IMPROVEMENTS IN CARS OMNIBUSES OR OTHER VEHICLES CAPABLE OF BEING DRAWN ON TRAMWAYS OR COMMON ROADS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Solomon Andrews of Cardiff in the county of Glamorgan
for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN CARS OMNIBUSES OR OTHER
VEHICLES CAPABLE OF BEING DRAWN ON TRAMWAYS OR COMMON ROADS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Solomon Andrews at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th January 1883.
SOLOMON ANDREWS of Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN CARS OMNIBUSES OR OTHER VEHICLES CAPABLE OF BEING DRAWN ON TRAMWAYS
OR COMMON ROADS
כן
This invention has for its principal object an omnibus which shall run with
greater case safety and comfort than those now in use by increasing the size of the
front wheels and by lowering the centre of gravity, thus lowering the centre floor
of the omnibus between the seats.
To accomplish this I form the frame with a wheel-plate inside the wheels and
both under carriage and frame are made so that said wheels can project up
through them into the body of the carriage under the seats without coming in
contact with them.
To enable me to do this the better, the under carriage frame is made broader in
the front and back direction so that as the under carriage swivels the wheels shall
not come in contact with them.
The under carriage is pivoted at or near its centre to the carriage or floor of the
omnibus and its framing to which the springs are attached extends out until leve!
with the outside of the body of the vehicle. The wheels are placed on the axle
inside of the spring and the hinder carriage and framework of the body of the
vehicle are left with a space in which the periphery of the wheel has room to
revolve.
In cross section the under carriage and bottom are made of a dished shape, the
bottom of the bus being thus placed nearer the ground and the space left for tho
wheels is boxed off under the seats.
The spaces left in the frame and the under carriage for the wheels are bounded
in front and back by a stout curved sole plate or beam and are each traversed front

page_text: and back by a very stout central beam with framework or two curved or straight
beams to carry the wheel plate or transoms.
The travel of the under carriage is stopped at its extreme limit by a strong lock
stop to prevent it turning too sharply.
In order to enable the omnibus to be hung as low and as near to the ground as
possible without at the same time diminishing the size of the wheels I place the
clip by which the axle is secured on the top of the spring instead of underneath
as up to the present has been the case The axle is thus placed over the centre of
the spring instead of below it. The axle clip is formed in two pieces the bottom
part something in the shape of a U with a bottom flange is secured to the spring
by means of two bands or clips passed round the spring and over the projecting
flange of the bottom part of the clip. Projecting from the flange of the bottom
clip at either side is a bolt and a corresponding flange in the cap or top part of the
clip passed down over this bolt is held in position by a nut placed thereon. The
end of the axle rests between the top and bottom part of the clip and the nuts are
screwed down when it is in its place. By this arrangement the axles are more
casily removed than is at present the case or than would be the case had the bands
that pass round the springs to be taken off each time the axle had to be removed
The carriage is thus suspended by the understrung springs to the axle. The springs
may be composite that is to say a steel bow spring with india rubber buffing springs
at each end carrying said bow spring.
In order to run with greater smoothness I sometimes use six or more wheels and
have these wheels in two or more different gauges. The central pair being of much
larger size may be constructed to carry most of the load or not according as the
springs are screwed up or otherwise.
The axles of these larger wheels are short and fixed to the frame or in rare cases
to the under carriage or could if desirable pass either straight across or in a cranked
form under the omnibus.
If the omnibus be worked by steam or other power I prefer to couple the power
to the large driving wheels or their axle directly or by multiplying gear.
If the omnibus is required to run on a very narrow gauge line, I instead of
placing the springs close to the outside of the wheels make the end of the axle
project out 9 inches or more from the wheel and place the springs under the end of
axles as now this gives a much wider bearing on the springs and further to
prevent any liability the vehicle would have to upset through the wheels being so
close together. I may arrange to place a small wheel or roller under the bottom
of each spring, such rollers being about two or more inches off the ground so that
if the vehicle tilted on one side these collars would provent it going over more on
that side.

