Improvements in Fenders or Guards for Tramway Cars.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fenders or Guards for Tramway Cars.
I, HERBERT BRYAN NEWTON, residing at No. 79 Washington Street, in the
City of Haverhill, in the County of Essex and State of Massachusetts, United
States of America, Inventor, 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 :-
This invention relates to fenders or guards for tramway cars, and the object
thereof, is to provide an improved device of this class which is adapted to pick up.
a prostrate body, or to ensure the failing of a person struck, while standing, upon
the fender or guard, without liability, in either case, of the car passing over such
person.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which :-
Fig. 1, is a side view of a fender embodying my invention, connected with the
platform of the car;
Fig. 2, a section on the line 2, 2, of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3, a section on the line 3, 3, of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4, a section on the line 4, 4, of Fig. 2;
Fig. 5, a front elevation of a portion of the platform, dash board, and fender;
Fig. 6, a longitudinal sectional view showing the position of the parts when the
fender and its supporting frame is withdrawn beneath the car; and,
Fig. 7, a sectional side view showing a modified form of construction.
In the following description, similar letters and numerals of reference designate
like or equivalent parts wherever found throughout the several views, and in the
accompanying drawings, a, represents a substantially horizontal frame or support,
which is located below and projects forward from the platform b, of a car, said
support being adapted to slide in guides c, affixed to the platform. The object of
a sliding connection between the support a, and the body of the car, is to enable
the fender to be retracted under the platform when not required for use. The side
bars of the frame a, are provided with rack teeth a', which are engaged with
pinions a, affixed to a shaft a³, journaled in the guides c.
The shaft may be
rotated by means of a wrench or key applied to the squared end a', or by any
other suitable means, such as sprocket wheels a, a, and a chain a', Fig. 5, the
wheel as, being affixed to the shaft a, while the wheel a', is affixed to a short
shaft as, journaled in a bearing on the dasher, in position to be operated by the
motorman while he is standing on the platform. The shaft a³, pinions a³, and
racks a', enable the fender to be moved easily in and out, without binding. or
sticking, both sides being moved alike.
When the support a, is in a position for use, its forward end projects consider-
ably in advance of the platform, and of the dasher d, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,
said support being preferably elevated a foot or thereabout above the track, and
e, represents the fender, which is composed of a frame suitably constructed to
support a human body falling against it.
The fender is here shown as composed of side pieces 2, a lower cross piece 3, an
upper cross piece 4, intermediate cross pieces 5, and transverse strips 6, all being
combined to form a reticulated support, the openings in which are sufficiently
small to prevent a person from falling through them. It is obvious, however, that
this construction may be departed from or modified to any desired extent, and that

page_text: the construction may include a suitable marginal frame, and netting secured to the
frame and covering the space surrounded by it.
The fender is pivotally connected with the support a, by means of a rod f
extending across the support, and sockets f, arranged at or near the center of the
length of the fender, the arrangement being such, that the forward end of the
fender is provided with an elastic extension in advance of the hinges formed by
the rod, and the socket f', while the opposite end is at the rear of said hinges.
The fender also normally stands in the inclined position shown in Fig. 1, and by
full lines in Fig. 2, this, forward eud which overbalances the rear end being in close
proximity to the track, and its opposite end being considerably raised and a
suitable stop is provided to limit the downward swinging motion of the fender on
its pivots, or hinges with relation to the supporting frame a, so that when the
support is at its normal height from the track or pavement, the lower end of the
fender will be slightly separated from the pavement, but will be sufficiently low to
enable it to pick up, instead of passing over, a prostrate body.
The support a, is constructed to permit an upward swinging movement of the
lower end of the fender, so that it can yield or rebound, if brought in contact with
the pavement by an oscillating movement of the car, thus preventing the possibility
of damage to the fender in case it is forced down against the track. The stop
consists of a pair of rods &, pivoted at , to the side pieces of the fender, and
provided with open hooks or slots s³, at their rear ends, which engage, and are
adapted to move upon eyes a, fixed to the support a.
When the support a, is at its normal-height above the track, the hooks, hear
against the eyes , und prevent the front end of the fender from swinging
downward, but when the fender strikes the pavement, the hooks slide back in the
eyes, and permit the rebounding or yielding movement of the lower end of the
fender, this movement being facilitated by elastic feet, and said fender and
support may be folded together, and withdrawn or retracted beneath the car, as
shown in Fig. 6.
I prefer in all cases, to curve or deflect the forward end of the fender from the
plane in which its main portion stand, as shown at 7, in Fig. 1, so that the lower
portion of the frame may act as a scoop, and I also prefer to provide the forward
end of the frame with a flexible extension, here shown as composed of a metal
bar 8, the ends of which are bent inwardly to form hinge members 9, fitted to turn
in sockets in the side pieces 2. The bent portions of the bar bear on lugs or
stops 10, on the cross piece 3, and the bar 8, is flexible and serves as an elongated
yielding buffer which normally projects forward from the fender, ant is the first
part of the fender to come in contact with an object encountered by it.
The hinges 9, enable the bar 8, to swing upwardly, and backwardly which
facilitates the operation of the fender, and said fender is provided at its forward
end with a series of downwardly and rearwardly projecting elastic feet 13, which
are arranged to strike the track or road-bed, and serve as buffers to prevent the
forward portion of the fender from striking and being engaged by projections on
the pavement, when the forward portion of the fender is depressed by a weight
thrown upon it or by the oscillating movement of the car.
When the fender encounters a prostrate body on the track, its lower portion acts
to pick up the body, and carry it along without serious injury, and the flexible
extension or buffer which is pivotally connected with the forward end thereof, as
described, facilitates this operation, and when the fender encounters a standing
person the buffer first acts to trip the person, and causes him to fall backwardly
upon the fender, which is proportioned so that the weight of the person will be at
the rear of the hinges, thus causing the fender to swing to a substantial horizontal
position, and the person thus caught, is therefore prevented from injury and carried
along in safety, until the car can be stopped.
In Fig. 7, I have shown a modification, the object of which is to provide means
which will insure the retention of the lower end of the fender within a certain
distance of the car track, and the main parts of this construction are substantially

