Improvements in Railway and Tramway Locomotives and other Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway and Tramway Locomotives and other
Vehicles.
1, JOHN JAMES DAVIDGE CLEMINSON, of Dashwood House, Old Broad Street,
in the City of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to railway and tramway vehicles constructed with a
swivel truck or trucks provided at each side of its longitudinal centre line with a
pivot about which the truck is adapted to turn when travelling over curves under
control of a suitable controlling device or devices, the object being to enable the
wheel base of the vehicle to readily adapt itself to curves in the railway or tramway
over which the vehicle may be running.
Now my present invention has reference to improved constructions and arrange-
ments of controlling devices and pivotal connections for use in railway and tramway
vehicles of the kind referred to.
According to one arrangement, the controlling device comprises one or more
antifriction wheels, rollers slides or equivalent parts carried directly by one of the
pivoted parts and arranged to work against one or more guides formed in the
curved guiding surfaces and carried. by the other pivoted part, the said guiding
surfaces having the form of arcs of circles each struck from the axis of one of the
pivots.
According to another arrangement the controlling device comprises one or more
springs arranged between the main frame and the truck and adapted to offer
resistance to turning movement of the truck about each of its pivots and to return
the truck to its normal and central position, when the truck re-enters a straight
portion of track.
Both of the above described controlling devices may advantageously be used
together. Each of the pivotal connections between the main frame and truck
consists according to this invention of a slotted curved guide carried by one of
the pivoted parts and fitted with a slide block in which one of the pivot pins
carried by the other pivoted part is journalled, each of the said guides having the
form of an are of a circle struck from the axis of the pin in the opposite guide.
By suitably lengthening these curved guides they may be caused to also serve as
controlling devices that may be used alone, or in conjunction with another suitable
controlling device such as one or both of those hereinbefore referred to.
My present improvements may be applied to vehicles constructed with two or
more separate swivel trucks having the usual axle guards, axle boxes, and bearing
springs.
It may also be applied to vehicles constructed with an intermediate
truck or frame having one or more pairs of wheels and capable of a combined
movement, namely, about a vertical axis and also in a lateral sense, the latter
being provided for by arranging the pivot that allows for swivelling movement,
within a block adapted to slide in suitable guides in the main frame.
The inter-
mediate truck or frame may be suitably connected to the end trucks so as to be
controlled thereby.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway and Tramway Locomotives and other
Vehicles.
1, JOHN JAMES DAVIDGE CLEMINSON, of Dashwood House, Old Broad Street,
in the City of London, Civil Engineer, 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 has reference to railway and tramway vehicles constructed with a
swivel truck or trucks provided, or each provided, at each side of its longitudinal
centre line with a pivot about which it is adapted to turn when travelling over
curves under control of a suitable controlling device or devices as described in the
Specification of my application for Letters Patent dated 13 February 1893
No. 3211, the object being to enable the wheel base of the vehicle to readily adapt
itself to curves in the railway or tramway over which the vehicle may be running.
Now my present invention has reference to improved constructions and arrange-
ments of pivotal connections and controlling devices for use in railway and tramway
vehicles of the kind referred to, as I will now proceed to describe with reference to
the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan, of so much of a main
frame and an end truck of a railway vehicle as is necessary to illustrate the nature
of
my present invention.
1 is the end truck carrying pivot pins 2, 24, arranged one at each side of the
longitudinal centre line of the truck. Each of these pins is pivoted in a block 3
fitted to slide in a slotted curved guide 4 that is fixed to the main frame 5, and the
curved guiding surfaces of each of which are struck from the axis of the oppositely
arranged pin 2 or 2ª. The controlling devices in this arrangement comprise anti-
friction rollers 6, 6" (or slides), each pivoted in a bracket 7 fixed to the truck I and
arranged to work against a doubly curved guide 8 fixed in any suitable manner, as
for instance by bolts and a plate 9, to the underside of the main frame 5, one of the
curved surfaces (8") of each of these guides being struck from the pivot pin 2,
and the other (8b) from the pin 2ª.
