AN IMPROVED COMBINED SAFE GUARD AND RAIL CLEANER FOR TRAMWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY CONRADI of 18 Golden Square in the county of Middlesex, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for AN IMPROVED COMBINED
SAFE GUARD AND RAIL CLEANER FOR TRAMWAYS, to be as follows :—
It consists in general of a plough or similar shaped elastic buffer or cushion,
provided with springs or similar elastic appliances and the necessary lever or rod
arrangements. It is fixed to the vehicle and placed in front of the wheel in a
certain inward position and prolonged at the outer side and ends as a protecting
plate, going to the back of the wheel. The apparatus is fixed to the vehicle by a
bolt or tapered rod, which is prolonged into the groove, its end forming a hook for
the purpose of cleaning the groove.. To it is attached above rail level a plate
forming shovel to shift the mud aside. The elastic buffer or cushion is closed at
the bottom or also at the top to protect the springs or similar elastic appliances,
placed inside against the mud. The apparatus is also set on small jointed rollers.
Having had opportunity to study the Tramway traffic requirements during
several years experience on some large lines at home and abroad; my attention
was drawn to the many accidents occurring on the Tram lines both of horse and
steam traffic, as well as to the great tractive power required of the horses owing
to the unclean state of the permanent way.
To remedy those evils I have designed a simple and practical apparatus. It
consists in general of a front part shaped like a plough or otherwise. It is placed
in front of the wheel, being about half its height; forming an elastic buffer or
cushion and is fixed to the vehicle, placed in a certain inward position. It is
prolonged at the outer side and ends as a protecting plate, going to the back of the
wheel. Therefore if any person by accident falls on the rails, instead of being run
over as is unfortunately so often the case, he is prevented from being touched by
the wheel, the projecting protector or guard, shifting him aside outwardly, without
any injury. The apparatus is fixed to the vehicle by a bolt or tapered rod, which
is prolonged into the groove, its end forming a single or double hook. This hook
or similarly shaped bar, serves to clean the groove as far as is practically possible
and is assisted in shifting the mud and dust from the rails, by a plate inclined both
ways and fixed to it above rail level. This plate acts as a kind of shovel.
Considering that in this manner each vehicle cleans its way during its run, the

page_text: permanent way will remain in practically clean conditions and therefore keep the
tractive power of the horses in its normal conditions. It must hereby be
remembered that the frictional resistance of the wheels, if the permanent way is in
muddy conditions, increases on the level road to six times its normal value, to
which in case of gradients the steepness has to be added.
To relieve the horses from the additional weight thrown on the vehicle by the
apparatus, it is set on a small front and back roller, which can be arranged to run
either in the groove or on the level of the tram rail.
The above named elastic buffer or cushion is made of a plate, bars, boards or any
similar material. To it are fixed a number of springs or buffers or any other
similar elastic appliances, as also an elastic sheet, say of india rubber, leather, or
any other elastic material, which passes over their top end, from the inner side to
the outer side and from the top to nearly the bottom of the plate, forming a wedge
or rounded up, shaped front. A wedge or half round shaped elastic bulb is
inserted between the plate and the elastic sheet, at its front end, going from top to
bottom. The guard is fixed to a leaf spring or rod placed between the springs
resting on the plate. To this leaf spring are attached levers connected together by a
joint or are fixed firmly and which lever system is attached to the hook. To protect
the inside of the elastic cushion from the mud a plate or any other kind of cover,
is inserted at the bottom or if necessary also at the top, preserving hereby the free
motions of the springs or buffers.
The bottom of the elastic sheet is formed by a strip bolted to the plate, to allow
its easily being removed when worn out; without interfering with its remaining
top part.
The above mentioned front and back rollers of the apparatus are jointed to allow
of a free and easy run in the curves.
The elastic sheet projects above all edges to prevent any hurting.
The single or double hooked cleaner, can either be made out of one piece or be
fixed firmly or socketed to the bolt, to be easily removed, when worn out.
For greater firmness of the particularly selected inward position of the guard or
elastic cushion, it can be stayed by rods fixed to it and to the vehicle, or by other
similar appliances, should the bolt alone not being found sufficient.
