Improved Means of Preventing Accidents in Carriages and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1893-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1893
Improved Means of Preventing Accidents in Carriages and other
Road Vehicles.
GEORGE SAMUEL THOMPSON of 5 Farleigh Road, Stoke Newington,
London, N. Carriage Builder, 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:-
It frequently happens to carriages, through the wear and tear or failure of nuts
or other of the ordinary securities of wheels to axles, the withdrawal of the axle-
box from the wheel, or breakage of the axle arm, especially to carriages fitted with
Collinges' patent, or other axles constructed on partly similar principles, that the
wheel ceases to support the vehicle, and serious accidents result, sometimes even
with loss of life.
My invention hereinafter called the "Carriage Safety," has for its object the
entire prevention of such serious accidents, it being calculated to avert the
possibility of the wheel failing to support the vehicle.
It is not claimed for the carriage safety that it forms or constitutes any part of
the construction of axles or of their ordinary fittings, nor is it necessarily fixed in
contact with the axle or axle-box. It is an attachment to the wheel which performs
no office of security to the axle under ordinary conditions, but is a reserve security
against failure of the ordinary securities of the axle and fittings, breakage of axle
or other extraordinary contingency.
I am aware that the methods of securing wheels to axles by means of a flange
bolted to the wheel or axle-box, or a flange or collar screwed to the axle-box and
taking a bearing behind a collar forged to the axle, and so forming or constituting
some part of the primary or ordinary securities of wheels to axles are not new, but
I claim that the method of an attachment to a wheel, not necessarily taking any
bearing on or against the axle, and not comprising or forming any part of the
primary security or securities of a wheel to an axle, is quite novel.
The carriage safety consists of a flange, caulking, clip or projection of any form
or design constructed preferably of metal either in one piece or in parts or sections
of sufficient or convenient depth when attached to a wheel of a carriage or other
road vehicle, to pass or project behind the collar of the axle to which the wheel is
secured, and it may be supported by a neck or collar of such form as may be
necessary or convenient for the particular wheel and axle to which it is applied.
And it may be attached to the wheel by means of bolts or screws or other
convenient means, or it may be made permanently fixed to, or be part detachable
from, or it may form part of either wheel or axle box, and it may be adjustable or
otherwise, but the whole must be of sufficient strength to hold the wheel as a
support to the vehicle and thereby and essentially form a secondary attachment or
security of wheel to axle as a reserve against the failure of the ordinary or
primary fastenings and securities, in the event of the breakage of the axle arm,
withdrawal of axle box from nave of wheel, or any or all of these or other
contingencies whereby the wheel would otherwise become detached and thereby
cease to support the vehicle.
It will generally be found advantageous or necessary to construct the carriage
safety in two or more portions in order to enable it to be placed in its position over
the bed and behind the collar of the axle.

page_text: Fig. 2 illustrates the back elevation of the carriage safety with the parts placed
together as when fixed, thus forming the circular flange or caulking A. A. with
the opening B in centre for reception of the axle bed. C. C. C¹ C¹ are bosses,
having longitudinal holes through same. D is a rim to increase bearing on whee
nave when fixed.
Fig. 3 shows the carriage safety in section through the bosses C. C.; E. E. E¹
the bolts which pass through the holes in same. H. is the neck or support to
the caulking.
Fig. 4 illustrates a Collinges' axle arm showing ordinary securities of collet,
nuts, and pin, also longitudinal section of axle box and wheel nave, each in its
relative position, w being the axle arm, the axle box, v bed of axle, y the wheel
nave, and the axle collar.
Fig. 5 illustrates the same axle with box and nave as in Fig. 4, but also shows a
carriage safety in section and attached in position to the wheel nave by the long
bolts E. E. and secured by the nuts F. F.
It will be observed that the circular opening B in centre of flange or caulking
of carriage safety being of smaller diameter than the outside of the axle collar,
it is not possible for the caulking to pass over the collar when the carriage safety
is securely bolted to the nave of the wheel and it follows as a consequence that
should the axle arm or the axle box break, or should the nuts, collet, pin, or any
or all of these or other means of fastening or security of wheel to axle (as the
case may be, whether the axle be a Collinges' or of any other description or
. design), fail, give way, or become disengaged, the wheel must necessarily be held
by the carriage safety as a support to the vehicle; it is, however, easily removed
at will by unscrewing the nuts F. F.
The carriage safety, of course, revolves with the wheel, but it not being in
contact with the axle either directly or through the medium of a washer, there is
no friction or wear occasioned whatever.
It is obvious that many designs and modifications of the carriage safety may be
made within the meaning of my invention.
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 :
The combinations and arrangements of any manner or form of flange, caulking,
clip, projection, or other security that may be attached to wheels or axle boxes of
carriages or other road vehicles, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and set forth.
Dated this 11
1 1000