AN IMPROVED GUARD OR SAFETY APPARATUS APPLICABLE to Tramway CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexis Bois, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED GUARD
OR SAFETY APPARATUS APPLICABLE to Tramway CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexis Bois at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th January 1875.
"
I, ALEXIS BOIs, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "An
IMPROVED GUARD OR SAFETY APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO TRAMWAY Cars and OTHER
VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved guard or safety apparatus
applicable to tramway cars and other vehicles for the purpose of pre-
venting accidents to passengers or others who may fall or be thrown
down in the path of the said vehicles, and it consists in covering or
enclosing, entirely or partially, by a guard or protector the wheels of the

page_text: Baid vehicles and the space between the frame of such vehicles and tho
rails, thus preventing the possibility of persons falling or rolling under
the said cars or vehicles and being injured by the wheels, as frequently
happens when the wheels are left unguarded.
The guard or safety apparatus with which I cover or enclose the
wheels of tramway cars and other vehicles consist of a shield of sheet
metal, or a grating of iron or other bars, or a trellis or notwork of wiro
or other material affixed to a metal or other frame shaped for the
purpose.
It is desirable that the said guard or safety apparatus be so connected
to the vehicle that its lower edge be constantly at the same distanco
from the rails and as near the said rails as possible. I therefore mount
the said guard upon or suspend it to the axles of the wheels, or by
preference to the axle boxes of the said wheels. When the said guard
is supported directly on the axles suitable bearings arranged to support
the guard rest upon the said axles. When the guard is supported by the
axle boxes, each of the said axle boxes at that part where it projects
from the axle guards is provided with friction rollers, either grooved or
flanged, mounted and capable of revolving on axes carried by the said
axle box or by an arm or plate affixed thereto. The said friction rollors
are intended to support the said guard and to guide it in any vertical
motion which might be communicated accidentally thereto. For this
purpose I make in the guard framing vertical slides or slots, which fit
exactly upon the friction rollers on each axle box, allowing however a
certain amount of play or travel below the lower friction rollers.
If preferred the arrangement of the friction rollers herein-before
described may be inverted, that is to say, the slots or slides may be
formed in or on the axle boxes, and the friction rollers may be mounted
on the guard frame; or a similar effect may be obtained by means of
sliding pieces on the axle box or on the guard frame working in slides
formed in the guard frame or axle box respectively, or the said frame
may be connected to each of the axle boxes by rods adjusted as in an
ordinary link motion.
It will be readily understood that the guard frame being supported or
suspended as herein-before described, and being adjusted so that its lower
edge is at the required distance above, the rails, it will invariably
maintain its level as long as the wheels of the car are upon the rails, but

page_text: c
should the said wheels from any cause leave the rails the lower edge of
the guard might come in contact with the ground or pavement, and strike
against any stones or other obstructions in the way. I therefore mount
upon the lower part of the guard frame a certain number of small
wheels projecting below the said guard to within a short distance of the
rails; the said wheels support the guard when on the ground, and roll
over any inequalities in the road. The said safety guard is made to extend
down from near the under part of the frame of the car or vehicle to
within a short distance of the rails and the ground and all round the car
or vehicle, passing behind the steps and under the ends of the said
vehicle; or one safety guard may be made to cover or enclose the wheels
on one side of the car, and another safety guard may be used to cover or
enclose the wheels on the other side of the said car, or each wheel
may be covered or enclosed separately by one of my safety guards.
Apertures closed by suitable doors may be made in different parts of my
safety guards.
The accompanying Drawing represents a guard or safety apparatus
constructed according to my Invention applied to a tramway car.
a, a, is the car; b is the guard, which consists of a network of wire
affixed to a metal frame c, c, c. d, d, are the axle boxes, which are
provided with rollers A, which rollers work in and support and guide the
guard a by taking into a slot or slide c² formed by the guard frame c.
B, B, are the small supporting wheels for carrying the guard over, the
ground if required.
The Drawing hereunto annexed is intended merely to illustrate one
mode of construction of my guard or safety apparatus and means
employed by me in connecting the same to the axle boxes, but the con-
struction of the said guard and the mode of connecting it to the car or
vehicle may be varied, as herein-before described.
O SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexis Bois in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXIS
Bois, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer, send
5 greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexis Bois, Her special
license that I, the said Alexis Bois, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexis Bois, my exccutors,
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 "AN IMPROVED Guard
OR SAFETY APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO TRAMWAY CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexis Bois, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexis Bois, do hereby declaro the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by tho
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to an improved guard or safety apparatus
applicable to tramway cars and other vehicles for the purpose of pre-
venting accidents to passengers or others who may fall or be thrown
down in the path of the said vehicles, and it consists in covering or
enclosing entirely or partially by a guard or protector the wheels of the
said vehicles and the spaco between the frames of such vehicles and tho
rails, thus preventing the possibility of persons falling or rolling under
the said cars or vehicles, and being injured by the wheels, as frequently
happens when the wheels are left unguarded.
The guard or safety apparatus with which I cover or enclose the
wheels of tramway cars or other vehicles consists of a shield of sheet
metal, or a grating of iron or other bars, or a trellis or network of wire
or other material affixed to a metal or other frame shaped for the
purpose.