page_text: IN CARS, OMNIBUSES, OR OTHER VEHICLES CAPABLE OF BEING DRAWN ON
TRAMWAYS OR COMMON ROADS
"
This invention consists in improvements in and additions to those for which
letters patent have been granted to me N° 2511 of 1882 and N° 5582 of 1882, and
has for its principal object an omnibus which shall run with greater easc, safety,
and comfort than those now in use, and this object is effected by increasing the
size of the front wheels, and by lowering the centre of gravity, thus lowering the
centro floor of the omnibus between the seats.
This first part of my invention is best described by aid of the accompanying
drawings in which Fig 1 is a side view.
Fig 2. a plan.
Fig. 3-end view, and
Fig 4-a transverse section of the underframe and swing frame.
Fig. 5 perspective view of the spring and axle clip.
In these A is the frame of the omnibus forming the floor thereof. B under
carriage frame, C wheel plate bolted to the lower side of the carriage frame in the
usual manner,
D central axis or pivot, F flat plates or bearings fixed upon the
swing frame and sliding on the centre plate C, E clear space left inside frame for
the wheels to project up under the seats. It will be seen that the under carriage
frame C is made very broad in front and back direction, so as to clear the wheels
when the under carriage swivels. Further the side framing of the under carriage
extends out until flush with the outside of the vehicle, and to this the springs are
attached outside the wheels. The hinder carriage and framework of the body of
the vehicle are left with a space G in which the wheel has room to revolve. In
cross section the under carriage and bottom are made of a dished shape, the bottom
of the vehicle being thus placed nearer the ground and the space left for the wheels
is boxed off under the seats.
The spaces left in the frame and the under carriage for the wheels are bounded
in front by a stout curved sole plate H H', and in rear by a similar plate, or as
shown in the drawing a straight plate curved at ends to the dish form of vertical
section. Both upper and under carriage frames are traversed by one stout central
beam, or as shown in drawing two stout beams, one on each side of the centre and
carrying the pivot plate between them. The longitudinal, central, or intermediate
plate, or beams, carry the wheel plate and transoms and bind the whole frame
together.
These longitudinal beams have been used before in other vehicles, and especially
in railway waggons and coaches.
The travel of the under carriage is stopped, as has been sometimes done before,
at its extreme limit by a strong lock stop to prevent its turning too sharply, and
thus bringing the wheels against the omnibus framic or risking an upset.
In order to enable the omnibus to be hung as low and as near to the ground as.
possible, without at the same time diminishing the size of the wheels, I place the
clip by which the axle is secured, on the top of the spring instead of underneath, as
up to the present has been the case, as shown in Fig 5. The axle is thus placed
over the centre of the spring instead of below it. The axle clip is formed in two
pieces, the top part K fitting over the bottom part I as shown. The whole is
secured together and to the spring J by means of screws or bolts M passing down
through the flange N of K. A bolt P may also be passed through the centre of
the bottom part of the clip, or the bottom part I may be secured to the spring J,

page_text: by means of two bands or clips passed round the spring and over the projecting
flange of the bottom part of the clip, in which case a bolt projecting from the flange
of the bottom clip at either side, and through the flange N in the cap or top part
of the clip, holds the cap securely in position by means of a nut placed on the end
of the bolt. The end of the axle rests between the top and bottom part of the clip,
and the screws or nuts are screwed down when it is in its place. By this arrange-
ment the axles are more easily removed than is at present the case, or than would
be the case had the bands that pass round the springs to be taken off each time
the axle had to be removed. The carriage is thus suspended by the understrung
springs to the axle. The springs may if desired be in the well known composite
plan, that is to say, a steel bow spring with india rubber buffing springs at each end
carrying said bow spring.
In order to run with greater smoothness I sometimes use.six or more wheels, and
have these wheels in two or more different gauges. The central pair being of much
larger size may be constructed to carry most of the load or not, according as the
springs are screwed up or otherwise.
The axles of these larger wheels are short and preferably fixed to the frame, but
could if desirable pass either straight across or in a cranked form under the omnibus.
The wheels revolving on the axlo.
If the omnibus be worked by steam or other power, I prefer to couple the power
to the large driving wheels or their axle directly, or by multiplying gear. If
coupled to the axle, the axle has the wheels keyed to it and revolving with it.
If the wheels of the omnibus are required very close together, I instead of placing
the springs close to the outside of the wheels, make the end of the axle project out
several inches from the wheel, and place the springs under the end of axles as now;
this gives a much widor bearing on the springs. To prevent any liability which
the vehicle would have to upset through the wheels being so close together, I may
arrango to place a sinall wheel or roller under the bottom of each spring, such rollers
being about two or more inches off the ground, so that if the vehicle tilted on one
side these rollers would prevent it going over inore on that side.
Having now described my invention, and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish is to be understood that while I believe to be new and original
all these combinations of parts described in the foregoing specification, except such
as are plainly set forth as old, I do not claim any as independent inventions, and
only claim them in combination when used in conjunction with any of the matters
specially claimed hereafter, so as to form a complete vehicle, substantially as
described, but I do claim as specially new the following:-
-
1. The combined arrangement of wheels and framing of an omnibus, car, or
other vehicle for tramway or common road use, substantially as described in the
first part of the foregoing specification, in which the body is hung low and the
wheels run surrounded by the framework of the carriage, and yet clear of it..
2nd. The arrangement of underhung spring and attachments, substantially as and
for the purposes described.
3rd. The manufacture of six or more wheeled omnibuses, substantially as
described.
4th. The combination of the narrow gauge vehicle, with outside springs, and
roller or subsidiary wheels connected therewith, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Solomon Andrews have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Seventh day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.