IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARTS, WAGGONS, LURRIES, CABS, OMNIBUSES, CARRIAGES, STEAM OR OTHER LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND WHEELED VEHICLES, SO AS TO ADAPT THEM FOR USAGE ON ROADWAY, RAILWAY, OR TRAMWAY
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wood, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster,
Hatter, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
CARTS, WAGGONS, LURRIES, CABS, OMNIBUSES, CARRIAGES, STEAM OR OTHER
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND WHEELED VEHICLES, SO AS TO ADAPT THEM FOR
USAGE ON ROADWAY, RAILWAY, OR TRAMWAY."
led the 29th January 1878, and dated the 10th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wood at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th November 1877.
JAMES WOOD, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Hatter. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARTS, WAGGONS, LURRIES, CABS, OMNIBUSES, CARRIAGES,
STEAM OR OTHER LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND WHEELED VEHICLES, SO AS TO ADAPT
THEM FOR USAGE ON ROADWAY, RAILWAY, OR TRAMWAY."
The object or nature of this Invention is to construct wheeled vehicles; as
described above, in such a nanner as to make them suitable for running on either
road, railway, or tramway.
The principal feature of this Invention is that in addition to the ordinary wheels
now required by the aforesaid conveyances there will be required revolving wheels,
revolving on one or more adjustable axletrees as the conveyance may require.
These additional wheels and axletrees will require to be inade of the necessary
gauge or width, so as to make them revolve closely and firmly against the inside
edge of the rails or trams they are intended to work upon, thus acquiring the same
result as is produced by the present flange of an ordinary railway carriage-flanged
wheel, namely, that of keeping the wheels and conveyances on the rails; thus it
may be termed the loose revolving flange.
A special feature of this Invention is that this loose revolving flange will be
applied in a fore-and-aft position of each ordinary working wheel, so that a forward
and backward motion of the conveyance is equally guided and secured; thus two
adjustable and revolving flanges will be required to each wheel. These revolving
:

page_text: flanges being fixed to adjustable axletrees, which are worked by screw, lever, or
spring, or other mechanical power, may on railways or tramways be lowered so as
to make thein sufficiently flange against the inside edge of the rails or trams they
are working upon.
It will be seen that conveyances adapting these improvements must have wheels
that are not flanged. On roadways or the earth's surface these revolving flanges
will be raised sufficiently by means of the aforesaid screw, lever, or spring, so as
to allow the ordinary wheels of the conveyance to proceed or turn in any direction
required, the revolving flanges being elevated so as to be clear of touching the
surface of the ground.
A modification of these improvements might consist of a moveable flange, not
necessarily circular in form or revolving in action, yet involving the adjustable
flanged principle. It is intended to apply one or more of these adjustable flanges
to each wheel, as occasion may require.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by 1
the said James Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th May
1878.
"IMPROVEMENTS
JAMES WOOD, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Hatter.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARTS, WAGGONS, LURRIES, CABS, OMNIBUSES, CARRIAGES,
STEAM OR OTHER LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND WHEELED VEHICLES, SO AS TO ADAPT
THEM FOR USAGE ON ROADWAY, RAILWAY, OR TRAMWAY."
The object or nature of my Invention is to construct wheeled vehicles in such a
manner as to make them suitable for running on either road, railway; or
tramway.
The principal feature of my Invention is that in addition to the ordinary wheels
now required by the said conveyances or vehicles, there will be required revolving
wheels working on one or more adjustable axletrees, as the conveyance may require,
and may be used in the node and manner herein described.
Figures 12, and 3 shew one mode or manner of bringing my Invention into
practical operation.
a is the handle or hand wheel to be operated by the driver; b is the support
through which works the screw spindle c, giving motion to one end of a bell-crank
lever d. This lever d works on the stud e, which is bolted or fixed to the bracket f
(the said bracket being firmly secured to the body of the coach or omnibus). To
the lower end of this bell-crank lever d is jointed the connecting link g, which
gives a backward or forward movement to the levers h and secured to the cross
shafts i and i¹.
In order to allow the lever h to work, when used in connection with vehicles
having the lock arrangement, I use the radial plate p, which is attached to the
connecting link g, through which passes the upper end of the lever h. (When the
adjustable wheels are lowered so as to flange against the tram or rail, the said

page_text: brackets m.
ever h is then secured by passing into a V shaped bracket, which holds the lock
and the adjustable wheels firmly in the position required). To each end of the
cross shafts i and I key or otherwise fix the bell-crank levers j. To these bell-
crank levers j are attached the arms or links k, which give an up-and-down motion
to the adjustable axletrees 1, moving up and down in slots formed in the lower end
of the brackets m. A stay or support marked o is used to give firnness to the
On the adjustable axletrees revolve the loose or adjustable wheels n.
Now, I make, by preference, these adjustable wheels with a thin or feather edge,
so that they will be able more effectually to keep their position in the groove, train,
or rail, which would otherwise probably be obstructed by sundry accumulations of
dirt. (A lever may be substituted direct to the connecting link in place of the
screw spindle c, thus enabling the driver to work this application either by band or
foot.) The aforesaid adjustable wheels and axletrees will require to be made of
the necessary gauge or width, so as to make the adjustable wheels revolve closely
against the inside edge of the rail or tram they are intended to work upon, thus
acquiring the same result as is produced by the present flange of an ordinary
railway carriage flanged wheel, namely, that of keeping the wheels and conveyance
on the rails. These adjustable wheels may be applied in a fore-and-aft position of
each ordinary working wheel, so that a forward and backward motion of the con-
veyance is equally guided and secured.
It will be seen that conveyances adopting these improvements must have wheels
that are not flanged. On roadways or the earth's surface these adjustable wheels
will be raised sufficiently by the aforesaid screw or lever, so as to allow the ordinary
wheels of the conveyance to proceed or turn in any direction required.
A modification of these improvements might consist of an adjustable flange, not
necessarily circular in form or revolving in action, yet involving the adjustable
flange principle. It is intended to apply one or more of these adjustable wheels to
each ordinary wheel, as occasion may require.
A spring may be substituted in place of the afore-mentioned screw or lever,
operating on the connecting link g.
Having now ascertained and described the nature and practise of my said Inven-
tion, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact
details set forth, as the same may be modified without departing from the spirit of
my Invention; now what I claim as my improvements are, the application of loose
revolving wheels, used in the nanner herein described and for the purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jaines Wood, have hereunto set iny hand
and seal this Twenty-sixth day of March. One thousand eight hundred and
Signed and sealed in y
presence,
THOMAS RICHMOND,
Patent Agent,
Burnley.
JAMES WOOD. (L.S.)