IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING TRAMWAY RAILS AND IN APPARATUS TO BE BUDLAVER מסמז
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Anderson Kelman and John Wilson, both of
-
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING TRAMWAY RAILS AND IN APPARATUS TO BE
BUDLAVER
מסמזוז.
Sealed the 29th December 1876, and dated the 5th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Anderson Kelman
and John Wilson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th
September 1876.
JAMES ANDERSON KELMAN and JOHN WILSON, both of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING TRAMWAY RAILS, AND IN
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
This Invention has reference to certain apparatus or arrangements of mechanism
to be applied to tramway cars, for the purpose of cleaning the grooves and surface of
the rails by the motion of the cars, all in a more simple, efficient, and economical
manner than has heretofore been done.
•
And the nature and novelty of the Invention consist in fitting or attaching a
round, pointed, or nosed steel tool to a plough or double angled plate frame or
scraper, the former working within the groove and the latter over the upper surface
of the rail, so that the former raises or forces the dirt, sludge, or snow out of the
groove, while the latter being angled backwards, throws the material off the surface
and chiefly to the outside of the rail quite clear of the bearing part of the wheels,
the plate on this side being made broadest for that purpose
This combined scraper
or plough is preferably attached by a short stem to a socket at the lower end of a
strong india-1abber or other spring-supporting solid or hollow bar or arm, having its
upper end formed parallel, of iron or other metal, working telescopically within a
vertical hollow carrying socket, or over a solid bar firmly secured to some part of
the frame of the car, on each side over the rail, preferably placed some inches in
advance of the front wheels in whichever direction the car is running. The stem
and plough may be fitted or jointed so as to work at an angle, lying backwards as
a rake or scraper, the india iubber or spring joint at its lower end in either case
yielding to rise over any slight obstruction in the grooves or on the surface of the

page_text: rails such as a securing bolt or spike or the end joints of the rails when these are not
quite level
Instead of fixing or jointing the stems to the frame of the carriage, they might be
firmly jointed or secured to the bushes of the axles so as to require little or no
motion or play to keep then in their working position on the surface and in the
grooves of the rails, so that the india-1ubber or other spring attachments would be
sufficient for this, as well as for yielding to the obstructions as before stated.
The tool for cleaning the groove might be attached to the plough or scraper frame
by a socket and pinching screw or other equivalent, and the scraper to its stem in
like manner, so that either, when worn, might easily be adjusted to suit the level of
the rail; and the moving stems to which they are attached on opposite sides of the
car would preferably be attached together and be worked by one hand lever or
other equivalent, to lower them down into on raise them out of action as desired, or
to suit the direction in which the car is running for the time being; whether
attached to the carriage frame or to the axle bushes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said James Anderson Kelman and John Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th March 1877.
"
JAMES ANDERSON KELMAN and JOHN WILSON, both of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING TRAMWAY RAILS, AND IN THE
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR
"
Our said Invention has reference to certain new or improved apparatus or
arrangement of mechanism to be applied to tramway cars for the purpose of cleaning
the grooves and surface of the rails by the motion of the cars; all in a more simple,
efficient, and economical manner than has heretofore been done.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing our said Invention
may be properly understood, we shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings which we have hereunto appended for the
purpose of showing the best modes and means we are at present aware of for carry-
ing the Invention into effect or practice, the same reference letters indicating the
same or equivalent parts m all the Figures where shown.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a tramway car A on its wheels B and rails R,
and Figure 2 is a corresponding end elevation of a part thereof, showing one side
and wheel B, both views illustrating a general arrangement and application of our
improvements thereto, sufficient to show the nature and mode of performing the
Invention.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a side and an end elevation of one construction
or arrangement of the groove rail cleaners a, b, and fittings, shown to a large scale
as detached from the car A, with one of the axle bushes C to which the whole is
secured, all to show the construction, mode of fitting, and action more clearly, one
of which arrangements of cleaners is attached to each bush C in front or in advance
of each of the fore wheels, as seen in the general arrangement Figures 1 and 2.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 4, the nature, novelty, and mode of putting the
Invention into practice consist all as follows:-In fitting or attaching a round
headed, pointed, or nosed steel or other hard metal tool or scraper a, by the screw
stem and nut a¹, or other equivalent, to a plough or double angled plate or frame
scraper b with fixing stein b1, by which it is secured to its carrying arm c, d, d, and
both shown detached in Figures 4 and 4b in plan and side view The rounded
scraper a works in the groover of the rail R, and the angled scraper over its upper
surface on each side of the groove r, so that the former a scrapes and raises or
forces the dirt, sludge, or snow out of the groove on to the sides 1, while the
latter b being angled backwards scrapes or throws this material quite off the upper

