IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Handyside, of Saint John's Wood, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK."
Sealed the 12th June 1874, and dated the 15th December 1873.
1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Handyside at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th December 1873.
I, HENRY HANDYSIDE, of Saint John's Wood, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK;" to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to improvements in railway rolling stock, and
has for its object the prevention of lateral oscillation in the bodies of the
carriages or wagons when running at high speeds, and also the reduction
of the friction of the flanges of the wheels against the rails when running
over sharp curves.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention I interpose a helical or other spring
between the wheel and the inner side or end of the bearing or brass in
each axle box, the said springs tending to keep the wheels always in a
correct position between the rails, but without exerting any great
pressure against the wheels so long as they are in their normal position.
Should the flange of either wheel encounter any projecting irregularity
in the rail the axle, which is allowed to have a slight longitudinal play
in its bearings, will be pushed laterally, and will compress the spring at
the opposite end thereof, and vice versa, thus transferring the lateral
motion of the axles to the said springs, which act as buffers thereto for
the time being, in lieu of such lateral motion being directly transferred
to the entire body of the vehicle. Hence the dangerous and unpleasant
oscillations of the carriage body is entirely avoided or very considerably
reduced.
In practice I prefer to secure by rivets, screws, or otherwise one end
of each spring to the corresponding wheel boss, and to secure in a like
manner the opposite end of the same spring to a steel washer, which
revolves along with the spring surrounding the axle against the inner
face of the axle box or against the inner end of the brass or bearing.
The journals of the axles should be made sufficiently long to permit of
the required amount of longitudinal play in the bearings.
When the steel washers, which are the only rubbing parts of the
arrangement, become worn they may be detached from the springs and
replaced by fresh ones.
I also propose for the purpose of preventing oscillation to lower the
bodies of railway carriages by bringing the main framing below the axlo
boxes or on a level therewith, for which purpose I suspend the said
framing from cross bars, which bars rest upon the centres of blade
springs, the ends of such springs taking their bearing upon the tops of
the axle boxes or being suspended therefrom, thus lowering the centre
of gravity of the entire carriage.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Handyside in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HANDYSIDE, of Saint John's Wood, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Handyside, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Handyside, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Handyside, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, 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
RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Handyside, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Handyside, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
This Invention relates to improvements in railway rolling stock, and
has for its object the prevention of lateral oscillation in the bodies of
the carriages or waggons when running at high speeds, and also the re-
duction of the friction of the flanges of the wheels against the rails when
running over sharp curves.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention I interpose a helical or other spring
placed round the axle between the wheel and the inner side or end of
the bearing or brass in each axle box, the said springs tending to keep
the wheels always in a correct position between the rails, but without
exerting any pressure against the wheels so long as they are in their
normal position. Should the flange of either wheel encounter any pro-
jecting irregularity in the rail the axle, which is allowed to have a slight
longitudinal play in its bearings, will be pushed laterally, and will
compress the spring at the opposite end thereof, and vice versa, thus
transferring the lateral motion of the axles to the said springs, which act 1
as buffers thereto for the time being, in lieu of such lateral motion being
directly transferred to the entire body of the vehicle. Hence the
dangerous and unpleasant oscillation of the carriage body is entirely
avoided or very considerably reduced.
In practice I prefer to secure by rivets, screws, or otherwise one end
of each spring to the corresponding wheel boss. The opposite end of the
said spring either forms a continuous surface or is attached to a steel
washer; revolving with the spring against the inner face of the axle box
or against the inner end of the brass or bearing. The journals of the
axles should be made sufficiently long to permit of the required amount ?
of longitudinal play in the bearings.
I also propose for the purpose of preventing oscillation to lower the
bodies of railway carriages by bringing the main framing below the axle
boxes or on a level therewith, for which purpose I suspend the said
framing from cross bars, which bars rest upon the centres of blade a
spring, the ends of such springs taking their bearing upon the tops of
the axle boxes or being suspended therefrom, thus lowering the centre.
of gravity of the entire carriage.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
.Figures.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is an end elevation of the framing of a railway
carriage or other vehicle, shewing two of its wheels with their axle and

