Rolling Stock, and other Vehicles.
Year: 1886

page_text: Rolling Stock, and other Vehicles.
I, JOHN MENZIES of High Street, Kyneton, in the Colony of Victoria, Corn-
factor, 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 been designed principally with the object of lessening the
cost and maintenance of street tramways and their cars, and is intended for use
principally in connection with such lines as have a groove for the gripping stem
between the rails. Further, it is designed to cause the wheels of such cars or
railway rolling stock to take their proper radial position on the rails. when
travelling over curves, and also to retain them on the track without the aid of
flanged wheels. The rails which I prefer to use for the tramways are perfectly
flat, without any groove for the wheel flange or any upstanding ribs whatever, so
that when laid flush with the streets they are no obstruction to the vehicular
traffic passing over them; but for railways I do not propose to alter the construction
of the permanent way.
The first improvement relates to the wheels, and the mode of mounting the cara
upon them, this latter part being applicable to other vehicles; thus each wheel or
pair of wheels is secured within a separate frame, and such frame is attached to
the car or under frame by means of a central pivot or bolt, so that when turning
sharp curves the wheel frames are caused to radiate independently of each other,
either by the aid of guide wheels working against the side of the rails, or by guide
stems or wheels travelling within the groove and thus causing the wheels to follow
more closely the line of said curve; and as the wheels are made without flanges,
the friction on them and the rails is reduced to a minimum.
The second improvement relates to the means I employ for retaining the
tramcars on their track. For this purpose I utilize the central groove for the.
gripping stem or tongue in which I place suitable stems or guide wheels firmly
attached to, and descending from the under-carriage of the car, so as to retain it.
in a central position between the rails when travelling. By this means I am able
to dispense with the use of points on such tramways. I also provide means for:

page_text: detaching or raising and lowering the gripping stems and guide wheels clear of the
level of the road, so that in case of any breakage or accident of any kind to
prevent the working of the tramway, my cars may be run as an ordinary vehicle
on common roads,
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will now explain it
with reference to the accompanying Sheet of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 is a transverse view of a tramcar in which my improvements are
embodied.
Figure 3 is a plan of its wheel frames, and
Figure 4 is a transverse view shewing the method of attaching the wheel frames
to the car.
Figure 5 shews the method of affixing a guide wheel to the pivot of the wheel
frame.
Figure 6 shews alternative constructions of the guide stems.
Figure 7 is a side elevation, and
Figure 8 is an end view of a railway truck constructed on the bogie principle
and having my improved guide wheels attached to the wheel frames.
Figure 9 is a plan of the wheel frames shewing them in the position they would
assume when the truck is travelling over a curve.
Figure 10 is a side view, and❤
Figure 11 is an end view and cross section of one system of supporting each
wheel within an independent frame.
Figure 12 is a plan of the underside of another system of supporting each wheel
independently, but in this case the opposite frames are connected together by
transverse bars.
Figure 13 is a plan of the underside of a vehicle, for ordinary purposes shewing
the method of attaching the front and back bogie frames together; while
Figure 14 shews an alternative means for accomplishing the same purpose.
In Figures 1 to 6. A is the body of the car constructed as shewn with its floor
B are
brought very close to the ground, which is reached by the two steps A¹.
the bogie or wheel frames secured to the car by the central pivot B¹, and these
frames support the vertical props B', whose upper ends are connected to the
springs B³, to which are affixed the bearings B', for the axles of the wheels B³.
are the rails which may be of any flat-headed description, and C is the central
groove. D is the movable guide wheel centred on the arın D¹, which is secured
upon the transverse bar D' supported in bearings attached to the frame B, and at
the end of which bar is the hand lever D' by which said guide, wheel may be
raised from the central groove C¹ when it is desired to run the car on the common
roads. On the opposite side of the frame the guide is shewn in the form of a
stem.D' affixed direct to the frame B, and on the other frame, the guide wheels D
are shewn centred in brackets D' which.are affixed to the frame B, while Figure 6
shews that the stem D* may be movable and also that it may be furnished with a
conical roller D. The guide wheel shewn in Figure 5 is intended to be attached
to the bogie frame B immediately under or to the lower end of its pivot B¹.
Figures 7. 8 and 9 represent a railway truck mounted on the flangeless wheels E
which are supported in the wheel frames E¹ provided with the springs E. These
wheel frames are shewn attached to the under-frame E³ of the truck by the central
pivot E, and the under-frame is attached to the bottom of the truck by the central
pin or pivot E³. When trucks are constructed with only a single pair of wheels
at either end, it is not necessary to have the under-frame E³ as the wheel frame is
pivoted direct to the truck. Each wheel is keyed upon a separate axle E³ working
in bearings E' as shown. F are the guide wheels, which I employ for railway
rolling stock to retain them in position on the rails, and to ensure of their axles
radiating to take their true position when travelling upon a curve. These guide
wheels are affixed in the position shewn in Figure 8, and they are centred between
the bifurcated end of the stem F¹ which is affixed to the transverse bar of the

