A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO STREET TRAMWAY CARRIAGES FOR FACILITATING THE TRAFFIC
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alphonse Krieger, of Paris, France, but at
present of the Boro', in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO STREET TRAMWAY
CARRIAGES FOR FACILITATING THE TRAFFIC."
Sealed the 11th January 1873, and dated the 20th July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alphonse Krieger at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1872.
I, ALPHONSE KRIEGER, of Paris, France, but at present of the Boro',
in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO STREET
TRAMWAY CARRIAGES FOR FACILITATING THE TRAFFIC," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to means for enabling street tramway carriages
to temporarily leave the rails on which they run when it is required to
divert the car from the track in order to pass another vehicle or
obstruction.

page_text: According to my Invention I apply an extra wheel or wheels at the
front end of the car, which at the required moment and without stopping
the car will take the weight of that end of the car and raise the leading
wheels from the rails and set them down on the ground at the one side
or the other as desired, the hind wheels following without difficulty, so
that the car will be entirely removed from the rails and run for the time
being on the ordinary roadway. As the ends of the car usually travel
front and rear alternately, I generally apply the apparatus of my Inven-
tion at both ends.
The apparatus may consist of an eccentric wheel or cam mounted in a
pivoted frame or bearing beneath the platform. of the car and operated
by a hand lever, by which it may be brought down on to the ground
when required, and inclined in one direction or the other to cause the
car to diverge from the obstacle to be avoided. A suitable brake or
stop actuated by a spring holds the wheel off the ground out of the way
when not required, and also serves to arrest it after it has performed its
office of lifting the front wheels of the car from the rails.
Instead of an eccentric wheel an ordinary wheel or its equivalent may
be used mounted in a pivoted bearing, and brought to bear upon the
surface of the ground by means of a screw shaft or lever operated by a
hand wheel or otherwise, for lifting the front wheels of the car from the
rails and setting them on the ground to one side of the track or the other,
as before.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alphonse Krieger in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 20th January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALPHONSE
KRIEGER, of Paris, France, but at present of the Boro', in the County
of Surrey, send greeting.."
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, 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 Alphonse Krieger, Her special licence that'

page_text: I, the said Alphonse Krieger, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alphonse Krieger, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS
TO BE APPLIED TO STREET TRAMWAY CARRIAGES FOR FACILITATING THE TRAFFIC,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alphonse Krieger,
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 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 Alphonse Krieger, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
My Invention relates to means for enabling a street tramway carriage
to temporarily leave the rails on which it travels when it is required to
divert the car from the track in order to pass an obstruction.
According to my Invention I apply an auxiliary or guide wheel or
wheels at the front end of the car, which at the required moment and
without stopping the car will take the weight of that end of the car and
raise the leading wheels from the rails and set them down on the ground
at the one side or the other of the track as desired, the hind wheels
following without much difficulty, so that the car will be entirely
removed from the rails and run for the time being on the ordinary road-
way. As the ends of the car usually travel front and rear alternately, I
generally apply the apparatus of my Invention at both ends.
The apparatus consists of an eccentric wheel, mounted in a pivoted
5 frame or bearing beneath the platform of the car, and operated by a
hand lever by which it may be brought down on to the ground when
required, and inclined in one direction or the other to divert the car from

page_text: the obstacle to be avoided. A suitable stop, actuated by a spring, holds
the wheel off the ground out of the way when not required, and also
serves to arrest it after it has performed its office of lifting the front
wheels of the car from the rails
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows in elevation one end of the under framing of a tram-
way car, with my Invention applied, the auxiliary wheel being off the
ground; Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the wheel in the act of
raising the leading wheels of the car from the ground; Figure 3 is an
under side view of the device, drawn on a larger scale.
a is the auxiliary or lifting and guiding wheel, hung in a bearing or
frame 6 fitted beneath the platform of the car to swivel on a vertical axis
to admit of the wheel a being inclined to the right or to the left.
In the arrangement shown the top of frame 6 is made circular, and
fitted between corresponding circular or curved plates d bolted beneath
the platform, the frame being retained in position by plates or bars e, also
bolted to the platform and passing under extensions of said frame b.
The periphery of wheel a is eccentric to the axle f, on which it is hung,
so that when wheel a is revolved it will come on to the ground during
one portion of the revolution and temporarily sustain the weight of the
car. g is a sliding rod, fitted in guides beneath an extension c of
frame b. The end of this rod forms a stop, which comes into contact
with a notch on the wheel a. h is a hand lever, mounted on a fulcrum
at i in a bracket, pivoted at right angles to pin i, so that the lever can
be oscillated both backwards and sideways. The lower end of this lever /
is jointed to rod g, and moves in a slot in the extension c of frame 6 in
order that by the inclination of the lever to the right or to the left the
wheel a may be directed to the side of the track towards which it is
desired to move the car, at the same time that by pulling the handle the
stop g may be disengaged from the wheel a, which beginning to revolve
and coming into contact with the ground lifts the leading wheels from
the rails (see Figure 2), and deposits them on the ground at the side to
which wheel a was directed. The wheel a makes one revolution only,
and is again met by stop g, which is returned to position by a spring k on
lever being released. Wheel a is set in motion or caused to revolve
sufficiently to bring it into contact with the ground by loading or
weighting it at one side. In the Drawing / represents a part of the

page_text: wheel, which is cast thicker than the rest for this purpose. The same
means serve to continue its rotation after performing its office until it is
met by stop g, by which it is retained in a position ready to drop on to
the ground on being again released. In the Drawing a portion of the
periphery is removed at m to clear the ground and admit of the wheel
coming into action immediately the stop is withdrawn.
The hand lever h may be otherwise mounted, or other means may be
employed to guide the wheel a, and instead of releasing the stop g by
pulling the hand lever a thumb piece may be provided on the handle,
connected by wires or rods with the stop rod g, the lever being in this
case oscillated to the right and left only to direct wheel a in the required
manner, or other means may be employed to release stop g.
Instead of a single wheel' a a pair of these wheels may be employed,
placed side by side at a suitable distance apart to prevent oscillation of
the car when the apparatus is brought into action, the wheels being fast
on the same axle.
Instead of being eccentric the wheel a may be mounted in a pivoted
frame, and brought to bear upon the ground by means of a vertical screw
shaft operated by a hand wheel for lifting the leading wheels, as before
described, but the eccentric wheel best answers the purpose.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my Inven-
tion, to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is, the application to a tramway car or carriage of an auxiliary wheel or
wheels, whereby the leading travelling wheels are raised off the rails and
deposited on the ground at either side, substantially in the manner and
for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alphonse Krieger, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.