IMPROVEMENTS IN GOODS AND CATTLE TRUCKS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederick Dorn, of Vienna, now residing
at No. 7, Duke Street, Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GOODS AND CATTLE
TRUCKS FOR RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 9th March 1875, and dated the 11th September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederick Dorn
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th September 1874.
I, CHARLES FREDERICK DORN, of Vienna, now residing at No. 7,
Duke Street, Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GOODS AND CATTLE TRUCKS FOR RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the combination of two systems of
trucks, now used separately, into one system, viz., the trucks for the
The
transport of goods, and the other for the transit of cattle.
trucks are made in the ordinary way, as regards the entrance and
exit of the cattle. They are fitted with moveable mangers and racks,

page_text: which mangers serve for water troughs with proper appliances for filling
at the different stations, and for cleansing the same. Also appliances
for supplying food and water without entering the trucks. As the cattle
are fastened by means of ropes or chains to a certain place, so as to be
able to eat, drink, lie down to rest, and get up with ease without danger
of injuring each other, there are no partitions required, which are only
impractable, besides being expensive and constantly subjected to repairs,
and thus also saving space, more cattle can be carried than by the
ordinary system.
The floors are slanting from their heads backwards to cause the
urine or water to flow off through small holes in the floor and through
gratings placed at the hind part of the cattle, through which latter also
the excrements or droppings fall into a proper receptacle placed under
the gratings. These receptacles can be removed and emptied when
required, and the droppings and urine sold and utilized for agricultural
purposes.
The trucks are thoroughly ventilated by means of proper openings or
gratings fixed in the floor underneath the troughs or other convenient
place, by which fresh air is admitted, whilst the foul air is carried off
by means of openings in the upper part of the sides as well as cowls in
the roof of the truck.
For the attendants in charge of the cattle a compartment is attached,
casily accessible to the roof of the truck, to serve as a sitting and
sleeping place, so that they are always close to their charge, and to be
used also when required for guards or breaksmen.
When the trucks are not required for the transit of cattle the troughs
and racks can be easily removed, the trucks cleansed and disinfected,
and thus converted into a goods or luggage truck completely empty and
free from all encumbrance.
In order to be better understood, reference is given to the annexed
Drawing.
a, side of the truck; b, racks; c, mangers; d, slanting floor;
e, gratings; f, receptacle for the droppings, &c.; g, ventilators and
cowls; h, attendants; i, sleeping and resting place for attendants or
guards.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Frederick Dorn in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FREDERICK DORN, of Vienna, now residing at No. 7, Duke Street,
Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Frederick Dorn, Her special licencé
that I, the said Charles Frederick Dorn, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Frederick Dorn, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GOODS AND CATTLE TRUCKS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Frederick Dorn,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW-YE, that I, the said Charles Frederick Dorn, do hereby
decture 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:-
These improvements consist in the combination of two systems of
trucks, at present separately used, into one system, viz., the trucks for
the transport of goods, and the other for the transit of cattle. These
trucks are made in the ordinary way as regards the entrance and exit of
3 cattle,

page_text: To supply food and water to the cattle whilst in the said trucks,
troughs or mangers and hay racks are fixed, running from side to side
through the centre and ends of the trucks.
At appointed stations food can be supplied by means of two small
doors fixed outside and close to the troughs and hay racks at both sides
of the truck, water being admitted by means of a hose from the
hydrants or supplied by pails. The attendant being placed next to the
trough on a moveable step fixed to the truck, so as not requiring the
attendant to enter the truck or come into contact with the cattle;
this step being on swivels can be folded up when the train is set in
motion. These troughs and hay racks are so arranged by hooks or
other convenient means, that they can be taken out of the truck when
required for a goods truck.
In order to empty the troughs and clean them, they are constructed
so as to enable the attendants to turn them over by means of swivels or
other suitable means; and to prevent their being upset by the cattle,
they are fastened by a hasp.
For the entrance and exit of the cattle there are two pairs of folding
doors, the lower part of which may form a flap door, which can be used
for the ingress and egress of the cattle as a bridge to the platform.
Instead of folding doors sliding doors can be used, which are pre-
ferred, as accidents from passing trains and other obstacles will easier be
prevented. A flap door may then be fixed inside the sliding doors for
the exit and entrance of the cattle, serving as a bridge.
To keep the trucks clean the bottom of the said truck is constructed
in a slanting position, being from 6 to 12 inches higher at the head or
front of the cattle, close to their feeding places, than at their back, so as
to cause the urine or water to flow by means of small grooves inter-
sected by small holes in the said floor, backwards and out of the
truck.
In order to carry off the droppings or excrements of the animals there
are iron gratings fixed in the floor close to their hind parts, the
excrements falling on and through these gratings direct to the ground.
The said gratings are laid down in the centre from one side to the other
of the truck, and are from 18 to 30 inches wide, being composed of iron
bars of from % to 3 inches thick, and 1 to 2 inches high, and set apart

