Improved Devices for Supporting the Tarpaulins or Coverings of Railway Wagons or Trucks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Devices for Supporting the Tarpaulins or Coverings of
Railway Wagons or Trucks.
I, JAMES HENDERSON, of Cambusbarron, Stirlingshire, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises new or improved devices or
appliances for supporting the tarpaulins or coverings of railway wagons or trucks
to protect the goods, and which will be more simple and efficient than the appliances
heretofore in use for this purpose especially for enabling low tarpaulins to be
used.
According to one arrangement, my new or improved devices consist of two
vertical end standards or supports, either straight or kneed at their middle part,
carrying a horizontal longitudinal bar or rail at their top ends, over which the
tarpaulin would be spread, and having their lower ends formed with a slot or
groove, through which passes a stationary horizontal plate secured at its ends to
the framing a short distance out from the ends of the wagon or truck. In their
vertical or upright central positions for supporting the tarpaulin over the centre of
the wagon, the end standards would rest in a groove on the top of the stationary
plates within the slots, and be held in position by hinged or folding over forked
clasp plates or stationary guide plates screwed to the upper part of the ends of the
wagon; and when the tarpaulin supports are not required for use the upper central
retaining plates can be folded up and over on the end frame of the wagon, and the
end standards be folded over on the sides of the wagon with the longitudinal rail,
and be held in any desired angled position by the lower part of their slots or a pin
in same engaging in fixed slits formed in the under edge of the stationary plates on
the ends of the wagon, the sides or edges of the standards at the slotted part being
preferably of flat or.half round shape.
Under another arrangement of my improvements, the end vertical standards
would be formed of a bent or kneed shape at the part where they engaged with the
central upright retaining plates, which would preferably be stationary and of a
buckled or kneed up form, with the horizontal or knee parts of the standards resting
in the forks or grooves of these upright retaining plates. The lower end of
each of the vertical standards would be formed with a bent up or slotted eye
to work on a guiding bar or plate secured by its ends to each end frame of
the wagon. This bar or plate would be formed of a kneed or angled shape
downwards at the centre where the standards would rest in their low upright
position supporting the tarpaulins, so as to steady the lower end of the standards,
and have knees or slots at the two upper ends of these plates. The vertical
standards would slide by their lower looped ends on this guide bar so as to
glide up and fold over on either side of the wagon when not required for use.
This guide bar might also be formed as a slotted bar with a roller or ferrule
on the lower end of the standards working into same. The end vertical standards
would preferably be formed of round, tubular or other section of malleable iron,
and the horizontal top bar or rail over which the tarpaulin is spread could be
formed in one with same, with wood on top, but would preferably be made of
wood and secured to the end standards by kneeing and flanging the upper ends
of these under it and securing them together by countersunk screws or bolts or
this could be done by flanged or other plates screwed or bolted to same.
Instead of making the end standards short as described in these arrangements,
to slide laterally on the lower guide bar, to be able to fold over the tarpaulin

page_text: ridge bar to either side of the wagon, they might be made longer and with a
long slot at the lower end sufficient to slide vertically on a steadying centre
pin, to different heights and also fold over when lifted with their bar out of the
upper bearing plates, to allow the tarpaulin ridge bar to be turned over and
rest on either upper side edge of the wagon. For giving different heights of
the ridge bar the upper centre resting plates might be made to shift to different
heights on the ends of the wagon or have pin holes in them for retaining the
standards and ridge bar at any desired height the tarpaulin ridge was desired over
the goods, and in some cases these retaining plates would be made in the form of
segmental or angled gable bars, as a continuation of the upper centre retaining
plates mounted high above the ends of the wagon in the form of gable plates or
bars, so that the standards and bars would glide on these to either side of the wagon
and be retained there; and when made in this form instead of being jointed in the
centre to fold down, might be jointed at their lower outer ends each to fold down at
the ends of the wagon outside the said standards. Or in this case the standards
might be dispensed with, and the ends of the longitudinal tarpaulin ridge bar be
mounted by swivel eyes direct on the gable to glide from the centre retaining recess
to either side to rest on the upper edges of the wagon, leaving the retaining bars to
fold down at the ends of the wagon.
Dated the 21st May 1890
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Devices for Supporting the Tarpaulins or Coverings of
Railway Wagons or Trucks.
I, JAMES HENDERSON, of Cambusbarron, Stirlingshire, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
:-
My invention has reference to and comprises new or improved devices or appliances
for supporting the tarpaulins or coverings of railway wagons or trucks to protect
the goods, and which will be more simple and efficient than the appliances hereto-
fore in use for this purpose, especially for enabling low tarpaulins to be used.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation partly in section and broken away; and
Figure 2 an end elevation of a railway goods wagon or truck, as fitted with one
arrangement of my improved appliances or devices for supporting the tarpaulins or
coverings.
Figure 3 represents a perspective elevation of a railway wagon or truck, as fitted
with my improved devices illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and showing the support
in its upright central position with the tarpaulin covering over part of it.
Figure 4 is a similar view of the wagon or truck to that illustrated in Figure 3,
but showing the tarpaulin support as folded over to the side of the wagon out
of use.
Figure 5 represents a side sectional elevation broken away; and Figure 6 an end
elevation of a wagon, as fitted with another arrangement of my improved devices for
supporting the tarpaulins or coverings.
Referring first to my improved devices shown in Figures 1 to 4 of these
drawings.
According to this arrangement, my new or improved devices consist of two

