CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN TRUCKS OR WAGGONS FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF CATTLE AND OTHER ANIMALS BY RAILWAY, ONE OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF INVALIDS AND TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES GENERALLY
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Wilcox at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
December 1873.
I, WILLIAM WILCOX, of Bushey, in the County of Hertfordshire, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TRUCKS OR WAGGONS FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF CATTLE AND OTHER
ANIMALS BY RAILWAY, ONE OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE
TO CARRIAGES FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF INVALIDS AND TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES
GENERALLY," to be as follows:—
In the conveyance of cattle by railway in ordinary trucks or waggons
they are exposed to serious injury by being thrown bodily together
upon the starting or upon the sudden stoppage of the train%; these
concussions bruising more or less most of the animals, but severely
crushing those loaded at the ends of the waggon, the sufferings of the
animals being often further increased by reason of a deficient supply
of water, it being difficult to ensure a proper supply in waggons of
ordinary construction.

page_text: body of which will slide easily upon its frame at every "snatch" upon
the draw bar or stop upon the buffers; secondly, by making the water
supply automatic.
I propose to place slide bars upon the frame or bogie of the truck or
waggon, and to set the body of the truck upon these slide bars, so that
it is entirely carried by and will traverse easily upon them; or I may set
the body in grooves on the frame, or adopt any other equivalent device
for leaving the body free to traverse on the frame under the momentum
of a sudden shock. In the case of railway carriages for the conveyance
of invalids, or other railway carriages if found desirable, I propose
to introduce one or more sliding frames between the bogie and the body
of the carriage; and thereby divide and subdivide the momentum of
the shock until it becomes almost imperceptible to the passenger.
To obtain my automatic water supply I propose to fix a tank at each
end of the truck, these tanks communicating with each other and
having tubes and connections by which they may be placed in com-
munication with similar tanks upon other trucks. Pipes or conduits
from the tanks lead to troughs placed on either side the truck, these
pipes having hinged to them swing boards, thus suspended above and
partly in the troughs. Any one of these trucks being brought beneath
the hose from the water crane from which the locomotive has been
supplied water will be poured into one of its tanks through an opening
at the top, the water flowing from one tank to the other, and to those
of all the trucks coupled together until they are filled.
When the train begins to travel its lateral jerks will set the swing
boards in motion, and their hinges acting as taps will [permit the water
to flow into the troughs, showing the cattle where it can be obtained;
and when water has accumulated in a trough up to or a little above
the level of its swing board this latter will cease to oscillate and the
supply of water will be arrested, excepting when the swing board is
pushed by the head of the animal when drinking, which pressure will
open the hinge or tap and permit the entrance of a quantity of water
equivalent to that consumed by the animal.
My water troughs will be so placed that the foot racks may be fitted
in the most convenient position, and as each truck will be complete
within itself if shunted off at a roadside station for the night it will

page_text: contain sufficient food and water to feed the cattle until the following
morning.
I need scarcely observe that my automatic water supply is not only
applicable to trucks embodying my first improvement but also to the
trucks or waggons in ordinary use.