Tramway Vehicles and in Guiding Means Employed therewith.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 5th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
Tramway Vehicles and in Guiding Means Employed therewith.
I, FRITZ BARON VON WECHMAR of Hannover in the Empire of Germany, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists first, in means, whereby road and tramway engines and
carriage wheels, can be made to vary their distances apart, in order to accommodate
them to be used on varying tracks or gauges. Secondly, in counteracting or con-
trolling the free motion of the said wheels, which is necessary, in order to keep the
said wheel on or in their tracks; that is, preventing the too free motion of the front
frame with the back frame.
I will describe my invention in connection with an ordinary road vehicle.
The axle of the wheel is an ordinary one, with a shank part, collar and neck, with
a screwed terminal neck part.
The axle box has a flange at its outer end, and comes within a short distance of
the axle collar; and surrounding the said axle box, and at a short distance on the
collar side of the flange, is an annular ring, while screwed upon the neck, and near
the said collar, is a thick ring or disc, and with intervening spaces lying between it
and collar, and inside of axle box flange respectively.
Encircling these aforesaid collar and spring parts, is a short tube or socket,
wherein the said rings and flanges accurately fit, and with a hanging or internal
flange disposed between the two inside faces of the ring and axle box flange
respectively.
Connected with the socket like sleeve as aforesaid, is an arm, which rotates the
collar or disc upon the axle. Thus, if the arm be turned in one or other direction,
the wheels are adjusted to any width of gauge.
A modification of this last named arrangement, may be made, by making the
socket sleeve, carry an internal flange, which is screwed internally, and takes upon
the screwed part of the neck; so that the movement of this arm, in one direction,
brings the internal flange up to the axle collar.

page_text: The means of preventing the too free motion of the frames, is as follows :-
The hind wheel of a vehicle, is provided with an axle, socket and arm, as aforesaid,
and to the end of the arm, is a link, which is connected to a jointed lever, whose upper
end is connected to the upper end of a connecting rod.
The jointed lever is jointed and carried by an arm, extending outwardly from the
axle or front frame.
The front wheel has an axle, socket, socket-arm, link, jointed lever, and axle arm;
and to the upper end of the jointed lever, is a toothed quadrant, with a finger like
arm on its top side.
The teeth of this quadrant engage with a like toothed quadrant, carried at the
lower end of an arm, whose upper end is connected and jointed to the fore end of the
connecting rod as aforesaid.
The said last named quadrant joint centre, works within a depending bracket
bearing, proceeding from the underside of the vehicle, and with an axle running
parallel to the axle of the toothed quadrant first named; so that the turning of the
handle on the second quadrant action, the necessary resistance is communicated to
the moving parts.
The connection of the aforesaid moving parts with the joints upon which the frames
turn, is effected by an inwardly directed arm, whose end works between the forks
on the inner end of a rod; so that when the socket arms stand vertically, the
top arm of the first named quadrant, lies near, and is connected by the
connecting rod.
The ends of the forks of the rod are held between guides, which are made
fast to a part of the vehicle which is immovable with the front frame; so that
by the adverse motion of the arms, the normal free motion of the wheels is
reinstituted.
To give additional security against the wheels running out of, or from off a track,
I lengthen the socket arm, and direct its said extended end into, or upon the side of a
track or this arm for keeping the wheels to the metals may be used & connected to
a vehicle independent of socket-arm as aforesaid.
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page_text: Tramway Vehicles and in Guiding Means Employed therewith.
I, FRITZ BARON VON WECHMAR of Hannover in the Empire of Germany, 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:-
The principal object of this invention, is to enable ordinary vehicles, or vehicles
whose wheels aro flangeless, to run upon railway, and tramway tracks.
The improvements consist 1st, in adjusting the said wheels of road vehicles, to
varying tracks of rails, 2ndly, in a device or means, for preventing the said wheels
from leaving the tracks, 3rdly, in mounting wheels, or their carrying framings, in such
a manner, that their partial free motion shall be annuled, when used on ordinary
roads.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section, partly in elevation, the lower part of the
body of an ordinary vehicle, provided with the parts, constructed and arranged,
according to one part of my invention.
Figure 2 represents a top side view of figure 1, with the body of the vehicle
removed.
Figure 3 represents in plan, the toothed quadrant bracket part, as best seen in
elevation figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a diagramatic view of the plan of the wheels.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 represent some of the parts, separately.
Figure S represents in vertical section, the axle arin and hub of the wheel, and the
means for adjusting the said wheel upon its axle arm.
Figure 9 represents a like section as figure 8, and with the arm of the axle, in a
different position, with respect to its hub.
Figure 10 is a transverse section on the dotted lines A B figure 8.
The same letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts in figures 1 to 13 of the
drawings.
a is the axle, a is the axle arm, and a³ is its outer plain reduced end, which slides
within a plain cap a', whilst the axle arm a³, slides and works within the middle of the
hub of the flangeless wheel c.
dis an arm, and d² is a screw box at its upper end, which takes upon a like
wormed part a', on the axle arm a', next to the collar situated between the said arm
and axle.