page_text: the same as those herein before described, and operate in this manner, but in order
to accomplish the object of the modification as above set out, I provide a strap or
strip o, of steel or other flexible or inelastic material, which extends from the rear
end of the fender, and with which it is connected, beneath and over suitable rollers
or other devices to one end of a bell crank lever h, pivoted to a bracket i, secured
to the under side of the car body. The other end of the lever h, is connected by
means of a link j, with a bar k, the latter being supported by a suitable portion of
the car truck or brake beam, so as to have no vertical movement with the car body
when the latter is moving and oscillating. A suitable spring 4, is employed to hold
the lever A, in substantially the position indicated in the figure. The bar k, being-
fixed and connected by means of the link j, with the lever h, will insure the
movement of the upper end of the lever 1, in the direction indicated by the arrow
whenever the forward end of the car body moves downward relatively to the car
truck and the bar k. This movement of the lever h, through the connection g,
insures the lowering of the upper or rear end of the fender, and the corresponding
elevation of the front portion, so as to retain the said lower end of the fen ler
adjacent to but out of contact with the track. When the car body moves in the-
reverse direction so as to permit the spring to oscillate the lever h, in the direction.
opposite to that indicated by the arrow, the fender is permitted to reverse its
movement, and owing to its being pivoted with its center of gravity forward of its.
pivoted point, as above described, its lower end will descend relatively, thus.
preserving its normal distance slightly above the track...
The advantage of locating the spring in a position where it will not exert a strain.
upon the flexible connection is, that if a body is picked up, or trippel by the
fender, and falls upon the upper portion thereof, there will be nothing to have a
tendency to throw the fender back to an inclined position, and so discharge the-
body caught thereon. For instance, if the spring were to connect the lower
portion of the fender with the under side of the support a, it would keep the
flexible connection under tension, and would interfere with the free movement of
the fender to the horizontal position either under the weight of the body thereon,
or when it is desired to retract the fender under the car, and with the construction.
and arrangement of the spring shown there is nothing to interfere with the reaction.
of the fender.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-.
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A car fender for tramway cars, constructed and connected with a car as above
described, and as shown in the accompanying drawing."
2. A car provided with a frame or support projecting forward from the platform
thereof, and a fender pivotally connected with said support with its center of
gravity, forward of its pivotal point, and adapted to swing from an inclined
position with its forward end in close proximity to the track, to a substantially
horizontal position, with its forward end elevated, stop mechanism independent of
the car track, and carried by a frame or support for limiting the downward
movement of the forward end of the fender, and having provision for permitting a
rebounding or upward yielding movement of said end, and means for retiring the
fender and its frame or support, and stop mechanism beneath the platform, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
3. A car fender comprising a frame or support pivotally connected between its
front and rear edges to a support on the car, and having its forward portion
curved or deflerted from the plane of the body of the fender, and a flexible.
extension or buffer projecting from said forward portion, and comprising a bar.
extending across the forward portion of the fender, and arins projecting rear.
wardly from the ends of said bar and pivotally connected with the fender to permit
an upward and rearward swinging movement of the bar, the fender being provided

page_text: with stops to limit the downward movement of said arms and bars, substantially as
shown and described.
4. A car fender comprising a support carried by a car body, a fender pivotally
connected to said support at a point between the front and rear ends of the fender
and with a center of gravity forward on its pivotal point, and equalizing
connections between the pivoted fender and a portion of the car truck, whereby
rocking of the car body on the truck will oscillate the fender and retain the lower
end, of the latter adjacent thereto, but out of connection with the track, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
5. A car fender comprising a support carried by the car body, a fender pivotally
connected to said support at a point between the front and rear ends of the fender,
and with its center of gravity forward of its pivotal point and equalizing
connections between the pivoted fender, and a portion of the car truck, said
connections including a lever connected at one end to the truck, and having its
other end provided with a flexible, but inelastic connection leading to the fender
substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 5th day of October 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.