of Snow, Dirt, Dust, and other Analogous Substances.
Year: 1884

page_text: of Snow, Dirt, Dust, and other Analogous Substances.
We, JOSEPH TOWNSEND, Engineer, and ELI TOWNSEND, Paper Finisher, both of
17 Brook Terrace, Duckworth Street, Darwen in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of our Invention for." IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR AUTOMATICALLY CLEARING TRAMRAILS OF SNOW, DIRT, DUST, AND OTHER
ANALOGOUS SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:-
This invention relates principally to apparatus for automatically clearing or
removing snow, dirt, dust, and other analogous substances from tram-rails or lines,
and consists in placing on the front of a tram engine, car, or other vehicle employed
on tramways, suitable metallic fixings immediately over the tramrails or otherwise
and in front of the leading wheels. To the outer ends of these fixings are secured,
by convenient means, slotted fixings or tool boxes, in which are mounted suitable
fixings or bangers for the purpose of carrying metallic pokers or scrapers slightly
bent on the ends to dib into the slot or groove in the tramrail, which, by the
forward motion given by the engine or vehicle, pushes or forces the aforesaid sub-
stances on each side or otherwise of the said rails. In case the grooves in the rails
are uneven it will be found necessary that the pokers or scrapers must have a
yielding or lifting motion, which is accomplished by providing the pokers or
scrapers with adjustable washers and springs or other equivalents, by which they
will be kept well to their work, at the same time yielding when required. To
prevent accidents with the pokers or scrapers when crossing or passing points, the
former are provided with adjustable means laterally.
In the case of clearing snow from tramrails, it' is necessary to remove it to a
convenient distance from the rails, which is performed by fixing to the underside
of the metallic fixings and immediately behind the pokers or scrapers, suitable
angular metallic blades or ploughs, behind which are fixed suitable brushes with
steel wire bristles or other equivalents for the purpose of thoroughly cleaning or
sweeping them after the snow or other refuse has been removed.
In another modification we employ circular conical or other revolving brushes,
mounted on adjustable centres or studs in pivotted levers or fixings, the latter being
regulated by hand with wheels and screwed spindles or other equivalents, which
allows the brushes to be lowered as they wear, or raised when not required for the

page_text: purpose designed; the same being driven by frictional or other gearing as desired
from any convenient point.
In case of frost sometimes ice is formed in the grooves of the tramrails, to
remove this we provide the pokers or scrapers with slots to receive angular or other
knives, which operate and cut the ice, being pushed out by the said pokers or
scrapers, the latter being behind the angular or other ice knives.
The pokers or scrapers may be fixed permanently and mounted so that when not
required they can be lifted out of gear by suitable rods and levers operated by the
driver of the tram-engine or other vehicle.
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent for the Applicants.
5
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Clearing Tramrails
of Snow, Dirt, Dust, and other Analogous Substances.
"
We, JOSEPH TOWNSEND, Engineer, and ELI TOWNSEND, paper Finisher, late of
17 Brook Terrace, Duckworth Street, and now of 97 Hindle Street, both of
Darwen in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of our Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CLEARING TRAMRAILS
OF SNOW, DIRT, DUST, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS SUBSTANCES," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :—
t
i
This invention relates principally to apparatus for automatically clearing or
removing snow, dirt, dust, and other analogous substances from tramrails and
consists in placing on the front of a tram-engine, car, or other vehicle employed on
tramways suitable metallic fixings immediately over the tramrails or otherwise,
and in front of the leading wheels. To the outer ends of these fixings are secured,
by convenient means, slotted fixings or tool boxes in which are mounted suitable
metallic pokers or scrapers slightly bent on the bottom end to dib into the slot or
groove in the tramrail, which by the forward motion given by the engine, or
vehicle, pushes or forces the aforesaid substances on each side or otherwise of the
said rails.
In order that our said Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 is a vertical side elevation of our improvements attached to a tramcar, and
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the car removed.
A are metallic fixings secured to the tram engine, car, or other vehicle B
immediately over the tram rails C or otherwise and in front of the leading
wheels D. To the outer ends of the fixings A are secured by the pins or centres E

