IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEELS AND IN THE CARRIAGES OF STREET TRAMWAYS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Coope Haddan, of 32, Treherne Road,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEELS AND IN THE CARRIAGES OF STREET
TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 19th January 1872, and dated the 25th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Coope Haddan
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his. Petition,
on the 25th July 1871.
I, JOHN COOPE HADDAN, of 32, Treherne Road, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEELS AND IN THE CARRIAGES
OF STREET TRAMWAYS," to be as follows:--
These improvements embrace the constructing wheels (for carriages)
of a form deeply dished or cup-shaped, or with the centre recessed away
from the extreme outer edge of the face, to be used in pairs with the
concave sides presented externally, and convex sides (of a pair), pre-
sented towards each other, so as to permit that axles having outside
bearings may be employed, and that such bearings may lie entirely
within the dished or concave faces or nearly so, and not project as

page_text: heretofore considerably beyond the extreme outer edges of the faces of
the wheels.
And the constructing tramway carriages of the full external width
(or nearly so), but not (or only slightly) wider than the width or
distance between the extreme outer edges or faces of a pair of wheels
as fixed or placed on the axle by the application or employment of
wheels constructed as lastly above set forth.
And the constructing tramway carriages with seats on both sides of
an access passage way thereto, the seats or some of them on one side
thereof being disposed to face in a direction at right angles to the seats
or some of them on the opposite side thereof, so that in the said passage
way at any place in its length where this relative disposition obtains
and the seats are occupied, the knees or legs of the passengers seated on
the one side will not be opposite to the knees or legs of those seated on
the other side.
And the constructing tramway carriages with the two several im-
provements lastly above set forth or either of them in combination
with a central cross passage or with entrances at either or both ends, as
set forth and described in the Specification of former Letters Patent
granted to me (No. 2849, A.D. 1870).
And the constructing tramway carriages with upper part or body to
move round upon a pivot and turn end for end with regard to under
frame with or without a sliding longitudinal movement of body upon
or with regard to the under frame.
And the constructing them with screw or other lifting and lowering
motion to the body to permit it when lifted to turn round on a pivot
as above set forth, and to clear or pass over the wheels, and when
lowered to assume a lower position with regard to under frame than
otherwise would be attainable.
And the constructing them with screw or other lifting and lowering
motion to the body and under frame jointly and with pivotting arrange-
ment to allow them to turn round end for end when lifted.
The following is the contemplated manner of performance of the
Invention.
The specially dished or cup wheels to be of iron or steel. The bearings
to be in some cases supported by plates or bars, the general intention
being that with bearings outside the wheels the carriage shall project

page_text: as little as possible beyond the outside face of the wheels, the amount of
projection being only so much as is absolutely necessary for the plates
or bars supporting the bearings. The special relative disposition of
seats of tramway carriages will be conveniently effected by an arrange-
ment thus: Opposite to seating on one side for each three persons
facing as usual crossways there is to be seating for two passengers
facing endways. The reversible carriage bodies to be ordinary omnibus
bodies, old ones removed from existing under carriages and placed upon
and adapted to proper tramway carriage under frame, or special or new
bodies may be used. Under frame sometimes to have an entrance
platform at each end and turning pivot to be sometimes disposed a little
away from middle of the length of carriage body, so that one platform
may be covered by the body while the other is uncovered accordingly,
as the body is placed. A platform (at end) sometimes to be carried by
the turning body and under frame to be without platform, rests, stops,
blocking stages, and catches, or locking gear to be provided.
lifting and lowering motions to be effected by jacking (up and down) a
turnplate or turntable from under frame or from body, and proper
friction rollers being provided. The above improvements or some of
them are to be employed in any convenient combination.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Coope Haddan in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
COOPE HADDAN, of 32, Treherne Road, Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of. Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto the said John Coope Haddan, Her
special licence that I, the said John Coope Haddan, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Coope
Haddan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
“IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEELS AND IN THE CARRIAGES OF STREEt Tramways,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Coope
Haddan, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed.
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Coope Haddan, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same.
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The improvements embrace, firstly, the constructing wheels (for
carriages) of a form deeply dished or cup-shaped or with the centro
recessed away from the extreme outer edge of the face, to be used in
pairs with the concave sides presented externally, and convex sides (of a
pair) presented towards each other, so as to permit that axles having
outside bearings may be employed, and that such bearings may lie
entirely within the dished or concave faces or nearly so and not project,
as heretofore, considerably beyond the extreme outer edges of the faces
of the wheels.
And, secondly. The constructing tramway carriages of the full
external width (or nearly so), but not (or only slightly) wider than
the width or distance between the extreme outer edges of the faces
of a pair of wheels as fixed or placed on the axle by the application
or employment of wheels constructed as above set forth.
'
And, thirdly. The constructing tramway carriages with seats on both
sides of an access passage way thereto, the seats or some of them on one
side thereof being disposed to face in a direction at right angles to the
seats or some of them on the opposite side thereof, so that in the said
passage way, at any place in its length where this relative disposition
obtains and the seats are occupied, the knees or legs of the passengers
seated on the one side will not be opposite to the knees or legs of those
on the other side.