Dated this first day of Febimary 1884.'

page_text: 7
I, HENRY CONRADI, Engineer of 18 Golden Square, County of Middlesex. do.
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED COMBINED SAFEGUARD
AND RAIL CLEANER FOR TRAMWAYS and in what manner the same is to be.
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
0
As to
To study thoroughly the working of the life guard and rail cleaner and its
practical application to the traffic requirements, I constructed several full size
apparatus and got them fitted to several cars, for the purpose of experimenting. I
followed its actions and thus had opportunity to observe, what a life guard has in
reality to perform, in case of accidents, what the difficulties of its application are,
in regard to the different levels of the rails and the uneveness of the road.
the rail cleaner I closely observed the requirements of the cleaning of the groove
and the difficulties to be overcome through the obstructions encountered; viz: bad
rail joints, stones firmly hammered into the groove, the up and down motion of the
body of the car etc. In regard to the lifeguard, there are two problems to be solved
one in direct opposition to the other. To assure as far as it is practically possible,
the safety of limbs and lives of persons having fallen on the ground, it seems
necessary to have the apparatus placed so near the ground, that it nearly sweeps
the rails or road. On the other hand an apparatus placed so near the ground, would
become a rail and road sweeper and consequently collect in front of it such an
amount of mud or dust, that it would be nearly impossible for horses to pull the
car, especially so in case of gradients; while it would also be difficult for engines to
draw the car, with the additional weight in front of it. Moreover an apparatus
placed so near the road, may easily become damaged. The opinions of the different
works and traffic managers are divided on this difficult point. Guided however by
those opinions, by my own experience of several years service and by the result of
my experiments, I devised the' lifeguard to be either a stationery or a moveable
apparatus. The arrangements are represented in principle in the hereby adjoined
drawings and apply to apparatus for cars and engines alike.
If the guard be stationery it is fixed to the body of the car by means of bolts and
nuts a fig: 1 and 4 of which the ends may form a kind of hook or hinge to allow
each separate side of the apparatus to be set in or to be taken off easily; or it may
be fixed to the car, by means of hangers, brackets, suspension rols, or other similar
appliances. The moveable apparatus is arranged either to allow its front part only
or the whole apparatus to be lowered bodily or to be lowered by disconnecting
itself automatically.
In the first case, the front part may be lowered, by means of rollers b and cords
c, as represented in fig: 1 or by pulleys and belts, wheels and chains, or by a
corresponding lever arrangement. It may also, by preference, be connected with
the lever arrangement of the brake, so as to effect its lowering or lifting by putting
the brake on or off. The lowering is effected by the driver or conductor from his
stand on the platform, either by hand or foot motion, similar to the working of the
brake on road vehicles, omnibuses etc. The hind part which is fixed, is provided
with an hinge arrangement d, fig: 1 or with any similar revolving appliance. The
apparatus revolves round a bolt or shaft e traversing from side to side as
represented in plan fig: 2-The shaft is supported by the necessary brackets,
hangers or bolts, fixed to the body of the car. The arrangements for lowering the
guard bodily, is represented in the longitudinal elevation fig: 4. The lowering is
'

page_text: to be effected by means of one or several screws and nuts for by wheel and worm
motion or any other similar appliance. The apparatus moves down by means of the
pivots g, sliding in the slots h of its hangers, brackets or suspension rods, etc.
It
can be driven directly or by intermediate gearing and shafting i, as represented in
fig 4. by means of pulleys and belts, wheels and chains or any other similar
appliance. It is worked by hand or foot motion as berein before stated, from the
stand of the driver or conductor on the platform. It can also be arranged to be
connected with the brake lever arrangement and to be worked, as before stated,
together with the brake.
The arrangement for lowering the guard automatically is represented in the
Side-elevation fig: 10, in the Cross-section on line F, G fig: 11 and in the
End-view, 6g12. It consists principally in disconnecting the apparatus from its
central hangers, bearings or supports and allowing the guard to slide down bodily,
either on its hangers or brackets or bolts provided with springs; similar to the
principle represented in fig: 4.
