Year: 1886

page_text: We, THOMAS RODGER, Engineer, THOMAS BLACK, Accountant, and ROBERT
CRAWFORD, Ironmonger, all of. Dunedin, in the Colony of New Zealand, 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 of an improved plough for spreading and trimming ballast on
railways is designed to be fixed under a railway waggon brake van or other railway
vehicle drawn preferably by the ballast train so as to spread and level off the
ballast deposited on the line by hopper waggons to an even and finished surface
with a minimum of manual labour. The vehicle carrying our improved plough
may however be drawn or impelled independently of the ballast train if so
preferred.
In order that our invention may be well understood we will now explain it with
reference to the attached drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 a plan of the improved plough attached to a brake-van which is
shewn in dotted lines in both figures.
A is the plough constructed with a double mould board A¹ to spread the ballast.
to a sufficient width on each side of the track. It is suspended from the waggon
van or other vehicle by links or stems B connected with the screw nut C and
screw C¹, which together serve to lift it by the aid of hand wheel C2 clear of the
track when travelling, and to lower it onto the rails when working. It is also
fitted with an additional link or stem D, which is furnished with a lock nut D' and
key D as an additional safeguard for holding the spreading plough up when
travelling, and it is guided and held in its proper position by the guides Ê which
work in the horn plates E¹.
Its mode of operation when working is to lower it onto the rails and allow it to
slide along the top of them its lower edge being suitably strengthened and shod for
the purpose. The lower edge is also shaped so as to spread or plough the surface
of the ballast on the track to the cross section desired. The portion of the
spreader between the rails being depressed below rail level if desired with this
object.

page_text: When travelling the plough spreader is lifted up to a sufficient height above the
track by the aid of the hand wheel C and secured thereat.
We prefer to fit the spreading plough to the last vehicle or brake van of a train
of ballast waggons constructed according to the specification of an invention
entitled "Improved self-emptying hopper waggons for ballasting on railways"
which we are also seeking to patent simultaneously with this invention although
as before stated it may be fitted to any other railway vehicle and drawn or impelled
independently of a train.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. Our improved spreader plough having its lower cutting edge shaped to suit
the section to which the ballast requires to be furnished in combination with a
railway vehicle substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated
in our drawings.
2. The attachments for controlling the position of our spreader plough which
attachments are marked in our drawings with the letters A, A, B, C, C¹, C³, D,
D' and D³, substantially as herein described and explained.
Dated this 18th day of February One thousand eight hundred and eighty-six.