A New or Improved Device or Appliance for Use in connection with the Sheet Covering a Railway or other Truck.
Year: 1895

page_text: A New or Improved Device or Appliance for Use in connection with
the Sheet Covering a Railway or other Truck.
I, BENJAMIN ALFRED HAWKES, of 42, Upton Street, Gloucester, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a new or improved device or appliance for use in
connection with the sheet covering a railway or other truck and has for its object
to provide suitable mechanism, capable of being easily operated so as to raise or
lower the said sheet covering the truck, or wagon.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I provide two castings which are
bolted to one end of the truck or the like, at the required depth from the top and
as near the corners as may be possible while to these are bolted a flat bar of metal
to the projecting ends of which are secured end pieces by means of set screws.
The bar passes through slots in the end pieces, while the said end pieces are each
provided with a second slot to take another bar which is arranged above the first
mentioned bar, and secured in position by means of set screws, the whole forming.
a suitable frame-work for supporting or carrying the raising and lowering device,
which consists of a base plate furnished with wheels which are arranged to travel
on the lower bar of the frame-work, while the base plate carries a central pillar or
post which is formed with a slot at the required' height and furnished with a wheel.
so as to bear upon the upper bar of the frame-work, the said bar passing through
the said slot in the central pillar or post.
The central pillar or post has a forked end which may be mounted on a swivel
and which is capable of being raised or lowered by a hand screw. The other end
of the truck or the like is similarly furnished to the one herein described. I also
provide a cross beam which is formed in two parts for convenience in manipulation
and which rests in the forked ends of the aforesaid pillars or posts and is thus
supported at each end of the truck or the like so as to be raised or lowered by the
aforesaid band screws according to requirements, while I further provide a loose
metal sleeve capable of sliding along the aforesaid beam for strengthening the
divided part of the said beam when in use.
As my improvements are capable of some modifications without departing from
the principle thereof I do not restrict myself to dimensions, materials, or to the
precise form or placement of the several' parts thereof.
Dated this 9th day of January 1895

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Device or Appliance for Use in connection with
the Sheet Covering a Railway or other Truck.
I, BENJAMIN ALFRED HAWKES of 42, Upton Street, Gloucester, 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 relates to a new or improved device or appliance for use in
connection with the sheet covering a railway or other truck, and has for its object
to provide suitable mechanism, capable of being easily operated so as to raise or
lower the said sheet covering the truck or wagon, and to allow of its being suitably
arranged so as to effectually protect the contents of the truck or wagon from rain,
snow, damp, dirt or the like, while its use would considerably reduce the amount
now annually paid by railway companies on claims for damaged goods.
The invention further aims to abolish the present ineffective method pursued in
covering goods and merchandise, conveyed in railway trucks, or other vehicles to
which this device can be applied, while its adaptation by railway companies would
effect a considerable reduction of expenditure now so prevalent through the
disadvantages accruing from the system now in general use.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I provide two castings or brackets
which are bolted to one end of the truck or the like, at the required depth from
the top and as near the corners as may be possible, while to the projecting arms of
these brackets is bolted a flat bar of metal to the ends of which are secured end
pieces by means of set screws. The bar passes through slots in the end pieces,
while the said end pieces are each provided with a second slot to take another bar
which is arranged above the first mentioned bar, which is also secured in position
by means of set screws, the whole forming a suitable frame-work for supporting or
carrying the raising and lowering device, which consists of a base plate furnished
with wheels which are arranged to travel on the lower bar of the frame, while the
said base plate carries a central pillar or post which is formed with a slot at
the required height and furnished with a wheel so as to bear upon or against the
upper bar of the frame, the said bar passing through the slot in the central pillar
or post.
The central pillar or post has a forked end which is mounted on a swivel and
which is capable of being raised or lowered by a hand screw. The other end of
the truck or the like is similarly furnished to the end herein described. I also
provide a cross beam which may be formed in two parts for convenience in manipu
lation and which rests in the forked ends of the aforesaid pillars or posts and is
thus supported at each end of the truck or the like so as to be raised or lowered
by the aforesaid hand screws according to requirements, while I further provide a
loose metal sleeve or sleeves capable of sliding along the aforesaid beam for
strengthening the divided part of the said beam when in use.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed
to describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) is an elevation of the mechanism to be secured to each end of
the truck or wagon and Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a slightly modified form
of my invention.
Sheet 2 shows the various parts in detail and in which Fig. 3 is a side view of
one of the end pieces.
Fig. 4 is a similar view of the strengthening brace or bar.
Fig. 5 shows one of the brackets in side and end view.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the plate arranged within the truck or wagon, behind the
bracket (Fig. 5) and against which the securing bolts bear.