To effect the disconnection of the apparatus by itself a projection l is fitted to a
bolt or tube m¹, which forms a shaft. The whole is fixed to the guard, by means
of bearings n¹ or in any other similar way. The projection consists of a piece of
strong india-rubber or leather or similar material, or of a spiral or leaf-spring let
into a tube of india rubber or leather or similar strong material, suspended over, or
sliding in and along the groove, thus allowing for the up and down motion of the
car. This piece of india rubber is however fixed at its top to a metallic ring or
coupling forming one piece with it and is thus drawn on or keyed to the shaft m¹.
When this projecting piece meets an obstruction, it turns the shaft m¹, which in its
turn moves the books n¹ out of the central hangers or brackets o' and thus allows
the apparatus to go down bodily. It is held by the suspension rods and springs pl
and q To press the guard down and to keep it in position one or several leaf
springs are fixed at the top, thus increasing the resistance to lateral motion. The
apparatus is afterwards raised up again to its normal elevated position, by means of
rollers and cords or levers as herein before described and the hooks are pushed into
their respective central-hangers. In the normal position of the guard, the hooks
are kept and secured in position by the springs 81. Sufficient clearance is left
between the hooks and the central hangers, to allow them, to move inwards of the
central-hangers, when the car is running in the opposite direction. By these means
the projecting piece is also allowed to slide over any obstruction, without
disconnecting the hooks.
Such automatic arrangement of lowering the guard may be useful in case of
persons having fallen on the ground; the driver or conductor not being aware of
the a cilent. The unavoidable inconvenience is however that it disconnects the
guard, of course, for any kind of obstruction.
The temporary, but most rapid lowering of the front part of the apparatus, or of
the whole apparatus bodily, or its lowering automatically, in case of accidents, as
berein before described and as represented in the adjoined drawings, seems to me
the nearest solution of the two diametrically opposed problems.
I proceed now to the more detailed description of the lifeguard and combined
rail-cleaner. The lifeguard, whether applied to cars or engines, whether stationery
or moveable consists principally of an elastic buffer or cushion, shaped like a
plough, or of cylindrical form like a tube, with springs inside, or in the form of an
american cow catcher, as represented in fig: 6, or of any other similar form. The
cushion is placed either in front of the wheels, projecting beyond the whole width
of the permanent way, as represented in plan, fig 2 at A or is placed in front of
each separate wheel, as shown in B, in a certain inward position, so as to project
inwards and outwards, beyond the rail. The elastic cushion can be formed by the
application of air, or of any other gas, like an air-cushion, or by the application of
water, or any other similar liquid, like a water bag-both indicated in the diagram
fig: 7. or by the application of an elastic body, as springs or any other similar
appliance, like a spring-cushion. I use in preference elastic springs, either metallio

page_text: or non metallic, as india-rubber or other similar resisting material and of any
convenient shape, as spiral or helical springs, as represented in fig 2 at C or leaf-
springs, as shown in fig 2 at D or like those used in matresses, as represented in
fig: 2 at E, or volute or otherwise shaped springs. Air bags would in the present
instance be too easily destroyed, by coming in contact, with the edges of the rails,
at loose joints, or with sharp stones; while water bags would involve a too expensive
arrangement and are in themselves too hard, to remove persons without sensible
injury. The elastic cushion thus formed of spiral springs, as represented in fig 1
to 9, of the herein adjoined drawings, consists of a set of separate or joined boards
or metallic plates or bars j at fig: 1, 2, 3, 8 & 9, fixed, as above described, to the
body of the car and passing along the outside and to the back of the wheel. The
part running outside from the front to the back of the wheel is not required to be
as deep as the front part and is circular shaped to the wheel as represented in
fig: 1, 2, 4 & 9. The springs l, fig: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 & 9 are fixed to the board, by
means of staples or similar fastenings; but in case plates or bars are used, they
may be bolted or otherwise be fixed to it. They are placed at more or less distance
from one another in one or several rows, and are connected together by means of
strong large bands, straps, strings wires or similar appliances, as shown at m in
plan, fig 2. The top end of each spring is either stuffed out, to form a small buffer
or a pad of horse hair, or any other layer of soft elastic material is laid over the
whole row.
