IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUCKS USED ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Eassie, of the City of Gloucester, Railway
Contractor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUCKS USED ON
RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 1st September 1854, and dated the 12th July 1854.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Eassie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 12th July 1854, pursuant to the 9th section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EASSIE, of the City of Gloucester, Railway Contractor, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRUCKS USED ON RAILWAYS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn declaration that I verily believe myself to be
the true and first Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Eassic, do hereby declare that
the following complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully describes
and ascertains the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the

page_text: same is to be performed [reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing
hereunto annexed], that is to say:
The nature of my Invention. consists in the prevention of the shock
occasioned by sudden starting or stoppage of railway and other trucks, which
may be connected by a draw pole or bar, for the purpose of carrying timber
and similar goods, and thereby preventing to a much greater extent than at
present the wear and tear of the same. For this purpose I employ "tubes"
or casings of india-rubber, placed vertically or otherwise at the points of
fastening of the draw bar with the framing of the trucks. A reference to the
Figures of the accompanying Drawing will show how I effect the object :-
Figure 1 is a view of the whole length of the draw bar, shewn in elevation
and partly in section at H, I, and of the framing of the trucks in vertical
section; Figure 2 is a plan of the same, shewing the bolt or pin holes; and
Figure 3, an enlarged view of a portion of the same; Figure 4 being a
vertical section, also to an enlarged scale, of one of the said pin or bolt holes,
shewing in detail the india-rubber arrangement, by which I propose to remedy
the evil of the shock. a, b, and a', b', are the fore and back cross timbers of
the trucks, through two of which, b and a', the draw bar c, c, passes. The
draw bar is perforated at certain convenient distances with oblong curvilineal
holes, which are partly protected round their circumference by the iron cover-
ing of the draw bar which projects, as shewn in the Drawing, Figure 3, where
the perforation in the timber is shown by the dotted line, and the perforation
in the iron covering is marked by a full line d, d, the guide plates, the upper
one of which is affixed by screws to the planking e, e. The draw bar is
covered with iron, as shewn at f, f, Figure 4, and the bolt or pin holes are
made of the shape shewn at 7, Figure 3, or any other convenient oblong and
curvilineal shape, for the purpose of receiving the india-rubber. Whatever the
shape adopted, the greater thickness of the body of india-rubber used will
have to be placed in the longitudinal direction of "play," as shewn in the
Drawing, Figures 3 and 1, the pressure consequent on the force of a shock
being in that direction. The section, Figure 4, shews the transverse arrange-
ment of the parts through one of the bolt or pin holes; in it c, c, is the draw
bar shewn in cross section; f, f, the upper plate of iron; ff, the under plate;
and h', h', and h², h², the side plates. This view shews the india-rubber at its
minimum thickness at i, i, as dotted at its circumference, in plan, Figure 3.
j, Figure 3, shews one of the pins or bolts by means of which the waggons or
trucks are coupled; K, K, sections of the bolsters to which the timber is
fastened. These bolts turn freely on their centres, and are guided, and the
friction consequent on the weight of the load they support prevented, by

page_text: friction rollers at each of their extremities, working in areas of circles of half
the width of the truck in iron plates affixed to the upper surface of the side
framings of the trucks. Figure 5 is half plan, shewing the position or
situation of the indian-rubber springs at X, enclosed in a box of cast iron,
wrought iron, or any other metal, to check the sudden shock at starting or
stopping, also the situation of the draw bar pin. Figure 6 is a section of the
cast-iron box with the indian-rubber spring X, enclosed in a box attached to
the truck. Figure 7 is a section and elevation of the cast-iron box and draw
bar, also shewing the draw bar as if in action, drawn out to a certain length,"
with the pius or bolts holding the same. The proportions shown in the
Drawing are those of ordinary railway trucks with a twenty-three feet draw
bar, and is given as an instance only to shew the application of my intro-
duction of india-rubber tubes or sockets, for the prevention of shocks and
wear and tear; and it is almost needless to observe that the Invention is
applicable to each and all kinds of trucks or waggons coupled by a draw bar.
This arrangement is also applicable to all cases where it is found convenient
to connect the bolsters themselves by longitudinal bars for the purpose of
forming a rigid platform, in which case my Invention can be applied also .to
the pins on which the bolsters themselves are made to turn, and indeed
becomes almost indespensable in all such cases, in consequence of the rigidity
of the system turning upon them. The mode of action is very simple. In the
first place, by this arrangement the points of attachment exert their pressure
respectively on each other, whether at starting or when stopped, on the
maximum thickness or longitudinal section of either the back or fore part of
the tube or socket through which the pin uniting the bar to the truck passes;
and consequently, whatever be the pressure, the action of the wood and iron
part of the bar, or of the iron of the bolt, is checked by the elastic resisting
medium of the thickest part of the india-rubber socket. The effect in either
case is that of a certain compression of one side fore or back of the socket,
which will be in the ratio of the amount of pressure exerted, the weight of
the load and inertion or velocity of the said load, according to the circum-
stances of starting from a state of rest or stopping from a state of motion.
By this means not only is the wear and tear of the parts supporting the load
considerably decreased, but the load itself will partake of the greater evenness
of motion of the entire mass, and be less subjected to the jerks occasioned by
sudden starts or stoppages.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the means of carry-
ing it into effect, I would observe that I lay no claim to those parts of
railway trucks mentioned in this description or illustrated in the Drawing,

page_text: for the purpose of refering to the mode in which I use india-rubber or other
clastic material for preventing or lessening the effect of sudden jerks caused
by traction or stopping of trucks used on railways; but what I do claim is,
the use of india-rubber, or other elastic material when applied as "Improve-
ments in Trucks used on Railways," in the manner and for the purpose
herein-before described.
for the purpose of refering to the mode in which I use india-rubber or other
elastic material for preventing or lessening the effect of sudden jerks caused
by traction or stopping of trucks used on railways; but what I do claim is,
the use of india-rubber, or other clastic material when applied as "Improve-
ments in Trucks used on Railways," in the manner and for the purpose
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, tho said William Eassic, have hereunto affixed
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
THO TAYNTON,
Gloucester.
WILLIAM EASSIE. (L.S.)