Improvements in Guards or Fenders for Tramway Vehicles and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by GEORGE HIPWOOD, of 855 East Fifth Street, Wood
Carver, JOHN WILLIAM BARRETT of 61 Cross Street Merchant and STEPHEN
PORTER of 384 Atlantic Avenue Novelty Manufacturer all of Boston in the
County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts United States of America.]
Improvements in Guards or Fenders for Tramway Vehicles and
the like.
I. HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a car fender adapted particularly for use on street cars
propelled by electricity, cable or other power, and it consists in the novel con-
struction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth in detail, and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved fender applied to a car, a portion of
the dash-board being represented as broken out.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with a portion of one of the shoes represented
as broken out.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation with a portion broken out to illustrate the invention.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in longitudinal vertical section.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the pad adapted to be pressed by the knee
of the motor-man.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged front elevation of the back stop.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In all the figures, the fender is shown in full lines in its ordinary position,
i.e, with its front edge slightly raised above the ground.
A represents the side bars, A¹ the front bar, and A" the rear bar of a rectangular
frame supported by and sliding horizontally in the hangers a provided with suitable
anti-friction rollers a², said hangers being supported by and depending from the
under side of the car body 1. Tilting on the front bar of this sliding frame is a
rectangular frame consisting of the front bar B, rear bar B¹ and end bar Bч. The
front and rear bars are double, i.e., composed each of two parallel bars, one above
the other, and the tilting frame is pivotally connected with the sliding frame by
boxes b. Mounted loosely in the tilting frame between suitable vertically set
rollers & situated between the pairs of bars B and B is a series of parallel rods C.
These rods extend from one pair of bars B to the other B¹ and are arranged in pairs,
each being connected, (and hence being practically one bent rod) at C¹ (Fig. 2).
At the rear, each pair is connected by a bar C", see Fig. 4. Each rod has disposed
upon it a spiral spring D which is normally closed or contracted as shown and is
fastened at its opposite ends to the rods C and the bar B.

page_text: The forward portions C¹ of the rods C constitute bearings for the horizontal rods
or pivots E (Figs. 2 and 4) whose ends are supported in lugs E' secured to the
flanges or side walls F1 of the tilting shoes F. Springs e are disposed around the
pivots E as shown, and their rear ends e¹ bear against the under sides of the heels
of the shoes F, while their forward central portions el lie under the portions C₁ of
the rod C. Stops F" extend from the portions C¹ of the rods C up against the under
surface of the shoes in front of the pivots. Each shoe has two rollers H and H.
The former is the principal roller, and that which, when the shoe is depressed,
touches the ground. The roller H is a supplemental one and is much smaller
in diameter. Moreover, its axis is set higher than is that of the roller H, and when
the roller is on the ground, the roller H is slightly above it. The result is that
the smaller roller H¹ acts as a guard for the larger and receives the first impact of
an obstacle, passing easily over it, and, as its periphery extends down further than
the axis of the roller II, prevents the latter from receiving the blow of the obstacle
centrally or "full on." By this means the impact is distributed and the larger
roller is relieved of much of the force.
When the fender strikes an obstacle the shoes F yield, and together with the
bars C, move back horizontally, opening the springs D. The heels of the shoes
may be tipped down by a falling object against the power of the springs e¹ and
returned into position by the said springs when the weight is removed. The
stops prevent the toes of the shoes from being tipped down.
In order to prevent the fender from being pushed back under the car by meeting
with an obstruction, a back-stop I extends down from the vertical portion J¹ of the
bracket J secured to the brake beam C on the car. This back-stop is pivoted at h
to the part J¹, and a spring h¹ (Fig. 7) secured to the part J bears against the flat
upper end of the back-stop and holds it normally in a vertical position. When in
this position, it extends down, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and a hook I' on its lower
end engages a vertically extending hook I secured to the rear bar B₁ of the tilting
frame. Thus the fender cannot be pushed back by an obstruction, and moreover,
the rear edge of the tilting frame cannot be pushed down. When the fender is to
be slid back, it is disengaged by simply swinging up the back-stop I, its upper
corners forcing back the spring h¹ in the operation, into the position shown in
broken lines, Fig. 7, where it is held by pressure of the spring against its side.
It is deemed important that the dash-board 4 and bunter 5 and space between
the fender and car should be guarded, so that a person falling upon or picked up,
by the fender will not fall or be dashed against the dash-board or bunter. To this
end a swinging substantially vertical frame is provided, said frame having the lower
ends of its side arms K pivoted at k to the side arms B" of the tilting frame at the
rear of their fulcrum. The side arms K are connected at their upper ends by a
horizontal cross har K' preferably integral with said side arms, and also at two
lower points by cross bars K and K. Secured at its opposite ends at 7 to the
bar K next the end bars K, is a spiral spring N, which is provided with a canvas
covering or pocket n. This spiral spring is arranged to substantially follow the
shape of the upper portion of the frame K K¹, but projects a trifle forward there-
from as shown, while a sheet of canvas or woven wire or other similar flexible
substance L extends from said spring down nearly or quite to the tilting frame
behind the bar K", said canvas being secured at its edges below the pivotal points
to the ends bars K. By this means the lower portion of the dash-board, bunter.
and the space between the car body and the fender, are guarded. A series of
springs P extend from the cross bar K" (Fig. 4) up around the spring n, and
down in front to the cross bar K, to which they are riveted. These springs
are made of substantially the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 4, for two purposes:
first, to afford a good cushion for a body thrown against them, and second, in order
that when the vertical frame K K is swung down upon the fender in order that
the whole may be pushed under the car. said frame and springs will conform
overally to the shape of the fender and hence occupy as little space as possible.
The frame, bulging springs and canvas constitute an effectual guard,

