Improvements in Tram-rail Cleaners.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
EICES
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tram-rail Cleaners.
1, JAMES NEIL MARR, of 121, Peckham Rye, S.E., Gentleman, 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 further improvements in apparatus for cleaning the
grooves of tram-rails, for which Letters Patent were granted to the said
James Neil Marr dated May 22nd 1890 No. 8022 such further improvements
consisting in providing means for raising the cleaners or scrapers entirely out of the
grooves of the rail when such a course is either desirable or necessary.
The manner in which this is accomplished will be readily understood from the
accompanying drawing, which represents a partial side elevation of tram-car, with
the cleaning apparatus described in the above-mentioned Specification applied
thereto.
Instead however of the stems or cores a. a' (which impart lateral rigidity to the
spiral springs b. ) being fixed to the bracket e as in the former case, the stem a is.
mounted on a rod or shaft a² which passes underneath the tram and supports the
corresponding stem on the other side.
The stem a is pivotted upon a pin or stud a³, which is free to slide in a slot c¹,
formed in the bracket c.
Each shoe or cleaner d at each end of the car, is connected to a rod d¹ and
cranked lever 2 fulcrumed on the footboard of the tram-car, the upper arm being
formed with a flat roughened top d³, or instead of a rod I may employ a chain on a
revolving rod to lift both cleaners.
When this arm of the lever is depressed by the driver or conductor, the lower
arm describes an arc of a circle indicated by arrow, thereby bringing forward the
stem a, and with it the shoe or scraper d, the stem a' following along the slot c¹ and
the shoe being thus raised clear of the rail as indicated by dotted lines.
It will be readily seen that by the foregoing means the scrapers can at any
moment be raised clear of the rails and immediately lowered again, or one or both
pairs may be kept permanently raised by means of a catch arranged to detain the
lever arm when it is depressed.
Other arrangements for raising the scrapers will readily suggest themselves, but
the one shewn, sufficiently explains the nature of my invention.
To prevent the springs from becoming clogged by dirt, I may enclose them
in a casing of india-rubber or other suitable material.
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. In tram-rail cleaning apparatus such as described, mounting the rods or
stems a. a¹ in such manner as to be capable, the former of an oscillatory motion and
the latter of a combined reciprocatory and oscillatory motion, as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with cleaning apparatus such as described, of rods and levers

page_text: whereby the requisite motions may be imparted to the stems a a' in manner substan-
tially as shown and described.
Dated this 26th day of February 1891
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.