Improvements in or relating to Trucks, Wagons, and the like, and in the Method of and Apparatus for Tipping the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Trucks, Wagons, and the like, and
in the Method of and Apparatus for Tipping the same.
כי
We, LOUIS BUETTE Contractor for Public Works and EMILE CHEVALIER, Engineer
of 16 rue Drouot, Paris in the Republic of France, do hereby declare. the nature of
this invention to be as follows:
Our invention has for its object a new system of trucks for the transportation of
earth, ballast, minerals, coal or other goods such as farm produce which are carried
in bulk. These trucks are constructed so as to be able to be tipped at will to the
right or left or front or back by the action of compressed air, or water, or steam
under pressure working in a system of suitably prepared cylinders or by making a
more or less perfect-vacuum in these same cylinders.
A wagon constructed according to, our system comprises a frame which may be
mounted upon the axles in the usual manner. This frame carries cylinders prefer-
ably six in number, placed three on each side of the longitudinal axis of the wagon,
for tipping as required on one side or the other. The cylinders are free to oscillate
on pivots fixed to crosspieces of the frame. Inverted yokes which form bearings for
these cylinders are attached to the same and are open underneath in order to allow
the latter to be raised if necessary without dust or sand lodging between the
friction surfaces. Above this frame is fixed the upper part of the wagon in the
form of a tank, supported upon the said frame by a number of hinges or fulcrums.
The piston rods of the three cylinders on one side of the frame are connected by
pivotted cross heads with one side of the said tank and the other three with the
opposite side thereof.
Compressed air supplied by the engine or from other suitable source is conveyed
into the cylinders (either direct or by means of intermediate reservoirs) under the
pistons which always work in the same direction, that is upwards, to produce the
tilting. The descent works automatically, as soon as the pipe of compressed air is
placed in communication with the atmosphere.
The axis of the hinges of the tank coincide exactly with those of the cross heads
of the piston rods so that the pistons, which do not work, sustain no strain, and are
not subject to any movement. However it is not absolutely necessary that this
coincidence should take place, as on the contrary it may be advantageous in certain
cases that. these two series. of -axes should be independent of one another, in which
cases both series of pistons will participate in the movement of the tank.
We could even while keeping separate the cross heads of the tilting apparatus,
reduce to a single one the two tilting axes and in this case, the tank of the wagon
may be balanced on this single axis.
We can equally reduce to a single one the axes of the cross heads for tilting
while retaining one or two hinges. In the present case, the action of the air is only
exercised on one face of each piston but the compressed air. or the vacuum could be
made to act alternately on both faces.
The frame which supports the moveable tank can be constructed of any suitable
form and has nothing special about it except the necessary arrangements for
receiving the cylinders and allowing their oscillations and the tilting movement of
the tank.
The metal tank may be of various shapes and rests on this frame, it is provided
at its lower part with two runners preferably of iron, to which are fixed suitable
slides and stops to prevent longitudinal displacement of the tank.
The doors of the tank are arranged so as to open and shut automatically. For
this purpose they are hung by their upper part by means of arms and are normally

page_text: kept closed. by bent catches each of which is suitably pivotted in such a manner
that the over hanging part at the moment of tipping comes in contact with the
wagon frame thus forcing the book to disengage. When the tank after discharging
resumes the horizontal position, the hook returns by its own weight to its first
position whilst the door in falling back again raises the extremity thereof causing it
to hook again automatically.
In order for the door to resume by its own weight exactly the same position and to
shut itself securely, the hinge of the supporting arm is slightly bent inwards. This
hinge is preferably placed above the tank in order to facilitate the unloading of
large blocks but, its position can be altered as required to suit the circumstances of
the case.
The above described arrangements can be fitted equally well to a wood truck or to
a metal one.
The compressed air contained in one or more intermediate reservoirs is admitted
at the moment of tipping into a main pipe preferably under the truck; from this
pipe there branch secondary tubes for distributing the air as desired right or left by
means of a three way. cock fixed under each wagon and worked as required from
outside by means of handles. This arrangement allows, (the openings of the cocks
having been properly regulated) of the whole of the trucks, in a train being discharged,
or only part either to the right or the left; the compressed air simply passing
through the centre pipe of the trucks it is desired to reserve. The discharging
completed, it is sufficient to open the main pipe to the outside air in order to allow
the tanks of the trucks to return by their own weight to their normal position.
