Improvements relating to Motor-trucks for Electric and other Railways.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Motor-trucks for Electric and other
Railways.
I, GEORGE JOSEPH CAPEWELL, of 903, Asylum Avenue, Hartford, County of
Hartford, State of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
This invention relates to a railway car-truck that has traction wheels arranged
one behind the other for traveling on a single central rail track and retaining
wheels arranged on either side of the center for traveling in connection with the
rails of a retaining track of wide gauge.
The object of this invention is the production of a truck of this nature that will
be strong in construction and light in weight and that will carry powerful electric
or other suitable motors arranged to drive the truck and a heavy load at a high
rate of speed with a minimum expenditure of power and that can be renewed or
repaired with facility.
The truck embodying this invention that is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings has a pair of centrally arranged double flanged traction wheels, each
connected with an axle that upon both sides of the center bears the armature of a
motor that is connected with the truck frame plates which are supported by the
traction wheel axles and which support the axle of the retaining wheels.
The truck frame is formed of vertically arranged plates braced and connected
together in such manner as to form a very light yet strong structure capable of
supporting heavy loads and of receiving motors of great power. This frame is
so shaped that atmospheric resistance to its motion is reduced to a minimum and
all strains are so distributed that, although thin plates are employed, the truck
frame will be rigid and the axles will not spring. The motors can be easily
reached for renewing or repairs, and the car body will be firmly and yet yieldingly
supported upon this truck so that the car will travel smoothly and comfortably.
Large traction wheels may be employed and, running on the central rail, a
maximum amount of tractive effect is ensured and high speeds with heavy loads
can be maintained without danger that the traction wheels will leave the track.
Fig. 1 of the drawings shows a plan of this truck with the top plate removed
to expose the construction. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the truck. Fig. 3
shows a central longitudinal section. And Fig. 4 shows a central transverse
section of the same.
Each of the traction wheels 1 which are arranged in line one behind the other
has flanges 2 on both sides so that its tread 3 is the bottom of a groove that sub-
stantially conforms to the tread of the single rail 4. These wheels are secured in
any common manner to axles 5, to each of which on both sides of the center are
secured the armatures of the electric motors 6 that are supported concentric with
the axles.
The truck frame is formed of two vertically arranged metal side plates 7 that

page_text: to the
extend parallel for some distance and then are bent and converge until they meet
at the middle. These side plates 7 have flanges 8 along their lower edges to pre-
vent them from buckling. Extending short distances each side of the center from
end to end parallel with each other and with the parallel side plates are vertically
arranged metal center plates 9. The center plates are provided with flanges 10
that prevent them from buckling. The side plates 7 may at their ends
be secured together and the center plates 9 may be secured
converging walls of the side plates by riveting in place the connection
plates 11. Near the middle the center plates are joined together by transverse
vertical plates 12 and are joined with the side plates by transverse vertical plates 13
and the opening between the plates 13 is closed a little distance above their lower
edges by horizontal plates 14, which transverse vertical plates and horizontal
plates are secured by riveting in the manner customarily employed in putting
together plate work.
Bearing-boxes 15 are secured to the outside of the center plates 9 and to the
inside of the side plates 7. These boxes are so arranged that the lower parts may
be removed to permit the placing of the truck frame upon or the removal of the
truck frame from the axles 5 of the traction wheels 1. When the truck frame is in
position with the upper part of the boxes resting upon the axles, the lower parts
of the boxes are secured in place so that the axles cannot get out of the boxes 2
which are secured to the side and center plates in such positions that they bear
upon the axles each side of all of the motors and distribute the weight of the truck
frame and the motors along the axles. When the truck frame has been placed in
position upon the axles of the traction wheels, the frames of the motors may be
bolted to the faces of the transverse plates 13 so that the opening between the 2
field poles of the motors will be concentric with the armatures on the traction wheel
axles.
A top plate 16 is riveted to the upper edges of the side plates and transverse
plates so as to cover in both ends of the truck frame and enclose the motors.
Secured to the side plates are protector plates 17 that each side of the middle are 3
closed on the bottom by thin plates 28. The protector plates 17 are vertically
arranged metal plates with flanges 18 along their upper edges that conform to
the parallel sides and converging ends of the side plates 7. The protector plates
are tightly secured to the side plates by bolts passing through the flanges 8 and
the flanges 18 and also by hinge rods 19 that extend transversely of the truck 3
frame by which they are supported. When the bolts secure together the flanges 18
of the protector plates 17 and the flanges 8 of the side plates 7 the motors are
entirely closed in and both ends of the truck will be wedge-shaped so as to reduce
atmospheric resistance to movement to a minimum. If it is desired to get at the
motors, the bolts securing together the flanges 8 and 18 are removed and the 40
protector plates allowed to swing downwardly on their hinge shafts. Then, when
the bearing block caps are loosened, the traction wheels with their axles and the
motors, that of course have Been previously loosened from the truck frame plates,
may be removed by lifting the truck frame from the axles or lowering the axles
from the truck frame.
45
Bearing-boxes 29 are secured to the side plates near the middle of the truck
frame, and held by these is the axle 20 that on each end beyond the side plates
bears the retaining wheels 21. These retaining wheels are smaller in diameter
than the traction wheels and are designed to travel between the rails 22 of a retain-
ing track so as to prevent the truck from tipping over and the traction wheels from 50
leaving the central rail 4 upon which they travel.
In the opening between the transverse plates 13 and resting upon the horizontal
plates 14 are a number of springs 23. There are shown four sets of springs, each
consisting of an outer large coil spiral spring and an inner small coil spiral spring.
Supported by these springs is the platform plate 24 that has a central perfora- 5
tion 25 for the king bolt that connects the platform plate with the plate that is
secured to the under side of the car bottom. This platform plate preferably has down-

page_text: wardly projecting flanges 26 that loosely extend inside of the opening between the
transverse plates 13 and the side plates 7 and center plates 9. Headed rods 27
are passed through the springs and through the platform plate and horizontal
plates 14 so as to limit the upward movement of the platform plate and prevent it
from lifting sufficiently for its flanges to get out of the opening into which they
extend.
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. A car-truck having a pair of central traction wheels arranged one behind the
other to run upon a single rail track, an axle for each traction wheel, motors
arranged concentric of the axles on each side of each traction wheel, and a truck
frame with central recesses for the traction wheels and a closed chamber each side
for each motor, supported by the axles.
2. A car-truck having a pair of central traction wheels arranged one behind
the other to run upon a single rail track, an axle for each traction wheel, motors
arranged concentric of the axles on each side of each traction wheel, a truck frame
supported by the axles, and retaining wheels supported by the truck frame and
arranged to run on each side thereof in connection with a retaining track of wide
gauge.
3. A car-truck having central traction wheels arranged to run upon a single
rail track, axles for the traction wheels, motors arranged concentric of the axles
on each side of the traction wheels, vertically arranged longitudinally extending
plates that are joined together near their ends supported by the axles, vertically
arranged transversely extending plates bracing the longitudinal plates, and retain-
ing wheels supported by bearings attached to the longitudinal plates and arranged
to run in connection with a retaining track.
4. A car-truck having central traction wheels arranged to run upon a single
rail track, axles for the traction wheels, motors arranged concentric of the axles
on each side of the traction wheels, a closed truck frame with parallel sides and
pointed ends supported by the axles, and retaining wheels supported by the truck
frame and arranged to run in connection with a retaining track.
Dated the 15th
1000
GEORGE JOSEPH CAPEWELL,
D. Young & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.