IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO STEAM CARRIAGES OR STEAM TRAM CARS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Claxton Fidler and William John
Cockburn-Muir, both of Victoria Chambers, in the City of West-
minster, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO STEAM
CARRIAGES OR STEAM TRAM CARS."
Sealed the 16th February 1875, and dated the 24th August 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Claxton Fidler
and William John Cockburn-Muir at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 24th August
1874.
We, THOMAS CLAXTON FIDLER and WILLIAM JOHN COCKBURN-Muir,
both of Victoria Chambers, in the City of Westminster, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
THE ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO STEAM
Carriages or Steam Tram Cars," to be as follows :—
",
This Invention has for its object the enabling the vehicles on railways

page_text: grinding of rails and flanges, whilst at the same time a long and steady
wheel base may be employed.
The first part of this Invention relates to such vehicles as are carried
upon six wheels, in which cach pair of wheels is mounted in a separate
truck, the two end trucks turning round bogie centres and the middle
truck sliding transversely to the main frame of the vehicle, and consists
in connecting the sliding middle truck with the end trucks by connecting
rods jointed to each truck and crossing each other diagonally, so that
the sliding motion of the middle truck turns the end trucks into a radial
position.
The second part of this Invention also relates to such six-wheeled
vehicles as aforesaid, and more especially to tram cars which we mount
upon six wheels, and consists in making the middle pair of wheels of
smaller diameter than the others in order to enable them to traverse
under the side soles of the main frame of the vehicle, thus permitting
the wheels to deflect to a very sharp curve without necessitating the
building of the main frame of an unusual width, and thus enabling the
Invention to be applied to existing vehicles.
The third part of this Invention relates also to the same description of
vehicles, that is, vehicles having three bogies or wheel trucks indepen-
dent of the main under frame of the vehicle, and consists in making one
of those bogies a steam bogie, the boiler and foot plate being carried
either upon the bogie itself or upon the main frame of the vehicle; and
such steam bogie may have more than one pair of wheels coupled
together for the sake of adhesion; and the whole combination may form
a steam carriage or steam tram car.
The fourth part of this Invention consists in coupling together two
four-wheeled vehicles to form a twin vehicle in such a manner that the
same deflection of wheels and radiation of axles upon curves is obtained.
In carrying out this part of the Invention one pair of wheels in each of
the two vehicles is mounted upon the main frame of that vehicle in the
ordinary way, and the other pair is mounted in a bogie truck centred to
the main frame at a point between the two axles. The two bogie trucks
are coupled together rigidly, or almost rigidly, and the meeting ends of
the two main frames are also coupled together by a jointed coupling,
which allows of the lateral deflection of the main frames while pre-,
]

page_text: serving the radial position of the axles. The vehicles coupled together
to form the twin vehicle may be two carriages of any description, or
they may be an engine and carriage of any description.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
CLAXTON FIDLER and WILLIAM JOHN COCKBURN-MUIR, both of Victoria
Chambers, in the City of Westminster, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Claxton Fidler and William
Jolin Cockburn-Muir, Her special license, that we, the said Thomas
Claxton Fidler and William John Cockburn-Muir, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Claxton
Fidler and William John Cockburn-Muir, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from timė
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 ROLLING STOCK
OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO STEAM CARRIAGES OR STEAM
TRAM CARS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Thomas Claxton Fidler and William John Cockburn-Muir, our exccutors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Claxton Fidler and William
John Cockburn-Muir, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed; to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
Our said Invention relates to certain improvements in the rolling
stock of railways and tramways, wherein the vehicles are so mounted
upon their axles as to allow the wheels to deflect to a curve, maintaining
the axles always at right angles to the rails, or nearly so; and the
object of this our present Invention is to enable the said vehicles to
traverse sharp curves with case and safety without grinding of rails or
flanges, preserving at the same time a long and steady wheel base, such
advantages being obtained by a simplified and more generally applicablo
construction than hitherto.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the. several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts in all the corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a
corresponding plan of a vehicle constructed according to the first part
of our said Invention, the vehicle being carried upon 6 wheels, and each
pair of wheels mounted in a separate truck. a, a, are the two end
trucks turning round bogic centres b, b; and c is the middle truck
sliding transversely to the main frame of the vehicle; d, d, d, d, are
connecting rods jointed to cach truck and crossing each other diagonally,
by which the middle truck is so connected with the end trucks that the
sliding motion of the middle truck turns the end trucks into a radial
position.
Figure 3 is a side clevation of the under frame of a tram car or other
similar vehicle constructed according to the second part of our said
Invention, the vehicle being carried upon six wheels, as before. Cb, Cb,
are the two end trucks, and c the middle truck, in which the wheels are
of smaller diameter than the others, so that they are enabled to traverse
under the side soles 8 of the main under frame of the vehicle, thus
permitting the wheels to deflect to a very sharp curve without

