IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wiglesworth, of Ham Street, near Ashford, in the
County. of Kent, Bachelor of Medicine, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wiglesworth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th January 1877.
L
HENRY WIGLESWORTH, of Ham Street, near Ashford, in the County of Kent,
Bachelor of Medicine. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTS OF
RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
The object of the Invention is to facilitate the maintenance of the correct relation
of railway carriages when such are formed into trains. For this purpose the
opposite sides or parts of each 'end of each carriage are provided with apparatus,
each of which is formed of alternate concave and convex or such like surfaces, the
parts of which when brought together are adapted to fit together as the parts of a
hinge.
$
Generally there would be two of such apparatus to each side or part of each end
of a carriage; but this may be varied, and each of such apparatus would be formed
of a convex and of a concave surface or of surfaces corresponding with the exterior
and the interior surfaces of a part cylinder, the projection of the one portion fitting
the hollow of the other to prevent sideway motion; and I form these meeting parts
with sufficient space to admit of slight variations in the relative heights of adjoining
carriages and with the parts of the pairs working together at each side in relations,
that in the event of a wheel coming off one of the carriages facility may be given
by these apparatus for the support of such carriage by the next. By these means
whilst the respective carriages of a train will retain their freedom of movement in
turning curves the correct relation of the respective carriages will be secured, the
tendency to oscillation will be reduced to minimum and the tendency for any of
the carriages to run off the rails will be greatly lessened.

page_text: the other towards the lower end of that plate a², and the plate b¹ of the rod bis
provided, as shown, with a single projection 62 placed about the centre of the height
of its plate b¹, or so as when the parts a¹ and b¹ of two rods a and b are brought
together, as indicated by Figures 1 and 2, there may be room for vertical play of
one part with the other to compensate for variations in the levels of adjoining
carriages or for variations produced by variable action on the springs.
I would remark that I do not confine myself to the exact relative positions of
the parts a² and 62 indicated, as these may be varied, but it will be readily under-
stood that in the event of one wheel of a carriage failing from any cause, so that
one end or side of the carriage would have a tendency to drop, such tendency would
be controlled and prevented by the parts a² and 62 acting one on the other to
support such part of the carriage.
When employing two or more of these apparatus with their rods or bars a and b,
and parts connected therewith applied to each end of a carriage, I arrange the
respective bars a and b at the opposite sides of each end of a carriage so that one
bar a and its parts may always come opposite to a bar b and its parts in whichever
direction the carriage is placed upon the line of rails.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is the improvements
in the construction of parts of railway carriages by the adaptation thereto and
combination therewith of parts a³, a³, 61, 62, to facilitate the maintenance of the
correct relation of such carriages in work substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Wiglesworth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
HENRY WIGLESWORTH, M.B. (L.S.)