Improvements in Apparatus for Replacing Railway Rolling Stock upon the Rails.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Replacing Railway Rolling Stock
upon the Rails.
A communication by HENRY Gustavus Hanson, of Trevor, in the County of
Kenosha and State of Wisconsin, United States of America, Blacksmith.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention has for its object a device by the aid of which railway cars that
have been derailed may be replaced on the track.
The improved car replacer can readily be attached temporarily to a railway rail
at any point, being so constructed as to automatically lock itself to the rail when
adjusted thereto without extrinsic means for securing it thereon. It is capable of
being attached to either rail of the track, and is thereby adapted to replace a car
that has been derailed either to right or left. It is also adapted to replace a car
being pulled in either direction as most convenient.
In the accompanying drawing :-
Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the device in connection with a fragment of a
railway rail.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same device and fragment of railway rail.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are an elevation, a top plan view, and an end view respectively
of a modified form of the device, in connection with a fragment of a railway rail on
which it is placed.
In the drawings—
A, is a fragment of a rail of a form in common use, forming a portion of a railway
track B, a clamp or cap adapted to be placed on and thereby automatically
secured to the rail A. The under surface of the top of the cap is adapted to rest
on the top surface of the tread G of the rail. One side C of the cap depends
therefrom a sufficient distance to reach and bear against the base D of the rail
and is preferably provided with an inwardly projecting flange E at its lower edge
on the inner side which also conforms to and bears against the base D and against
the web F of the rail. This construction of the side C and flange E forms a bearing
for the cap and a direct support for the end of the bridge H hereinafter to be
described. The other side I of the cap depends therefrom sufficiently far to
overlap and engage the side of the tread of the rail, when the cap is placed in
position thereon, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. A space is thus left between
the lower edge of the side I and the flange E sufficient to permit of the passage of
the tread G between these parts for placing the cap on the rail or removing it
therefrom. When the cap is in position on the rail, the tread G substantially fills
the space between the sides C and I, thereby preventing lateral movement of the
cap on the rail, and the bearing of the side C and flange E on the base of the rail
and against its web prevents the tilting of the cap thereon.
On the top surface of the cap and integral therewith are two short fender
tracks K K raised above the surface of the cap, which tracks are duplicates, the
one of the other, though reversely arranged and at a little distance apart leaving
centrally a short space between them. These fender tracks are highest at their
inner adjacent ends and incline downwardly toward their outer ends which outer

page_text: ends project somewhat beyond the ends of the cap and are adapted to rest on the
tread of the rail. The edges L of these fender tracks are arranged obliquely to
the tread of the rail their inner ends being respectively adapted to catch the flange
of a car wheel as it comes from the bridge and guide the wheel across the rail to
the inner edge thereof against which the flange of the wheel is adapted to bear as
it travels on the track in the usual manner. The edges L at their outer ends
substantially register with the inner edge of the tread of the rail. The sides of the
tracks K are bevelled outwardly downwardly at M M from their inner ends and
towards their outer ends, to reinforce the tracks on the cap, but in such manner
that the projecting or foot portions of the tracks will not interfere with the flanges
of car wheels travelling thereon. That portion of the track K which projects
beyond the cap longitudinally above the tread of the rail is adapted to carry a car
wheel off from the replacer to the rail at such height above the end of the cap that
the flange of the wheel will not contact with the cap itself.
The bridge H is pivoted at its inner end on the cap B by a pin N set in the cap
conveniently in a boss or enlarged portion thereof O. A cone bearing-ring P about
the pin N is preferably used, which rests on the surface of the cap and is received
in the bridge which is fitted thereon. This bearing rim tends to strengthen the
pin at a point where great strain comes on it. The free outer end of this bridge is
intended and adapted to rest on a tie or the road-bed and may be swung horizontally
so as to arrange it at any angle to the railway rail and in either direction with
reference to the line of the track. The inner end of the bridge is so located and
pivoted on the cap that the bridge is adapted to carry a car wheel up its incline
from alongside the rail and even at a considerable distance therefrom and deliver
the wheel to one or the other of the fender tracks K as will be seen by the arrange-
ment shown in Figure 1. The inner end of the bridge is of substantially the same
height as the inner end of the complementary track K towards which the bridge
is directed and to which it is to deliver the car wheel, so that the wheel will pass
easily from the bridge to the fender track and thence to the railway rail. In this
form of device shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 in which there are two fender tracks K
running in opposite directions and in which the bridge is adapted to be arranged
and used in either direction, the bridge at R opposite the idle or temporarily
unused track K is elevated sufficiently to carry the flange of the car wheel running
thereon over this unused fender track. This construction is clearly shown in
Figure 2.
It will be understood that these car replacers are to be used in pairs as, both
wheels on the same axle of a derailed car must be run on to their respective rails
at the same time.
The modified form of car replacer shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 is adapted for
replacing a car on the track only when moved in one direction, which direction
would be toward the left with reference to the device shown in Figure 5. The
bridge in this device is not arranged so that it can be reversed to receive the wheel
of a car coming toward it from the opposite direction or moving toward the right
with reference to Figure 5. This form of replacer is somewhat more simple than
the other form and is entirely satisfactory in use where a derailed car can be
conveniently moved in the direction necessary to be engaged and carried on to the
track by this device. In other situations the device shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3
will be found more convenient.
This form of device shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 differs from the device shown
in Figures 1 2 and 3 in that there is but one fender track K'; that the bridge has
no elevation corresponding to the elevation R in the other form of device; that
the side of the fender track K¹ is not cut away to permit the bridge H' to swing
around to receive the wheels of a car moving in the other direction and that the
bearing ring P is omitted. In other respects this device including cap B' the
sides C and I' and the flange E' and the track K', pin N¹ and bridge H' correspond
substantially with the device shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Çalks S Š on the free end of the bridge may be used and are serviceable and

page_text: desirable in cases where the free end of the bridge can rest on a tie T or on a
timber of a trestle or bridge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a car replacer, the combination with a clamp formed to rest on the top of
the rail, to embrace both sides of the tread and at one side to rest on the base of
the rail, and an inclined fender track rigid on the clamp, the outer end of which
fender track is arranged to rest on and register with the rail, the fender track
extending from said end obliquely over the rail, of an inclined bridge resting and
pivoted at one end on the clamp so as to register with the inner or higher end of
the fender track, being thereby adapted to deliver the wheel of a moving car to
the fender track to be carried thereby across and down on to the rail, as set
forth.
2. In a car replacer, a clamp or cap consisting of a top part adapted to rest on
the rail and depending sides passing over and embracing the edges of the tread
of the rail substantially throughout the entire length of the top part, an inclined
oblique fender track rigid on the clamp adapted to carry a car wheel over and
across the rail on which it is placed, which fender track at its outer end registers
with the rail and extends longitudinally beyond the top part of the clamp at a
height above the top part at the end thereof sufficient to carry the flange of the
wheel travelling thereon over the top of the clamp, aud an inclined bridge resting
and pivoted at one end on the clamp in such manner as to register with the inner
or higher end of the fender track, substantially as described.
3. A car replacer, comprising a clamp having depending sides arranged to
embrace a railway rail, reversely arranged oblique fender tracks, raised on the top
of the clamp, and a bridge pivoted at one end on the cap in such manner as to
register with one or the other of the fender tracks and capable of being swung
either to right or left to receive and carry the wheel of a car moved in either
direction, to the registering fender track, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of May 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.