page_text: the slotted fixings or tool boxes F in which are mounted the adjustable screwed
fixings or bushes G carrying the metallic pokers or scrapers H, which are bent
slightly on the bottom end to dib into the slot or groove in the tramrails which by
the forward motion given by the engine, car, or vehicle B pushes or forces "the
aforesaid substances on each side or otherwise of the said rails. In case the grooves
in the rails are uneven or the pokers or scrapers H come in contact with a fixed
obstruction they cannot remove they are provided with a yielding or lifting motion
which is accomplished by providing them with the adjustable washers I. and
springs J which allows them to rise and pass over it, otherwise they keep them well
to their work yielding only when required.
When clearing snow from the tramrails C it is necessary to remove it to a.con-
venient distance from the same which is performed by fixing to the underside of
the fixings A the angular blades or ploughs K, behind which are fixed the flat
brushes L provided with wire or other bristles for the purpose of thoroughly
cleaning or sweeping the rails C after the snow or other refuse has been removed by
the scrapers H and ploughs K.
In the case of heavy snow falls it may be found necessary to place a larger plough
in front of the scrapers H which is shewn in dotted lines in Figs. 1. and 2 and
lettered M. This plough extends the full width across both lines and is attached
to the front side of the tool boxes F, being operated up or down by the chain N
by the driver at will; the chain being attached to the crossbar O.
Fig. 3 is another modification of our invention wherein the whole of the
apparatus can be permanently fixed to a tram engine, car, or other vehicle and put
in or out of operation at will by simply turning the screw P by the hand wheel R.
The fixing A is attached to the car or vehicle in any convenient way and provided
with the slide bars S in which the sliding fixing F carrying the poker H, plough K,
and brush L works up and down by operating the screw P, the same being locked
into position by the nuts T and T. In case it is necessary to operate the brush
alone it can be done by simply lowering it by means of the screws U, which also
allows of adjustment as the brush L.wears. The brushes L can be made in a
variety of ways as shewn, being circular as in Figs. 3 and 4, or conical as in Figs. 5
and 6, and are mounted on the adjustable centres V which allows them to revolve;
or if desired they can be driven from one of the axles of the car or vehicle by
disposing the pullies a and b connected by the driving chain c as shewn in Fig. 4,
or by any other well known device. The conical brushes L shewn in Figs. 5 and 6
are mounted on the levers W pivotted to the fixing A by the pin or centro ✗; the
opposite end of the lever being slotted and provided with the screwed nut d and
sliding arms e. This nut is operated with the lever by the screwed spindle P and
hand wheel R which allows the brushes to be lowered as they wear, or raised
when not required.
To prevent accidents with the pokers or scrapers H when crossing or passing
points they are provided with adjustable means laterally as shewn in Figs. 5 and 7.
The tool box F is provided with the bolt f which passes through the slot g in the
pokers or scrapers H, each side of the latter being operated by the spiral springs h,
which allow the pokers to yield laterally as required.
The pokers or scrapers H may be fixed permanently and mounted as in Figs. 1
and 5, so that when not required they can be lifted by the driver as in the case of
the snow plough M, in which case the chain N is fixed or attached to the bottom
end of the tool boxes F.
For the purpose of clearing ice from the grooves of the tramrails the pokers or
scrapers H are provided with the angular or other knives Z shewn in Fig. 8,
which cuts and breaks the ice, after which it is pushed out by the pokers or
Bcrapers H.
We would have it understood that we not confine ourselves to the combinations
and arrangements shewn on the drawings, as the brushes or other parts may be
employed in any of the modifications by making the necessary alterations without
departing from the principle of this invention.
1

page_text: 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. The apparatus for removing snow, dirt, dust, and other analogous substances
from the rails of tramways, consisting of the swivelling tool boxes, adjustable
yielding pokers or scrapers, ploughs, and brushes, substantially as described and
shewn on the drawings in Figs. 1 and 2.
2. The combination and arrangement of apparatus for removing snow, dirt, dust,
and other matter from tramrails substantially as described and shewn on the
drawings in Figs. 3 and 4.
3. The use of the revolving brush L with the means of adjustment, driven or
otherwise, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4.
4. The use of the conical brushes L with the means of adjustment as shewn in.
Figs. 5 and 6.
5. The use and construction of the pokers H, tool boxes F, and the means for
vertical and lateral adjustment as shewn in Figs. 5 and 7.
6. The use of the ice knifes Z in combination with the pokers or scrapers Has
shewn in Fig. 8.