IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING AND LOOKING THE WHEELS OF TRAMWAY OR STREET RAILWAY CARS OR CARRIAGES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Townsend Kirkwood, of Yeo-Vale, near
Bideford, in County of Devon, Gentleman, Charles Thomas Evans
Lascelles, of Brockley Villas, New Cross, in the County of Kent,
Gentleman, and Jesse Hall, of Lyndhurst Grove, Peckham, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING AND LOOKING THE WHEELS OF TRAMWAY OR
STREET RAILWAY CARS OR CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 18th June 1875, and dated the 22nd December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Townsend
Kirkwood, Charles Thomas Evans Lascelles, and Jesse Hall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
22nd December 1874.
We, JOHN TOWNSEND KIRKWOOD, of Yeo-Vale, near Bideford, in
the County of Devon, Gentleman, CHARLES THOMAS EVANS LASCELLES,
of Brockley Villas, New Cross, in the County of Kent, Gentleman, and
JESSE HALL, of Lyndhurst Grove, Peckham, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
[Price 8d.]

page_text: "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING AND LOCKING THE WHEELS OF TRAMWAY OR
STREET RAILWAY CARS OR CABRIAGges," to be as follows:—
Our said Invention relates to a novel apparatus for adjusting the wheels
of tramway or street railway cars or similar vehicles, and is designed to
be applied to tramway cars propelled or drawn by engines working with
the explosive force of gas, or by steam or other engines, to keep such cars
from leaving the line when passing over points or around curves, and to
prevent the friction and abrasion of the flanges of the wheels against
the rails.
According to our Iuvention instead of making each axle or shaft in
one part, extending entirely across the carriage and supported in bearings
or axle boxes at both ends, we make each axle in two parts. Each part
carries one wheel, and its outer extremity is supported in a swivelling
bearing, which has a stem fitted in a box or socket provided with a
suitable spring. Each part of the axle is extended nearly to the centre
of the carriage, and its inner end is supported in a bearing adjustable in
a curve, whose radius is the length of the said part of the axle, and
whose centre is in the aforesaid spring box or socket. These axles being
thus adjustable can be set to any required angle, and therefore the
wheels can be adapted to any curvature of the rails, and the car will run
on the curved portions of the rails with as little friction and liability to
leave the rails as when running on the straight portions of the same, and
the wheels can be set to meet the points or switches, so that the car will
not fail to run safely over the same in the proper direction.
For effecting the simultaneous adjustment of all of the wheels of a
car we employ the following apparatus, that is to say:-The bearing
which carries the inner end of each part of the axles is attached to a
toothed segment or rack curved to correspond with the line of adjust-
ment or movement of the end of the axle, as above specified. These
racks are geared with a toothed pinion turning on a stud or pin pro-
jecting vertically down from the frame of the car. Each rack has a long
curved slot, through which project two guide studs or pins, also attached
to the frame, and provided at the under side of the racks with heads or
collars, which support the said racks. These guide pins are placed at a
suitable distance apart to permit the required movement or adjustment
of the said racks. And to prevent the straining of these pins I place
outside of the ends of the racks pieces or blocks of india-rubber or other
suitable material, which act as stops for the said racks. Antifriction

