Improved Means for Covering Railway Trucks with Sheeting and in' Arrangements connected therewith.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1900-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Covering Railway Trucks with Sheeting and in'
Arrangements connected therewith.
I, ROBERT EDWARD MULVEY, of 49, Sheriff Street, West Hartlepool, in the
County of Durham, Railway Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to railway trucks and has special reference to the
means for covering them with sheeting so as to be waterproof.
In covering railway trucks with sheeting when the nature of the load does
not admit of forming what is called "a roof" to raise the sheet sufficiently
"hollow sheeting," there
above the wagon sides to obviate what is known as
is danger of water forming in pools in the hollows of the sheet. This leads
in many cases to heavy claims being made for damage to goods, and it is
always a source of considerable annoyance and trouble to railway companies
and to their customers.
The object and result of my invention is to enable the sheet to be so placed
upon the truck that the water may be thrown off a sloping roof overhanging
the sides of the truck like an ordinary gable ended roof.
In carrying my invention into effect in some cases I construct the sides of
the truck in sections, each of which is hinged to the floor in such a manner
that the sides can be inclined inwardly when the truck is not fully loaded or
be secured in the upright position by arms extending from the ends of the
truck and engaging with lock pins on the sides. For this purpose, the ends
of the truck are preferably rigid with the floor except that the top corners
are hinged so that when turned in a slope or incline of the edge is provided
on which the sides rest when turned in. A ridge line is preferably provided
to carry the sheet from gable to gable from which it slopes down over the
sides of the truck in the manner of an ordinary gable ended roof, and so shoots
off the water.
•
One or more posts are erected on the truck floor to support the ridge line,
the ends of which are threaded through the end plates of the truck or through
gables hinged to same. Each post lies flat on its side when not in use and is
received into a recess so as to lay flush with the floor line of the truck or it may
be constructed in sections telescoping into one another so that it is adjustable
in height.
+
When it is not convenient to alter the sides or ends of the truck to be set
to an incline, by carrying the posts up high enough the sheeting can be set
to the requisite slope to shoot the water over the truck sides when these are
of the usual vertical and rigid construction.
1000

page_text: Improved Means (for Covering Railway Trucks with Sheeting and in
Arrangements connected therewith.
I, ROBERT EDWARD MULVEY, of 49, Sheriff Street, West Hartlepool, in the
County of Durham, Railway Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 railway trucks and is also applicable to rollies,
and has special reference to the means employed for covering such vehicles
with sheeting so as to be waterproof.
In covering railway trucks and the like open wagons with sheeting when
the nature of the load does not admit of forming what is called "a roof" to
raise the sheet sufficiently above the wagon sides to obviate what is known as
"hollow sheeting," there is danger of water forming in pools in the hollows
of the sheet and percolating through. This leads in many cases to heavy
claims being made for damage to goods, and it is always a source of consider-
able annoyance and trouble to railway companies and to their customers.
The object and result of my invention is to enable the sheet to be so placed
upon the truck that the water may be thrown off a sloping roof overhanging
the sides of the truck like an ordinary gable ended roof.
Having thus described the nature and utility of my invention, I will now
proceed to describe in what manner the same may be readily carried into
effect, and for that purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawings, in
which an ordinary railway truck is illustrated, which is to be taken as repre-
senting vehicles generally to which my invention is applicable. In the figures,
the same reference letters are used to indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a railway truck fitted with an arrangement
embodying my improvements for supporting the sheeting. Figs. 2 and 3 are
transverse sectional views taken on line of Fig. 1, Fig. 2 showing the sides
of the truck in the upright or open position, and Fig. 3 showing the sides of
the truck inclined and covered in by the sheeting, which is supported by a
central post or standard. Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views of a rail-
way truck embodying a modification of my invention, in which hinged corners
are dispensed with for the ends of the truck.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in some cases I construct the sides of the
truck a in sections, such as a 2 a³, the two sections a¹ a³ being hinged to the
floor by hinges b, and the section a² being connected to the slotted wing plates
working on the pin d in such a manner that the sides can be inclined inwardly
when the truck is not fully loaded, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3,
the amount of the incline being limited by the slots in the wing plates, or the
sides may be secured in the upright position as shown more particularly in
Fig. 2. For this purpose the ends e of the truck are preferably rigid with the
floor except that the top corners e¹² are hinged so that when turned in, a
slope or incline of the edge is provided on which the sides rest when turned
in. A ridge line f is preferably provided to carry the sheet f¹ (shown by
dotted lines in Fig. 3) from gable to gable, from which it slopes down over the
sides of the truck in the manner of an ordinary gable ended roof, and so shoots
off the water.
A centre post or standard g is erected on the truck floor to support the ridge
line f, the ends of which are threaded through the end plates ee of the truck.
The post lies flat on its side when not in use, and a small aperture is cut in

page_text: the floor of the truck for the insertion of the hand to lift the post. The post
may be constructed in sections telescoping into one another so that it is adjust-
in the vertical or upright position,
able in height. In order to retain the post
the pivotted end of the post is furnished with a slot h, through which passes
the pin so that when erected the lower end of the post drops by gravity into
a corresponding recess in the floor of the truck. Provision is made for pre-
venting water from running under the sloping sides by metal strips ; or their
equivalents fastened to the sides as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.
Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, which illustrate in transverse sectional views a
are dispensed with
modification of my invention in which hinged corners
for the ends of the truck, in this case the ends e of the truck are preferably
rigid with the floor and the sides are constructed in sections and hinged to
the floor in precisely the same manner as herein before described with reference
to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but in order to support the sides when inclined inwardly
I provide inclined stop pieces or projections e³ e fixed to or forming part of
the ends of the truck.
When it is not convenient to alter the sides or ends of the truck to be set
to an incline, by carrying a post up high enough at each end of the truck the
sheeting can be set to the requisite slope to shoot the water over the truck sides
when these are of the usual vertical and rigid construction, such posts being
adapted to be folded down on the floor of the truck or maintained in the erect
position in the manner herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
Firstly Means for covering railway trucks or the like open wagons with
sheeting, consisting of forming the truck with hinged sides and rigid ends with
or without hinged corners to enable the said sides to be inclined inwardly,
in combination with a ridge line such as f extending from gable to gable to
carry the sheet which is supported by a post or standard such as g capable of
being maintained in the erect position or of being folded down when not in
use, all combined and operating together substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Secondly: The arrangement in which both sides and ends of the truck are
permanently rigid, the sheet being set to the requisite slope to shoot off the
water by means of a ridge line supported from posts at each end of the truck,
the said posts being adapted to be maintained in the erect position or folded
down on the floor of the truck, all combined and operating together substan-
tially as and for the purpose herein before described as a modification of the
arrangement set forth in the previous claim.
1000
Date
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees and Hull, Agent for the Applicant.