IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Dobbie, of Saint Petersburgh, in the Empire
of Russia, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
Sealed the Sth March 1864, and dated the 11th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Dobbie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th September
1863:
I, JAMES DOBBIE, of Saint Petersburgh, in the Empire of Russia, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing carriages as hereafter described.
I will first proceed to describe my Invention as applied to railway carriages.
These carriages have two main beams, which are Tirons, of one piece, extending
longitudinally along the bottom of the carriage, and to which the axle guides
and spring holders are bolted. At the extreme ends of the beams angle irons
are rivetted, to which the buffers are attached. The body of the carriages
consists of hollow frames made from iron of a rectangular trough-shaped
section, the bottom and sides of which are in one piece. The top or bridge
piece, both ends of which form an angle or corner, is made to exactly fit the
outside of the vertical sides to which it is rivetted, thus making one whole and

page_text: complete frame or rib; these frames are placed at equal distances, and are
rivetted transversely to the longitudinal bottom beams or Tirons. They have
holes punched through the back to receive rivets for holding the sheet iron.
The longitudinal beams are placed to suit the axles, and are bound together
by transverse beams of a rectangular trough-shaped section similar to the
frames, the beams being thereby in a great measure strengthened. To the
sides of the carriage are rivetted diagonal bands, which are passed through
slits cut, in the sides of the frames close upon the back the breadth and
thickness of the diagonal bands to be passed, leaving a flat surface outside the
frames for the sheet iron. Longitudinal bands are also passed along the top
of the carriage, and rivetted to each frame alternately in a similar manner as
the diagonal bands.
In the case of carriages being divided into distinct compartments, or
where the seats are placed transversely, I place in each compartment vertically
and in the centre of the frames where the partition rises a double I iron,
which is rivetted to the top and bottom of the frame. I form the doors of the
carriage of hollow iron frames of a rectangular trough-shaped section, similar
to but lighter than the frames forming the body of the carriage. In rivetting
the sheet iron to the frames I make use of iron bands of this and other
sections, through which, and the sheet iron and the frame, I pass rivets having
a full round head outside to give a handsome exterior appearance to the
carriage. The buffers and drawing hooks may be of any kind.
The iron frame being constructed as just described, I line it with wood in
the following manner, viz.:-Into each of the rectangular trough-shaped
frames I fit all round the frame wood of dimensions sufficient to exactly fill
up the inside cavity where the vertical and bridge pieces meeting at the top
form an angle or corner; they are mortised, so that the oue cannot leave the
other. The top piece is supported or retained by the side pieces, which also
keep down the bottom piece. The side pieces are prevented from leaving
their position, being at the one end joined to the top. piece, and at the other
secured by the flooring, which is fastened down to the wood inside the frames.
The wood being once placed inside the frames cannot possibly leave its position,
and any tendency to assume a curved form is altogether prevented by small
bolts passed through the iron frame and the wood. The wooden lining is
then by the aid of screw nails or other fastenings attached to the wood inside
the frames. From this method of coustruction an air space is formed between
the frames.
In constructing luggage vans as before described, after the wooden lining

page_text: is completed an iron band is passed round above the lining opposite cach
frame, through which and the lining the wood inside the frame and also the
frame bolts are passed in several places throughout the frame, thus binding
the whole together. In the case of heavy goods waggons which have only
sides and bottom I use an angle iron frame in one piece passed round the top
of the waggon, the inside dimensions of which equal the exact length and
breadth the outside dimensions of the waggon. To this angle iron frame I
rivet rectangular trough-shaped frames, which form the bottom and sides of
the waggon; the web of the angle iron is of sufficient breadth to cover entirely
the open ends of the rectangular frames, and the wooden lining. Ialso use the
iron bands and bolts before mentioned.
The arrangement of the iron framework before described is what I consider
most preferable, but I do not confine myself thereto, as many other forms may
be advantageously adopted.
My Invention is also applicable to common road carriages and waggons.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Dobbie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
DOBBIE, of Saint Petersburgh, in the Empire of Russia, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Dobbie, Her special licence that I, the said James Dobbie, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Dobbie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Dobbie, executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Dobbie, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
My Invention consists in constructing carriages as hereafter described.
I will first proceed to describe my Invention as applied to railway carriages.
I construct the framework of the upper part or body of the carriages of hollow
frames or ribs of iron or other metal of one or other of the trough-shaped
sections represented in Figures 1 to 6, the two former of which, of a square or
rectangular trough-shaped cross section, are what I consider most preferable.
The frames are made of any required shape or form desired to be given to the
carriage; each frame consists of one piece or of more pieces than one joined
either by bolts and nuts or rivets, or by welding, making one whole and
complete frame or rib. These frames or ribs are placed transversely or at
right angles to the length of the carriage, and rivetted, bolted, or otherwise
fastened to the longitudinal siuc beams of the under carriage or truck.
Figure 7 is a side elevation, Figure S a plan of the framing, and Figure 9 a
transverse section of a passenger carriage constructed according to my Inven-
tion; Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of one end of the same. a, a, are
the trough-shaped frames; b, , are the longitudinal side beams of the under
carriage.
I construct the framework of the under carriage wholly of iron beams,
which consist of Z irons, Tirons, I irons, irons, or irons. Two beams, b,b,
ofeither of these forms extend in a longitudinal direction throughout the entire
length of the carriage or truck, and form the two side beams to which the
axleguides and spring holdersure bolted or rivetted; they are bound together
by transverse beamsc of either of these forms; the ends of the transverse beams
are rivetted or bolted to the side beams by means of angle irons or elbow pieces.
Other beams d of either of these forums run in longitudinal and diagonal
directions throughout the under carriage framework, the ends of which are
rivetted or bolted to the transverse beams c and side or end beams b, in the
manner already described. At the extreme ends of the beams b and dangle
irons or elbow pieces are bolted or rivetted, which connect them with a cross

