IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING OUT THE GROOVES OF TRAMWAY RAILS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Douglas Chauncy, of Camberwell, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR CLEANING OUT THE GROOVES OF TRAMWAY RAILS.”
Scaled the 18th May 1873, and dated the 18th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Douglas Chauncy
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th November 1872.
I, CHARLES DOUGLAS CHAUNCY, of Camberwell, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING OUT THE GROOVES OF TRAMWAY RAILS,” to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improved arrangements of apparatus
for cleaning out the grooves of tramway rails, by which a considerable
saving of manual labour is effected. For this purpose a truck or wagon
is constructed to travel upon the tramway, and at one or both ends of
this truck inclined arms or supports are arranged so as to carry narrow
endless bands, which are mounted upon rollers opposite to the grooves of

page_text: the tramway rails. The endless bands are actuated by toothed or other
suitable gearing which receives motion from the axes of the travelling
wheels or otherwise, and to the end of each inclined arm or support a
scoop is jointed, the lower end of which fits loosely into the groove of
the rail, and as it travels therein with the forward movement of the
truck it scoops out the mud and dirt, which as it accumulates is con-
ducted on to the endless band, and is carried thereby and delivered into
the body of the truck or wagon.
The supports which carry the endless bands and scoops are jointed to
the truck so as to admit of the scoops being raised or lowered as may be
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Douglas Chauncy in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DOUGLAS CHAUNCY, of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Douglas Ohauncy, Her special license that I, the
said Charles Douglas Chauncy, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Charles Douglas Chauncy, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 APPARATUS
FOR CLEANING OUT THE GROOVES OF TRAMWAY RAILS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Douglas Chauncy, 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

page_text: 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 Charles Douglas Chauncy, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improved arrangements of apparatus
for cleaning out the grooves of tramway rails by which a considerable
saving of manual labor is effected.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 part of a
longitudinal section of apparatus arranged in accordance with my
Invention.
A is a truck or wagon constructed so as to travel upon the tramway,
and at one or both ends of this truck inclined arms or supports B, B, are
arranged and carry the narrow endless band C, C, which are mounted
upon rollers C³, C³, opposite to or over the grooves of the tramway rails.
The endless bands C, C, are actuated by toothed wheels D, E, F, G, (or
other suitable gearing) which receive motion from the axis A' of the
travelling wheels, as clearly shown in the Drawing, or the endless band
may be otherwise actuated. The toothed wheel G is loose on the axes A¹
until being set in motion by the clutch H sliding on a feather on the
axis A, being moved to and fro by the lever H' to put the endless
bands C, C, in and out of action when required. To the end of each
inclined arm or support B a scoop B¹ is jointed,. the lower end of which
fits loosely into the groove of the rail, and as it travels therein with the
forward movement of the truck it scoops out the mud and dirt, which as
it accumulates is conducted on to the endless band, and is carried thereby
and delivered into the body of the truck or wagon A. The endless
bands O, C, have laths O³, 0%, attached thereto for the purpose of re-
taining the mud thereon as it is carried up the incline to be delivered into
the truck A, furnished with hinged doors A' for discharging the contents.

page_text: The supports B which carry the endless bands and scoops are mounted
upon the axis of the upper roller C¹ so as to admit of the scoops B¹ being
raised or lowered as may be required or turned over on to the truck A,
as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing or carrying the same into practice, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein-before
described, as the same may be considerably varied without departing
from the essential character thereof; but what I claim is the improved
arrangement of apparatus for cleaning out the grooves of tramway rails, :
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the Drawing
hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Douglas Chauncy, have here-
to set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
CHA³. D. CHAUNCY. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.