Improvements in Safety Fenders or Life Guards for Street Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1893-Accepted, 26th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Fenders or Life Guards for Street Railway
and Tramway Vehicles.
I, EDWIN ROCHESTER, of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion
of Canada, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention has for its object to provide an electric street railway car or
carriage with a protector for saving life and preventing injury, whereby a person
falling across the track will not pass under the wheels, but be picked up and
carried safely, and the protector or safety device yield when meeting an
obstruction and pass over it, if unyielding, to prevent injury to the safety device or
fender.
My invention consists of a platform composed of a series of horizontal fingers,
secured to hangers suspended from rods at the end of the car or truck, whereby
more or less in number of said fingers swing and yield to an obstruction, and rise to
pass over the same when unable to remove it.
Also, in attaching said fender to a car whereby the fender can be raised or
lowered by chains, pulleys &c.
Also, in providing said fender, with a spring wire cushion at the front to protect
a falling person striking the hangers of the fender.
Also, in providing the car or carriage with wire cloth guards at the sides,
suspended from outside the car by rods, to prevent a person slipping under the
wheels when falling at the side of the car.
Figure 1, is a top view or plan of my improved safety appliance, the floor of the
car removed, to show plainly the construction of the same, and
Figure 2, is a side elevation embodying a portion of one end of a carriage.
A, is a portion of the truck frame supporting the car floor or frame of the
car D. B, B, are the front wheels, and C, C, the springs on which the body of
the car is superposed. E, is the axle, F, F, the journal boxes, and G, G, the rails,
all as in ordinary use.
2, 2, are side brackets bolted to the truck frame, and to these brackets the fender
is connected, and said fender consists of extended side pieces 3, 3, pivoted by a
bolt 4, to the side brackets 2, and maintained horizontally by chains 5, passing
through pulleys 6, attached to the truck frame A, and said chain winds on a spindle
or shaft 7, provided with a ratchet wheel 8, engaged by a pawl 9, pivoted to the
floor of the car, and said shaft is provided with a hand wheel 7, to rotate the
shaft for winding the chain, and thus lift the outer end of the side pieces 3, 3, so
that the front of the fender will be adjustable higher or lower from the rails.
10, 11, are parallel rods supported at the ends by the side pieces 3, 3, and said
To the lower ends of
rods carry hangers 12, 13, which swing or vibrate thereon.
the hangers are pivoted sockets 1, which sockets are connected by a web 14, and in
said sockets are inserted fingers 15, which project forwardly a little above the
rails G, G, and the extremity of said fingers is provided with a rubber-covered
roller 16, to cushion the end of the fingers when striking an obstruction.
17, are curved springs, one end secured to a collar or other fixture on said rod 10,
and the other end of the springs is connected to the hangers 12, to restore the
hangers, perpendicularly when thrust backward, and to return the hangers when
pushed forwardly past the perpendicular.
When the fingers meet an irresistible obstruction, so many of them that are in
contact with the obstruction, rise over it by swinging of the hangers, and thus
prevent breakage. This movement is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and a person

page_text: falling on or in front of the fingers 15, will be uninjured, as the fingers will slightly
yield to the force of impact, and then slide under the person falling, whereby he
will be carried by the platform of fingers.
-
18, is a spring wire cushion or guard placed forwardly of the hangers, and
secured fixedly by side arms 19, bolted to the side pieces 3, 3, and said side arms
are connected by rods 20, 20, to tighten the wire cushion 18, by screwing the
nuts 21, on the ends of said rods.
22, is a wire cloth guard or shield held on a frame 23, which is suspended by
rods 24, from the outside of the car, to prevent a person at the side of a car from
slipping under the wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The combination with a car, of a projecting platform composed of a series of
yielding fingers 15, secured to hangers 12, 13, hung to swing on parallel rods 10, 11,
supported by side pieces 3, 3, bolted to the car truck or frame A, whereby said
fingers rise when meeting an obstruction, and pass over the obstruction when
unable to remove it, to prevent injury to said fingers, as set forth.
2. The combination with a car, of a row of hangers 12, 13, hung on parallel
rods 10, 11, supported in front of the car below the floor, a platform composed of
fingers 15, pivotally attached by sockets 14, to the lower end of said hangers and
extending forwardly, and springs 17, to return said hangers to a perpendicular
position after the fingers yield to an obstruction or fallen body, as set forth.
3. The combination with a car frame, A, secured to the truck, of hangers 12, 13,
hung on parallel rods 10, 11, supported by said frame, whereby said hangers swing
in the path of the car; and a platform composed of fingers 15, supported by said
hangers, said fingers projecting forwardly, and springs 17, to restore said hangers
and fingers to a normal position, as set forth.
4. The combination with a car of the frame A, crossing the end of the car
below the floor, brackets 2, 2, secured to opposite sides of said frame, side pieces 3, 3,
bolted to said brackets, parallel rods 10, 11, supported by said side pieces, vibrating
hangers 12, 13, hung loosely on said rods and each pivotally attached at the lower
end to a socket 1, fingers 15, inserted in said sockets and supported by said hangers,
said fingers at the outer end provided with rubber rollers 16; springs 17, to keep
the hangers in a perpendicular position, and chain 5, pulleys 6, and shaft 7,
winding said chain, to elevate and depress the fingers horizontally, as set forth.
5. The spring wire cushion or guard 18, held forwardly of the hangers 13, by
side arms 19, connected by rods 20, 20, provided with adjusting nuts 21, to stretch
said cushion or guard when loose, as and for the purpose set forth.
6. The wire cloth protecting frames or shields 22, secured in a frame 23, and
suspended by rods 24, at opposite sides of the car, as and for the purpose set
forth.
Dated this 10th day.
11002
EDWIN ROCHESTER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.