Figs. 1 and 2 are similar views to Figs. I and respectively, illustrating a
modified arrangement in which a helical spring 6 is arranged between the truck 1
and the main frame 5 so as to offer resistance to turning movement of the truck
about either of its pivots and to return the truck to its normal and central position
when the truck re-enters a straight portion of track. In the example shown, this
spring is arranged to bear at one end against a fixed bracket 6" on the truck 1, and
at the other end against a washer 6 ou a rod 6° which passes through the spring
and bracket and is provided at one end with a head 6, that bears against a part of
the main frame 5, and at the other end is provided with adjusting nuts 6" whereby
the spring can be tightened up. The spring, or there may be more than one, may
be arranged in any other suitable position between the end truck and main frame.
Such a controlling device may be used with other controlling devices, such as those
shown, and comprising the antifriction wheels or rollers 6, 6 and guides 8 which in
this example are shown arranged in the same manner as the corresponding parts in
Figs. 1 and 2. A spring controlling device (or devices) such as described, may
however be used without such other controlling devices, and with pivotal connections
other than those shown; it may be for instance with those shown in my said other
Specification.
It will be seen that, by each of the arrangements described, the truck is free to
turn either about the axis of the pin 2, or about that of the pin 2ª, as a centre when
passing round a curve, so that the axle of the pair of wheels 10 journalled in the
said truck, can set itself automatically at right angles to the curved portions of

page_text: the track at all parts thereof, the guides 8, or the springs 6b, or both, serving to
control this movement and to return the truck to its normal central position when
it again enters a straight portion of the track. The slotted curved guides 4 also
serve as controlling devices, and may be used alone, that is to say, without the
antifriction rollers 6, 6* and guides 8, or the spring (or springs) 6b, but in such a
case it will be advantageous to lengthen them to a small extent in order to increase
their controlling action and compensate for any looseness of the parts. Springs may
be placed between the ends of each slide block 3 and the adjacent ends of the
corresponding slotted guide 4 to prevent these parts striking against each other
and causing shocks when passing from straight to curved portions of track and
vice versa.
in the further modified arrangement shown in side elevation and plan in Figs. 3
and 3 respectively, there is only one antifriction roller 6, which is arranged with
its axis on the longitudinal centre line of the truck, and only one guide 8 with two
concave guide surfaces 8* 8b, one of these surfaces namely 8ª, having the pin 2 as
its centre, and the other 8' having the pin 2" as its centre.
In Figures 4, 44, the antifriction roller 6 is pivoted to the extended end of a rod
or lever 1, fixed to the truck 1, and is arranged to work against a doubly curved
guide 8 fixed to the main frame 5, the convex curved surfaces 8ª, 8b of this guide
being struck as before from the axis of the two pins 2, 2ª as indicated.
As will be obvious the pivot pins 2, 2ª in each case may be carried by the main
frame, and the guides 4 by the truck; also that the antifriction roller 6, or
rollers 6, 6ª, as the case may be, instead of being journalled on the truck 1 or to a
part carried thereby, and arranged to work against a guide or guides 8 fixed to the
main frame, may be journalled to the main frame and be arranged to work against
a guide or guides 8 fixed to the truck.
Figs. 5, 5 show the application of a truck, such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2
to the leading end of the wheel base of an eight-wheeled vehicle such as a
locomotive.
Figs. 6, 6 show a wheel base with two end trucks like the one shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, these trucks being connected by bars 11 the outer ends of which are
fixed to the respective trucks 1 and the inner ends of which are connected together
by a link 12 that will permit of turning movement of each truck in a manner well
understood.
My present improvements may be applied to vehicles constructed with two or
more separate swivel trucks having the usual axle guards, axle boxes, and bearing
springs. They may also be applied to vehicles constructed with an intermediate
truck or frame 13 (see Figs. 7 and 8) having one or more pairs of wheels and
capable of a combined movement, namely about a vertical axis and also in a lateral
sense, the latter movement being provided for by arranging the pivot 14 that allows
for swivelling movement, within a block 15 adapted to slide in suitable guides 16
carried by the main frame, the said intermediate truck or frame being suitably
connected to the end trucks so as to be controlled thereby.
