IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO WHEELS FOR VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING ON RAILS AND COMMON ROADS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
I EDWARD PERRETT of Victoria Chambers in the City of Westminster Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO WHEELS FOR VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING ON RAILS AND
COMMON ROADS to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the wheels of tram
cars and similar vehicles whereby they are rendered more adapted for running both
upon rails whether edge or grooved and upon common roads and it has reference to
improvements upon a former Invention in respect of which I obtained Letters
patent dated the 22nd October 1878 N° 4199.
According to the specification to my said former Letters patent my Invention
consisted in part in constructing the wheels with a separate flange and employing
two eccentrics by adjusting which relatively to each other the flange of the wheel
was either brought concentric with the wheel proper or withdrawn above the lower
part thereof, in order to adapt the wheel for running either upon rails or upon
common roads as desired.
Now according to the present invention a like result is accomplished in an
improved manner by so arranging the parts that the wheel proper shall itself under
the action of eccentrics be adjusted to the flange which is separate from the wheel
as before.
•
In carrying out the present invention in cases where width of tyre is not an
objection as on an edge rail I form or secure on a fixed axle at each end thereof an
eccentric around which is placed another eccentric held from revolving and on this
outer eccentric revolves a wheel which is not provided with the usual flange.
A separate flange is constructed and placed inside each wheel the two flanges
being. connected together by a pipe or sleeve round the axle on which it is free to
revolve. When it is desired to run upon the rail the axle is so turned that the
eccentrics neutralize each other and the wheels and flanges revolve concentrically.
When it is desired to run upon the road the axle is so turned that the wheels
project below the flanges and then the vehicle is enabled to run upon the road.
In some cases it is advantageous that the axle should revolve; then I key the
flange to the axle and make both of the eccentrics free from the axle, the wheel

page_text: running as before on the outer eccentric. When it is desired to run upon the road
the eccentrics are brought and held in a suitable position to throw the wheel down.
When it is desired to run upon the rail the two eccentrics are brought concentric,
held together and connected with the wheel so that eccentrics wheel and flange
revolve together the friction of the flange against the rail being sufficient to cause
the axle to revolve.
In those cases where width of tyre cannot be permitted as on an ordinary
grooved tram rail I key upon an axle revolving in the usual manner in axle boxes
a pair of ordinary flanged tram wheels suitable for the rails; upon each end of the
same axle I place an eccentric loose on the axle and held from revolving, upon
which eccentric I place a broad tyred wheel suitable for funding upon common
roads. When it is desired to run upon the road by turning the eccentric in one
direction the road wheel is thrown down and the flanged wheel lifted. When it
is desired to run upon the rail the eccentric is turned in the other direction and
the road wheel thrown up and the flanged wheel down. In some cases if con-
sidered desirable a double eccentric as previously mentioned can be used.
It is obvious that in the case of vehicles for narrow gauged lines the flanged
wheels may be arranged inside the axle boxes and the road wheels outside the axle
boxes, thus securing the desired narrow gauge for running on the rails without
sacrificing the requisite width of gauge for running on the road.

page_text: 24
I EDWARD PERRETT of Victoria Chambers in the City of Westminster Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND RELATING TO WHEELS FOR VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING ON RAILS AND COMMON
ROADS " and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My said invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the wheels of
tram cars and similar vehicles whereby they are rendered more adapted for running
both upon rails whether edge or grooved and upon common roads, and it has
reference to improvements upon a former Invention in respect of which I obtained
Letters patent dated the 22nd October 1878. N° 4199.
According to the specification to my said former Letters patent my Invention
consisted in part in constructing the wheels with a separate flange and employing
two eccentrics by adjusting which relatively to each other the flange of the wheel
was either brought concentric with the wheel proper or withdrawn above the
lower part thereof in order to adapt the wheel for running either upon rails or
upon common roads as desired.
Now according to one part of the present invention, a like result is accomplished
in an improved manner by so arranging the parts that the wheel proper shall itself
under the action of eccentrics be adjusted to the flange which is separate from the
wheel as before, but the Invention also embraces as an equivalent an arrangement
in which a pair of flanged rail wheels and a pair of roads wheels are mounted side
by side on one axle, the flanged rail wheels being fast on such axle, and the road
wheels being adjustable under the action of eccentrics relatively to the flanged rail
wheels to adapt the vehicle for running on rails or common roads as desired.
And in order that the said Invention may be perfectly understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the accompanying sheet of drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figures 1, 3, 5 and 7 of the accompanying drawings are sectional elevations
representing wheels of a tram car or similar vehicle constructed and arranged
according to four several modifications of my said Invention, the left hand wheel
in the two former figures and the left hand road wheel in the two latter figures
being shewn in the proper position for the vehicle to run on the rail and the right
hand wheel and right hand road wheel respectively, in the position adapted for the
vehicle running on the road. Figures 2, 4, 6, and 8 are end views corresponding
respectively to Figures 1, 3, 5 and 7; the full lines in Figures 2, 4, 6, and 8 corre-
sponding to the left hand position and the dotted lines to the right hand position
in the said Figures 1, 3, 5, and 7.
In cases where width of Tyre is not an objection as on an edge rail I adopt the
arrangement illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. I form or secure on
a fixed axle a at each end thereof, an eccentric b around which is placed another.
eccentric c held from revolving in any suitable manner as for example by means of
a lever & engaged in a catch or recess in the frame of the vehicle. On this outer
eccentric crevolves a wheel e which is not provided with the usual flange.
A separate flange f is constructed and placed on the inner side of each wheel, the
two flanges ff being connected together by a pipe or sleeve g round the axle a, on
which the said pipe or sleeve is free to revolve. When it is desired to run upon
.