page_text: Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the raising and lowering device, detached from the
frame but showing the top bar of same in section.
Fig. 8 is a side view of the cross beam and Fig. 9 shows two views of a modified
form of same.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
According to my invention two brackets a a¹ (Fig. 1 and 5) are holted to each
end of the truck, wagon or the like, a plate p (Fig. 6) being arranged behind each
bracket within the truck and against which the bolts bear. To the projecting
arms a² a3 of these brackets is bolted the flat barb to the ends of which are secured
end pieces C, C, by means of set screws c (Fig. 3). The bar 6 passes through
slots in the said end pieces while they are each furnished with a second slot to
take another bar 61 secured in position by set screws c', (Fig. 3), the whole forming
a suitable frame for carrying the raising and lowering device (Fig. 7), which
consists of a base plate d furnished with wheels or rollers w, w, designed to travel
on the lower bar b of the frame, while it carries centrally a pillar or post f furnished
with a slot within which is pivoted a wheel or roller f designed to bear against
the bar 6 of the frame which passes through the slot f. I likewise provide a
locking screws operated by handle f³ for securing the device in the required
position along the frame. The pillar or post fis provided with a screw s³ capable
of being raised or lowered by operating the handle 7, while the said screw is
furnished with a forked end e which is pivoted to same and within which the ends
of the cross beam g (Fig. 8) are placed, so as to support the said beam at either
end of the truck or wagon and over which the covering sheet is placed. The cross
beam for convenience in manipulation may be formed in two parts g, g' as shown
and secured at the divided part by sliding sleeves g³ g³. In the modified form of
cross beam two views of which are shown in Fig. 9, the beam g at each end and at
the part coming near or against the supporting fork e of the raising and lowering
device, is furnished with a slot k, k, through which, and the arms of the fork e,
bolts are passed to prevent it shifting out of position from the jolting of the truck
In the usual position of the raising and lowering devices viz.: when
they are opposite each other at the ends of the truck or wagon, the securing bolts
would be at or near the inner ends of the slots k, k', while in the event of its being
necessary to place them at opposite corners, with the cross beam diagonally, the
extra length of beam then necessary would be allowed for by the sluts k, k', the
securing bolts being then at or near the outer ends of the said slots, while I further
provide angle pieces p¹ designed to bear against the inner sides of the forked ends e
so as to prevent them from being drawn inwards by the weight of the cover.
or wagon.
I may, if necessary, provide brace or strengthening pieces m (Fig. 4),one of
which would be bolted to each side of the truck and at each end near the top, the
free end being then secured to the top of the end pieces C.
In the modified form of my invention shown in Fig. 2, instead of the raising
and lowering device being moved along the frame to the required position by hand,
I provide a longitudinal screw S to effect this, which is operated by the hand
wheels, 2, the said screw passing through a screw threaded hole in the boss or
enlarged portion B of the pillar or post f, and in this case the upper bar b' and
wheel or roller f' are dispensed with.
The sheet covering the truck or wagon which is supported by the cross beam g
may be secured to same in any well known and suitable manner.
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 improved device for use in connection with the sheet covering a railway
or other truck or wagon, consisting of the frame composed of end pieces C, C,
bars b, b, secured to end of truck by brackets a, a¹, in combination with the
raising and lowering device which consists of base plate d, upright or pillar f,
wheels or rollers w, w and f², screw s², bandle h, and forked end e, and the cross

page_text: beamy gysubstantially as herein, described and shown and for the purposes
specified.
*
2 The modification described and shown with reference to Fig. 2 of the
accompanying drawings, consisting of the application and use of the longitudinal
screw S passing through boss B in pillar f, in combination with the other parts as
abave claimed, substantially as herein described and for the purposes specified.
3. In a device or appliance for use in connection with sheet covering railway or
other trucks or wagons, the modification of the supporting beam g, substantially as
described and shown in Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawings..
4. The improved device or appliance for use in connection with the sheet
covering a railway or other truck or wagon arranged and constructed substantially
as herein described and shown and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 8th day of October 1895.
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.