in a claw or beak 6', which will enter the ground. A rod F, connected at one end to
the extremity b¹, and at the other to the part B2, prevents the twisting and deforma-
tion of the bar B B².
To shift a waggon, the apparatus, being placed in the position of Figure 1, the
frame formed by the branches A and B being extended to its greatest length, and the
wheel C being at the middle thereof, the attendant will exert his strength upon
the lever D, so as to turn the wheel in the direction of the arrow. The power is thus
divided into two forces, so to speak, acting in opposite directions, the one upon the
wagon, through the bar A, the other upon the ground, through the bar B B³. At
first, this latter penetrates slightly into the ground, if the consistency thereof permits,
then the bar B, B1, B2, becomes fixed, and the rotation of the wheel C can only
advance the bar A, which thus moves forward along the fixed part B; the wagon is
thus moved forward until the lever is horizontal, and the two parts A¹ B¹, are at a
point closest to the gear C..

page_text: When it is desired to separate a waggon which is touching another, and the buffer
cannot be got at, it suffices to apply the hooked plate E to any part of the waggon,
and then give the lever a pull, to separate the waggon, so as to then attach the
apparatus, as has been previously described.
The same method is employed for turning waggons on turntables.
The bar B, B2, instead of bearing against the ground by a claw b', may be furnished
with a device for taking hold of the rail. In this case, it is formed as shewn in
Figures 4, 5, 6, its end presenting the appearance of a fork, the prongs F, F of which
are placed on either side of the rail R. One prong of the fork comes directly in
contact with the side of the head of the rail, and the other bears upon the other side
of the rail-head, through the intermediary of a wedge G. This wedge is so arranged
as to be parallel to the rail, and carries a pin 7 working in a curved slot h, forming
part of an elbow lever H H¹, pivotted at h¹ to the bar B, B².
When the apparatus is in position to act to move a waggon, before the lever. D is
rotated, the attendant working it, pulls the lever H¹ from position 1 to position 2,
which is easily done by means of the foot. The wedge G thus produces a powerful
jamming of the fork F, F, against the rail; the waggon having received the impulse,
the wedge is disengaged, to be again clamped to the rail, to give a new impulse.
. I would here remark that I do not intend to confine myself to the exact details of
construction, as these may be modified considerably, without departing from the
principle of my invention; thus, for example, I might change and carry out, in a
different way, the devices for engaging the buffers and the rails, and the wheel C
might be operated by some other device than the lever D.
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. An apparatus for moving railway vehicles, consisting essentially of two bars,
one of which rests upon the vehicle, and the other presses on the rail or on the ground,
these two bars having each a rectilinear portion, parallel the one to the other, and
furnished with racks, in engagement with which is a toothed wheel, the rotation of
which, operated by the aid of a lever, or otherwise, tends to displace the bars by
sliding them one upon the other, and consequently pushing the waggon connected to
the one bar, the other remaining fixed, and having its fulcrum against the rail or the
ground, as has been explained and specified above with reference to the accompanying
drawing.
2. In a waggon-moving apparatus forming the subject of Claim 1, the arrangement
for applying the fulcrum to the rail, and consisting of a fork F, F, engaging the rail.
head, and a wedge G for clamping the same, said wedge being operated by a
lever H, H¹, as has been explained with reference to the accompanying.drawing.
3. The general arrangement and the different details of construction described
with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 20th day of June 1800