Improvements in the Mode of and Means for Sheeting Railway Trucks.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Mode of and Means for Sheeting Railway
Trucks.
I, WILLIAM GRIFFIN, of 74 Horseley Road Tipton, in the County of Stafford,
Railway Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in the mode of and means for
sheeting railway trucks or wagons in cases where loose sheetings are employed by
which I form a simple arrangement which, being attached to each and every wagon,
rerders the sheeting of same an easy matter while by my improvements the sheets
when covering the wagons are thoroughly weathered so that no moisture cau
accumulate in any part and no part can become detached.
In carrying my invention into effect I arrange suitable supports to carry a rope
The
or chain along the centre and higher than the sides of the truck or wagon.
supports are preferably made of wood and are mounted on strong iron hinges so
that the top portion can be lowered below the sides of the truck or wagon when not
in use.
The joint is ent on the slope so as not to be in the way of bars of iron or
any other such goods that may have to be slid over the ends of the trucks or wagons
in unloading. The edges at the joint of the upper support are protected and kept
intact by a band of iron let into the wood to preserve a plain surface on all sides.
The lower half of the support is double the width of the upper half so that the
nute of the bolts securing the support to the end of the truck or wagon, can be
fixed on the sides and kept clear of the upper support when folded back out of use
on the top of the lower support at each side of the hinge is fixed an iron plate with
the inner edge turned up at a right angle in the shape of a wedge thus forming a
socket to strengthen and keep firm the joint when the top support is raised an
in use..
To carry the sheet I employ a rope or chain either of which is stored automa-
tically on a spring revolving barrel fixed to brackets by means of a spindle under-
neath the wagon bottom so that the rope or chain is out of the way but always at
hand when wanted and the great trouble and expense involved when any kind of
portable support is used is thus avoided. This rope or chain passes over small
pulley wheels fixed at one end of the wagon and enters a slot in the top of the
nearest support which slot is also fitted with a pulley wheel. The end of the rope
or chain is fitted with a small iron loop and collar and when it is required to sheet
a truck or wagon the support is raised on its hinge, then the loop and collar are
taken hold of and the rope or chain drawn to the opposite end of the wagon where
the loop is slipped on to a small hook which is fixed in a slot cut into the top
portion of the other support. The strength of the spring store and barrel is only
sufficient to draw in the rope or chain when not required in use and a man can
easily draw, off the barrel, the rope or chain and hook it on the opposite support.
When the sheet has been removed and the supports are no longer required in use
the loop is unbooked and guided back over the pullies. The loop cannot pass
through the pulley in the top of the support at the end where the barrel and lever
are fixed, as the collar is made to prevent this, so that the spring barrel itself
draws down the top support and holds it in position when folded back.
to maintain the rope or chain as horizontal as possible I employ a lever at the end
of the wagon from which the barrel works so that the rope or chain has been
In order

page_text: drawn off the barrel and hooked on to the opposite support the lever is raised and
the small hook attached to same is connected with the rope or chain then the lever
is pressed down by hand or foot and the rope or chain tightened to any extent the
lever being secured in position by passing over a ratchet.
If a rope be preferred to carry the sheet it can be provided by using half rope
and half chain, the chain portion only reaching from the barrel to the point where
the lever hook grips it for tightening purposes. If a rope be preferred for the
entire length it would be studded with metal eyelets for the required distance. A
small bracket, of the shape of a stirrup, with holes at the extremities is then placed
opposite one of the holes in the rope and a pin passed through the hole in the
stirrup then through the rope and afterwards through the hole in the opposite arm
of the bracket or stirrup which is connected with the lever in the same way as the
chain and tightened by the same means.
To avoid the lever being in the way when the top support is folded down out of
use, the middle of the lower half of the support is reduced in thickness thereby
providing a clear space for the lever to work in and allowing the top support to lie
flat against the lower support. The projecting pulley on the top support enters a
space cut out of the lower support. Except a hook at the top & a staple & hook
to hold it from moving when out of use, the other support requires no fittings
whatever.
Dated this Oth dex of Anvil 1904-
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Mode of and Means for Sheeting Railway
Trucks.
I, WILLIAM GRIFFIN, of 74 Horseley Road, Tipton, in the County of Stafford,
Railway Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 has for its object improvements in the mode of and means for
sheeting railway trucks or wagons in cases where loose sheetings are employed by
which I form a simple arrangement which being attached to each and every wagon
renders the sheeting of same an easy matter while by my improvements the sheets
when covering the wagons are thoroughly weathered so that no moisture can
accumulate in any part and no part can become detached, and as the whole of my
arrangement is attached to each wagon the great trouble and expense involved in
book-keeping and regulating the stocks at the various stations as in the case of
portable and separate arrangements is avoided.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto two double sized sheets of drawings upon
which I have fully illustrated the nature of my said improvements.
Figure 1, is a view of one end of a wagon Z showing my arrangement applied
thereto and in position ready for sheeting.
Figure 2, is a similar view to Figure 1 but showing the arrangement in position
when not required.
Figure 3, is a longitudinal side elevation of the wagon with the sheeting arrange-
ment ready for use.
Figure 4, is a similar elevation to Figure 3 but showing the arrangement in
position when not required.
Figure 5, is a reduced side elevation of the wagon when covered with
sheets M.