The springs are further connected at their top ends, by means of a
large strap or band extending over each row lengthways and if necessary also
cross ways. It is fixed to the top or splashboard as well as to the bottom board.
The whole is arranged similar to that used in the manufacture of matresses. By
these means précise and common action of all the springs together is secured and
'the necessary propelling action through their strength and elasticity is obtained,
when compressed. For cars the apparatns may be formed of single rows of springs
if necessary, as it is usually placed underneath the platform, where the space left
between the bottom of the framework and the rail or road is very small. This
space is still more reduced by the clearance required for the brake rods. For
engines one or several rows of springs are used as represented in fig: 8 and 9. By
using one row only stronger springs are necessary. An apparatus formed of one
row of springs, is represented in fig: 1 in elevation in fig: 2 in plan and in fig: 3
in front elevation. To prevent as inuch as possible any accumulation of mud, the
boards or plates to which the springs are fixed are surmounted by a splashboard n,
as represented in fig: 1, 3, 4 and in the rectangular cross section fig: 5. It is fixed
to it under the sharpest angle, to cause the mud to slide down as rapidly as
possible. The row or rows of springs are covered with a pad of horse hair, or
similar material or are stuffed with a soft material, like buffers and then recovered
with canvas.
The whole apparatus is after that recovered with india-rubber or
fine leather, or skin or duck sheeting or with any similar elastic water tight and
stiff material, as represented in fig 5 at o. In all the other figures, the covering is
assumed to be removed. The covering sheet is laid on to the front of the apparatus
under an acute angle as represented in fig: 5; to prevent the mud settling on it
and to compel it also to slide down; the cover is laid on, as tight as possible, to
offer the utmost stiffness, for facilitating the sliding or pushing away, without any
injury to any person falling against it. I lay particular stress on the necessity of
a united propelling action of the springs and the formation of a stiff sliding surface,
as in an experiment which I made, the soft material used moved along the guard
0 in an undulating line, describing a wave motion. Each spring got separately
pressed and consequently moved separately up and down, instead of obtaining &
combined propelling action of the springs. This happened in consequence of the
springs not having been sufficiently connected together and therefore no united
action could take place; while the sliding surface did not offer sufficient resistance;
5 besides the car moved at a very slow path; therefore its velocity was nil, which
also prevented a rapid pushing a-ide. To avoid any injury to a person fallen in
the middle of the road and being approached by the front edges of the apparatus a

page_text: front buffer p is inserted as represented in plan fig: 2. It is fixed by means of
hangers or brackets fitted to the boards or plates of the apparatus and being
bolted to it.
The moveable guard, when lowered, by means of pulleys or rollers and cords or
wheels and chains etc may in its lowered position, be prevented from moving up
and down, by a spring q, pressing against its top part as represented in the
indicated lowered position fig 1, or this may be done in any other similar way. It
could by preference be effected by means of screw and nut, or wheel and worm or
other gearing, or other similar appliances. The apparatus can be lowered either
down to the ground, or be kept lowered about 1/2 inch or so, from the ground.
To keep the moveable apparatus in its horizontal position, when in its normal
conditions or to assist to lift it up, when lowered, one or several tension springs r
as represented in fig: 1, 8 and 9 are applied or other similar appliances may be
used. To prevent the guard, being damaged by its rapid lowering of the front
part, or its falling to the ground, or by its sliding along the road or rails, in case of
any accident, it is provided at the bottom of its front part with an elastic bulb or
roller 8, as represented in fig: 1, 8 & 9. To offer a greater sliding surface and thus
to prevent better any thing coming underneath the wheel, this front part could be
built somewhat deeper, than the hind part of the guard. The guard as used for
engines and represented in fig: 8 and 9 in the adjoined drawings, is as before
stated similar to the arrangement of the apparatus for cars. It differs however
somewhat from the latter, in being composed of several rows of springs, in its
position and in the manner it is fixed to the engine. It is either fixed in front of
the engine or in front of the wheels. In the latter case, it can replace with
advantage the plates, placed round the engine, by order of the Board of trade,
which offer no protection against accidents. If the guard be stationery, it is bolted
to the engine by means of an angle iron frame or a similar arrangement. If it
revolves, its top part is provided with a pivot or key t, moving in a slot u of the
frame connection, as represented in fig: 9 or any other similar arrangement. It
can also be disposed, for being moved down bodily, as represented for cars in fig: 4
of the adjoined drawings.
