Improvements in or applicable to Trolleys such as are used on Railway Station Platforms.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Trolleys such as are used on
Railway Station Platforms.
LEWIS RICHARD THOMAS, of Eastcourt Lodge, New Swindon, in the County
of Wiltshire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to trolleys of the class in use on railway station plat-
forms, or similar places, for carrying luggage from one spot to another, the said
trolleys have a handle connected to the fore carriage, by which it is moved from
one spot to another by the attendant.
In trolleys, as are usually made, the handle is pivoted between the guides
or fork of the fore-carriage, and does not in any way serve, when in an upright
position to retard the motion thereof. In some instances the handle is made of
sufficient length beyond the pivot to abut against the end of the slot formed by
the guides, so as to prevent the handle falling into such a position as to rest on
the platform.
The improvements consist in apparatus fitted to the body and handle of the
trolley, so that when the handle is placed in an upright or nearly vertical position,
the handle is automatically locked in that position, the foot of the handle or
a part depending therefrom bearing against the platform, lifting or partially
80, the front of trolley from the platform, so as to act as a skid, preventing
the trolley being moved while the handle is in that position.
In carrying out the aforesaid improvements I secure to the short end of the
handle bar a strip of metal, the end of which is semi-circular or nearly so, the
the handle is placed
outer surface plain, jagged, or serrated, so that as
in an upright or nearly vertical position the outer part of the curved strip
of metal comes in contact with the platform, so that the further movement of.
the handle into an upright position would partially take the weight off the
fore part of the trolley on the pivot of the handle.
To lock the handle in this position a slot is cut (above the handle pivot)
through which a locking rod or lever is partially passed and pivoted, the end
of the lever near the fore carriage is weighted or made longer than the other
end, and has formed on its end a hook.
On the under part of the trolley body or other suitable position is a piece
of metal plate with a slot therein, so that as the handle is moved into an upright
position the long end of the locking lever passes through the slot and drops the
depth of the catch, so securing the handle automatically in its vertical position.
To move the trolley the handle has to be unlocked, which is effected by pressing
down the short end of lever, releasing or raising the catch, the handle can
then be lowered, the effect of which is to remove the skid.
In some instances I make the end of handle longer, thus dispensing with the
metal strip on the end thereof.
Dated this Tenth day of October 1898.

page_text: Improvements in or applicable to Trolleys such as are used on
Railway Station Platforms.
I, LEWIS RICHARD THOMAS, of Eastcourt Lodge, New Swindon, in the County
of Wiltshire, Engineer, 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 trolleys of the class in use on railway station plat-
forms or similar places for carrying luggage from one spot to another, the said
trolleys have a handle connected to the fore carriage by which it is moved from
one spot to another by the attendant.
In trolleys as are usually made, the handle is pivoted between the guides
or fork of the fore-carriage and does not in any way serve, when in an upright
position to retard the motion thereof. In some instances the handle is made of
sufficient length to abut against the end of the slot formed by the guides so
as to prevent the handle falling into such a position as to rest on the platform.
The improvements consist in apparatus fitted to the body and handle of the
trolley so that when the handle is placed in an upright or nearly vertical position,
the handle is automatically locked in that position and the foot of the handle or
a part depending therefrom bearing against the platform, lifting or partially
so the front of trolley from the platform, so as to act as a skid, prevents the
trolley being moved while the handle is in that position.
In carrying out the aforesaid improvements I secure to the short end of the
handle bar a strip of metal, the end of which is semi-circular or nearly so, the
outer surface plain, jagged, or serrated, so that as the handle is placed
in an upright or nearly vertical position the outer part of the curved strip
of metal comes in contact with the platform, so that the further movement of
the handle into an upright or nearly vertical position would partially take the
weight off the fore part of the trolley on to the pivot of the handle.
To lock the handle in this position a slot is cut (above the handle pivot)
through which a locking rod or lever is partially passed and pivoted, the end
of the lever near the fore-carriage is weighted or made longer than the other
end and has formed on its end a hook.
On the under part of the trolley body, or other suitable position, is a piece
of metal plate with a slot therein, so that as the handle is moved into an upright
or nearly vertical position the long end of the locking lever passes through the
slot and drops the depth of the catch, so securing the handle automatically in
its vertical or nearly vertical position.
To move the trolley, the handle has to be unlocked, which is effected by pressing
down the short end of lever thereby releasing or raising the catch or hook; the
handle can then be lowered, the effect of which is to remove the skid.
In some instances I make the end of the handle longer thus dispensing with the
metal strip on the end thereof.
In the accompanying drawings are illustrated a method of carrying out my
invention.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a trolley with the brake arrangement applied.
Fig. 2 end elevation of same. Fig. 3 enlarged elevation of handle showing the
metal piece fixed on the end to form the skid. Fig. 4 plan. Fig. 6 end elevation
of foot showing skid. Fig. 5 section through handle showing the locking lever.
Figs. 7 & 8 are enlarged elevation & section of the piece of iron forming the
catch.
In the drawings the various parts are represented in the Figures by the same

page_text: letters; a being the strip of metal with its semicircular piece or shoe 6 on the
end, the strip of metal being fitted to the end of the usual trolley handle c. d is
the locking lever fitted in a slot of the trolley handle. e, the piece of angle
iron secured to the under part of trolley, e', a slot cut in the angle iron to form
a catch to accommodate the hook d of the locking lever d, on the end of the
locking lever is formed the piece d on which the foot is placed to remove
the hook of the latch from the catch plate e.
In Fig. 1, the trolley handle e is shown in dotted lines in the position in which
it usually lies when being used to draw the trolley. To apply the skid brake
the handle c is raised into a vertical or nearly vertical position so that the foot
piece b bears on the ground, the further movement of the handle inserts the
hook piece of the latch into the slot e¹ of the angle piece e, the hooked end
of the latch then drops over the catch in angle piece e and retains the handle
in its vertical position. The position of the handle always indicating that the
brake is applied..
To release the brake, pressure has to be placed by the foot on the foot piece d"
of the locking lever so raising the latch from its catch, the handle then being
placed into the normal position as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.
or
In some instances instead of fitting a strip of metal on the end of the usual
trolley handle I lengthen the handle itself and may fix a strip of metal,
other suitable material on the end so as to act as the brake. Instead of the
automatic locking rod any other suitable mechanism may be employed.
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:-
1. The improved device for braking trolleys, whereby on the trolley handle
being placed in a vertical or nearly vertical position, the foot of the trolley
handle or a part depending therefrom bears on the ground, thereby raising or
partially so the trolley from off the ground, the handle being locked or retained
in its vertical or nearly vertical position by an automatically operated or hand
operated device.
2. The improved brake for trolleys consisting of an extension of the usual
trolley handle or of a strip of metal of suitable shape, fitted to the end of the
usual trolley handle, and adapted so as to bear on the ground when the trolley
handle is raised to a vertical or nearly vertical position, the trolley handle being
retained or automatically locked in that position by a locking lever situated on
the trolley handle, so as to engage with a catch on the trolley, substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with the subject matter of Claim 1 or 2, of an automatic
locking lever or other suitable fastening to retain the handle in a vertical or
nearly vertical position for the purpose set forth.
4. The improved arrangement and combination of parts for braking trolleys
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
J
T1
1000
LEWIS RICHARD THOMAS.