Improvements in or relating to Railway Trucks for Carrying Sheep and other Live Stock; also applicable for other Carrying Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Railway Trucks for Carrying Sheep
and other Live Stock; also applicable for other Carrying
Purposes.
We, JOHN JOHNSTON MOMURDO Solicitor Airdrie, N.B. and JOHN SYMINGTON,
Union Tube Works, Coatbridge, N.B. Tube Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or relating to railway trucks for carrying
sheep and other live stock; also applicable for other carrying purposes.
In the carrying out of our invention we provide the truck with 2, 3 or more
platforms or floors so as to carry double or treble the number of animals and so
economise space and at the same time reduce the cost of conveyance.
When the truck is divided say into two portions a movable platform or floor is
provided at about the centre of the height of the truck; the said floor being raised
and lowered by pulleys. Thus when loading a truck the said movable floor lies flat
upon the ordinary floor; when filled it is then elevated by means of the pulley
worked say by a crank or other gear at the ends of the truck. When elevated, a similar
lot of animals may be led into the ordinary or lower floor of the truck. In unloading
the truck the animals are led out in the ordinary way and the upper floor is then
lowered for the upper floor of animals to be taken out.
The invention is applicable for the carrying of sheep lambs, pigs dead meat, and the
same arrangement is also applicable for baggage, goods or railway passenger's
luggage.
If desired the elevated floor may have additional supports such as by means of
brackets or retaining catches which can be put into and out of gear with the movable
platform or platforms.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Railway Trucks for Carrying Sheep
and other Live Stock; also applicable for other Carrying
Purposes.
We, JOHN JOHNSTON MCMURDO, Solicitor, Airdrie N.B. and JOHN SYMINGTON,
Union Tube Works, Coatbridge, N.B. Tube Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in or relating to railway trucks for carrying
sheep and other live stock; also applicable for other carrying purposes.

page_text: In the carrying out of our invention we provide the truck with one or more
movable platforms or floors so as to carry double or more than double the number of
animals or quantity of merchandise, and so economise space and at the same time
reduce the cost of conveyance. Thus when loading a truck all the movable platforms
or floors lie flat upon the floor of the truck and the sheep, live stock or merchandise are
placed thereon. When filled the platform or floor is elevated by means of pulleys
worked say by a crank or other gear at the ends of the truck or in any other
convenient way. The next platform or floor is then loaded and raised in the same way,
and afterwards the floor of the truck is also loaded. In unloading the truck the
reverse process is followed.
The invention is applicable for the carrying of sheep, lambs, pigs, dead meat and
the same arrangement is also applicable for baggage, goods or railway passenger's
luggage and other merchandise.
If desired the elevated platform or floor may have additional supports such as by
means of brackets or retaining catches which can be put into and out of gear with
the movable platform or platforms.
In order that our said invention may be more readily understood and easily carried
into effect we proceed to describe one method by which the same may be applied with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation.
Fig. 2 an under plan and
Figs. 3 & 4 end views of a cattle truck showing our improvement applied
thereto.
Referring to the said drawings we employ a platform A corresponding in shape
to the floor of the truck and provided at each corner with an eye or hook a for
raising and lowering it. To the upper corners of the truck and situated at the outside
thereof we secure brackets B within which are mounted small pulleys b over which
the ropes or chains CC for elevating the platform, pass. Similar brackets and pulleys
are secured to the underside of the truck for guiding the ropes C to the other end of
the truck. At one end of the truck we mount, within suitable bearings d, a shaft D
'to which the ends of the ropes C, C' are attached in any convenient way. A ratchet
wheel is secured to the shaft D at one end into which a pawl e engages; the ends of
the shaft being provided with cranked handles d for operating the same. The method
of attaching the ropes to the shaft is such that upon the shaft D being operated
in either direction the ropes U Care both wound or unwound simultaneously.
For the purpose of retaining the platform in position after being raised, we provide
the corners of the truck with catches or supports F attached to shafts which are
operated from the outside of the truck by levers f. The supports F when not
required are caused to enter the slots 2 (Fig. 3) by means of the said levers f¹. The
said shafts are connected together at one end of the truck as shewn in Fig. 4, by
means of links or arms G pivotted to a double armed lever g and engaging with
cranks g' formed on the shafts, so that both shafts / can be operated simultaneously by
either of the levers.
The doors H may be formed as shown that is to say in three parts, the two upper
parts being hinged at the sides while the lower is hinged at the bottom, the arrange-
ment being such that sheep or other live stock on the elevated platform can he
secured while the lower part is being loaded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A railway truck for carrying sheep and other live stock, or merchandise,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In railway trucks for carrying sheep and other live stock, or merchandise the
employment of one or more movable platforms or floors so placed and operated that
they can be raised or lowered, substantially as and for the purposes herein before
described

page_text: 3. In railway trucks for carrying sheep and other live stock or merchandise, the-
platform A in combination with the means for raising and lowering the same,
consisting of the shaft D, ropes CC, and pulleys; and the means for retaining the
platform when elevated, consisting of the supports F operated by the levers fi; or
the mechanical equivalents of the said parts; substantially as hereinbefore described
and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of January 1807
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Agents.