Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 28th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 28th June, 1887,
[Communicated from abroad by GEORGES EUGÈNE BARTHOLOMEW, Carriage Builder,
and EDMOND ARMANT, Chemist, both of the City, County, and State of New
York, United States of America.]
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High
Holborn in the county of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of running gear for vehicles, whereby the
ordinary form of platform spring is dispensed with, as is also the reach by which
the springs are connected.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a vehicle provided with the improved form
of running gear, the spring, head-block, axle, etcetera, being shown in section.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the lower portion of the wheel plate.
Figure 3 is a view of the upper portion of said wheel plate.
Figure 4 is a front view of a portion of a vehicle provided with the improved
running gear.
Figure 5 is a detail view illustrating the construction of the safety hook employed
in connection with the wheel plate; and
Figure 6 is a view of the front brace.
Referring now to the construction illustrated in the drawings above referred to,
A represents the body of the vehicle, the forward end of which is supported by an
arrangement which will be hereinafter more specifically, described. B is the forward
axle to which the king-bolt C is secured by the clip a which as usual passes about the
axle bed and the axle, the binding bar however being formed with a forwardly
projecting arm a¹ which rigidly supports an upwardly extending brace-arm b, the top

page_text: of which is formed as a collar c and extends inward to embrace the king-bolt C.
Between the upper side of the clip a and the collar c, there is arranged a collar d
provided with an inwardly extending arm d' upon the end of which there is a hook e.
The lower portion D of the wheel plate, which is shown in detail in Figure 2 is held
in place by clips ff which as usual, pass about the axle bed and axle. This portion
of the wheel plate is of peculiar construction being provided with two side bearing
plates gg, and two concentric hoops g¹ gll as shown in figures 1 and 2. The upper
section E of the wheel plate is rigidly fixed in the ordinary manner to the head
block F. This portion of the wheel plate is provided with a forwardly extending
arm h to which the rearwardly extending arm d¹ is bolted. Above the brace arm &
there is arranged an arm j, the forward end of which is socketed to receive the king-
bolt, while the rear end is provided with a shackle j¹ the whole device being rigidly
secured to the forwardly extending arm of the upper portion of the wheel plate by the
same bolts used to secure the hook arm d¹.
Above the lower section of the spring G there is secured a second shackle k, while
to the upper side of the said spring there is attached a spring bar H which is in turn
secured to the carriage body A.
If the running gear consisted simply of the parts above described it will of course
be understood that there would be nothing to hold the parts and the wagon body in
the relative positions shown against the strain to which they would be subjected when
the vehicle was in motion; but in order that the said parts and the vehicle body may
be held in substantially the position in which they are shown in the drawing is fixed a
heavy draw-bar N to the centre of the bottom of the forward portion of the wagon
body, connection being made in any manner desired, but preferably by means of a
clip as s. This draw-bar extends forward to rest upon the centre of the upper
section of the spring G being held in place by the bolt by which the leaves of said
upper section are united. The rear end of the draw-bar is curved downward as shown
at N', and to the extreme lower end there is fixed a shackle P which
and holds one end of the brace M, the other end of said brace being held by the
engages with
shackle j. At a suitable distance above the shackle p, the downardly curved portion N¹,
of the draw-bar N carries another shackle p¹, which engages and holds one end of a
second brace M², the forward end of said brace being supported and held by the
shackles k.
From this construction it will be seen that the force of the draught is transferred
directly to the body of the vehicle and that all strain upon the spring G or the parts
through which the king-bolt passes will be avoided.
In order that the braces M M² may be held under tension and prevented from
rattling each brace is provided with a shackle q, said shackles being riveted or bolted
to the braces in the position shown in Figure 1; and between the shackles is fixed
link h¹ which is pivotally connected to the shackles and sprung to place under a
heavy pressure, so that both ends of each of the braces are held tight against the
bolts by which they are connected to their supporting shackles.
The brace or stay b is so arranged as to act as a support for the king-bolt and at
the same time prevent any swaying of the axle and axle bed from a vertical plane.
The arm d' acts as the king bolt stay, as well as the support for the safety hook e
and in connection with the brace 6 insures a perfect staying or bracing of the said
king-bolt.
Dated this 30th day of August 1886.