page_text: from 1 to 2 inches. By these iron gratings the urine or water may also
be carried away instead of by the small holes before mentioned. By
this arrangement the animals, for long journeys, can be kept clean and
dry without being requisite for the attendant to enter the truck for the
purpose of cleansing, and thereby disturb the cattle when at rest, so that
the cattle will not suffer so much by their confinement as in ordinary
trucks.
To be enabled to save the valuable manure there are receptacles fixed
underneath the gratings at the bottom of the trucks, so arranged as to
receive the droppings and urine as they fall during their journey.
These receptacles can be emptied at certain stations and the contents
utilized for agricultural purposes. These receptacles can be made of
wood, metal, or any other material. For convenience it will be prefer-
able to have two to fit closely, one to be drawn from each side of the
truck. These receptacles are made like drawers, running in grooves, and
are kept fast by any simple contrivance. Their size is from 15 to 30
inches wide, and from 10 to 15 inches high; the length varies according
to the width of the truck.
Ventilation is neither expensive nor complicated. Under the heads
of the animals there are iron gratings from 12 to 18 inches wide, by
which fresh air is freely admitted, and the foul air is carried away from
the upper part in front and sides of the trucks by several openings,
from 12 to 18 inches high and 20 to 30 inches wide, which openings
can be left open in hot weather, and closed when required. A wire
guard can be placed over the openings to keep out sparks and cinders
from the engine. Also cowls or exhausters are fixed on the top of the
trucks to cause a thorough ventilation in hot days. In cold and rough
weather the air gratings can be closed by trapdoors, as well as the other
openings in the front or sides of truck by shutters or other suitable
means, so as to keep the cattle in a suitably warm temperature.
=
:
Each truck is provided with draw-springs, spring buffers, axle springs,
and affords sufficient room for 9 heads of fat cattle of the largest size, or
12 heads of lean stock. All the animals are trucked lengthways in
the longitudinal direction of and towards the engine or end of the train.
The truck is put on four wheels and two axles only. Proportionately
more cattle can be carried in enlarged trucks under the same cir.
cumstances.

page_text: Instead of the cattle being loose in the truck, they are separately
fastened by a rope or chain on rings fixed to the trough, thus keeping
them from goring or injuring each other; also by these means being
kept in a certain place, can easily drink, eat, lie down, and get up with
ease, and there are no expensive and complicated partitions required,
constantly subjected to repairs.
For the attendants or drovers of the cattle, during the journey, there
is a compartment fixed in an elevated position on the top of the truck,
affording sufficient room for two men, the latter being near the cattle in
their charge, and besides without trouble or encumbrance to the guards.
By the aid of this compartment the truck is still more utilized by
carrying more freight, and therefore more remunerative. This compart-
ment is constructed so as to be used as a sitting place in daytime, and
can be converted into a sleeping place for the night. The sitting place
is composed of a seat of ordinary size, being about 18 inches deep; from
the seat to the floor there is a foot board about 18 inches long; then
there is a back board about 36 inches high. This sitting place can be
divided into two halves, each half forming a seat of its own; and one
or both can be converted into a sleeping place in the following way :-
The seat is stationary, the foot board attached to the seat by hinges is
turned upwards to serve as a support for the feet when resting in a
horizontal position; this foot board being fastened by a bolt, for the
time, when in use for sleeping or laying down. The back boards or
one of them alone is to be turned backwards and laid down horizontally,
so the resting or sleeping place is complete. The back board, while in
a vertical position, is fastened at the top in the roof by two bolts or
other means, each on the extreme right or left side of each half back

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is or may be carried
into practical effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not
restrain or restrict myself to the precise details, as many variations may
be made therefrom without deviating from the main features of my
Invention; but what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim
as my Invention, is the general arrangement of a cattle truck to be
converted when required into a goods truck, providing more room for
cattle; with appliances for taking off the urine and excrements, and for
thoroughly cleansing and ventilating of the truck; as well as appliances
for a resting and sleeping place for the attendant or attendants.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Frederick Dorn, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.