The rail cleaner combined with the guard is so arranged, that it can form the
hind part of the guard, running just in front of the wheel as represented in fig: 1
at v of the adjoined drawings and is fixed either to the board or plate of the guard,
or is fixed with the guard by the same suspension rod or bolt to the body of the
car. I found however in the experiments which I made that its displacement from
the hind part of the guard, on account of accidents, and especially in the case of
stationery guards, was advisable. I place the cleaner therefore in preference,
between the wheels, as represented at w in fig: 1 of the adjoined drawing-out of
reach, of any fallen person. The rail cleaner is composed of one or several round
or otherwise shaped bars of steel or iron or of any other convenient material,
flattened out in the middle above rail. This flat part y is placed straight or
sideways and forms a kind of shovel, to push aside the displaced mud. It can be
formed either by forging it out of the same piece or a wedge shaped plate can be
rivetted on to the scraper. The scrapers or groove cleaners, are either screwed or
bolted or otherwise fixed into a single or box shaped plate z, called the bottom
plate. This is again screwed or bolted or otherwise fixed to a single or box shaped
plate al called the middle plate, placed above it, by means of the bolt and nut b¹ on
the one side and the guide bar, rod or chains c¹ on the other side. One of these
scrapers is prolonged and passes across the plate a¹. This prolongation serves as
guide bar to prevent the middle plate from turning round and to displace itself
from the bottom plate. Small hooks d¹ are provided to connect both plates with
the chains or cords, thus giving means of a more direct lifting up and down of the
scrapers, in assistance to the arrangement from the platform. Between the bottom
and middle plates are placed the springs e' which may be spiral or leaf springs,
metallic or non metallic or of any other suitable form and material. At the top of
the middle plate a' is placed the spiral steel spring f³, which can also be of any

page_text: other suitable form and material. Inside this spring is placed the guide bolt or
tube g', which is screwed into the top plate and along which the spiral spring
moves up and down. This guide tube or bolt is at the bottom and provided with
a collar or corresponding nut. At the top of the spiral spring is placed, the single
or box shaped top plate h¹ against which the spring is seated. Those plates if box
shaped, give a better guidance to the spring. The top plate is then bolted or
otherwise fixed to a pair of hangers or brackets ¹, which themselves are again
bolted or otherwise fitted to the timber framing; thus fixing the whole apparatus
to the car. The scrapers properly set in the groove thus move with the car and
remove the mud and grit, while the flat parts of the scraper forming a shovel,
pushes it beyond the rails. To prevent as much as it is practically possible, the
breaking of the scrapers, when knocking against a bad rail joint or say a stone
firmly hammered into the groove, the bottom plate holding the scrapers is so
arranged, that it can move up and down vertically. It can also turn round its
horizontal bolt and thus allows the scraper to be lifted over the obstacle, without
breaking. To this effect the bolt 6' has also some lateral play left in the hole of
the middle plate, through which it passes. The leaf springs e¹ serve to keep and to
press the scrapers down in the groove. The spiral spring f¹ serves to allow the
rail cleaner to follow the up and down motion of the car, to prevent therefore as
much as possible, the crushing of the scrapers. This spring follows the motion of
the car springs. In order to allow the passage of the collar or nut of the guide bolt
or tube, when the spiral spring gets compressed, the bottom plate is provided with
a corresponding opening. When the scrapers after some time are partly worn out,
the bottom plate z, can be lowered, by unscrewing the bolt b₁ to the necessary.
amount and washers be inserted at the top of the intermediate springa e¹, as
packing. In this manner the scrapers can be entirely used up, then unscrewed and
so be replaced by new ones. The apparatus is so arranged as to allow the lifting of
the scrapers in and out the groove, which is effected by means of pulleys, rollers or
wheels and corresponding cords, belts or chains, from the stand of the conductor or
driver at the platform; as represented at j¹ fig: 1 or by a similar lever arrangement
as represented at k' fig: 1. By this means the cleaning of the permanent way can
take place, with each car, according to the requirements of the service, without
having the cleaner working unnecessarily the whole time of its service. The guard
and the cleaner can both be worked either together or separately.