page_text: beam of either of the above forms to which the buffers are attached. The
buffers and draw bars may be of any kind. Throughout the sides of the
carriage iron bands e are run diagonally outside the frames or passed between
the external covering of sheet iron and the inside lining, and are bolted or
rivetted to the frames. Iron bands are also passed along the roof and sides of
the carriage in a longitudinal direction, and are bolted or rivetted to the body
framing in a similar manner to the diagonal bands.
In those carriages which are divided into distinct compartments, and where
the seats are placed transversely or in the close ends of passenger and goods
waggons, I place vertically and at equal distances from the sides of the
carriage where the partition rises one or more I irons, which I rivet to the
top and bottom of the frame, or those irons may run horizontally or diagonally
across the partition. The doors may be either in the sides or in the ends of
the carriage, the windows are conveniently arranged between the frames or
ribs of the carriage body, and made to slide or otherwise as desired. I attach
to the body framing of the carriage a covering of sheet or galvanized iron,
which I rivet to the outside of the body framing, entirely covering it, making
use of iron bands of this and other forms, which are passed outside or
above the sheet iron, and rivetted or bolted together with the sheet iron to the
frames.
Sometimes instead of rivetting the sheet iron outside the frames as just
described, I cut or prepare the sheets so much broader than the distance
between the frames as to admit of curving them, and of turning back the two
edges to right angles the depth of the side of the frame; the sheets thus
prepared are passed or fitted into the hollow frames or ribs, to the sides of
which they are rivetted or bolted, or otherwise fastened; this latter arrange-
ment of the sheet iron is that shown in the Drawings. In one arrangement
the ribs project beyond the sheet iron, as the sheet iron is close upon the
lining of wood; in the other arrangement the sheet iron is brought out by
curving the depth of the sides of the frame.
The framework having been constructed as just described, I line it with
wood in the following manner:-Into each of the rectangular or other trough-
shaped frames a, of which the body framing of the carriage is composed, I fit
all round the frame wood of dimensions sufficient to fill up exactly the inside
cavity; the wood when placed within the frame cannot possibly leave its
position, being entirely prevented by means of rectangular clasps of iron,
which are bolted or rivetted together with the frame and the wood in several
places throughout the frame. The flooring and wooden lining or other

page_text: internal fittings are then attached to the wood inside the frames by screw nails
or other fastenings.
Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14 show my Invention applied to a goods
waggon.
In constructing goods waggons as before described, after the wooden lining
is completed, an iron band is passed all round or partly round above the lining
opposite each or every alternate frame, and bolted or rivetted together with
the wooden lining to the frame. The doors of the waggon consist of au iron
or other metal frame of square or rectangular trough-shaped cross section
similar to the body framing of the waggon, and are filled with wooden boards
of about the same thickness as the boards used for the body lining of the
waggon; the doors may be made to slide or fold as desired. The cornice or
mouldings shown on the Drawings near the upper part of the sides and ends
of the carriage is formed of sheet or galvanized iron, or it may be formed of
wood. The upper part or body of the carriage may be entirely or only
partially covered with sheet iron, or a cover may be dispensed with.
In constructing open trucks or waggons having no cover or roof, only sides
and bottom, I use an angle iron frame which I pass round the top of the
waggon; to this angle iron frame I attach the rectangular or other trough-
shaped iron frames, which form the bottom and sides of the waggon by bolts
or rivets. The web of this angle iron is of sufficient breadth to cover the ends
of the frames, and the wooden lining I also use within this class of waggon
the bands and bolts alluded to in my description of the close goods waggon. I
replace the wooden linen and flooring by iron flooring plates, which I rivet or
bolt to the frames. Wheels may be fitted to carriages and waggons constructed
according to my Invention in the ordinary manner.
My Invention is also applicable to common road carriages and waggons.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that I claim,-
First,constructing railway and other carriages substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, constructing the framework of the upper part or body of railway
and other carriages of hollow frames or ribs of iron or other metal of trough-
shaped cross section.
Third, constructing the framework of the under carriage wholly of iron
. beams.
"
Fourth, arranging sheet iron or other sheet metal between the trough-
Leafarm daiked

page_text: Fifth, the employment of Z, T, 1, or iron beams for the framework of
the under carriage.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Dobbie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
JAMES DOBBIE. (L.S.)