Year: 1887

page_text: I, ROBERT HUDSON, of Gildersome in the County of York, Engineer and Ironfounder,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what inanner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to that part of wagons known as the underframes or sills,
which heretofore have usually been constructed of wood or metal, or a combination of
wood and metal, the wagons so made being often of a composite character and some-
what costly, and more especially if the sills were made entirely of metal and the ends
of which were of separate pieces of metal rivetted thereto.
Now my present invention has for object the construction of a wagon sill of one
piece of plate metal, such as wrought iron, steel or other suitable material in such
manner that no separate pieces are necessary to form the ends or other parts of the sill.
By the use of such sills the wagons are more durable besides being producible at
less cost.
In order to produce a metallic sill or part of the underframe of a wagon such
as above referred to, I take a plate of wrought iron, steel or other metal which
1 cut to a shape suitable to form the required sill or part, of box form with one open
side, the ends of which may either be solid or of split form.
This plate is then (preferably after being heated,) subjected to a pressing or
stamping operation by male and female dies having the same configuration as the
required sill. These sills are secured to the body of the wagon preferably with the
open side outwards, the bearings for the axles being fixed to the underside thereof,
and near to the outer edges. The sills, especially when made with split ends
serve as an elastic medium between the axles and the body of the wagon, which
conduces to the durability of the structure and also to the road upon which it runs.

page_text: These improved sills made as above referred to, of one piece of metal are capable
of being produced at much less cost than metallic sills built up in parts in the
ordinary way.
In the annexed drawings, Fig. 1, is an end elevation of a metallic wagon
having a circular or curvilinear bottom shewing the improved sills attached thereto,
as made according to my invention. Fig. 2, is a side elevation shewing the open side
of a sill. Fig. 3. shews a wagon in end elevation, having a flat botttom, with the
improved metallic sills fixed thereto. a, is the wagon body in all the views, b. b¹, the
improved metallic sills. b, shews a sill with solid ends, and 6', a sill with split ends,
both kinds being formed by the same male and female dies of a configuration suitable
to the sill to be produced. In the case of a sill with split ends a portion of the plate
is cut away at each end previous to pressing or stamping. c, are the axle bearings
fixed to the said sills. If desired the sills can be fixed to the wagon body as shewn
in Fig. 4, or Fig. 5, but in these cases there would be little or no elasticity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
In metallic or other wagons the use of metallic underframes or sills, of gutter or
box form made from one piece of metal in such-wise that no loose pieces are needed
for forming the ends of same; these ends can either be split or solid, and one side
thereof being open, the whole being formed by suitable male and female dies under
pressure or by stamping, the said sills being attached to the body of a wagon and to
which are fixed the bearings of the axles in such-wise that the said sills or underframes
serve as an elastic medium between the axles and the wagon body, substantially as
described and shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 25th day of May 1887.
Witness,
THOS. E. CRAVEN, C.E.,
Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
24, Victoria Chambers, Leeds.
ROBT. HUDSON.