page_text: And, fourthly and lastly. The constructing tramway carriages with
the two several improvements secondly and thirdly above set forth, or
cither of them, in combination with a central cross passage or with
entrances at either or both ends, as set forth and described in the
Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me (No. 2849,
A.D. 1870).
The following is the manner in which the Invention may be and is to
be performed:-The specially dished or cup wheels to be of iron or steel.
The bearings to be in some cases supported by plates or bars, the general
intention being that with bearings outside the wheels the carriage shall
project as little as possible beyond the outside face of the wheels, the
amount of projection being only so much as is absolutely necessary for
the plates or bars supporting or to be supported by the bearings. The
special relative disposition of seats of tramway carriages will be con-
veniently effected by an arrangement thus:-Opposite to seating on one
side for each three persons facing as usual crossways there is to be
seating for two passengers facing endways.
In further explanation of the manner in which the Invention may be
and is to be performed the accompanying Drawing shews at Figure 1 a
pair of the improved wheels mounted on an axle and fixed thereon to
revolve together, one wheel being represented in section, and the other
in elevation. a, a, are the extreme outer edges of concave face, presented
externally; b, b, the convex sides, presented towards each other; c, c,
the journals or bearings outside and within the dishing or concavity for
the wheels.
Figure 2 is a vertical section shewing construction of the improved
tramway carriage in combination with the improved wheels so far (that
is to say) as requisite for this Specification. d is a part of the main
under frame constructed of wrought-iron plates; e indicates super-
structure of carriage resting on and which may be secured to the under
frame in any convenient manner; fis an upper angle iron rivetted to
under frame, by which the weight of carriage is brought to bear upon
and be supported by a pair of ordinary indian-rubber tramway carriage
springs g, g, one on either side of the axle, as shewn in the sectional side
view, Figure 3.
Figure 4 is an external side view of under frame to correspond with
Figures 2 and 3; and Figure 5 is a plan view of the springs g, g. h, h,
are the lower angle irons (see also section Figure 6) for holding or