The imperious necessity of having a soft elastic cushion in front of engine and
car wheels to prevent accidents, and to push people fallen to the ground, aside,
without injury, will herewith be easily proofed, by taking into consideration the
force of the blow, to which any such person is exposed, when touched by the
boards or iron bars at present fixed sometimes in front of the wheels; resembling a
kind of protection, but being in reality an increase of danger.
Assuming for example, for horse cars a mean speed of 5 miles per hour, the
weight of the car, only half filled with passengers, to 4 tons, the length of the
Car to 20 feet, then the accumulated work W in foot pound, will be:
W=h.w; h = height in feet, through which the body falls.

page_text: This will be the force of the blow imparted to the person, touched by the boards or
iron bars, fixed sometimes in front of the wheels, as a kind of protection. By the
application of the soft and elastic cushion this blow is reduced to a minimum or nil.
In regard to the rail cleaner its effectiveness is shown by considering that the
tractive power required of horses on muddy permanent way, is 6 times greater, than
in ordinary conditions on clean grooves.
If therefore each car cleans the groove
several times during the day, the enormous reduction of the tractive power required,
will soon proof itself an immense benefit to the horses, as well as of good service
to engines.
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.) The disposition and arrangement of any kind of elastic cushion or elastic
buffer, whether composed by means of any gas, as air etc, or any liquid as
water etc or whether composed of any kind of metallic springs as steel etc or
non metallic springs, as india-rubber etc or of any other kind of suitable material
and form; such cushion or elastic buffer applied as life guard or protection against
accidents for Tramway vehicles, as engines and cars of any kind-as herein before
described and represented in the adjoined drawings.
2) The disposition arrangement or mechanism for raising or lowering the guard,
or elastic buffer or cushion so as to raise or lower its front part only, or the whole
apparatus bodily; near to or on to the rail or road by means of pulleys, rollers and
cords, wheels and chains or wheel gearing and levers as herein before described and
represented in the adjoined drawings.
3) The mechaniam of double wheel gearing to connect the lowering and lifting
arrangement of the guard, to the lever arrangement of the brake and being thus
worked with the brake; or the mechanism of single wheel gearing and separate
shaft, provided with handle for hand motion or with sole plate and crank for foot
motion to be worked separately from the platform; or the mechanism to work
the guard automatically by disconnecting itself; from its bearings or hangers or
supports being then suspended, kept in position and worked by springs, as herein
before described and represented in the adjoined drawings.
4.) The disposition and arrangement of the boards or plates, to which the springs
are fixed, so as to form a kind of splash-board in order to prevent the collection and
accumulation of mud, on the guard as herein before described and represented in the
adjoined drawings.
5.) The disposition and arrangement of a strong elastic band for the connection of
the springs; of an elastic sheeting of soft material, as india rubber, duck, leather
or any other suitable material to be used as cover and to be placed under an accute
angle to prevent the adhesion of mud, as herein before described and represented in
the adjoined drawings
6.) The disposition and arrangement of the rail cleaner, as regards the application
of the springs, to prevent the crushing of the scrapers, by the up and down motion
of the car; to allow its sliding over unremovable obstacles, in. the groove; and the
application of a kind of shovel formed of or connected with the scraper; as herein
before described and as represented in the adjoined drawings.
7.) The disposition, arrangement or mechanism of setting the rail cleaner, in or
out of gear, according to the traffic requirements by lifting or lowering the scrapers
by means of pulleys and cords, wheels or chains, or by means of levers provided
with handle for hand motion or with sole plate for foot motion-to be worked from
the stand on the platform as herein before described and represented in the
adjoined drawings.
8.) The disposition and arrangement of the elastic cushion or buffer, to project
either beyond the gauge of the permanent way or to be fixed only in front of the

page_text: wheels, crossing only part of each rail, but extending in either case behind the
wheel; and to be fixed at such places of the cars or engines, either underneath or
in front, according to the requirements of the service; as herein before described
and represented in the adjoined drawings.
1004