IMPROVEMENTS IN FLEXIBLE WHEEL BASES OR UNDER CARRIAGES OF RAILWAY AND CARRIAGES
Year: 1883

page_text: OTHER
LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Slater and Samuel Owen both of Great George
Street in the City of Westminster for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
FLEXIBLE WHEEL BASES OR UNDER CARRIAGES OF RAILWAY AND
CARRIAGES communicated to them from abroad by Emil Kiebitz of Charlotten-
burg Berlin in the Empire of Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Slater and Samuel
Owen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th March
1883.
THOMAS SLATER and SAMUEL OWEN both of Great George Street in the City of
Westminster IMPROVEMENTS IN FLEXIBLE WHEEL BASES OR UNDER CARRIAGES
OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES. A communication to us from abroad by
Emil Kiebitz of Charlottenburg Berlin in the Empire of Germany
The invention consists essentially in placing the axles of the carriage (and when
there are more than two axles in the carriage by placing the end axles only) on an
under frame separated from the principal frame of the carriage and to which the
traction apparatus is directly attached, which under frame is attached to the
principal frame by means of a bolt forming an axis of motion thereto, and through
this bolt the whole power necessary for the traction of the carriage is communicated
to the principal frame.
The draw bar has as much lateral space in the principal carriage frame as is
required for the traverse thereof caused by the play or deviation of the under
frame and a slot is formed in the end guides.long enough for this purpose.
The whole under frame together with the traction apparatus can turn on the
connecting bolt which latter is firmly secured to the principal carriage frame, the
position of this connecting bolt is not in the vertical central plane of the axle but
outside it and nearer the middle of the carriage. Thus the axle when it acts as the
rear axle and is not under the influence of the traction, takes automatically its
normal position on the rails.

page_text: The load of the carriage is transmitted to the under frame by means of links,
a pair of which are fastened by pins at the four corners of the under frame to
brackets fixed to the principal frame and to brackets fixed to the under frame.
The plane of oscillation of the links is directed tangentially to the turning point
of the under frame.
When the under frame is pushed out of its normal or central position by running
on a curve the carriage is caused to rise and by so doing an automatic tendency to
return to the normal position is obtained.
By adopting the arrangement above described, it is possible to construct railway
carriages with a wheel stand (or width between the wheels) of 9 meters, and to
enable the carriages to run on lines with curves of a radius of 180 meters.
In tramway carriages where more deviation is required, the links before
mentioned are replaced by bars with cylindrical beads and cylindrical lower discs
by which arrangement a radial position of the axles may be obtained with carriages
of a wheel stand of 3 meters thereby enabling the carriages to run on curves of a
radius of 15 meters.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said. Thomas Slater and Samuel Owen in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st September 1883.
THOMAS SLATER and SAMUEL OWEN both of Great George Street in the City of
Westminster "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLEXIBLE WHEEL BASES OR UNDER CARRIAGES
OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES (A Communication to us from abroad by
Emil Kiebitz of Charlottenburg Berlin in the Empire of Germany)
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a railway truck or wagon shewing the
improvements applied thereto Figure 2 is a longitudinal section-Figure 3 is a
plan-Figure 4 is a transverse section thereof and Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams
shewing the position the wheels would assume on a curve of a given radius
The Invention consists essentially in placing the axles of the carriage (and when
there are more than two axles in the carriage by placing the end axles only) on'an
under frame A separated from the principal frame of the carriage as represented in
Figures 1 to 4 and to which the traction apparatus C is directly attached, which
under frame is attached to the principal frame by means of a bolt B forming an
axis of motion thereto and through this bolt the whole power necessary for the
traction of the carriage is communicated to the principal frame-The draw bar D
has as much lateral space in the principal carriage frame as is required for the
traverse thereof caused by the play or deviation of the under frame and a slot is
formed in the end guides E long enough for this purpose
The whole. under frame A together with the traction apparatus C can turn on
the connecting bolt B which latter is firmly secured to the principal carriage
frame-the position of this connecting bolt is not in the vertical central plane of
the axle but outside it and nearer the middle of the carriage-Thus the axle when
it acts as the rear axle and is not under the influence of the traction, takes
automatically its normal position on the rails
The load of the carriage is transmitted to the under frame by means of links H
a pair of which are fastened by pins at the four corners of the under frame to
brackets J and K fixed to the principal frame and to brackets F and G fixed to the
under frame
The plane of oscillation of the links H is directed tangentially to the turning
point B of the under frame
When the under frame A is pushed out of its normal or central position by
running on a curve the carriage is caused to rise and by so doing an automatic
tendency to return to the normal position is obtained
By adopting the arrangement above described it is possible to construct railway
carriages with a wheel stand (or width between the wheels) of 9 metres and to
enable the carriages to run on lines with curves of a radius of 180 metres
In tramway carriages where more deviation is required the links H are replaced
by bars with cylindrical heads and cylindrical lower discs by which arrangement a
radial position of the axles may be obtained with carriages of a wheel stand of
3 metres thereby enabling the carriages to run on curves of a radius of 15 metres
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the mode in which
the same may be carried into effect we would have it understood that what we
claim is,
First The direct attaching of the traction apparatus O to the moveable end of
the under frame A in conjunction with the traversing draw bar D substantially as
herein shown and described
Second. The connecting of the under frame A with the principal frame of the

page_text: carriage by means of the bolt B situated outside the vertical central plane of the
axle and towards the middle of the carriage substantially as herein shown and
described
Third The transferring of the carriage load to the under frame by means of the
links H the brackets J. J. and K K and F F and G G substantially as herein shown
and described
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Slater have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twentieth day of September One thousand eight hundred and eighty
three.
THOMAS SLATER (L.S.)