Improved Appliance for Clearing the Mud and other Refuse from the Grooves of Tram Rails.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improved Appliance for Clearing the Mud and other Refuse
from the Grooves of Tram Rails.
We WILLIAM RAYNER of 9 Glenville Grove, Mornington Road New Cross, Kent,
Builder, and WILLIAM CLARENCE EDWARDS of 10 Bonamy Street, St. James' Road,
Old Kent Road, Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention for "IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR CLEARING THE MUD AND OTHER REFUSE
FROM THE GROOVES OF TRAM RAILS," to be as follows:―
We place at any convenient part or parts of a Car or such like Carriage an
apparatus composed of either iron steel or other material, and is so shaped as to
have its extremity trawl or drag in the groove or grooves of the rails. Springs
are fixed to allow the trawler or end of the apparatus to give and ride over any
obstacle, its end or trawler is rounded or otherwise shaped so as to effect this
action and merges into a fished or other suitable shape as to turn the mud or
other deposit on to one or both sides clear of the rails. The trawler has a guide
to prevent it sagging with the oscillating movement of the Car or Carriage. To
this apparatus is attached a connection which is either under the control of the
Driver or Conductor so as to raise the trawler free of the rails when not required
or lowered into action when necessary.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said William Rayner
and William Clarence Edwards.
Improved Appliance for Clearing the Mud and other Refuse
from the Grooves of Tram Rails.
We WILLIAM RAYNER of 9 Glenville Grove Mornington Road New Cross Kent
Builder and WILLIAM CLARENCE EDWARDS of 10 Bonamy Street, St James's Road
Old Kent Road, Surrey, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention to be as follows:-
We place at any convenient part or parts of a car or such like carriage an
apparatus composed of either iron, steel, or other material and so shaped as to

page_text: have its extremity trawl or drag in the groove or grooves of the rails. Springs
are fixed to allow the trawler or end of the apparatus to give and ride over any
obstacle; its end or trawler is rounded or otherwise shaped so as to effect this
action and merges into a fished or other suitable shape as to turn the mud or
other deposit onto one or both sides clear of the rails. The trawler has a guide to
prevent its sagging with the oscillating movement of the car or carriage. To this
apparatus is attached a connection which is either under the control of the driver
or conductor so as to raise the trawler free. of the rails when not required or
lowered into action when necessary.
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings is a side elevation of a tram car with
the improved trawling or drag appliances A A hanging from the axles B B and
following the leading wheels of the car for clearing the mud and other refuse from
the grooves of the tram rails. The trawlers have groove points E E arranged at
convenient angles with the parts D D for turning the mud from the grooves. The
appliances A A are maintained in position and connected together in pairs by
guide rods arranged transversely to prevent sag and to enable the trawlers to
readjust themselves into the grooves assisted by the springs F F which give
should the cleaning appliance strike against a stone or heavy body on the rail or
in the groove.
At the right hand side of Figure 2 the springs F F press directly upon the arms
of the apparatus A. A. and have wheels G G as guides attached to the cleaners.
A foot lever H is connected to the arms or to transverse rods which connect them
by means of chains II for the purpose of enabling the driver or conductor to
raise the cleaners in which position they can be retained by the hook J. In
Figure 1 no arrangement is made for lifting the cleaners but one may be fitted if
necessary. In Figure the cleaners are trawling in advance of the leading wheels
and the raising or lowering can be done by turning the screw nut K shown at the
left hand of Figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare, that what
we claim is
The appliance as a tram rail groove cleaner suspended by and trawling from a
tram car or from the axle thereof acting in the manner described and arranged
substantially as shown in the annexed drawings.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said W. Rayner and
W. C. Edwards.