page_text: and one against which a person may be hurled quite violently without being
injured.
The normal position of the fender and vertical guard are as shown in the drawings,
that is, with the rollers H of the shoes raised a little from the ground. In this
position, the fender would, in the vast majority of cases, effectually and harmlessly
pick up an obstacle. It is intended however that in case of accident, the motor-man
shall drop the fender so that the rollers H will be in contact with the ground. The
bar K of the vertical frame or bunter guard, is provided with a bail m to which
is secured a stirrup m', adjustable as to length, said stirrup being held by the jaws r
of a grappler which is pivoted to a bracket S secured to the inner side of the
dash-board 4 by a suitable opening being made in the dash-board
so that the jaws can project through, as shown in Fig. 4. The arms r
of the grapple extend between cross-pins V extending horizontally from one to the
other of the two parts V constituting the acuating lever, which is pivoted at Vi
(Fig. 1) to the bracket S. These two portions V constituting the lever extend up
on opposite sides of a bolt W' which has flattened surfaces made in its head to fit
said portions V, and which screws into the knee-pad W. By this means, the knee-
pad can be screwed on to the bolt against the lever, (which holds the head of the
bolt from turning, Fig. 6) and, by slightly loosening it, it can be adjusted as to
height in said lever. The lever is held normally in the positions shown in Figs. 1
and 4 by a spring W which connects it with the dash-board. A hook is secured
to the outer side of the dash-board and extends up through the stirrups m'.
In case of an impending accident, the motor-man presses the knee-pad W, thus
moving out the lower portion of the lever V causing its cross pins V₁ to draw the
arms of the grapple toward each other, thus releasing the stirrups ml and causing
its upper end ml to catch upon the hook y. This causes the whole device, including
the shoes, tilting fender frame, and vertical frame or bunter guard, to drop from
the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to that shown in broken lines in Fig. 4.
In this position, the roller H is on the ground.
A pair of supporting bars X extend from the rod K' down to the double rear
har B of the lifting frame and, by means of the curvature X1 (Fig. 5) support it
rigidly and prevent it from dropping.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a fender, the dash-board and bunter guard, comprising the frame K K¹
extending up from the fender, the forwardly extending spring guard N and a
series of springs P extending from said spring guard down to said frame, substan-
tially as described.
2. In a fender, a horizontal sliding fender-frame and a vertically swinging
bunter guard extending up from said fender-frame and adapted to be swung upon
the fender-frame, said fender-frame and bunter guard being adapted when the
latter is swung down to be slid horizontally under the car together, substantially
as set forth.
3. In a fender, the frame K K provided with the cross bars K" K¹", the spring
frame N, and the springs Peach having one end secured to the upper cross bar K",
extending over the spring frame, and down to the lower bar K11 to which its
opposite end is secured, substantially as set forth.
4. In a fender, the combination of the tilting frame B B B", the vertical
guard K K pivotally connected with said frame, and the rods or bars X extending
from the upper bar of the frame K down between the two bars B' constituting the
rear bar of the tilting frame, said rod having its lower end curved as shown,
substantially as described.
5. In a fender, the combination of the vertical dash-board or bunter guard, the
hook Y on the dash-board, adjustable stirrup m', and a grapple extending through
the dash-board and engaging said stirrup, substantially as set forth.

page_text: C. The actuating lever consisting of the two parallel parts V, the bolt W
embraced by said parts, and the knee-pad W into which the bolt is screwed, whereby,
said pad is rendered adjustable as to height, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of April 1897
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.