IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY CARS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Caleb Wickes and Frederick Edward Blackett
Beaumont both of Victoria Mansions Westminster in the County of Middlesex
$5
for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY CARS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Caleb Wickes
and Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents on the 6th December 1882.
EDMUND CALEB WICKES and FREDERICK EDWARD BLACKETT BEAUMONT, both
of Victoria Mansions Westminster in the County of Middlesex,
"IMPROVEMENTS:
IN TRAMWAY CARS"
Our Invention relates to a construction and arrangement of tramway car,
particularly such as is propelled by steam power, compressed air or other motor
carried on or with the car itself, in such a manner as to permit the car even when-
it is of considerable length, to travel freely round curves.
For this purpose we divide the car at about the middle of its length into two
parts and we joint those parts together by a perch pin in the floor and a perch pin
in the roof leaving headway for passage between the two perch pins. When
necessary we apply to each part of the car at the junction of the two parts a shield
forming part of a cylindrical shell extending from floor to roof, the one shell being
fitted to move freely within the other, so that when the car bends on its perch pins
as a joint these cylindrical shields permit the movement whilst at the same time
they enclose the space for passage through the jointed part. When the motor
engine is carried on the car itself, we place it so that its principal weight bears on
one or two pairs of wheels situated near the end of one of the jointed parts. The
other jointed part is supported on a bogie having one or two pair of wheels which
may be situated near the middle. In a similar manner two or more cars may be
coupled together so as to constitute a train of cars, the jointing in each case being,.
made by two perch pins one below and one above with or without the cylindrical
shield above described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edmund Caleb Wickes and Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th June 1883.
EDMUND CALEB WICKES and FREDERICK EDWARD BLACKETT BEAUMONT, both
of Victoria Mansions Westminster, in the county of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRAMWAY CARS "
Our invention relates to a construction and arrangement of tramway car,
particularly such as is propelled by compressed air-steam power or other motor
carried on or with the car itself, in such a manner as to permit the car, even when
it is of considerable length, to travel freely round curves.
For this purpose, we divide the car at about the middle of its length into two
parts, and we joint those parts together by a perch pin in the floor and a perch pin
in the roof, leaving headway for passage between the two perch pins. When
necessary, we apply to each part of the car, at the junction of the two parts, a
shield forming part of a cylindrical shell extending from floor to roof, the one shell
being fitted to move freely within the other, so that when the car bends on its
perch pins as a joint, these cylindrical shields permit the movement, whilst, at the
same time, they enclose the space for passage through the jointed part. When the
motor engine is carried on the car itself, we place it so that its principal weight
bears on one or two pairs of wheels situated near the end of one of the jointed.
parts. The other jointed part is supported on a bogie having one or two pairs of
wheels which may be situated near the middle. In a similar manner, two or more
cars may be coupled together, so as to constitute a train of cars, the jointing in
each case being made by two perch pins, one below and one above, with or without
the cylindrical shield above described.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying is an elevation partly in section of a tramway
car jointed according to our invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan also partly sectional.
Fig. 3 is a section of the joints to an enlarged scale.
The car is made in two lengths A and B, each supported on a set of wheels or
bogie, or one of them, such as A, may rest on the engine C, whilst the other B rests
on a bogie D. The two lengths A and B are jointed together by a perch pin E
below, which joints together their under frames, and a perch pin F above, which
joints together their upper frames, both the under and the upper frames being
strengthened at the junction by iron plating provided with suitable bosses for the
perch pins. Thus, the under frame of A las secured to it the plating a carrying
the under-boss a', and the under frame of B has secured to it the plating b carrying
the upper boss b₁, the plate b being free to move over the end part of the floor of
A, while the plate a can move freely under the frame of B. Within the bosses a¹
and b is a strong tubular centre pin G through which passes the bolt g. The
centre pin G is coned in its upper part to fit the upper boss b' which turns upon it.
The jointing of the upper framings of A and B is effected in a similar manner.
The upper jointing is sufficiently high above the lower jointing to give clear
headway for passage between A and B. When it is desired to enclose this passage,
cylindrical segments of plate a and b are attached to A and B respectively, these
segments overlapping each other sufficiently to allow for bending of the car body
on its joints without exposing the passage at either side. By disposing the two
joints at the floor and roof respectively, having a considerable depth between
them, great rigidity in a vertical direction is secured, and by applying the
cylindrical segments a² and b², the ends of the two compartiments A and B are
strengthened, so as to sustain the vertical strain, and the plating at the joints is
greatly stiffened.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, we claim :-
Constructing a tramway car in two parts having their under and their upper
framings jointed together, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
-
In witness whereof, I the said Edmund Caleb Wickes have hereunto set my
hand and seal this first day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
Signed and sealed in
the presence of
JT RAWLINGS
2 Victoria Mansions S:W.
EDM. C. WICKES. (L.S.)