Car Trucks.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Car Trucks.
I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MANIER, of Troy, County of
York, U.S.A., Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
TRUCKS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to.
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
State of New
ion for CAR
7 described
This invention is an improvement in trucks for street or tram cars and it is especially
designed for use with Electric Motors; its objects are to so construct the truck that
open or Summer" car bodies, or closed "box" bodies can be readily mounted
thereon, and wherein the body will be spring cushioned on the truck, independently of
the spring cushioned mountings of the truck on the axle, and the body springs being
exterior or outside of the car axles, at the ends of the truck rocking or oscillating
movement of the body will be obviated. Further objects are to construct the truck so
that the motors will be readily accessible and will be partially equipoised on the truck,
and to these ends the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of
parts of and in the truck, as will be hereinafter described.
Referring to the drawings by figures and letters ;-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved truck for electric motors and tram or
street cars.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the truck enlarged.
Figure 4 is a detail side view showing a modified form of spring.
Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the bars of the side frame. Figure 6 is
a similar view of a modified form of such bar.
Letter A designates the truck frame, rectangular in plan and composed of the com-
pound upper and lower bars A¹ A² preferably, which are suitably connected, and the
transverse connecting bars D, D, and E. Each compound bar A¹ A' consists of two
flat metal bars set on edge and secured together by lateral bolts as shown. The bars
are separated however by interposed blocks and by the ends of vertical uprights B, B,
which are securely bolted to bars A', A³, as shown and keep said bars in proper
relative position. The compound bars as thus constructed are light and very strong,
By setting the flat bars edgewise they will withstand and support a great vertical
strain or weight superimposed thereon, and by arranging them in pairs and staying
them together laterally by the connecting bolts, lateral flexing thereof is prevented.
Instead of using separate metal bars in constructing bars A, A2, as described and
indicated in figure 5, an angular integral bar shown in figure 6 might be employed,
this bar is U-shaped the lower edges of the vertical portions thereof being united by
a horizontal flange or web as shown. The upper bar A' is straight, but the lower
bar A2 is preferably depressed at center hetween the pairs of uprights B, B, said
uprights forming guides between which move the journal boxes B¹, B', of the car
axles B2 which are of ordinary construction. There are two axles to each truck.
F, F, designate coiled springs interposed between boxes B¹ and top bars A¹ as
shown, by which the truck frame is spring cushioned and suspended on the axles.
The bars D, D, made of L-angle iron, and bar E of U-angle iron are securely bolted
to the upper bars A¹. The ends of bars A1, A2, are connected by vertical pieces A*,
and on the ends of the truck may be mounted fenders a³, as shown.
On the lower bar A², between uprights B, B, and the ends of the truck, are
mounted stirrup blocks C, (), on which are supported springs, and upon these
springs rest caps I, I, that have upstanding shanks i, i, that rise between the
members of bars A¹ and project above the same; the shanks preferably move
through openings in blocks secured to bars A', and are guided thereby. Upon
said shanks are supported horizontal bars J that are bolted to the shanks as

page_text: shown, and said bars J can be readily fastened to the car bodies in any convenient
manner, and car bodies of different size and style can be readily mounted upon
the same truck and as readily removed, simply by unfastening bars J from the body
or truck, as is evident.
Preferably I employ spiral springs G as shown in figure 1 to support caps I, but if
desired springs 9, could be used, as shown in figure 4, or other forms of springs may
be used as found convenient and desirable.
It will be observed that if a car be mounted on bars J as described the weight
thereof is transferred to the ends of the truck exterior to the axles, and consequently
nearly beneath the ends of the body, and thus the tendency of the body to rock
is overcome. This rocking or oscillation of the body is a very unpleasant feature
and is noticeable in the ordinary cars of this class where the body springs are on
both sides of the axles and near the center of the body. This peculiar mounting
of the body springs forward or outside of the axles, I consider a special feature of
my truck.
The bars A' A2 are connected at center by brace bolts E¹ E. Bar E is midway
between the axles and at the center of truck, and the motor armatures W are partly
suspended thereon at points L, L, and partly suspended on the axles. The weight
of the motors bearing on the center of the truck is partially balanced by the weight
of the body bearing on the ends thereof, so that smooth and steady riding of the
truck is obtained since the side frames are about equally loaded between and for-
ward of the axles.
The movement of the car on the truck frame is independent of the movement of the
truck frame on the axles, but the weight of both car body and truck frame is
transferred to the axles through springs F, F, and thus a complete spring mounting
of the body is obtained.
The caps I, I, are preferably provided with rubber cushioning pads 12 12 to prevent
jar and noise when the caps ride upward into contact with the underside of bars A'.
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 in a truck frame, of the compound side bars A' A' composed of
flat metal bars arranged vertically edgewise in pairs and bolted together substantially
as described, and the vertical uprights connecting said bars, and the transverse con-
necting bars, all substantially as described.
2. The combination in a truck, of the side frame composed of side bars A¹, A², each
consisting of two parallel flat bars set edgewise and connected substantially as described,
the uprights B, B, and transverse connecting bars, D, D, and E, all substantially as
set forth.
3. The combination of the truck frame with the body supporting springs and the
vertically movable caps I, I, resting on said springs and carrying the body, all as and
for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination of the side bars A', A2, the springs supported on bar A² exterior
to the axle, the caps I, I, having shanks i, i, playing through bars A¹, and the bars J
supported on said shanks substantially as described.
5. The combination of the truck frame composed of side bars A' A³, uprights B, B,
and the transverse connecting bars D, D, and E; with the car axles, boxes B', B',-
and springs F, F, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of the truck frame having compound side bars A1, A2, with the
stirrup blocks C, spring G and caps I, and bars J, J, as and for the purpose described.
7. The combination of the truck frame composed of side bars A¹ A², the latter
being depressed at center, the uprights B, B, and transverse bars D, D and E, and
bolts Ewith the car axle boxes playing between uprights B, B, the springs F, F,
and the car body sustaining springs arranged on the truck exterior to the axle, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
8. The herein described truck consisting of the side frames composed of bars A¹ A³,

page_text: uprights B, B, transverse braces D, D, and E, and the brace bolts E' E'; with the
stirrup blocks C, C, springs thereon, the vertically movable caps I, I, having shanks i, i,
playing through bars A, and the body bars J, J, all substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 14th day of August 1889.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MANIER,
Applicant.