Figs. 9, 9 show a flexible wheel base with pivoted end trucks 1, each similar to
that shown in Figs. 3, 34, and a two-wheel intermediate truck 13 arranged
substantially in the manner shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and suitably connected with
each of the end trucks, as for instance by bars 11 and links 12 in a similar manner
to that in which the end trucks shown in Fig. 6 are connected with each other, so
that its movements will be controlled by the end trucks.
Figs. 10, 10 show a similar arrangement to that shown in Figs. 9, 9ª, but the
intermediate truck 13 has four wheels instead of two.
Figs. 11, 11 show a wheel base with two end and two intermediate trucks, each
swivelled to the main frame 5 in the manner hereinbefore described and the several
trucks being connected with each other by fixed bars 11 and links 12 in the manner
hereinbefore explained. In this arrangement however the centre link 12ª is provided
with a pin 14 pivoted in a block 15ª that is fitted to slide transversely in guides 16*
like the slide block 15 shewn in Figs. 7 and 8.

page_text: The action or mode of working of a flexible wheel base constructed according to
my present invention, when passing around curves, is the same as that of the flexible
wheel base described in my said other application.
By pivoting each end truck at two points and controlling its movement in the
manner hereinbefore described, great steadiness is obtained whilst running on the
straight, and great freedom and ease of movement of the truck is also obtained,
with perfect safety, when passing around curves, as the tendency of the truck is
always to assume a position with its wheel axles at right angles to the longitudinal
centre line of the vehicle. Furthermore by the construction described, the correct
disposition of forces is obtained in a vehicle, as the leading truck has the maximum
of stiffness or steadiness combined with perfect freedom of movement, whilst the
trailing truck has greater flexibility than the leading truck, both trucks having a
constant tendency to assume the correct position on a straight road.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a railway or tramway vehicle, a flexible wheel base of the kind herein
referred to in which each of the pivotal connections between the main frame and an
end truck comprises a slotted curved guide carried by one of the pivotted parts and
fitted with a slide block in which one of the pivot pins carried by the other pivoted
part is journalled, the guiding surfaces of the said guide being in the form of arcs
of circles struck from the axis of the pin in the opposite guide substantially as
herein described.
2. In a flexible wheel base of the kind herein referred to, a controlling device
comprising one or more anti-friction wheels, rollers or slides carried directly by one
of the pivoted parts and arranged to work against one or more guides carried by the
other pivoted parts and formed with curved guiding surfaces each having the form
of an arc of a circle struck from the axis of one of the pivots substantially as herein
described.
3. In a flexible wheel base of the kind herein referred to, a controlling device
comprising one or more springs arranged between the main frame and an end truck
and adapted to offer resistance to turning movement of the truck about each of its
pivots and to return the truck to its normal and central position when the truck
re-enters a straight portion of track substantially as herein described.
4. A flexible wheel base of the kind herein referred to in which one of the end
trucks, or each end truck, is pivoted to the main frame at each side of its longitudinal
centre line by pivotal connections of the kind referred to in Claim 1, and has its
movements controlled by a separate controlling device or devices such as that
referred to in Claim 1, or in Claim 2, or that described in my said former Specification
No. 3211 of 1893 substantially as herein described.
5. Flexible wheel bases for railway and tramway vehicles constructed arranged
and operating substantially as herein before described with reference respectively to
and shown in Figs. 1 and 2; in Figs 14 and 2^; in Figs. 3, 34; in Figs. 4, 4^; in
Figs. 6, 6; in Figs 7 to 94 inclusive; in Figs. 10 and 10 and in Figs. 11, 11 of
drawings annexed.
Dated this 27th day of December 1893.
JOHN J. D. CLEMINSON.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Applicant's Agent.