Improvements in Rolling Stock for Single Rail Tramways.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rolling Stock for Single Rail Tramways.
I, GEORGE HENDERSON of 34 Old Broad Street in the City of London,
Merchant, (a communication to me from abroad by Charles Ewing of Calcutta,
India, Engineer) do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to this invention the greater part of the weight of the truck or
carriage and its contents is supported on a central wheel or wheels running on the
single rail whilst the vehicle is prevented from overturning by a wheel or wheels
at one side running on the ground.
In some cases in order to bring the centre of gravity as low as possible two side
platforms, intended to carry goods or passengers are suspended from two longi-
tudinal beams by means of iron brackets stiffened by being bolted to transverse
beams, through the platform planking, the two longitudinal beams resting, by
means of suitable bearings upon the axles of the wheels on the rail.
The balance of the truck is preserved in the following manner :-
If the loads on each of the side platforms be equal, and no part of the load
be placed over the central raised portion, either side platform can be raised to
a considerable height before any portion of the load on the platform so raised
will cross an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the rail, and, until this
happens, the only tendency to capsize will be caused by the weight of that portion
of the truck and its wheels which shall have passed such perpendicular.
The weight of the road wheel with its spring and supports and attachments
for both, would ordinarily be sufficient to prevent any chance of the truck or
carriage capsizing, but this risk can be altogether eliminated by placing a greater
weight on the road wheel side platform of the truck, or carriage, than on the
other. At the same time the pressure of the road wheel on the surface of the road
or ground can be regulated by the weight on the suspended platform to any extent
necessary to enable it to pass over very soft or boggy ground, as might be the case
where no road exists upon which the tramway can be laid.
For special purposes such as the carriage of earth, limestone, coal &c. &c.
where these have to be tipped, and which require sides-or timber, iron drainage,
or water, pipes, &c., where no sides are necessary, and where by raising the road
wheel well off the ground the loading of such articles could be facilitated, by
parbuckling; trucks with flush or level platforms carried above the wheels on the
rail can be used, but in such cases it is advisable for the distance between the road
wheel and the rail to be made a little greater, to render a capsize impossible. The
same remarks as to the loading, to ease, or increase the pressure of the road wheel
on the surface of the road, apply as to the trucks or carriages with the lower centre
of gravity.
By making the tyre of the road wheel wider than that of an ordinary cart wheel,
the pressure on the surface of the road or ground is distributed to such an extent
as to make the action of the wheel or wheels, on such surface, one rather of
consolidation than destruction.
In consequence of one half of the truck being suspended in the manner described
the rail can be laid on the extreme edge of a road, and the latter, when the trucks
have passed, is as available for ordinary traffic as if no rail were there.
Where it is intended to use the tramway for street, passenger or other traffic or
wherever the rail surface requires to be level with the road, a grooved rail of any

page_text: suitable pattern is used to accommodate wheels having one instead of 2 flanges the
said flange being situated in the centre of the periphery of the wheels.
Owing to the tractive force required to overcome the resistance of the road
wheel, or wheels, the bullocks, or other animals, that may be employed for draught
purposes pull from the road wheel side of the centre of the end of the truck or
carriage, such position of the pole or other draught attachment being regulated by
the amount of resistance offered by the road wheel or wheels.
Dated this Twentieth day of February 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rolling Stock for Single Rail Tramways.
t
I, GEORGE HENDERSON, of 34 Old Broad Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, (a communication to me from abroad by Charles Ewing, of Calcutta,
India, Engineer,) 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 :-
According to this invention the greater part of the weight of the truck or
carriage and its contents is supported on a central wheel or wheels running on the
single rail whilst the vehicle is prevented from overturning by a wheel or wheels
at one side running on the ground.
In some cases in order to bring the centre of gravity as low as possible two
side platforms intended to carry goods or passengers are suspended from two longi-
tudinal beams by means of iron brackets stiffened by being bolted to transverse
beams through the platform planking, the two longitudinal beams resting, by
means of suitable bearings upon the axles of the wheels on the rail.
The balance of the truck is preserved in the following manner :-
If the loads on each of the side platforms be equal, and no part of the load be
placed over the central raised portion, either side platform can be raised to a
considerable height before any portion of the load on the platform so raised will
cross an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the rail, and, until this happens,
the only tendency to capsize will be caused by the weight of that portion of the
truck and its wheels which shall have passed such perpendicular.
The weight of the road wheel with its spring and supports and attachments for
both, would ordinarily be sufficient to prevent any chance of the truck or carriage
capsizing but this risk can be altogether eliminated by placing a greater weight on
the road wheel side platform of the truck, or carriage, than on the other. At the
same time the pressure of the road wheel on the surface of the road or ground can
be regulated by the weight on the suspended platform to any extent necessary to
enable it to pass over very soft or boggy ground, as might be the case where no
road exists upon which the tramway can be laid.
;
For special purposes, such as the carriage of earth, limestone, coal, &c. &c.,
where these have to be tipped, and which require sides, or timber, iron drainage,
or water, pipes &c., where no sides are necessary, and where by raising the road
wheel well off the ground the loading of such articles could be facilitated by
parbuckling trucks with flush or level platforms carried above the wheels on the
rail can be used, but in such cases it is advisable for the distance between the road
wheel and the rail to be made a little greater, to render a capsize impossible. The
same remarks as to the loading, to ease, or increase, the pressure of the road wheel
on the surface of the road, apply as to the trucks or carriages with the lower centre
of gravity.
By making the tyre of the road wheel wider than that of an ordinary cart wheel,
the pressure on the surface of the road or ground is distributed to such an extent

