Improvements in Fenders for Tramway and like Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fenders for Tramway and like Vehicles.
I, JOHANN VON HOLT, of 1, Jacobstrasse, 11, Hamburg, in the Empire of
Germany, Labourer, 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: -
This invention relates to a fender for street tram or railway-vehicles for
preventing persons being run over.
The arrangement consists broadly of an elastic frame arranged in front of the
wheels and fitted with a number of vertical rollers. The frame is arranged at
an incline with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle in such a manner that
normally a person caught by the fender is pushed towards that side where there
is no danger from vehicles coming in an opposite direction.
My invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:-
!
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a tram-car showing the im-
proved fender applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a reversed plan of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the fender.
Figure 4 shows the rollers and their mountings drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 5 is a side-elevation of the sliding supports for the fender-frame.
Figure 6 is a reversed plan of Figure 5.
Figure 7 shows the top-bar of the fender.
Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line A-B Figure 5.
Below the ordinary platform of the tram-vehicle upon which the driver
stands, a bar a is arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the car
and such bar is adapted to move forward and rearward owing to the action
of slotted bearings 6 having movable sliding blocks c which by means of bracket
pieces & supports the bar a.
!
The blocks are constantly urged forward by means of strong helical springs e
which normally hold them in such forward position.
To the bar a is connected a vertically arranged frame adapted to reach down
to the ground as far as is practical.
!
The said frame comprises the bars i, and the portions of which are
respectively secured together by hinge-joints ff', the purpose of which will
be hereinafter explained. The articulation divides the frame into the parts g-f
and fh. The upper bar ii of the frame is bent at parts so as to adapt itself
to the car and various apparatus carried below the floor such as the brake, the
steps and so on, while the lower bar jj is straight. The rollers k mounted
between the bars and jare made of soft rubber and of a reduced diameter
at the middle somewhat as shown.
:
The frame furnished with the rollers is mounted at a sharp angle with its
supporting bar a to which it is connected by means of arms 7112. The arm
carries the joint f and the arm 12 forms a guide in which the frame-portion f-h
can slide, this latter being normally held in its forward position by the pull
of a helical spring m.
If now a person owing to an accident is caught by the fender it is in most
cases in the middle of the apparatus that such is caught. The form of the

page_text: rollers is such as to adapt themselves somewhat to the rounded form of the body
and therefore obviously as the car has a certain momentum, the tendency of
the rollers is to push the person onward and at the same time sidewise outside
the rails towards the receding portion by reason of the inclined position of
the frame. This action is facilitated by the adoption of rotary rollers whereby
friction is obviated between the person and the protecting fender.
If the person however falls in front of the portion f h the force of the spring
is overcome and the said portion assumes a position as is indicated by the dotied
line in Figure 2 and the person is then pushed towards this side as this is the
nearest side.
The wheels are advantageously cased in by a side plate or board n so as to
prevent the person ejected by the fender from coming within reach of the wheels
of the tram.
The forward movable end of the fender is connected with the side-boards by
an intermediary part n which is guided in the side-board n and which can move
rearward sufficiently to admit of the motion of the fender-portion f- and thus
all danger from the wheels is obviated.
In a trailing-car the fender may be constructed without the hinge-joint as
accidents can here only occur on entering or descending the car and access to
the car takes place from one side only.
In order to reduce the shock by contact more than already effected by the soft
rubber rollers I make the entire structure clastic i.e. to yield by enabling the
blocks carrying the bar a to slide in the slotted bearings b and compress the
springs e.
Thus the shock is transmitted to the springs e and in this manner is lessened
upon the person.
In Figures 2, 5 and 6 of the drawing it is shown how the projection c¹ of the
sliding-block can be used to form an electric-contact with a spring controlled
studo which latter then switches off the current and at the same time starts
an electric-brake.
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. A protecting fender for tramway and like vehicles characterized by a ver-
tical frame, with elastic rollers k, arranged at an incline with the longitudinal
axis of the vehicle and adapted to remove obstructions during the journey from
the front of the vehicle towards the furthest removed portion of the frame and
finally outside the permanent-way which is facilitated by the action of the
rollers, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
2. A protecting fender for tramway and like vehicles as claimed in Claim 1,
in which the frame carrying the rollers consists of a rigid portion g-f and
a movable or hinged portion f-h so as to enable an obstruction, if laying in
a certain position, to be removed after pushing rearward the portion f―h to
one side of the car, while ordinarily obstructions are removed to that side of
the car where it is free from danger through the traffic coming in an opposite
direction, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.
3. In a protecting fender for tramway and like vehicles as claimed in Claims 1
and 2 the method of securing the frame of the fender to a sliding-bar a so as
to reduce shock by contact with the obstruction by means of springs, while the
sliding motion of the fender may serve in bringing a brake into operation, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
1000°
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.