page_text: wheel frame, the stems being screwed and furnished with nuts to enable, the
position of the wheels to be adjusted to a nicety to suit the curves.
Figures 10 and 11 represent one system of mounting each wheel within a separate
frame which is pivoted directly above the wheel to the frame of. the truck or car
after the manner of ordinary castors. In this system the wheels G are keyed upon
short axles G³, which work in the bearings G2, which have upstanding stems G³
fitting in the sockets G*, which have within them the springs G³ as shown. These
sockets are cast upon a crown plate G which works under and is centred to the
plate G', which is bolted as shewn to the frame of the truck or car. Figure 12
illustrates another means of mounting wheels according to this system, but in this
case the wheels H are shewn flanged and each are again supported in a distinct
frame H', which is pivoted to the truck H' immediately above the wheel, but these
frames are connected together by the transverse bars H³ thus forming a parallel
motion, and so it is evident that if the truck was travelling over a curve, the
centre line of its frame would assume the position indicated by the dotted lines.
Figure 13 shews the system of mounting an ordinary road vehicle upon its
wheels to allow of its turning the smallest possible curves without undue friction
or drag upon its wheels J which are either both loose upon the one axle Jor
affixed upon separate short axles J2. These axles are supported in bearings
attached to the wheel frames J³ which are pivoted at J to the frame of the vehicle,
and these frames are connected to one another by the diagonal rods J³ so that as
the pole Je radiates the front frame, the back frame is caused to similarly radiate
by their being connected together by said rods J³. Or the same may be accom-
plished by extending the pole Je backwards and placing its slotted end on the
pin J' which is attached by means of the bracket Je to the back wheel frame as
shewn in Figure 14.
By constructing tramcars according to this system the flanges of the wheels are
dispensed with consequently the cars may be used if desired on the common roads.
The groove now in use for the gripping stems is utilized for retaining the cars on
the track and governing the radial position of the wheel axles, thus enabling the
cars to turn very small curves with ease and without any drag on the wheels.—
Further, this system enables the floor of the car to be brought nearer the ground.
The system applied to railway rolling stock also enables the wheel flanges to be
dispensed with if so desired as by attaching guide wheels to the wheel or bogie
frames, the wheels are retained in position on the rails, and their frames are
compelled to radiate so as to enable the wheels to travel freely over the curves,
which consequently can be made of a lesser radius. The system applied to
ordinary vehicles is that instead of the back pair of wheels dragging, as is the
case when their frames are a fixture to the vehicle, by my system immediately the
front pair radiate to take a curve, the back pair are compelled to similarly radiate
as before described.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein described and explained and illustrated in my drawings so long as the
nature and essence of my said invention be retained.
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:-
1. Mounting tramcars upon bogie or centrally pivoted wheel frames, the wheels
of which are flangeless and which wheel frames have attached to them central
guide stems or guide wheels either fixed or movable, which work in a central
groove to retain the bearing wheels in their proper position on the track sub-
stantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 of
my drawings.
2. The special method of constructing the bogie or wheel frames B which admits
of the floor of the car A being brought close to the ground substantially as herein
described and explained and as illustrated in Figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 of my drawings,

page_text: 3. The special method of mounting the wheels of vehicles within independently
pivoted frames, consisting of a combination of the parts marked G to G7 sub-
stantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in Figures 10 and 11
of my drawings.
4. In railway rolling stock, the combination of the guide wheels F with the
bogie or centrally pivoted wheel frames such as E substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in Figures 7. 8 and 9 of
my drawings.
5. In ordinary four-wheeled vehicles, supporting the front and back wheels
within centrally pivoted frames or bogies and connecting them together by rods J³
Figure 13 or by the parts marked J, J and J8, Figure 14 substantially as and for
the purposes herein described and explained.
6. Furnishing the bogie or centrally pivoted wheel frames of tramcars with
descending guide stems or guide wheels which enter the central groove and so
retain and cause the bogies to take their proper position on the track whether on
curves or otherwise without the aid of flanged wheels substantially as herein
described and explained and illustrated in my drawings.
Dated this 29th March 1886.
Abel & Imray,
Agents for the Applicant.
JOHN MENZIES.