page_text: vertical end standards or supports A one at each end of the wagon Z, either straight
as shown, or it might be kneed at their middle part, carrying a horizontal longi-
tudinal bar or rail A' preferably of wood screwed or bolted to them at their top
ends A over which the tarpaulin or covering T would be spread, and having their
lower ends formed with a slot or groove at A2, through which passes a stationary
horizontal plate a bolted or secured at its ends to the framing at a" a short distance
out from the ends of the wagon or truck. In their vertical or upright central
positions for supporting the tarpaulin over the centre of the wagon as shown in
Figures 1 to 3, the end standards A would rest in a groove a¹ in the centre and top
of the stationary plates a within the slots A', and he held in position by hinged or
folding over forked clasp plates A" or it might be stationary guide plates bolted or
screwed to the upper part of the ends of the wagon; and when the tarpaulin
supports A are not required for use the upper central retaining plates A" can be
folded up and over on the end frame of the wagon to the position shown in Figure 4,
and in dotted lines in Figure 1, and the end standards A be folded over on the sides
of the wagon with the longitudinal rail as in Figure 4, and be held in any desired
angled position by the lower part of their slots A or a pin A³ in same engaging in
fixed slits as formed in the under edge of the stationary plates a at a proper distance
apart for this purpose on the ends of the wagon, the sides or edges of the standards
at the slotted part A² being preferably of flat or half round shape.
Under another arrangement of my improvements shown in Figures 5 and 6, the
end vertical standards A are formed of a bent or kneed shape at the part A¹ where
they engage with the central upright retaining plates A which are preferably
stationary in this case and of a buckled or kneed up form with a central slot as
shown, with the horizontal or knee parts A' of the standards A resting in the slots
The lower end of each of the
or grooves of these upright retaining plates A".
vertical standards A is formed with a bent up or slotted eye at A² to work on a
guiding bar or plate a bolted or secured by its ends to each end frame of the wagon
at a. This bar or plate a is formed of a kneed or angled shape downwards at the
centre a¹ where the standards A would rest in their low upright position supporting
the tarpaulins as shown in these Figures 5 and 6, so as to steady the lower end of
the standards A in vertical centre line and have knees or slots a' at the two upper
or highest parts of these bars or plates a. The vertical standards A would slide by
their lower looped ends A2 on this guide bar a so as to glide up and fold over on
either side of the wagon when not required for use, as shown dotted-in in this position
in Figure 6. The end vertical standards A are preferably formed of round, tubular,
or other section of malleable iron, and the horizontal top bar or rail A' over which
the tarpaulin T is spread could be formed in one with same, with wood on top,
but would preferably be made of wood and secured to the end standards A by bolts
at Aas shown in Figures 1 to 4, or this could be done by kneeing and flanging
the upper ends of these vertical standards A under the horizontal bar A¹ and
securing them together by screws or bolts as shown in Figures 5 and 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
-
1. A device for supporting the tarpaulins or coverings of railway wagons or
trucks comprising vertical end standards supporting a horizontal tarpaulin bar at
top and formed with a slot or groove at the lower part, in combination with and
travelling on a horizontal plate or bar provided-with slits or grooves so as to slide
or travel horizontally and be held either in a central working position, or a folded
over position on or at the side of the wagon out of use, substantially as herein
described, in reference to and shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. A device for supporting the tarpaulins or coverings of railway wagons or trucks,
comprising vertical end standards formed of a bent or kneed shape for resting in a
support at their centre part, and supporting a horizontal tarpaulin bar at top, and

page_text: formed with an eye or slot at their lower part, in combination with and travelling
on a bar or plate formed of a kneed or angled shape downwards at the centre for
the standards to rest in their upright working position, and of a kneed or angled
shape upwards between the centre and ends for the slotted end of the standards to
travel and rest in when the support is folded over on or at the side of the wagon
out of use, substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in Figures 5
and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In combination with the vertical end standards of tarpaulin supports, the
construction and use of horizontal or angled plates or bars for the lower slotted
ends of the standards to travel horizontally or angularly and be retained in their
central upright, or their folded over positions, substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 5 and 6 respectively of the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated the 9th February 1891
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.