page_text: rollers are placed at the back of the said racks to allow them to work
freely under the pressure due to the weight of the car. From the inner
bearing of one part of the rear axle to the inner bearing of one part of
the front axle of a car we extend a rod or bar, which ensures the simul-
taueous adjustment of the parts of both axles, and we connect the said
adjusting apparatus, through worm or other gear wheels, with a vertical
shaft extending up through the platform at each end of the car, and
provided with a wheel or lever arranged in combination with a spring
catch or other locking device. By means of this wheel or lever and
locking device the guard or conductor can adjust the wheels of the car
to any required angle or to suit any curvature of the rails. Or we may
use levers, cans, and pinions, or other suitable apparatus to effect the
desired adjustment of the axles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Townsend Kirkwood, Charles Thomas Evans
Lascelles, and Jesse Hall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
TOWNSEND KIRKWOOD, of Yeo-Vale, near Bideford, in the County of
Devon, Gentleman, CHARLES THOMAS EVANS LASCELLES, of Brockley
Villas, New Cross, in the County of Kent, Gentleman, and JESSE
HALL, of Lyndhurst Grove, Peckham, in the County of Surrey, Gen-
tleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Townsend Kirkwood,
Charles Thomas Evans Lascelles, and Jesse Hall, Her special licence
that we, the said John Townsend Kirkwood, Charles Thomas Evans
Lascelles, and Jesse Hall, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Townsend Kirkwood,. Charles
Thomas Evans Lascelles, and Jesse Hall, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,

page_text: 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS POR ADJUSTING
AND LOCKING THE WHEELS OF TRAMWAY OR STREET RAILWAY CARS OR CARRIAGES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Townsend
Kirkwood, Charles Thomas Evans Lascelles, and Jesse Hall, our exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is 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 we, the said John Townsend Kirkwood,
Charles Thomas Evans Lascelles, and Jesse Hall, do hereby declare the
nature of our 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 Drawing
forming a part of this Specification :-
Our said Invention relates to novel apparatus for adjusting and locking
the wheels of tramway or street railway cars or similar vehicles, and is
chiefly designed to be applied to tramway cars propelled or drawn by
engines whose action is produced by the explosive force of gas, or by steam
engines, or other similar motors, to keep such cars from leaving the rails
on which they run when passing over points or around curves, and also
to prevent friction or abrasion of the flanges of the wheels against the
rails.
The manner in which our said Invention is carried into practice is
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, which we will now proceed to
describe.
Figure 1 is a plan of the under side of a tramway car provided with
our Invention Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
;
Like letters
indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A is the frame of the said car, which may be of wood or metal; a, a,
are the wheels; b, b, are the axles; and c, c, d, d, are the bearings for
the same.
Instead of making each axle in one piece or length, extending entirely
across the car or frame, with bearings in axle boxes at the sides of the

page_text: Slots or apertures e
plate e² to slide up
said frame, we make each axle in two parts or lengths, as clearly shewn
in Figure 1. Each of these parts carries one of the wheels a, tightly
keyed or otherwise fixed thereon. The outer extremity of each part of
the said axles is supported to turn freely in one of the bearings c
These bearings are preferably constructed as shewn in the Drawing, that
is to say, each bearing c is fitted to slide or play vertically in a box e,
and is formed with studs or pins c¹, c², which turn freely in holes in the
plates e¹, e², of the said box. The cross plate e² is secured to the lower
stud c by a nut e³, or by other suitable means, and the said cross plate
forms the support for the springs f. The latter are enclosed in the
sockets, which are covered by the bottom plate es.
are formed in the sides of these sockets to allow the
and down under the action of the springs f. The bearing c is fitted and
guided between the two sockets et, and its sides are slightly curved, as
shewn in Figure 1, to give it freedom of lateral movement when the
wheels are adjusted. The two parts or lengths of each axle extend
inward nearly to the centre of the car or carriage, and the inner end of
each part is fitted to turn freely in one of the bearings d. These bearings
are fitted to slide on the plates g, so that the axles b are angularly ad-
justable, that is to say, the two parts or lengths of each shaft may be
moved to one side or the other of their central position. Each of the
bearings at the inner ends of the axles is attached to a toothed
segment or rack i curved to correspond with the line of adjustment or
movement of the bearing d, which line is part of a circle, whose centre is
the bearing c of each part of the shaft. The plate or flat portion of each
of these racks has in it a long curved aperture or slot j. Through
these slots project guide pins of studs, which are secured in the
frame A, and are formed with heads or collars k¹,
which fit closely to
The said guide pins
the under side of the rack and support the same.
are so arranged with regard to the central position of the axle as to
permit the required movement or adjustment of the racks to either side
of this central position, and stops are also provided at suitable distances
from t
ends of the racks to prevent their moving too far in either
directic and straining or disarranging the said guide pins in adjusting
Between the said racks, and gearing with them, as shewn in
we arrange a pinion m, which is fitted to turn freely on a
or pin m' fixed in a metal plate attached to the under side of
The said pins are provided at their lower ends with heads or
r nuts m², which support the said pinions. To one end of
the axle
Figure
strong st
the frame
with colla