In case the wagons are intended to carry out a predetermined operation for which
it is desired to discharge the whole train at once, either to right or left, it would be
better to replace the plan of distributing the air above described by the use of two
distinct pipes extending the whole length of the train and supplying the right and
left cylinders respectively. The discharging may be then regulated by a cock
situated so as to be under control of the engine driver for instance and the
intermediate cocks can be done away with.
The cylinders can, if desired, be replaced by a system of fixed or moveable bellows
placed under the wagons. It is to be understood that our system can be applied to
any pattern of wagon to fit any gauge whatever.
We do not bind ourselves to the forms, dimensions or materials hereinbefore stated
a's these may be varied without departing from the scope of our invention.
Dated this 10th day of April 1889.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Trucks, Wagons, and the like, and
in the Method of and Apparatus for Tipping the same.
We, Louis BUETTE, Contractor for Public Works and EMILE CHEVALIER,
Engineer, of 16 rue Drouot, Paris in the Republic of France, 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 :-
:
Our invention has for its object a new system of trucks for the transportation of
earth, ballast, minerals, coal or other goods, such as farm produce, which are carried
in bulk. These trucks are constructed so as to be able to be tipped at will to the
right or left or front or back by the action of compressed air, or water, or steam
under pressure working in a system of suitably prepared cylinders, or by making a.
more or less perfect vacuum in these same cylinders.
:
To enable the description to be better understood; reference may be had to the
annexed drawing, which represents a sample wagon arranged on this systein, of the
usual railway gauge and capable of being tipped to right and left by means of
compressed air.

page_text: front elevation of the wagon,
Figure 2 a view half in plan and half in sectional plan of the same wagon;
Figure 3 is an end view of the same wagon.
The same letters of reference represent the same parts in the different figures.
A. wagon constructed according to our system comprises a frame which may be
mounted upon the axles in the usual manner. This frame carries cylinders, A,
preferably six in number, as shown on the annexed drawing, placed three on each
side of the longitudinal axis of the wagon, for tipping as required on one side or
the other.
The cylinders are free to oscillate on pivots B fixed to the crosspieces C of the,
frame. Inverted yokes which form bearings for these cylin·lers A are attached to the ;
same and are opened underneath in order to allow the latter to be raised if necessary
without dust or sand lodging between the friction surfaces. Above this frame X is
fixed the upper part of the wagon in the form of a tink, supported upon the said
frame by a number of hinges or fulcrums. The piston rods of the three cylinders
on one side of the frame are connected by pivotted cross heads D¹ with one side of:
the said tank, and the other three with the opposite side thereof.
Compressed air supplied by the engine or from other suitable source is conveyed,
into the cylinders (either direct or by means of intermediate reservoirs) under the:
pistons which always work in the same direction, that is, upwards, to produce the
tilting. The descent works automatically as soon as the pipe of compressed air is..
placed in communication with the atmosphere. The axis of the hinges D of the tank
coincide, in the drawing, exactly with those of the cross heads D' of the piston rods,
so that the pistons, which do not work, sustain no strain and are not subject to any
movement. However, it is not absolutely necessary that this co-incidence should
take place, as, on the contrary, it may be advantageous in certain cases that these two
series of axes should be independent of one another, in which cases both series of;
pistons will participate in the movement of the tank.
We could, even while keeping separate the cross heads D₁ of the tilting apparatus,
reduce to a single one the two hinges D, and in this case, the tank of the wagon may;
be balanced on this single axis.
We can equally reduce, to a single one, the axes of the cross heads D' for tilting,
while retaining one or two hinges D. In the present case, as illustrated,,
(Figures 1, 2, 3) the action of the air is only exercised on one face of each piston,;
but the compressed air, water, steam or vacuum could be made to act alternately, on
both faces.
The frame X, which supports the movable tank, can be constructed of any suitablo
form, and has nothing special about it except the necessary arrangements for
receiving the cylinders and allowing their oscillations and the tilting movement of,
the tank.
The metal tank Y may be of various shapes and rests on this frame, it is provided,,
at its lower part, with two runners E, proferably of iron, to which are fixed, at I,
suitable trunnions, working in collars F, and stops G to provent longitudinal displace-
ment of the tank.