page_text: Figure 6, is a reduced end elevation of the wagon when covered.
Figure 7, is a view of the drum for receiving the slack rope.
Figure 8, is a view of a suitable coiled spring for taking up the slack of
горе.
.
In carrying my invention into effect the arrangement which is very simple is
attached to each and every wagon occupied in the carriage of goods of a damageable
nature and provides an easy and ready means of supporting the sheet and making
a proper shoot to carry off the water in wet weather to effect which I arrange
suitable supports A and B to carry the rope or chain C along the centre and
higher than the sides of the truck or wagon. The supports are preferably made
of wood and are mounted with inclined joints a², 62, on strong iron hinges so that
the top portion is retained in a vertical position while it can be readily turned
down below the sides of the track or wagon when not in use. The sheet is-
supported by the rope or chain C which is automatically wound upon the spring
revolving barrel L which is fixed underneath the wagon by which the rope or
chain is kept dry and out of the way but is always at hand when wanted.
rope or chain C passes from the barrel L and round the pulleys G and H which
are fixed to the one end of the wagon or truck Z and also over the pulley A¹ in
the top of the support A being carried across to the opposite end and hooked on
at B' to the other support B.
The
For tightening the rope or chain C I employ a lever D at the end from which
the barrel works upon which lever the hook is provided so that upon the handle
of the lever being raised the hook d¹ may be connected to the rope or chain and
then by pressing the lever handle D down by hand or foot the rope or chain is
tightened to any desired tension while the ratchet plate E is provided for retaining
the handle in position. When the sheet has been removed and the supports are no
longer required in use the lever hook d¹ is disconnected from the rope or chain by
the metal loop c' in the end of the rope being lifted off the hook B¹ at the top of
the one support B when the spring barrel L at once begins to revolve under the
action of the spring thus drawing in the rope or chain which requires to be simply
guided back over the pulleys A, F, G, and H, until the loop in the end of the
rope reaches the pulley A¹ in the support A at the end from which the barrel works
when it pulls the top support down on its hinge and the action of the barrel spring L
holds it against the bottom portion of the support as shown by Figure 2.
support B at the other end has then only to be folded down and is secured by any
suitable fastening.
The
In case of a rope being employed for the whole length it may be studded with
cyelets for some distance to enable the hook d to engage with that part of the
rope which hangs near the hook when the rope is drawn off the barrel I. and is
hooked on to the opposite support ready for sheeting. In this case instead of a
hook I may provide a fork which would be fitted to the middle of the lever and
have holes at its extremities through which a pin would pass as also through the
eyelets in the rope which could then be strained by the lever D being pressed down
as before described. I however prefer to use part rope and part chain, as shown
upon the drawings the rope portion being used between the two supports only, to
carry the sheet and the remaining portion of a chain, which enables the chain to
be engaged with the book on the lever at any point. The end of the rope e
Figure 3, which is connected to the chain is fitted with the small metal thimbles S
to prevent the rope being chafed in any way. In case of the rope C getting very
wet at any time the length of leverage may not be quite sufficient to strain the
rope to the desired tension with one stroke of the lever in which case I provide an
additional length of chain having a hook at the end so that when the hook d' has
been attached to the chain C until the lever D has been pressed down to its full
limit and it is found that the strain on the rope is hardly sufficient the small hook c*
can then be attached to the chain to retain it in its partly strained position while
the lever D is lifted off the ratchet and the hook released and again attached to
the chain at a higher position when the second stroke of the lever will be found

page_text: ample to strain the rope to the desired tension even in its wet condition and by
these means the rope can be strained to almost a breaking point. A space is cut
out of the lower support A to receive the projection carrying the pulley A' when
turned down and the bottom support is widened out so that the bolts or not will
not be in the way of the top support when folded back out of use.
The lever may
be retained in a horizontal position if desired by a pin, or it may rest at the bottom
of the ratch plate.
The support B at the reverse end of the wagon Z does not require any fittings
other than a staple and pin or hook to retain the top of .support in position when
down.
I may dispense with the lever arrangement and may vary the details of my said
improvements as well as the shape and position of the spring and store barrel also
the pullies and lever may be modified without departing from the nature of my said
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
improvements and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The improvements in the mode of and means for sheeting railway trucks
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and shown upon the accom-
panying drawings.
2nd. In the means for sheeting railway trucks the spring and barrel L or its
equivalent for taking up and storing the rope or chain substantially as and for the
purpose shown and described.
3rd. In the means for sheeting railway trucks the lever arrangement for straining
the rope substantially as herein set forth and shown.
4th. In the means for sheeting railway trucks the hinged supports A and B
having inclined joints a² and &² substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth
and shown.
Dated this 9th day of January 1895.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.