IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY CARS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TRAMWAY CARS." A communication from abroad by John Stephenson,
of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 21st November 1879, and dated the 30th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th May 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY CARS." [A communication from
abroad by John Stephenson, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.]
This Invention has for its object to enable tramway cars to travel more easily, by
avoiding jars when passing over defective rail joints, and also to run readily on
curves. According to this Invention, instead of bolting the hangers rigidly to the
sill or bottom side of the car, I interpose a spring or cushion of indiarubber hetween
the hangers and the sill or bottom side of the car, and attach the hanger to the car
by bolts passing through the hangers at each end, and through the spring or
cushion and sill, and through smaller indiarubber washers or cushions placed
beneath the heads of the bolts, and the nuts by which they are held, so that by this
means an elastic connection is interposed between the hangers and the car which
modifies all strains and shocks that would otherwise be transmitted from the
hangers to the car.
The cross stays which brace the hangers to the opposite side of the car body are
usually bolted rigidly to the latter, but according to the present Invention, a spring
or cushion of any suitable kind is interposed between a head on the end of the
cross stay, and a shoe or box bolted to the car body, and in which the head
works.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th November 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY CARS." A communication from
abroad by John Stephenson, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.
This Invention has for its objects to make tramway cars travel more easily by
lessening shocks or jars in passing over defective rail joints, and to facilitate running
on curves.
According to the first part of this Invention, springs or cushions of indiarubber
are interposed between the hangers or axle guards and the underside of the sill of
the car frame, and between the hangers or axle guards and the bolt nuts, and
between the top of the sill and the heads of the bolts by which the hangers or axle
guards are secured to the car sill, so that an elastic connection is interposed which
modifies and lessens the strains and shocks that are transmitted from the hangers
to the car, when the former are rigidly bolted to the latter in the usual way.
According to the second part of the Invention, the cross stays which brace to the
opposite side of the car frames, the longitudinal stays that tie the axle guards on
the same side together, are made slightly extensible or elastic in the direction of
their length, instead of being unyielding as heretofore. With this object, the end
of the cross stay is not bolted direct to the sill of the frame as usual, but terminates
in a head which is received in a box or socket bolted to the sill, and containing a
spring or cushion which is confined between the head of the rod and the end of the
socket, so as by its elasticity to allow a certain amount of elongation of the stay
rod.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents an axle guard or hanger partly in section, to show the
disposition of the indiarubber springs or cushions.
are
A is the axle guard or hanger; B, B, the bolts by which it is secured to the sill
C of the car frame; D, D, the indiarubber springs or cushions interposed between
the guard A and the sill C; E, E, similar but smaller cushions interposed between
the axle guard or hanger, and the nuts b of the bolts B.; and F, F, similar cushions
to the last, placed beneath the heads of the bolts B and the top of the sill.
metal washers between springs D and sill C, and e, f, are similar washers interposed
between the springs E, F, and the nuts and heads of the bolts respectively. The
ear of the axle guard or hanger through which the holt passes, is cast or otherwise
made of a shape to receive the cushions D'as shown, and the bolts B pass through
all with sufficient freedom to allow the elastic cushions full play. G is the ordinary
longitudinal atay rod tieing together the two axle guards on the same side of the
car.
Figure 2 represents a transverse section of the bottom framing of a car with
cross stays, having spring boxes as described. Figure 3 is a separate view of one of
the spring boxes drawn to a larger scale. C is the sill of the car frame in cross
section. H, the cross stays which are attached at one end as usual to the longitu
dinal stay rods G, between the axle guards at each side of the car. Each cross
stay H has a head h at its upper extremity which is received as shown in a cast
iron box or socket I that is firmly bolted to the underside of the sills C. K is a
coiled spring confined in box I between the heads h of rod H and the end of the
box I through which rod H passes. L, rubber washer interposed between the
socket I and sill C.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The application between a tram car axle guard or hanger, the car frame and
the fastenings by which it is secured thereto, of elastic cushions or springs, substan-
tially as and for the purpose shown and described.
2. Making the cross stays herein referred to elastically extensible, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
A. M. CLARK. (L.s.)