ته
:
The doors V of the tank are arranged so as to open and shut automatically. For
this purpose, they are hung by their upper part by means of arms J, and are normally
kept close by bent catches K, each of which is suitably pivotted at K¹ in such a
manner that the overhanging part, at the moment of tipping, comes in contact with..
the wagon frame, thus forcing the hook to disengage. When the tank, after.»
discharging, resumes the horizontal position, the hook returns by its own weight to,
its first position, whilst the door, in falling back again, raises the extremity thereof,.,
causing it to hook again automatically.
In order that the door may resume, by its own weight, exactly the saine position
and may shut itself securely, the hinge I of the supporting arms is slightly. bent.
inwards. This hinge is preferably placed above the tank, as shown in the drawing,
ו'

page_text: in order to facilitate the unloading of large blocks, but its position can be altered as
required to suit the circumstances of the case.
The above described arrangements can be fitted equally well to a wood truck or
to a metal one. The compressed air contained in one or more intermediate reservoirs
is admitted, at the moment of tipping, into a main pipe M, preferably under the
truck, from this pipe there branch secondary tubes N and N¹ for distributing the
air as desired right or left, by means of a 3 way cock P fixed under each wagon and
worked as required from outside by means of handles P¹. This arrangement allows
(the opening of the cocks having been properly regulated) of the whole of the
trucks in a train being discharged, or only part, either to the right or the left;
the compressed air simply passing through the centre pipe of the trucks it is desired
to reserve. The discharging completed, it is sufficient to open the main pipe to the
outside air in order to allow the tanks of the trucks to return by their own weight
to their normal position.
In case the wagons are intended to carry out a predetermined operation for which
it is desired to discharge the whole train at once, either to right or left, it would be
better to replace the plan above described of distributing the air by the employment
of two distinct pipes, extending the whole length of the train, and supplying the
right and left cylinders respectively. The discharging may be then regulated by a
cock situated so as to be under control of the engine driver, for instance, and the
intermediate cocks P can be done away with.
The cylinders can, if desired, be replaced by a system of fixed or movable bellows
-placed under the wagon.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent, in longitudinal elevation, transverse section and
sectional plan, a wagon on the same principle, for discharging ballast on railway
tracks.
In this case, the tank Y of the wagon being divided into two parts which are
discharged to opposite sides of the track, the axes of the hinges D are separate from
those of the lifting cross heads D', as each half of the tank is raised always in the
same way and turns always to the same side. The cylinders A, arranged as
before, can be reduced in number, seeing that they have never more than half the
tank to lift.
This tank Y rests, as in the former case, on the frame X, and is provided also at
its lower part with runners E against which the ends of piston rods press with their
cross heads D¹. The two halves of the tank Y can have each an internal partition,
if desired, but that is not indispensable, the small quantity of ballast which falls in
the centre of the way during the tipping serving to recover the sleepers at that
point. The remainder of the construction resembles that already described in the
wagon discharging to one side at once only.
The annexed drawing represents the application of this system of discharging to a
wagon of the usual rail gauge, but it is to be understood that it can be applied to
any pattern of wagon to fit any gauge whatever. We do not bind ourselves to the
forms, dimensions or materials herein before stated, as these may be varied without
departing from the scope of our invention.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: :-
1. The application of compressed air or of water or steam under pressure or of
a vacuum, to tipping, sideways or endways, wagons destined for the conveyance of
earth, ballast, minerals, coal, or any goods carried in bulk, this tipping being capable
of being applied to all the wagons of a train or only to part of them by the turning
of cocks fitted to each wagon or by the turning of a single one on the engine,
substantially as described and shown."
2. A goods wagon of any gauge, adapted to be tipped at will to right or left, in
front or behind, by the action of compressed air, water or steam under pressure

page_text: working in suitably placed cylinders or by means of a vacuum more or less perfect
in the said cylinders, in which a double or single acting piston may be made to
work, the rod of which gives the upward movement necessary for tipping the wagon,
substantially as described and shown.
3. A ballast wagon of any gauge adapted to tip simultaneously to right and left, and
comprising, in combination with an arrangement of cylinders such as described, a tank
divided into two parts, each discharging to one side of the track, substantially as
described and shown.
4. In combination with a tipping wagon such as described, a series of doors opening
and shutting automatically, and each comprising the door itself, the axis of rotation
of which is slightly sloped inwards to facilitate closing, and a movable elbowed
catch, of which the horizontal hooked part serves as a fastener and the hanging part
of which, at the moment of tipping, strikes against the fixed frame of the wagon, thus
forcing the hook to disengage and allowing the door to open by its own weight,
substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 19th day of December 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, and London, Patent Agents.