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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 :-
This invention relates to the construction of running gear for vehicles, whereby the
ordinary form of platform spring is dispensed with, as is also the reach, by which
the springs are connected.
Reference is to be had to the drawings filed with the provisional specification, in
which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a vehicle provided with the improved form
of running gear, the spring, head-block, axle, etcetera, being shown in section.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the lower portion of the wheel plate on which the fore
carriage turns.
Figure 3 is a view of the upper portion of said wheel plate.
Figure 4 is a front view of a portion of a vehicle provided with the improved
running gear.
Figure 5 is a detail view illustrating the construction of the safety hook employed
in connection with the wheel plate: and
Figure 6 is a view of the front brace.
Referring now to the construction illustrated in the drawings above referred to,
A represents the body of the vehicle, the forward end of which is supported by an
arrangement which will be hereinafter more specifically, described. B is the forward
axle to which the king-bolt C is secured by the clip a which as usual passes about
the axle bed and the axle, the binding bar however being formed with a forwardly.
projecting arm a¹ which rigidly supports an upwardly extending brace-arm b, the top
of which is formed as a collar C, and extends inward to embrace the king bolt C.
Between the upper part of the clip a and the collar c, there is arranged a collar d
provided with an inwardly extending arm d¹ upon the end of which there is a hook e.

page_text: The lower portion D of the wheel plate which is shown in detail in Figure 2 is held in
place by clips ff which as usual, pass about the axle bed and axle. This portion of
the wheel plate is of peculiar construction being provided with two side bearing
plates 9, 9, and two concentric hoops g¹ g², as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The upper
section E of the wheel plate is rigidly fixed in the ordinary manner to the head
block F. This portion of the wheel plate is provided with a forwardly extending
arm h to which the rearwardly extending arm d¹ is bolted. Above the brace arm b
there is arranged an arm j, the forward end of which is socketed to receive the king
bolt, while the rear end is provided with a shackle j¹ the whole device being rigidly
secured to the forwardly extending arm of the upper portion of the wheel plate by the
same bolts used to secure the hook arm d¹.
Above the lower section of the spring G there is secured a second shackle k while
to the upper side of the said spring, there is attached a spring bar H which is in turn
secured to the carriage body A.
If the running gear consisted simply of the parts above described it will of course
be understood that there would be nothing to hold the parts and the wagon body in
the relative positions shown against the strain to which they would be subjected when
the vehicle was in motion, but in order that the said parts and the vehicle body may
be held in substantially the position in which they are shown in the drawing, a heavy
drawbar N is fixed to the centre of the bottom of the forward portion of the wagon
body, connection being made in any manner desired, but preferably by means of a
clip as 8. This draw-bar extends forward to rest upon the centre of the upper
section of the spring G, being held in place by the bolt by which the leaves of said
upper section are united. The rear end of this draw-bar is curved downward as
shown at N¹, and to the extreme lower end there is fixed a shackle p which engages
with and holds one end of the brace M, the other end of said brace being held by
the shackle j. At a suitable distance above the shackle p, the downwardly curved
portion N¹, of the draw bar N carries another shackle p¹, which engages and holds
one end of a second brace M', the forward end of said brace being supported and held
by the shackles k.
From this construction it will be seen that the force of the draught is transferred
directly to the body of the vehicle and that all strain upon the spring G or the parts
through which the king-bolt passes will be avoided.
In order that the braces M M¹ may be held under tension and prevented from
rattling, each brace is provided with a shackle q, said shackles being riveted or bolted
to the braces in the position shown in Figure 1: and between the shackles is a fixed
link which is connected by pivots to the shackles, and sprung into place under a
heavy pressure, so that both ends of each of the braces are held tight against the bolts
by which they are connected to their supporting shackles.
The brace or stay b is so arranged as to act as a support for the king-bolt and at
the same time prevent any swaying of the axle and axle bed from a vertical plane.
The arm d¹ acts as the king bolt stay, as well as the support for the safety hook e
and in connection with the brace 6 insures a perfect staying or bracing of the said
king bolt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :--
1. The combination with a vehicle body and its forward running gear, of a draw
bar centrally fixed to the forward portion of the vehicle body and connected by braces
to the said forward running gear, a link being sprung in between the two braces,
substantially as described.
2. The combination with a vehicle body and its forward running gear, of a draw
bar N centrally fixed to the forward portion of the vehicle body, and forwardly held
by the upper spring bolt, of braces M and M³ arranged in the same vertical plane as
the draw bar N, and shackles j, k, p, and p¹ arranged substantially as described.

page_text: 3. The combination with a vehicle body and its forward running gear, of a draw
bar N, braces M M¹, the brace M being held by shackles j₁ and p, said shackle j'
being carried by an arm j, arranged as described, and the brace M¹ being held by
shackles k and p¹ the two braces being held under tension by a link h¹, substantially
as described.
4. In a vehicle, the combination with the body and its spring G, of the wheel plate
in which the lower part D is provided with the circular bar g' and of an arm d'
formed with a hook e said arm being socketed at d and fixed to the arm h of the
upper portion of the wheel plate substantially as described.
5. In a vehicle the combination with the body and its forward running gear, of the
forward brace and the rearwardly extending brace d' arranged in front of the axle,
and fixed to the arm h of the upper portion of the wheel plate and encircling the king
bolt above the axle bed, substantially as described.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.