Improvements in Apparatus for Attaching to Street Cars and Street Car Engines for the Purpose of Removing Young Children and Persons off the Car or Engine Track.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Attaching to Street Cars and Street
Car Engines for the Purpose of Removing Young Children and
Persons off the Car or Engine Track.
JOHN RHODES (carpenter) 85 Osler Street Ladywood Birmingham in the county
of Warwick do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the prevention of accidents to children, and other
persons who accidenty come in contact with the engines or cars when in motion.
In carrying out my invention I provide one plate or board to hang about two feet
more or less before the car or engine hung on brackets, the brackets to slide up and
down.
I also provide one plate either flat, concave, ogee, or flat plate with a piece of iron,
steel, leather or gutta percha to be fixed on the bottom edge to project two inches
more or less, the edge of the plate or board to be bevelled to fix the projection to, this
plate or board to work on slides fixed to the front of the engine or car to slide up
and down.
I provide if required two or more small wheels at the back of the plate or board so
that in coming down on the road they may carry some of the weight.
I place this plate or board as close to the front of the engine or car as possiable and
it may be the same shape as the front of the engine or car, or wedge shape or straight,
and I propose to cover the front of both plates or boards with rubber or other yielding
substance, whatever shape the second plate or board may be I make the first to
correspond.
The second plate or board to be kept about two inches more less from the road by
means of a spring or weight.
I provide a large weight or weights with levers and rods and chains to connect the
brackets with one or more levers, the levers connected by rods or chains to the weight
or weights, or I use by preference springs instead of weights.

page_text: I hang the front plate or board to swing loose, and to be kept down to within
two inches more or less off the surface of the road by one or more pins, studs, or
brackets.
I provide on the second plate or board one or more small platforms with a pin in
the centre, to fit in a hole in the weight to keep the weight in position.
The action of this invention in saving the life of the child or person when coming in
contact with the engines or cars would cause the first plate to swing and thus free the
plate of the holding down brackets or pins, thus freeing the levers and letting
the weights fall on the second plate causing that to slide down on the road and the
front plate to go up. I also provide levers and rods for the driver or guard to
regulate the plates and weights, also a bell to be struck when the front plate strikes
an obsticale.
Dated this 14th day of December 1887

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Attaching to Street Cars and Street
Car Engines for the Purpose of Removing Young Children and
Persons off the Car or Engine Track.
I JOHN RHODES 85 Osler Street Ladywood Birmingham in the county of Warwick
Carpenter 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 has for its object the prevention of serious accidents to children and
persons who accidently come in contact with the engines or cars when in motion.
1. A double guard or projecting feeler which on touching an object rises out of the
way allowing the second guard to fall to receive the object.
2. Perfectly automatic.
3. Gong or bell attachment and saftey net for warning the driver and for catching
persons or children when standing up.
In carrying out my invention, I provide one plate marked a. to project in
front of engine or car fifteen inches more or less, the plate to be twelve inches
deep more or less, to be made of steel or steel frame filled in with net or other
suitable material; both plates to be as long as the front of the car or engine
is wide, the front plate is hinged at f. to two brackets marked g. and having
a third hinge at f.f. to work catch c. which works through bracket d. and catches in
the rod e. which keeps in position the second plate b. which is fixed close to the front
of engine or car by bolts working in slots marked k. I propose making plate b. out of
three eights iron or steel either a flat plate or having a foot as h. which is made
of gutta-percha between two steel plates bolted together, the top plate cut into fingers,
or made of steel wire bent in fingers or flat plate with gutta-percha edge at bottom
between two plates. The second plate will be ten inches deep more or less, and the
same shape as the front of the car or engine and the front plate to correspond in shape
to the second.
I provide the front plate with a rising and lowering arrangement. I provide one
lever i. centered in bracket j and connected with the two plates, so that when the
second plate falls it raises the front plate, I provide the rod e. which is notched for
catch and connected with lever for the driver to lift the second plate when down.
I also provide a bell or gong attached to second plate which rings as the plate falls,
also a chain or cord attached to the second plate at the back for the driver to opperate
when required. I provide two springs to force down the second plate.
I also provide a net or webbing to cover over the space between the front and
second plate.
I provide two brackets g. bolted to the front of engine or car, for carrying the front
plate.
The bracket d. is also bolted to the front of car or engine and carries the catch c.
and lever i. I propose to cover both the plates with rubber or other suitable
material.

page_text: The action of this invention in saving the life of the person or child, when coming
in contact with it would force the front plate back thus withdrawing catch and
allowing the second plate to fall thus stopping up the space between the engine
and roadway and preventing the person or child from going under the engine or
car and the net covering the open space between plates for catching persons when
standing up.
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 :-
1st. A double guard or projecting feeler, which on touching an object rises out of
the way allowing the second guard to fall to receive the object.
2nd. Perfectly automatic.
3rd. Gong or bell attachment, and safety net, the bell for warning the driver, and
the net for catching persons or children when standing up.
Dated this 12th day of September 1880.
JOHN RHODES,
85, Osler Street, Ladywood, Birminghan:.
JOHN RHODES,
85, Osler Street, Ladywood, Birminghan:.