IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING OR SHUNTING RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of" IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING OR SHUNTING
RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER VEHICLES."-A com-
munication from abroad by William Frederick Heshuysen, of
Amsterdam, Holland.
caled the 20th July 1875, and dated the 12th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 12th March 1875.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son,
Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PROPELLING OR SHUNTING RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER
VEHICLES,"
," "a communication to me from abroad by William Frederick
Heshuysen, of Amsterdam, Holland," to be as follows:-
The chinnt of thin Invention in to facilitate the wall:

page_text: of railway rolling stock at stations or other places by manual labor. I
accomplish this by means of a lever hung on or supported by the axle of
the wheel of the carriage or vehicle to be propelled by means of a rod.
One end of said rod is bent in a half circle to fit the periphery of the
axle, and the other end is attached to the end of the lever by a joint,
which joint forms the fulcrum or centre of motion of the lever, the
fulcrum being situated intermediate between the axle and the periphery
of the wheel, so that the wheel rotates and the lever moves vertically
upon different centres. The lever when in action is placed in position
close to the flange side of the wheel, and has a cross bar or lug fixed to
it laterally, extending about three inches on either side, and at such a
distance from the fulcrum that when the lever and the rod connecting it
with the axle are in one horizontal straight line level with the axle, tho
cross bar or lug is distant about one inch from the periphery of tho
wheel in the direction of its radius. Upon lowering the lever an obtuse
angle is formed by the lever and the rod; the distance between the cross
bar or lug and the periphery of the wheel is consequently lessened, and
the cross bar or lug is pressed against the flange of the wheel at any
desired point, and becomes fixed. Upon raising the lever the wheel is
caused to revolve in the same direction, and thereby the carriage or truck
is propelled.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent 25
Office on the 10th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special

page_text: licenco that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, admi.
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas
Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PPOPELLING OR SHUNTING RAILWAY
ROLLING STOCK, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER VEHICLES," a communication to me
from abroad by William Frederick Heshuysen, of Amsterdam, Holland,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas
Hughes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describo and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Figures
on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the letters of reference
marked thereon (that is to say) :—
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the propelling or shunting
by manual labor of railway rolling stock, gun carriages, and other
vehicles by means of a two-armed lever, one arm being hung or sup-
ported by the axle of the wheel of the carriage or vehicle to be propelled,
the end of this arm being bent semicircular to fit the periphery of the
axle, and the other end attached to the end of the other arm by a joint.
forming the fulcrum or centre of motion, the fulcrum being situated
intermediate between the axle and the periphery of the wheel, so that
when the lever is radiated up and down the lever and wheel rotate on
different centres.

page_text: saddle.
133
Fig. 6, a side view of the apparatus applied to a wheel and axle of a
railway carriage in position for action, the direction of motion being
indicated by the arrow.
Fig. 7 a side, and Fig. 8 a plan of a modified apparatus to bo
applied to an ordinary vehicle or gun carriage; Fig. 9, an end view at
the line marked L, Fig. 7; and Fig. 10, a cross section of the lever and
saddle at the line M, N.
I employ a lever A, B, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 6, of wood or other suitable
material, strengthened at the end A by means of two iron sides plates C, C,
of the same depth as the lever A, B, which side plates are fastened to
the lever by rivets D, D, D, passing transversely through the side plates
and the lever. I further hold the side plates C, C, to the lever A, B, by
an iron hoop or band E, which clasps the lever and side plates.
The iron side plates C, C, extend for a short distance beyond the
end A of the lever A, B, the portion so extending being shaped to the
form shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. Each side plate has a projection F cast,
welded, or rivetted to the inside of the plate in the position and of the
sectional form shewn in Fig. 2, which projection forms a scat or bearing
for the end A of the lever, and through the two ends of the side plates C, C,
holes are punched or bored for the insertion of the trunnions of a joint
or swivel G inserted between the two side plates C, C, the trunnions of
the swivel passing through the two holes in the ends of the side plates,
so that the swivel can turn freely round, the trunnions acting as trans-
verse centres, and through the longitudinal centre of the swivel G is cast
or bored a hole in a direction at right angles to its axis for the insertion.
of the iron arm K.
At some distance from the centre of the trunnions of the swivel G in
the direction A to B a cast-iron saddle H is seated on the lever A, B,
which saddle is in cross section of the form of the letter H, and when
fixed to the lever A, B, the upper part forms two checks, and the lower
part spans and clasps the lever. Two lugs J, J, are cast on to cach side
of the saddle, projecting from the side of the lever, and so as to fit loosely
the flange of the wheel of the carriage to be propelled.

