AN IMPROVED DEVICE FOR CLEANING THE RAILS OF TRAMWAYS
Year: 1886

page_text: I ALFRED DICKINSON of Tramway Depôt Darlaston in the County of Stafford
Tramway Manager do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED
DEVICE FOR CLEANING THE RAILS OF TRAMWAYS" 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 for its object a device for cleaning the groove and upper
surface of Tramway Rails when clogged up or over with an accumulation of mud
dust or other obstructions and is also thoroughly suitable for clearing the Engine
track after falls of snow. Without facility for clearing away snow the traffic on
Tramways has often to be suspended in snowy weather which is just the time
when people require most to ride and thus the profits of Companies are considerable
effected thereby.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings upon which I have
illustrated one form of my device suitable for attaching to an Engine or Car and
which is merely illustrative of the principle and it will be evident to practical men
that the attachment will be varied in their details and designs to suit the design
of Engine or Car or the part to which it has to be attached.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the device looking at the front of the Engine or
vehicle as it would approach the eye.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device in both cases as applied to the rail
or rails.
The parts on the drawing marked B and B¹ are supposed to be two brackets or
parts already forming part of the Engine or other vehicle to which the device is to
be attached or they may be bolted on to any part so as to form a suitable means
of attachment thereto.
The cross bar or shaft A is the main and removable portion of my device and it
carries the supplimental parts attached thereto in the case illustrated in the following
manner. The cranked or other arms A2 and A³ are formed into bearings to carry
the shaft or rod A so that it may turn therein without undue friction and they are
fitted with slotted holes a* and a³ which allows the device to be raised or lowered
at will and secured at any desired elevation by means of the bolts c, c¹ c² and c³.

page_text: The lever or rod E is practically a part of the rod A. either by welding keying
or otherwise and it is attached at its end e¹ to a suitable spring K. and the other
end of the spring k¹ to some part of the vehicle or Engine. To each end of rod
or shaft A. I make fast the scraper holders M and N to which I attach the steel
or scrapers or brushes R and S which are formed at the lower end to enter the
groove w¹ of the rail W and also to fit upon the surface w² of the rail the point of
the scrapers or other obstruction removers being varied, according to the form of
rail and the circumstances of the case. The scrapers are slanted to throw obstruc-
tions sideways. When the vehicle or Engine is moving forward in the direction
of the arrow any obstruction of an exceptional kind will be compensated for by
the scraper moving backwards and turning the shaft A slightly and extending the
spring K which immediately brings the scraper back when the the obstruction is
passed and otherwise keeps the scraper to its work as well as making up for any
jumping in the Engine.
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
The improved device for cleaning the rails of Tramways of the adjustable
scrapers R and S hung upon a shaft or bar or its equivalent in such a manner
as to accomodate itself to the way by means of the spring K or its equivalent
substantially as herein set forth.