IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SHEETING RAILWAY TRUCKS OR WAGONS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Agars Walker, commonly called John George
Agars Walker, of Danes Hill, near Retford, in the County of Nottingham,
for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
SHEETING RAILWAY TRUCKS OR WAGONS."
Sealed the 26th February 1878, and dated the 31st December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Agars Walker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1877.
6
GEORGE AGARS WALKER, commonly called JOHN GEORGE AGARS WALKER, of
Danes Hill, near Retford, in the County of Nottingham. IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SHEETING RAILWAY TRUCKS OR WAGONS."
My Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus employed
in sheeting railway trucks or wagons when the ordinary or loose sheetings are
employed.
In carrying my Invention into effect I arrange suitable supports to carry a chain
along the centre, and higher than the sides of the wagon or truck. These supports
are only necessary in square-ended trucks, and are so arranged that they can be
lowered below the sides when out of use. These supports may be arranged in
various ways.
According to one arrangement I employ a sliding link or support at either end,
to one of which the chain is attached. When it is required to sheet the truck or
wagon the support to which the chain is attached is slidden up and secured in
position by a screw and nut, or by any other convenient means. The chain is theu
taken across to the opposite end and hooked on to the other support. For this
purpose the last-mentioned support is so mounted and fixed as to enable it when
raised to take an inclined position over the end of the truck or wagon towards the
opposite support, so as to decrease the distance between them; the chain can be
then readily booked on, and by tightening the said support in position the chain is
sufficiently strained: or the chain can be tightened by means of a screw and nut
forming part thereof, or attached thereto or to one of the supports.

page_text: If desired the supports can be mounted on hinges or on centres of motion, so as
when not in use to fall down on the outside of the end of the truck or wagon out
of the way.
And when mounted on centres of motion I place the latter at a con-
venient distance from the centre of the end of the truck or wagon, so that the
sheeting support can when out of use be caused to assume a position below the
sides of the truck or wagon; or when using a chain it can be placed, when out of
use, in a box on the outside of the truck or wagon.
The chain I propose to furnish with balls or runners at intervals to facilitate the
running of the sheeting over the same, or with the arrangements of supports herein
described a roller may be employed instead of a chain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Agars Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
June 1878.
GEORGE AGARS WALKER, commonly called JOHN GEORGE AGARS WALKER, of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
Danes Hill, near Retford, in the County of Nottingham.
MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SHEETING RAILWAY TRUCKS OR WAGONS."
My Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus employed
in sheeting railway trucks or wagons when the ordinary or loose sheetings are
employed.
In carrying my Invention into effect I arrange suitable supports to carry a chain
provided at intervals with rollers or runners along the centre, and higher than the
sides of the wagon or truck. These supports are only necessary in square-ended
trucks, and are so arranged that they can be lowered below the sides when out of
These supports may be arranged in various ways.
use.
For this
According to one arrangement I employ a sliding link or support at either end,
to one of which the chain is attached. When it is required to sheet the truck or
wagon the support to which the chain is attached is slidden up and secured in
The chain is then
position by a screw and nut, or by any other convenient means.
taken across to the opposite end and hooked on to the other support.
purpose the last-mentioned support is so mounted and fixed as to enable it when
Taised to take an inclined position over the end of the truck or wagon towards
the opposite support, so as to decrease the distance between them; the chain can be
then readily hooked on, and by tightening the said support in position the chain is
sufficiently strained; or the chain can be tightened by means of a screw and nut
forming part thereof, or attached thereto or to one of the supports.
If desired the supports can be mounted on hinges or on centres of motion, so as
when not in use to fall down on the outside of the end of the truck or wagon out
of the way.
And the chain can be placed when out of use in a box on the outside
of the truck or wagon.
The chain according to my Invention is furnished with balls or runners at
intervals to facilitate the running of the sheeting over the same.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect. I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings,
fully to describe the same.
In all the Figures like parts are marked with similar letters of reference.
Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Figure 2 is a side elevation, of a high-ended
truck or wagon, showing my Invention applied thereto. In this case I fix a portion
of a chain a, or its equivalent, to a hook or loop on each end of the truck or wagon,
and I connect the two portions of the chain a together by means of a screw
coupling formed of a screw al connected to one part of a chain and a swivel
nut connected to the other part, with capability of rotating freely thereon, by
which means the chain a can be drawn tight when required.
