Improvements in Fenders for Tramway or Railway Cars.
Year: 1897

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fenders for Tramway or Railway Cars.
I, OLIVER LEWIS BADGER, of Schmidt Building, Fifth Avenue, Pittsburg, in
the County of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Sani-
tary Engineer, 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:—
My invention relates to fenders for cars, and has special reference to such as
are adapted for use on electric, cable or other railway cars.
The object of my invention is to supply a cheap and effective fender which
will prevent injury or death to persons and animals that may be in the path
of the car's movements.
Another object of my invention is to provide a fender which will cover the
running rails of the track when the car is passing around curves, as well as when
the car is moving upon straight lines of track, and one which will retain the same
position with relation to the road-bed regardless of the vertical tiltings of the
car.
My invention consists, generally stated, in the novel construction, arrange-
ment and combination of parts hereinafter specifically set forth and described,
and particularly pointed out in the claims.
To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make
and use the same, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accom-
panying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a side view of the end of a car, showing one form of my improved
car-tender applied thereto in its normal position. Figure 2 is a bottom view
thereof; and Figure 3 shows a side view of the bottom of a car, showing another
form of my improved fender applied thereto.
Like letters herein indicate like parts in each of the figures of the drawings.
As illustrated in the drawings, A represents the car, which can be of any form
of approved construction desired and is provided with the truck a, carrying the
wheels a' therein. Secured to the floor a³ of the car A is the boss h, around which
is pivoted the link c, having an eye d at its opposite end, which is adapted to
n

page_text: fit around the upper or rear rod e¹ of the fender e.
The fender has its frane e
preferably formed of pipe or tubing, having the upright portion e3 and the hori
zontal portion et extending along close to the rails f, forming the roadbed g.
The frame of the fender e has a network of soft or yielding cords or wire h
strung between the same and the wheels i, hung in bearings on the inside of
the horizontal portion of the frame e at the front and rear thereof, which are
adapted to travel on the rails f. Spiral springs connect the upright portion e
of the fender e and the truck a of the car A, and if desired, a layer of soft or
yielding material k can be placed around the front rod of the frame c².
The operation of my improved car-fender is as follows:-During the travelling
of the car A the parts composing the fender e are in their normal position, as
shown in Figure 1. When a person or animal is struck by the fender e the
fender e will remain in the position shown in Figure 1 and catch the person
or animal upon the horizontal portion of the fender e, and prevent injury or
possible death to the same. The springs j, connected to the fender e, prevent the
wheels from leaving the rails f when an object is hit by the fender e and will
always keep the horizontal portion et adjacent to and close to the rails f. In
case of the tilting of the car A, since the eye d, fits around the rear rod e on
the upright portion e³, the raising of the fender e will always be prevented through the
medium of the springs bearing on the fender e. During the traversing of
the car A around curves, the link e fitting around the boss b, will allow the fender e
to swing in a lateral movement, so as to conform to the position of the car A
during its travels.
In Figure 3 of the drawings is shown my improved car-fender e provided with
only one set of wheels on the front of the fender e. In this case the frame e
of the fender e is preferably formed on an ogee curve extending from the front
rode to the rear rod e¹, and the rear rod e' is provided with a bifurcated bear-
ing, within which the link c is pivoted so as to provide for the lateral swinging
of the fender e during the momentum of travelling of the car A in passing around
curves. The link c is secured at its opposite end in a bifurcated bearing m,
secured on the truck-beam a³ of the car A, and the springs ; are secured to the
fender e and truck a in any suitable manner. The position of the link in this
case is reversed from that shown in Figure 1.
If desired, suitable mechanism' can be applied to the car-fender to be operated
by the operator from the car for raising the fender to allow the same to pass over
any obstructions or obstacles on the road-bed. It will thus .be seen that my
improved car-fender is simple in its construction and effective in its operation.
The parts can be readily transferred from one car to another and without any
material change in any of the parts. The device is cheap and will prevent loss
of life and injury to persons and animals coming in contact therewith. Each
car may be and preferably is furnished with a fender at either end, and the
particular shape and location of which can be changed or varied as desired
without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its
advantages.
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. A car-fender having wheels thercon adapted to engage with the rails, con-
nections from said fender to the car, whereby the fender may have vertically
and laterally swinging movements with relation to the car, and springs con-
nected to the fender and to the truck of the car to hold the wlieels of the fender
down upon the rails, substantially as set forth.
2. A car-fender, comprising a frame having wheels thereon adapted to engage
with the rails, a link pivoted to the rear of said frame and pivoted to the car,
whereby the fendér may have vertically and laterally swinging movements with
relation to the car, and springs connected to the frame and to the truck of the

page_text: car to hold the wheels of the fender down upon the rails, substantially as set
forth.
Dated the 22nd day of July 1897
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 and 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.