Improvements in Track Cleaners for Railroads.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Track Cleaners for Railroads.
I, GEORGE EDMUND TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at
Marion, in the County of Marion, and State of Ohio, Gentleman 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:-
My invention has relation to track cleaners for railroads, and the object is to
provide an adjustable brush, removably secured to any convenient part of the front
of a car or pilot of the engine, to remove dirt, snow, or other light material from
the rail. To this end the novelty consists in the construction, combination and
arrangement of the several parts of the same as will be hereinafter more fully
described and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings the same letters of reference indicate like parts
of the invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor car, showing my improved track brush in
operation;
Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the rails, showing the brush in contact
therewith;
Fig. 3 is a side view, similar to Fig. 1, but with the brush raised.
A is a cast or wrought metal bracket secured to the forward end of the car by
bolts, and its forward end is provided with rigid studs a a', projecting on each
side thereof.
B is the brush frame, consisting of two flat parallel sides bb, joined or formed
integral at their top 6', and these sides bb are formed with two longitudinal
slote 66, lying in the same plane, and their lower ends terminate in two rearwardly
and upwardly extending inclined slots 636, while to the lower ends of the sides bb
is secured a removable brush C, provided with suitable metallic bristles, as shown,
which bear down and rest upon the track.
The studs a a¹ of the bracket A project through the slots 6 6 in the side
pieces bb, and allow the brush frame B to have a vertical motion on the bracket A,
the brush C resting by gravity on the track, and the vertical motion of the brush
frame compensates for any oscillation or "teetering" of the car.
When not in use for cleaning the track, the brush is lifted up out of the way,
until the studs a' a are at the bottom of the slots 6 62. The brush is then
pushed forward so that the inclined slots b 6 engage the lower studs al a¹
which retain the brush in an elevated position and clear of the track, as shown
in Fig. 3.
Dis a bolt passing through the slots in the sides b b above the studs a a
and on the bolt D, and between the sides bb, is located a sleeve d, slightly longer
than the width of the head of the bracket A, and this sleeve d may be adjusted at
any desired height by its bolt D, to serve the double purpose of preventing the
sides bb from clamping the bracket A, and thereby preventing automatic
adjustment of the brush to the rail. At the same time it prevents the brush from
dropping too far below the top of the rail in going around curves, as the sleeve is
so adjusted to rest on the top of the head of the bracket A, and prevent the brush
from falling too far below the rail, which would then bend or break the device,
when it came back on a tangent to the rail when the car resumed a straight course,

page_text: In practice I prefer to use anti-friction sleeves on the studs a a¹, to compensate
in a measure for their wear and tear in the slots when the device is in operation,
but these sleeves may be dispensed with, without materially affecting the
invention.
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 the bracket A, provided with the rigid studs a a', of
the frame B, provided with the slots and the.brush C, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
2. The combination with the bracket A, the head of which is provided with the
.rigid studs a al projecting on each side thereof in the same line, of the frame B
consisting of the parallel sides bb, having two parallel slots 633, terminating in
inclined slots 6, into which the studs project, and having the brush C secured
thereto, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The bracket A having the laterally projecting studs a a'; on each side
thereof in the same line, in combination with the frame B having the slots 6, the
brush C, and the adjustable bolt D carrying the sleeve d, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
Dated this 29th day of December 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.