page_text: It is desirable that the said guard or safety apparatus be so connected
to the vehicle that its lower edge be constantly at the same distance
from the rails, and as near the said rails as possible. I therefore mount
the said guard upon or suspend it to the axles of the wheels, or by
3 preference to the axlo boxes of the said wheels. When the said guard is
supported directly on the axles suitable bearings arranged to support
the guard rest upon the said axles. When the guard is supported by
the axle boxes each of the said axle boxes at that part where it projects
from the axle guard is provided with friction rollers either grooved or
flanged, mounted and capable of revolving on axes carried by the said
axle box, or by an arm or plate affixed thereto. The said friction rollers
are intended to hold the said guard, and to guide it in any vertical
motion which might be communicated accidentally thereto. For this
purpose I make in the guard framing vertical slides or slots, which fit
3 exactly upon the friction rollers on each axle box, allowing however a
certain amount of play or travel below the lower friction rollers.
If preferred the arrangement of the friction rollers herein-before
described may be inverted, that is to say, the slots or slides may be
formed in or on the axle boxes, and the friction rollers may be mounted
on the guard frame, or a similar effect may be obtained by means of
sliding pieces on the axle box or on the guard frame working in slides
formed in the guard frame or axle box respectively, or the said frame
may be connected to each of the axle boxes by rods adjusted as in an
ordinary link motion.
It will be readily understood that the guard frame being supported or
suspended, as herein-before described, and being adjusted so that its
lower edge is at the required distance above the rails, it will invariably
maintain its level as long as the wheels of the car are upon the rails, but
should the said wheels from any cause leave the rails the lower edge of
the guard might come in contact with the ground or pavement, and
strike against any stones or other obstructions in the way. I thereforo
mount upon the lower part of the guard framo a certain number of
small wheels projecting below the said guard to within a short distance
of the rails. The said wheels support the guard when on the ground,
and roll over any inequalities in the road. The said safety guard is
made to extend down from near the under part of the frame of the car
or vehicle to within a short distance of the rails, and all round the car
or vehicle, passing behind the steps and under the ends of the said

page_text: vehicle, or one safety guard may be made to cover or enclose the wheels
on one side of the car and another safety guard may be used to cover or
enclose the wheels on the other side of the said car, or each wheel may
be covered or enclosed separately by one of my safety guards. Apertures
closed by suitable doors may be made in different parts of my safety
guards.
Figure 1 represents by longitudinal side view a tramway car to which is
applied a guard or safety apparatus constructed according to my Invention;
Figure 1 is a detached view of part of Figure 1 drawn to an enlarged
scale, showing the mode adopted for mounting the guard or safety
apparatus, and suspending it to the axle boxes; Figure 2 is a transverse
section of Figure 1' taken through the line A, B.
A, A, is the tramway car; B, B, are the axle boxes; a, a, is the guard
or safety apparatus, which consists of a network of wire affixed to the
frame b, b. Opposite each of the axle boxes B the said frame b, b, is
formed with upright slide bars b', 6', connected together at top and
bottom, and forming together a channel 63, in which the guides or
friction rollers, herein-after described, are capable of moving up and
down. Upon the lower end of each of the axle boxes B, B, is formed or
affixed a bracket or supporting piece c, carrying the guido rollers d, d,
which are capable of rotatory motion, and serve to hold and guide the
slide bars b', b¹. To the said supporting piece c is attached one end of a
chain e, the other end of which chain is affixed to the frame 6 of the
guard a. By this means the guard a is suspended to the axle boxes B,
and its lower edge is kept constantly at the same distance from the rails.
ff, are guide rollers mounted on the frame of the car, the said guide
rollers being capable of motion up and down in the channel 6' as the car
is caused to rise and fall by the action of its bearing springs, and the said
rollers f,f, are for the purpose of holding and guiding the upper part of
the bars b¹.

page_text: g, g, are small wheels mounted on the lower part of the frame 6 for
the purpose of supporting the guard or safety apparatus a should the
wheels of the car leave the rails.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and means which
I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise arrangements of parts as shewn,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention, but I claim as my Invention of an improved guard or safety
apparatus applicable to tramway cars or other vehicles,→
".
First. Enclosing entirely or partially the wheels (collectively or
separately) and the space between the frame of such vehicles and the
rails by means of a shield of sheet metal, or a grating of bars, or a trellis,
or a network of wire or other suitable material affixed to a suitable frame
mounted on and supported by the axles or axle boxes of the said vehicle,
such frame being suitably guided and provided at its lower edge with
wheels, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings. .·
"
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of the said guard or
safety apparatus, substantially as described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexis Bois, have hereunto set
.
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
ALEXIS BOIS. (L.S.)