The screw box d², of the arm d, is chambered or made hollow, wherein the inner
flanged end 6, of the axle box b, works, but leaving a little play between the inside
parts of the said chambered part, and the flango b³.

page_text: When a vehicle is required to be run upon a track, of a determinate gauge, the
wheels are adjusted to that gauge, by first disconnecting the arm d, from the other
parts as hereinafter described, and then rotating the said arm, until the distance
between the wheels is increased, or decreased, to the determinate distance required,
and then fixed, by making the arm's connection, with the means for the raising of it,
out of position.
The adjustment of each wheel upon its axle arm, is effected by the screwing of the
screw box d³, over the wormed part a", of the axle arm; and in consequence of the
said screw box being connected to the axle box, the said rotation, causes the box to be
traversed to and fro upon the arm.
The arms d, which are the track arms, prevent the wheels of the vehicle, from running
from off the rails, or leaving the tracks, when its end, or its lower end d³, is placed and
runs within the groove e², of a rail or track e, as in figure 11, or upon the side of a
rail, or track e, as in figure 12.
The simultaneous removal of the arms from the grooves within the tracks, or from
the sides of the tracks, is effected by toothed quadrants f, g, hung upon brackets
depending from, or connected with the fore part of the vehicle. The former toothed
quadrant, has an arm f, whose lower end has a link h, connected to a coupling rod l,
which connects the two opposite track arms, together.
The other toothed quadrant g, has a bell crank lever, with arms g², 93, the latter of
which constitutes the handle for the simultaneous working of the whole of the track
arms d, situated on the two opposite sides of the vehicle, both fore and aft, whilst the
arm g², is jointly connected to one end of a connecting rod i, whose other end is con-
nected to a short arm of a crank lever j, whose lower end ³, is connected by a link k
to the coupling rod 7, at the rear of the vehicle, and which coupling rod connects the
two opposite and rear track arms d; so that after the wheels have been adjusted to the
widths of the tracks, the track arms d can be lowered simultaneously into and out of
position, as represented in both dotted and full lines figure 1, by depressing or raising
the arm g, which communicates the necessary motion, through the intervention of the
parts as aforesaid.
The body m of the carriage, is mounted upon front and rear framings n, o.
The front framing n, which makes a quadrant bearing for the framing o, is connected
to the bed or longitudinal block p, secured to the front underside of the body m.
The other or back framing o, which extends underneath the carriage body, rests
upon the quadrant part of the framing n, and is attached at its fore part, by a
swivelling joint or pin o³, to the front bed p, while its other end is connected to
the rear bed or block p', upon which the underside of the hind part of the vehicle
is secured.
Figure 13 represents a modification of the means for adjusting the distances between
the wheels. The difference between this arrangement and figures 8 and 9, is, that
the screw box d², at the inner end of the arm d, is disconnected from the axle box b,
and that the reduced end as is wormed, upon which, an adjustable cap a', is screwed
so that on the adjustment of the wheel, the cap at is first removed, and then the arm d
rotated, to the desired extent, after which, the cap is then refixed upon the said
reduced end, thereby securing the wheel in its desired position, with respect to the
axle arm.
Figure 14 represents partly in vertical section, and partly in elevation, the lower
part of the body of an ordinary vehicle, provided with improvements constructed
according to another form of my invention.
Figure 15 represents an end view partly in section, and figure 16 a plan of figure 14,
with the body and two of the wheels of the said vehicle removed, in order to better
exhibit the working parts.
Figures 17 and 18 show some of the parts separately, of the said improvements.
The same letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts in figures 14, 15, 16, 17
and 18.
a is the axle, a' the arm, 6 the axle box, situated within the hub c³ of the flangeless
wheel c. d are track arms, with their upper ends made plain, or provided with screw

page_text: boxes, which swivel, or worm upon the axle arm, as aforesaid; and which said arms,
are simultaneously removed from, or taken to the tracks, by means, consisting of a
slide i, with pin, taking within a slot g' of an arm g³, whose upper end g³, is made
into an operating lever, and which said arm has a bossed eye ³, (which may carry
supplementary track arms d) fulcrumed at gº.
n is the fore part of the framing of the vehicle, and o is the rear part, jointed to n,
at o, and with the framing n, connected to the carriage under block p; and with the
rear framing o, connected to the under side of the carriage body, by the block p³.
The fore part of the slide, is provided with a link f³, connected to the coupling bar l,
of the track arms d, and which said link f, is coupled to the slide, by a secondary
link h.
The rear connection of the slide, is made through the links j, k, the latter of which
is connected to the coupling bar ɩ, which connects the two opposite track arms
together.
m is the body of the vehicle, and e the rail or track.