page_text: each of the aforesaid racks i we connect a rod n. These rods are ex-
tended to the end of the platform B, where they are connected to the
levers o fixed on the lower end of a vertical shaft or rod p, which extends
up through a hollow post or standard p¹ firmly secured by its flange or
foot p² upon the said platform. The upper end of the said shaft P has
fixed on it a worm wheel 2, which gears with the worm " fixed on the
short transverse shaft 7, which is supported in the brackets p³ formed
or fixed on the said post or standard. The said short shaft is provided
with a handle or lever s, whereby the apparatus is controlled and
adjusted. An index hand or pointer p¹ fixed on the shaft p and moving
over the dial or face 26, which is attached to the post, indicates the
position of the wheels at any time. This worm and wheel allow the
adjustment of the said apparatus to be easily and conveniently effected,
and keep the same locked in any position in which it may be set.
The above-described arrangement of racks and pinions and adjusting
mechanism are very convenient and efficient devices for effecting the
adjustment of the axles according to our Invention, but it will be obvious
that we may employ other means for effecting this purpose; for instance,
we may connect rods or bars directly to the bearings d, and operate the
same directly from the levers 0, or other levers at the end of the
platform; or we may use chains passing over chain wheels or drums, or
other similar contrivances.
As it is only necessary that the front wheels of the car should be
adjusted to the curves of the line or to meet the switches or points, each
pair of wheels has its adjusting mechanism independent or separate from
that of the other pair. Where it is convenient and practicable to turn the
car or vehicle at the end of each journey only the front end of the said
vehicle need be provided with our Invention, an ordinary axle being
used at the other end.
The brake shoes t are attached to the bars t¹, and are connected with a
the racks by means of links t² to ensure their moving laterally with
the wheels when the same are adjusted to any position by the aforesaid
apparatus. The said bars t¹ are connected with the levers or handles u
by the rods and levers u¹, u², u³, or provided with other suitable means
for manipulating or adjusting them.
We prefer to provide each end of the car or vehicle with the said con-
trolling or adjusting devices and brake levers, so that at the commence-

page_text: ment of each journey the guard or conductor has only to pass from one
end of the car to the other.
Having thus fully described our said Invention, and shown how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practise we
wish it understood that we claim,—
First. Constructing the axle or axles of a tramway car or other
vehicle in two parts, each of which carries one of the wheels, and is
adjustable laterally upon or in its bearing or axle box, for the purpose
specified.
Second. In a tramway car
or other vehicle the axles made in two
parts or lengths, as above described, in combination with the outer
pivoted bearings or boxes, the inner adjusting bearings, the curved
slotted racks and pinion, the guide pins and stops or other suitable
'means for supporting and guiding the said racks.
Third. The controlling or adjusting and locking device, comprising
the worm gearing and handle, the vertical shaft supported in the hollow
post, the levers attached to the lower end of the said shaft, and con-
nected by rods to the inner bearings of the curved racks, or other
suitable adjusting or controlling and locking devices in combination
with the aforesaid adjustable axles, as herein set forth.
Fourth. The outer bearings of the said adjustable axle fitted with a
capability of vertical movement and lateral or angular adjustment in a
box or case, and supported by springs therein, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-first day of Juue, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
HENRY JAMES NOONE.
JOHN TOWNSEND KIRKWOOD. (L.S.)
CHARLES T. E. LASCELLES.
JESSE HALL
(L.S.)
(L.8.)