page_text: The saddle and lugs are fixed to the lever by a bolt or rivet, which
passes transversely through the centre of the two lugs and the lever.
The iron arm K, which is of a length to suit the dimensions of the
wheel of the carriage to be propelled, is inserted through a hole in the
5 swivel G, one end of the arm being curved so as to form a hook to fit
the axle of the carriage to be propelled, the other end having a screw
thread and nut so as to adjust the length of the arm to suit the various
diameters of the wheels of the carriages to be propelled. The arm and
hook K, by passing through the swivel G, and being held to it by the
screw nut, becomes attached to the lever A, B, the trunnions of the
swivel G forming the axes of motion, so that the arm K can move round
them as a centre, thereby enabling the lever A, B, and the arm K to
take a position at any required angle.
When required to be applied to propel a railway carriage or truck tho
5. apparatus is hung on to the axle of the carriage to be propelled close to
the inside of the wheel by means of the iron arm and hook K, and placed
in the position shewn in Fig. 1, so that the lever and arm are parallel
with each other. The length of the arm is then adjusted by the screw
and nut, so that the side lug in front of the flange of the wheel is about
one inch distant from the rim of the flange of the wheel in the direction
of the radius of the wheel.
When the end A of the lever A, B, is allowed to drop, and with it the
arm K, as shewn in Fig. 6, the distance between the side lug and the
periphery of the wheel is consequently lessened, and the side lug in front
of the flange comes into contact with the rim of the flange. Upon
raising the lever A, B, at the end B the side lug is pressed against the
rim of the flange of the wheel in proportion to the force applied, and
becomes fixed, and upon continuing to raise the lever the wheel is caused
to revolve in the same direction, and by that means the carriage is
propelled.
"The arrangement of apparatus as above described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 is preferred, but it is not necessary that the
swivel G should be inserted and attached direct to the side plates C, C,
nor is it necessary that a screw and nut should be on one end of the iron
arm K, as that is for the object of adjusting the length of the arm to suit
different diameters of wheels, but the swivel G may be inserted between
two separate pieces rivetted to the side plates, nor is it necessary in all

page_text: cases to strengthen the lever A, B, by means of iron side plates, nor
that the respective positions vertically of the centre of the trunnions of
the swivel G and the centre of the side lugs should be always the same,
but the apparatus may be constructed as shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10,
where it is shewn applied to an ordinary vehicle or an artillery gun
carriage.
For the working of the apparatus it is however essential that the arm
and hook should be of such a length that when the lever is attached to
the axle of the carriage to be propelled the centre of the swivel, pinion,
or bolt which forms the centre of motion of the lever and the arm should
always be intermediate between the periphery and centre of the wheel of
the carriage to be propelled.
It will be seen that the main feature of the Invention consists in the
propulsion of railway and other carriages by means of a two-armed lever
having lugs acting on or against the periphery of the wheel of the
carriage to be propelled, one end of the lever having its fulcrum or
centre of motion supported or hung on or otherwise attached to the axle
of the wheel of the carriage to be propelled, the fulcrum or centre of
motion of the lever being fixed at a point intermediate between the
periphery and axis of the wheel, whereby the lever moves vertically,
and the wheel rotates upon different centres, so that by raising or
lowering the lever at the other end any point or lateral projection on the
lever outside the periphery of the wheel which is at a less distance from
tho fulcrum or centre of motion of the lever than the length of the
radius of the wheel revolves round a smaller circle than any point on
the periphery of the wheel revolves round its axis; consequently, upon
raising or lowering the lever, such lateral projection on the lever will
come into contact with the periphery of the wheel before it can complete
a quarter of a revolution, thereby causing the lever to become fixed to
the periphery of the wheel, and the fulcrum of the lever to be transferred
to the axle of the wheel, so that by continuing to raise or lower the lever
the wheel and lever will revolve round the same axis and in the same
direction, and so the carriage is propelled in the manner as described and
illustrated.

page_text: vehicles, as herein described and illustrated on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, tho said Edward Thomas Hughes, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.