Improvements in Apparatus for Weighing Railway Locomotives or Vehicles.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Weighing Railway Locomotives
or Vehicles.
I, GILBERT HENRY GARRETT, Manager to Messieurs Robert Stephenson and
Company, of South Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of
this Invention to be as follows, that is to say :—
..
My said Invention has for its object the weighing of railway locomotives or vehicles
in an improved manner, and so that the weights acting on the several wheels may be
severally indicated.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a platform or bed, which is made as
accurately level as possible; and on this platform I place short hydraulic cylinders
of a strength and size sufficient for the purpose in view. These hydraulic cylinders
are connected with pumping apparatus, and are fitted with suitable stop valves and
pipes admitting of each one having water or other liquid forced into or drawn out of
it independently of the others; and each one is fitted with a pressure gauge.
When about to use the apparatus the hydraulic cylinders are adjusted upon the
platform so that their rams are in positions exactly corresponding to the lowest parts
of the tire flanges of the wheels of the locomotive. The locomotive is placed over the
hydraulic cylinders either by means of a crane, or by being moved along rails, the
platform being in the latter case placed in a shallow pit; and then water or other
liquid is pumped into or drawn out of each cylinder as required until the load is com-
pletely borne by the several rams, with the rams exactly level with each other. The
pressure gauges of the rams will then indicate the weights respectively borne by each.

page_text: I, GILBERT HENRY GARRETT, Manager to Messieurs Robert Stephenson and
Company, of South Street, Newcastle, upon Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to he performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object the weighing of railway locomotives or vehicles
in an improved manner, and so that the weights acting on the several wheels may be
severally indicated.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a platform or bed, which is made as
accurately level as possible; and on this platform I place short hydraulic cylinders of
a strength and size sufficient for the purpose in view. These hydraulic cylinders are
connected with pumping apparatus, and are fitted with suitable stop valves and pipes
admitting of each one having water or other liquid forced into or drawn out of it
independently of the others; and each one is fitted with a pressure gauge.
A sheet of explanatory drawings is hereunto appended to be hereinafter referred to,
and shows a convenient arrangement of apparatus to be used in practising my
Invention.
Figure, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a transverse vertical section showing a
pair of hydraulic cylinders as applied to a pair of the wheels of a locomotive; and it
is to be understood that every pair of wheels of a locomotive or other vehicle is to
have a similar pair of hydraulic cylinders provided for it. Figure, 2, is an enlarged
elevation of one of the hydraulic cylinders.
On a sufficiently firm foundation, A, of masonry, concrete, or other suitable material
two massive longitudinal girders, B, are fixed and are made as accurately level as
possible. On the top flanges of the girders, B, rails, C, are fixed for the wheels, D, of
the locomotive or vehicle to run upon. Each pair of hydraulic cylinders, E, is placed
on a transverse girder, F, which rests on the bottom flanges, of the longitudinal
girders, B and the several transverse girders, F, with their pairs of cylinders, E, are
adjusted so that when the locomotive or other vehicle to be weighted is in position, an
hydraulic cylinder, E, will be exactly under the lowest part of the tire flange of each
wheel, D. The ram, G, of each hydraulic cylinder, E, is made with a vertical rib or
flange, H, extending up beside the inner edge of the top flange of the girder, B, so as
to bear up against the tire flange of the wheel, D. The several hydraulic cylinders, E,
are connected by suitable pipes (which are not shown) to suitable pumping apparatus ;
but each cylinder is provided with with a separate inlet valve so that the water or other
liquid employed may he pumped into any one cylinder independently of the others.

page_text: The cylinders, E, are also provided with separate discharge valves, J; and each is
fitted with a separate pressure gauge, K. When the locomotive or other vehicle has
been placed in position, either by means of a crane, or by being run along the rails, C,
the water or other liquid is pumped into or drawn out of each cylinder, E, as required,
until the load is completely borne by the several rams, G, with the rams exactly level
with each other or as nearly so as conveniently possible. The pressure ganges, K, of
the cylinders, E, will then indicate the weights respectively borne by each.
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 :-
The arranging and combining together of hydraulic cylinders with pressure gauges
and accessory parts for weighing railway locomotives or vehicles, substantially in the
improved manner hereinbefore described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.