page_text: as to make the action of the wheel or wheels, on such surface, oue rather of
consolidation than destruction.
In consequence of one half of the truck being suspended in the manner described
-the-rail-can-be-laid-on-the-extreme-edge-of-a-road, and-the-latter, when-the-trucks-
have passed, is as available for ordinary traffic as if no rail were there.
Where it is intended to use the tramway for street, passenger, or other traffic,
or wherever the rail surface requires to be level with the road, a grooved rail of
any suitable pattern is used to accomodate wheels having one instead of two
flanges, the said flange being situated in the centre of the periphery of the wheels.
Owing to the tractive force required to overcome the resistance of the road
wheel, or wheels, the bullocks, or other animals, that may be employed for draught
purposes, pull from the road wheel side of the_centre_of_the_end_of_ the truck or
carriage, such position of the pole or other draught attachment being regulated by
the amount of resistance offered by the road wheel or wheels.
This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings numbered 1, 2, 3, 4
and 5. Drawing No. 1 gives an end elevation, and No. 2 a side elevation of an
open goods truck with
very low centre of gravity. Drawings Nos. 3, 4 and 5
give "end," "discharging side," and "road wheel side" elevations, respectively, of
a "tip" waggon for hand or animal power, with its centre of gravity necessarily
higher, but with the same principle of road wheel on one side only to balance it, as
with the truck illustrated in Drawings Nos. 1 and 2.
In Drawings 1 and 2 a a are two double flanged wheels running upon a rail b.
cc are longitudinal beams supported on the axles of the wheels a. d d are iron
brackets connecting the longitudinal beams with transverse beams e e and with
the platforms ff laid upon the transverse beams. g is the road or ground
wheel, its axle 9' is supported by a standard h fixed to the platform and also
the axle is supported at its inner end by one of the longitudinal beams c. The
axle g is free to play up and down on the standard and the platform is
suspended from the axle by a spring i and links i¹. kk are sockets to receive
the draught link.
Owing to the manner in which the side platforms of the truck illustrated in
Drawing Nos. 1 and 2 are suspended from the longitudinal beams, the centre of
gravity is very low, and while this of itself is a very great advantage, another
advantage derived from this is the facility with which the loading and unloading
of the goods trucks can be performed without the assistance of loading and
unloading platforms.
nn are
In Figures 3, 4 and 5, 11 are flanged wheels running upon a single rail and
supporting a platform m in this case above the tops of the wheels.
fixed ends and side of the truck body. o is a moveable side to open when the
truck is tipped to discharge the load." The side o is hung from the joint rod o'
and is retained by the latches p p until released. 9 is the ground or road wheel,
it is mounted on a stud axis fixed to the body of the truck. rare hand spikes
to be used in tipping the truck, and ss are sockets to receive the hand spikes.
The dimensions of the trucks and carriages, the nature of the springs and
connections and number of wheels on the road and rail and their dimensions may
be increased or altered to any extent necessary to suit the special purpose for
which the rolling stock may be required.
These arrangements render the use of tramways constructed with a single rail
economically possible to a degree hitherto unknown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. Trucks or carriages for single rail tramways having a wheel or wheels running
upon the rail and so placed as to sustain the greater part of the load and another
wheel or wheels at the side running upon the road or land and so placed as to
prevent the truck or carriage upsetting substantially as described.

page_text: 2. Trucks or carriages for single rail tramways having a wheel or wheels running
upon the rail and another wheel or wheels running upon the road or land and a
platform suspended below the axles of the wheels substantially as described in
respect to Figures 1 and 2.
3. Trucks or carriages for single rail tramways having a wheel or wheels running
upon the rail and another wheel or wheels running on the road or land and
adapted to be tipped sideways substantially as described in respect to Figures 3, 4
and 5.
4. Rolling stock substantially as represented by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 13th day of September 1894.
GEORGE HENDERSON.