page_text: guiding the lower ends of the bolts or pins passing through the
springs g, g; i is the axle box; and i*, i*, horns or projections thereon,
on which the springs rest; k is a hole-in the under frame (see Figure 4)
for access to the axle box. It is specially to be noted that, in accordance
with the improvements firstly and secondly above set forth, there is no
projection of the axles nor of the under frame or superstructure of
carriage beyond the edge or face a of the dished wheel further than the
trifling thickness of the plates of the under frame and a very small
amount of clearance to prevent the wheel chafing.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 illustrate a modification of the foregoing in which
one ordinary indian-rubber tramway carriage spring g to each wheel and
immediately over the axle is substituted for two springs, as in the
arrangement above described. Figure 7 shews a pair of wheels on an
axle, one in section, the other not, with under frame d, d*, carried up
outside of and bridged over the top of the wheels, the parts d* being.
horn plates or axle guards fixed to the timber framing d. Figure 8 is a
side elevation. m is a cast-iron guide (one for each axle box i to slide or
work in) rivetted or bolted to the horn plate d* ; see also Figure 9. The
spring is interposed between the top of the axle box and the under side
of the top part of the guide m. In this case, as before, there is but a
minimum of projection beyond the outer face or edge a of the wheels.
I would remark that in both cases metal spiral or helical springs may be
substituted for the indian-rubber block springs described and represented
in the Drawings.
Figs. 10 and 11 are diagram plan views of internal seating in illus-
tration of the third improvement above set forth. p is a longitudinal
access passage to the seats, cach of which is indicated by a small arrow.
The arrangement of the seats may be described as in sets of five to each
set, three of which face crossways and are situate on one side of the
passage p, and the remaining two face endways and are situate on the
opposite side.
The arrows denote the directions respectively. If
the passengers sit fairly on the seats thus disposed the knees of two
out of the five occupying each set of five seats will not to be opposite
to the knees of the three, and the arrangement will thus greatly relieve
the passage way from obstruction.
It is to be understood that the improved disposition of seats may
be adopted in carriages otherwise of various constructions whether with

page_text: outside or with inside bearings for the axles as in the present or former
Inventions respectively. .
In respect of the improvement fourthly and lastly above set forth my
improved non-overhanging carriages are to be constructed in com-
bination with a central cross passage or with entrances at cither or both
ends in accordance with the various modes described and represented by
the Drawings in the Complete Specification of my said former Patent.
Also my improved non-overhanging carriages are to be constructed in
combination with a central cross passage or with entrances at either or
both ends when the seats are disposed in accordance with my said third
improvement as to seating herein-above set forth, described, and repre.
sented in the Drawings referred to. Thus in Figure 11 a central cross
passage is represented at ġ, and in Figure 10 entrances p*, p*, at both
ends, both these Figures shewing also, as already stated, the special
improvement as to seating referred to.
And generally I would remark that the several varieties of con-
struction of tramway carriage enumerated in the Specification of my
said former Patent (No. 2849, A.D. 1870,) may be modified by the
substitution of outside instead of inside bearings, and in accordance with
the modification become further illustrative examples of my said present
Invention.
And also I would remark that, whether specially herein noted or
otherwise, the several improvements by this Invention contemplated
are to be employed in any convenient combination or combinations.
Since filing the Provisional Specification of the Invention my judg-
ment is altered as to the value of certain special matters or features
therein mentioned, and as I do not now attach importance to them
I hereby disclaim the privileges intended by the Letters Patent to have
been included in respect of them. The said special matters or features
referred to are the constructing tramway carriages with upper part or
body to move round upon a pivot and turn end for end with regard to
under frame-with or without a sliding longitudinal movement of body
upon or with regard to the under frame; and the constructing them with
screw or other lifting and lowering motion to the body to permit it
when lifted to turn round on a pivot, as above set forth, and to clear or
pass over the wheels, and when lowered to assume a lower position with
regard to under frame than otherwise would be attainable; and the con-
structing them with screw or other lifting and lowering motion to the

page_text: body and under frame jointly and with pivotting arrangement to allow
them to turn round end for end when lifted. The reversible carriage
bodies to be ordinary omnibus bodies, old ones removed from existing
under carriages and placed upon and adapted to proper tramway carriage
under frame, or special or new bodies may be used. Under frame some-
times to have end entrance platform at each end, and turning pivot to
be sometimes disposed a little away from middle of the length of
carriage body, so that one platform may be covered by the body while
the other is uncovered accordingly as the body is placed. A platform
(at end) sometimes to be carried by the turning body, and under frame
to be without platform. Rests, stops, blocking stages, and catches or
locking gear to be provided. The lifting and lowering motions to be
effected by jacking (up and down) a turnplate or turntable from under-
frame or from body, and proper friction rollers being provided.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Coope Haddan, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January,
in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and seventy-two.
J. C. HADDAN. (L.S.)