page_text: elevation of the same to an enlarged scale; and Figure 3, a part
sectional end view of Figure 2.
A, A, represents helical or other springs placed round the two ends of
the axle B, between the outer faces of the flanged wheels C, C, and the
inner faces of the brasses or bearings D, D, of the axle boxes, as shewn.
The axle B is so formed and fitted as to have a certain amount of play
or longitudinal movement between the shoulders of its journals and the
said inner faces of the axle boxes, and the tendency of the springs A, A,
is to keep the wheels C, C, with the axle B in their correct or normal
position between the rails of the permanent way, unless otherwise con-
strained, without exerting any pressure either on the said faces of the
wheels or bearings. The inner end of each spring A is formed (see
Figure 2) with ears or lugs a, a, and is attached thereby to the hub of
its wheel C either by rivets or screws, as shewn. The outer end of
each spring A is either formed with a continuous plate or surface b,
bored through its central portion to receive the axle B, as shewn, or is
attached to a steel or other washer, which in revolving with the spring
bears against the said inner face of the brass or bearing D of its axle
box. E is an auxiliary brass or bearing surface, which may be fitted to
the lower part of each axle box, immediately underneath the journal of
the axle B, for the purpose of receiving a portion of the thrust of each
spring A, as hereafter described. This auxiliary brass is kept in position
or adjusted by means of a set screw d, as shewn, or by any other suitable
contrivance. Or the auxiliary brass E may be dispensed with if it should
be found unnecessary in practice.
Around the bored edge of the hole in the central portion of the con-
tinuous plate or surface (or washer, as the case may be) forming the
outer end of each of the springs A, and through which hole the journal
at that end of the axle B passes, as before mentioned, is fitted a packing
ring of leather or other material, which is in rubbing contact with
the said journal, and serves to keep the same clean and free from grit or
dirt, as well as to retain the oil or other lubricating compound supplied
thereto. The auxiliary brasses E, E, (when fitted to the axle boxes) are
also provided with half rings y of leather or other material on their bored
edges, as shewn.
Similar apparatus to the foregoing is fitted to each set of wheels, axle,
and bearings of the carriage or other vehicle, and is also applicable to

page_text: In running along a level or smooth road the wheels C, C, with their
axle B and springs A, A, retain their normal relative positions, as before
mentioned, but should any irregularity be met with, such as the pro-
jecting depressed edge of a worn rail or other inequality of material, or
in the case of a sharp curve, the flange of the wheel C on the side of such
obstructing influence will be brought in contact with the latter, which
will cause the axle B and the wheels C,.C, to be thrown over towards
the bearing D of the opposite axle box, (the longitudinal movement of
the axle B being permitted by the play between the shoulders of its
journals, as before mentioned.) In so doing the spring A between the
opposite wheel C and the said opposite bearing D will be compressed
against the latter, and the lateral movement and thrust of the axle B
will be thereby transferred to the compressed spring, which acts as a
buffer to the axle for the time being, instead of such lateral movement
and thrust being directly transferred to the body of the carriage or other
vehicle, as heretofore. By this means the dangerous and unpleasant
oscillation of the latter commonly experienced is entirely obviated or
'considerably reduced. The obstructing influence being past or over-
come, the compressed spring A recoils, and in so doing brings back the
wheels C, C, to their original or normal position.
Should the continuous plates or surfaces b, b, (or washers, as the case
may be,) of the springs A, A, which are the only rubbing parts of the
arrangement, become worn, they may be either lined up with thin washers
or detached from the springs and replaced by fresh ones.
Figure 1, Sheet 2, of the Drawings is a side elevation of a railway
carriage or car fitted with bogie frames and wheels, and constructed
according to another part of my Invention for preventing lateral oscil-
lation; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a sectional
plan of the same; Figure 4 a side clevation, and Figure 5 an end
sectional elevation to an enlarged scale of a portion of Figure 1, taken
at either of the bogies.
According to this arrangement the carriage or car is brought down
below the level of the axle boxes B, B, and suspended from cross
bars C, C, extending over and across the said framing, to which their
ends are connected by straps a, a, a, and bolts, as shewn, or by any
other convenient mode of suspension. These cross bars C, C, rest near
their ends upon the upper central convex portions of blade springs D, D,
the ends of which are attached to or take their bearing upon the tops of

page_text: the axle boxes B, B, or may be suspended therefrom if required. By
this arrangement the entire body and centre of gravity of the carriage
are lowered, and the amount of lateral oscillation in the carriage when
running along the rail is thereby considerably diminished. This part of
Invention may be combined or not with the part previously described,
and is equally applicable to freight cars and other vehicles.
my
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The application and use of springs in combination with the
wheels, axles, and axle-box bearings, and in combination or not with
auxiliary brasses or bearing surfaces in the axle boxes of railway
engines, carriages, and other vehicles, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before described and illustrated by Sheet 1 of my accom-
panying Drawings.
Second. Lowering the entire body and centre of gravity of a railway
carriage or other vehicle in combination or not with the preceding claim,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and illus-
trated by Sheet 2 of my accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Handyside, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
HENRY HANDYSIDE. (L.S.)