Thus, when the track arms are required to be placed in position, the arm g³ is turned
in the direction as indicated by the arrow, when the said track arms are simultaneously
lowered into the positions as represented in dotted lines; and on the said arm g³,
being turned in the reverse direction, then the track arms, are picked up.
Figure 19 represents in end elevation, another form of my invention. Figure 20
is a transverse vertical section of the same, and figure 21, a modification of the form
figure 19, while figure 22 is a transverso section of the said figure 21.
In figures 19 and 20, the opposite track arms are made in one limb, and with their
guiding points, coming within the insides of the tracks.
m is the body of the vehicle, c are the plain wheels, running upon the tracks e
and d are guide arms, with outer ends d', which extend to the exact inside breadth
of the track, and which said arms d are jointed at d, to a hanging bracket d', on the
underside of the body n of the vehicle.
The combined arms or are placed in position, or taken out of position, by a rod i,
which may be operated in any convenient manner.
In figures 21 and 22, m is the body of the vehicle, is a coupling bar or axis,
carried by hanging bracket bearings 12, d are track arms, fixedly secured to the ends
of the said coupling bar 1, and f', is a link, to which a rod i is connected, for placing
in position, and lifting the said track arms.
The terminal ends of the track arms may be provided with steel pins or anti-
friction rollers, to reduce wear of the contact parts.
Figure 23 represents in front clevation, and part section, a track arm end, provided
with a steel pin, fitting within a socket, and by moans of which said pin, immediato
wear is prevented.
d is the track arm, with its end made into a socket 2, wherein the steel pin d³, or
its equivalent, takes, and is held by a set pin d².
Figure 24 represents another modified form of my invention, in which the track
arms are picked up and placed in position, on the inner side of the tracks, by a
rotating shaft.
Figure 25 is an end elevation, partly in section. Figure 26 is a plan, and figure 27
is an end of one of the track arins, shaped to the inner conformation of a rail, so as
thereby to obtain a better bearing and guidance.
i is a shaft, carried by hanging bracket bearings 3, 3, carried upon the underside
of the respective framings n, o, jointed together at o³.
The rear of the shaft, has a double arm or rocker 3, connected at its outer ends, to
the respective short ends, of track arms d, by jointed rod links *. The extreme
outer end of this said shaft has an operating arm g³.
The fore part of the vehicle, is provided with a similar track arm arrangement, as
the rear part, thus consisting of double or rocking arm 3, rod links, and track
arms d, d, supported from brackets, depending from the underside of the framing n,
while the rear parts are supported froin brackets depending from the underside of
the frame o, jointed to n, at o³.

page_text: Connection between the fore part and rear shaft is made by a Hook's joint r, by
means of which, motion is capable of being transmitted, when the parts are at an
angle.
Figure 28 represents a front and side elevation of a swinging track arm, which is
simply pivoted upon an axis, and is kept in its raised and acting position, by a
suitable device.
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 :-
:-
First. Keeping and guiding the flangeless wheels of ordinary vehicles, upon the
metals of rail and tramway tracks, by connected or swivelling arms d, disposed on
the two opposite sides of the vehicle, and which said arms or guiding bars, are applied
and operate substantially, as described and set forth.
Secondly. A track arm d, with its inner end formed into a screw box d³, for the
taking upon a screwed part of the neck of an axle, for the purpose, substantially as
described and set forth in figures 8, 9, 10 and 13.
of an
Thirdly. Adjusting a wheel upon its axle arm, by means of a screw box d²,
arm d, taking upon a screwed part a', of a parallel axle arm a³, which slides within
an axle box b, whose inner flanged end, is connected with the inner returned, or
flanged end, of the screw box d; and which said parts are constructed and arranged,
in combination with the axle a, wheel c, and hub c³, as described and set forth in
figures 8, 9, 10 and 13.
Fourthly. The combination with the swivelling track arm d, wheel and track e, e²,
of the toothed quadrants f, g, arms f³, 92, 93, link h, connecting rod i, and coupling
rod of the fore part of a vehicle, substantially as and for the purpose as described
and set forth in figures 1, 2 and 3.
Fifthly. The combination with the hind track arm d, of a vehicle, of a crank
lever jjj, link k, and coupling rod l, substantially as described and set forth.
Sixthly. The combination with the body m, of a vehicle and its wheels, of
frames n and o, respectively swivelled together, and connected to the framings of the
fore and aft wheels, as set forth in figures 1, 2, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25 and 26.
Seventhly. The general construction of the framing, and means for the picking
up of the track arms, as described and set forth in figures 14, 15 and 16.
Eighthly. The improvement in the construction, arrangement and mounting of
the track arms, as set forth in figures 19 and 20.
Ninthly. The arrangement and mounting of the track arms, as represented in
figures 21 and 22.
Lastly. The means herein described and represented, for the picking up, and
placing in position of the track arms, as set forth in figures 24, 25 and 26.
Dated this Second day of June 1888.