page_text: surface of the rail R, chiefly to the outside of it and the horse track, quite clear of
the bearing part r¹ for the wheels B of the car; the bevelled plate-scraping part 6
on this side being made broadest for that purpose.
This combined groove cleaner and angled flanged scraper or plough a, b, is pre-
ferably attached at b¹ to the short lateral arm or lengthening and shortening or slip
swivelling socket piece c, which is jointed by the screw c¹ to the lower end of the
strong iron supporting arm d, d', jointed laterally in the middle d", and retained
firmly in a straight normal position and yet allow it to yield in turning curves by
the blade spring e, screwed at e¹ to the upper part of its arm d, d, and at the free
end in the slip buckle e". This duplex jointed carrying arm d, d, is jointed at the
top end to the strong broad arm f, secured by the bolts to the inside of the
axle box C of the car, so that the arm d, d, and cleaners a, b, mounted on it, rise
and fall vertically on this joint d², to take the latter out of action or put them into
action on the rail R, as shown respectively in these positions on the left and right
hand of Figure 1, and projecting forward in front of the four wheels B (or end
wheels when there are inore than four) so as to clean the rail R in advance of these
by the motion of the car in whichever direction it is running, as before stated The
stem and plough part a, b, are fitted or jointed so as to work at an angle lying back-
wards towards the wheel B, as a rake or scraper, the spring jointed moving arm cat
the lower end of the strong carrying arm d, d', yielding to rise over any slight
obstruction in the grooves or on the surface of the rails, such as a securing bolt or
spike, or the end joints of the rails when these are not quite level.
•
The tool a for cleaning the groove and the scraper 6 for cleaning the surface of
the rail might be attached to each other and to the arm c by stems and sockets
instead of slots and bolts, as shown at a¹ and c¹, and have the spiral spring c³ at its
lower end attached to the arm cll above the fulcrum c¹, and at the upper end to a
snug on the arm d³, so as to turn the lower scraping end of the cleaners a, b, on
to the surface of the rail R to be cleaned, with the desired pressure by the screw
nuts c', also regulated by the height of their lifting and lowering arm d, d', and the
tension of the spiral spring , attached to it by the screw d, and an oscillating
pin flat the other end in the fixed carrying plate or arm f, and which keep the
lever d, d', down against the point of the regulating pinching screw f³ as a rest at
its proper working height to suit the level of the rail, and yet allow it to rise when
an obstruction intervened between the scrapers a, b, and the rail R, as before stated,
and having their opposite carrying arins d, d', connected by the transverse spring
rod d*, they are lifted, as shown, at the left-hand end of the car A, in Figure 1, by a
link attached below to a pin i on the back of the arm d, d, and above, to a
crank on the cross shaft j (or it might be a pin on a lever keyed on it) carried in
bearings at on the under side of the car at both ends and over both sets of
cleaners in front of the wheels, so as by the action of a hand lever j³, on either end
of the shaft j and side of the car A, the driver or guard can at once raise the
cleaners a, b, out of action, or lower them into action on the surface of the rail R,
to suit the direction in which the car is running for the time being.
•
A simple mode of connecting the stem b₁ of the plough part a, b, to its carrying
arm or arms c or d, d', is by a joint piece of india-rubber inserted into sockets, each
of which would have sufficient stiffness for the work to be done, and act as a
universal joint and spring at the same time to move laterally or vertically instead
of the joints c and d and the springs c³, d*, and e, although in practice we have
found these the best.
Although the surface cleaner b has been shown bevelled to both sides, it is to be
understood that it might be bevelled all to one side, as the ordinary mould boards
of a plough, and thus scrape or deliver the dirt or snow all to the one side of the
rail, and although the arms (c, d, d', f) carrying the rail cleaners a, b, proper have
been shown as fitted to the axle bushes C,.this being found best, it is to be under-
stood that they may be fixed to a part of the framing of the car A, and that
although the improvements have been shown and described as applied to the grooved
tramway rails, it is to be understood that they are equally applicable to rounded or

page_text: flat headed nails, with or without the groove at the side of the rails, by making the
point of the scrapers a or b of a shape to suit these forms of rails.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the precise
details which we have herein described or delineated, but what we consider novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general construction or arrangement of mechanism for attachment to,
and cleaning the rails for tramway cars, by their own forward motion, all substan-
tially as herein-described, and indicated by italic letters in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The construction and use of a scraper or cleaner a moving within the
groove of the rail, and an angled or plough-shaped scraper b, above the tramway
rails for cleaning their upper surface by the forward motion of the car itself, all
substantially as herem described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Third. The attaching of the arms carrying these said cleaners or scrapers a or b
to the axle boxes of tramway cars for the cleaning of their rails by the forward
motion of the cars, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings, or any meie modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wilson, on behalf of the said James
Anderson Kelman and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-seven.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN WILSON. (L.S.)