page_text: •
the rail the axle is so turned that the eccentrics neutralize each other (as indicated
on the left hand side of Figure 1 and by the full lines in Figure 2) and the wheels
and flanges revolve concentrically. When it is desired to run upon the road the
axle is so turned that the wheels project below the flanges (as shewn on the right
hand side of Figure 1 and by the dotted lines in Figure 2) and then the vehicle is
enabled to run upon the road.
In some cases it is advantageous that the axle should revolve, I then adopt the
modification represented in Figures 3 and 4 in which the flanges f are keyed to
the axle a and both of the eccentrics b c are made free from the axle, the wheels
When it is desired to run upon the
running as before on the outer eccentric c.
rail the two eccentrics b c are brought concentric (as represented on the left hand
side of Figure 3 and by the full lines in Figure 4) and are connected with the
wheel by means of slotted levers d d engaging with pins secured in the spokes, or
otherwise, so that eccentrics and wheel revolve together, the friction of the flange
against the rail being sufficient to cause the flange and thus the axle to revolve.
When it is desired to run upon the road the eccentrics bc of each wheel are brought
into the position shewn on the right hand side of Figure 3, and by the dotted lines
in Figure 4, so as to throw the wheel down, the eccentrics being held in such
position by the two levers d d which then coincide being together. attached by
suitable means to the axle box or axle guard.
In those cases where width of Tyre cannot be permitted as on an ordinary
grooved tram rail, I key upon an axle revolving in the usual manner in axle boxes,
a pair of ordinary flanged tram wheels suitable for the rails; upon each end of the
same axle I place an eccentric loose on the axle and held from revolving, upon
which eccentric I place a broad tyred wheel suitable for running upon common
roads.
This modification is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.
a is an axle revolving in the usual manner in axle boxes (not shewn in these
figures). On this axle is keyed a pair of ordinary flanged train wheels f¹ ƒ¹
suitable for the rails, and on each end of the same axle is also placed an eccentric o¹
loose on the axle and held from revolving by means of a lever d attached to the
frame of the vehicle, or otherwise, upon which eccentric is mounted a broad tyred
wheel e suitable for running upon common roads.
When it is desired to run upon the rail, by turning the eccentrics in one
direction the road wheels e are thrown up and the flanged wheels f¹ then bear on
the rail (as shewn on the left hand side of Figure 5 and by the full lines in Figure 6).
When it is desired to run upon the road the eccentrics are turned in the other
direction and the road wheels e are thrown down and bear upon the road, thus
lifting the flanged wheels f1 (as shewn on the right hand side of Figure 5 and by
the dotted lines in Figure 6). In some cases if considered desirable a double
eccentric can also be used in this modification the two eccentrics however in this
case having the effect of one, but enabling the adjustment to be accomplished with
only half the stroke or motion of the lever d or other adjusting appliance attached
to each eccentric.
It is obvious that in the case of vehicles for narrow gauged lines the flanged
wheels ff may be arranged on the inner side of the axle boxes h h and the road
wheels e e outside the axle boxes. h h as shewn in Figure 7, thus securing the
desired narrow gauge for running on the rails without sacrificing the requisite
width of gauge for running on the road. In figure 7 and in the corresponding
view Figure 8, a worm and worm wheel d' are shewn as employed for operating
the eccentrics and retaining them in their adjusted positions, but a lever d as
shewn in Figure 6 may be used in the modification Figures 7 and 8 in lieu of the
worm and worm wheel, and conversely a worm and worm wheel d¹ as represented
in Figures 7 and 8 may be substituted for the lever d in the modification illustrated
in Figures 5 and 6, or in either case spur gearing or other suitable means may be
adopted for moving the eccentrics.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st In wheels having a separate flange, the employment of double eccentrics for
throwing the wheels up or down relatively to their respective flanges, according as
it is desired for the vehicle to run upon rails or upon common roads, substantially
as herein before described.
2nd The combination with a revolving axle, of a pair of flanged rail wheels, and
a. pair of road wheels, both mounted on such axle, and brought into action as
desired, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
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