According to my Invention I provide the chain with a number of rotating balls,
or other shaped rotating bearing pieces a³, mounted at intervals ou rods or shafts
forming portions of the chain a. When not in use the longer portion of the chain,
or its equivalent, can be disconnected from the shorter part by unscrewing the
screw coupling, and then placed in the box bout of the way, whilst the shorter
portion can be turned over and hang down at the outside of the end of the truck
or wagon.
If desired the screw coupling a', a², may be applied to another part of the
chain ", in which case a box would be required at each end of thic truck or
wagon.
At Figure 2 the chain a is shown in position ready for use; and at Figure 1 it
is supposed to be in the box b.
At Figures 2, 2, 2; I have shown another method of straining the chain, which
may be used in lieu of the screw coupling a¹, a², represented in Figure 2. In this
case the chain a is connected to the upper end of a lever a, which is mounted on
an axis of motion at at, and has connected thereto, at or near the centre thereof, a
screw bolt, which works through a hole formed in the guide clip or staple ; n
is a fly nut working upon the screw bolt a³. Thus when the lever is in the
position shown by dotted lines at Figure 2 the chain a can be easily attached
thereto, then by turning the fly nut a³ in one direction the chain can be strained as
may be required.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of a high-sided truck or wagon with my Invention
applied thereto, and showing the chain a out of use and packed in the box b.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 5 is an end elevation of a similar truck or wagon, but showing the chain
in position supporting the sheeting.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a plan, and Figure 8 is a side elevation of a similar truck or wagon,
showing the chain in position for use, but without the sheeting applied thereto.
And Figure 9 is a side elevation; Figure 10 is an end elevation; and Figure 11
is a plan of parts of my Invention drawn to a larger scale.
In the case of trucks or wagons having the sides on a level with the ends I
provide an adjustable support or upright eat the centre of each end of the truck
or wagon to carry the chain. These supports c I prefer to arrange as shown in the
Drawings at Figures 3 to 11, with capability of being raised and lowered as may
be required in guides d fixed on the ends of the trucks or wagons; they are also
each formed with a longitudinal slot el working upon a screw bolt e fixed in each
end of the truck or wagon, whilst they are capable of being fixed in their raised
position by means of a fly nut working on the bolt c.
The chain support a is formed in a similar manner to that shown and described
with respect to Figures 1 and 2; and the longer part is fixed to one of the supports e,
and the shorter part thereof is fixed to the other support c.
As shown at Figures 3 to 11, the screw coupling a, a, may be dispensed with,
and one part of the chain may be simply hooked on to the other; or the entire
chain may be fixed at one end to one support c and hooked at the other end on to
the opposite support e, in which cases I tilt one of the supports e forward over the

page_text: truck or wagon, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 8, to enable the chain to
be hooked thereon or unhooked therefrom, and I strain the chain by screwing the
fly nut tightly until the support e is brought to a vertical position.
When the chain a is adjusted in position, as shown at Figures 2, 7, and 8, it is
in readiness for the sheeting to be applied thereto, as represented at Figures 5
and 6, thereby protecting the sheeting from damage, and preventing the lodgment
of rain water thereon.
I would here remark that the employment of a roller in lieu of a chain, or its
equivalent, is not found to possess such a degree of novelty and utility as to render
it advisable to make a claim thereto, and for this reason I hereby disclaim the
employment of a roller instead of a chain, or its equivalent; and I would further
remark that I do not claim the employment of a mere chain, or its equivalent, when
not provided with balls or runners at intervals, as the employment of a simple
chain, or its equivalent, unprovided with such balls or runners, would be injurious
to the sheeting.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which
I prefer to carry the same into effect, I would here remark that the mode of raising
and lowering the supports e, and of fixing them in position, as also the construction
of chain or longitudinal support a for the sheeting, and mode of straining the same,
and the construction of box to carry the same when out of use, may be modified
without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention; but what I claim
is, the employment of a chain, or its equivalent, provided with balls or runners, and
capable of being strained when required longitudinally over the centre of a railway
truck or wagon to act as a support to the sheeting, and when not required capable
of being disconnected and deposited in a box, in manner substantially as herein
shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Agars Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.