page_text: necessitating any alteration in the main frames of existing vehicles;
and in order that the draught may not be increased by thus reducing
the diameter of the middle wheels the weight of the car may be borne
almost entirely upon the larger end wheels, the middle wheels having
comparatively little weight upon them.
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 illustrate the third part of our Invention, by*
which a steam carriage or steam tram car is carried upon three self-
adjusting wheel trucks, so connected together as to ensure their truc
radial position upon curves, one of the trucks being a steam truck, that
is to say, a wheel frame having one or more pairs of wheels coupled if
necessary for the sake of adhesion, and driven by steam or other motive.
power; and the boiler or other generator and the foot plate may be
carried either upon the steam truck itself or upon the main under frame
of the vehicle. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate one method by which this
part of our Invention may be carried into effect, Figure 4 being an
elevation, and Figure 5 a corresponding plan of the steam carriage or
steam tram car. a, b, and c are the three self-adjusting trucks, the end
truck c forming the steam truck; c is the boiler, which may either be
carried upon the steam truck or upon the main frame of the car, and
may be enclosed or partly enclosed in a compartment g forming a
continuation of the car body. We prefer to form the body has an
independent structure, which can be detached from the wheel trucks in
order that either part of the combined steam car may be detached for
repairs; and in order that existing car, bodies may be carried upon the
system of wheel trucks and steam truck arranged and constructed
according to our Invention; Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another method
by which this part of our Invention may be carried into effect, Figure 6
being an clevation, and Figure 7 a corresponding plan of the steam
carriage or steam tram car. a, b, & c are the three self-adjusting
wheel trucks or frames, the middle frame forming the engine frame,
and carrying the car body and its under frame attached to it as an
independent structure, and the boiler or other generator may be carried
either upon the engine frame under the car body, as shown at e in
Figure 6 as a fireless boiler, or in a compartment of the car body itself.
As previously stated we prefer to form the body h with its under frame
as an independent structure, which can be detached from the wheel
frames a, b, c.
We would here observe that we do not confine or restrict ourselves to

page_text: any particular form or arrangement of boiler or engine or motive power,
provided that a carriage or tram car propelled by steam or any other
motive power be mounted upon thre connected radiating bogies or
wheel frames, one of which is driven by the motive power; and although
we have hitherto referred, for the sake of brevity, to steam as the agent
employed, we do not limit ourselves thereto, as any other suitable motive
power may be used, the object of our Invention being, as aforesaid, to
enable such cars to traverse sharp curves with ease and safety. And
in order to attain more completely the said object in view during
the passage of such cars through the curves of branch lines or sidings,
which are entered by open points or so-called "dumb points," we
intend that one of the bogies or wheel frames shall be moved over
towards one side or the other, in order to give the wheels a bias or
tendency to take the desired way through the points. For this purpose
we attach a band or chain to the bogie or wheel frame, as shown at k in
Figure 7, which chain passes round the pulley m keyed to one and the
same shaft along with a notched wheel n, which is engaged by a lever »
with a spring catch (similar to the reversing lever of an ordinary loco-
motive). This lever is pulled in opposite directions by the check
springs 8, 8.
When it is desired to give the car a bias in one direction the driver,
having disengaged the catch, pushes the lever in the same direction, and
allows the catch to engage again into the notched wheel. The extended
check spring will then continue to exert a pull upon the bogic or wheel
framo until the catch is released.
Fig. 8 is an clevation; and Figure 9, a corresponding plan of a twin
vehicle, constructed according to the fourth part of our Invention,
wherein two four-wheeled vehicles are coupled together in such a
manner that the desired deflection of wheels and radiation of axles is
obtained.
In carrying out this part of our Invention the outer pair of wheels a, a,
in each vehicle is mounted in the main frame b, b, of that vehicle in the
ordinary way, and the other pair c, c, is mounted in a bogie truck d, d,
centred to the main frame at e, e. The two bogic trucks d, d, aro
coupled together rigidly or almost rigidly, and the meeting ends of the
two main frames are also coupled together by a jointed coupling f,
which allows of the lateral deflection of the main frames whilst pre-

page_text: serving the radial position of the axles. The vehicles thus coupled
together to form thet win vehicle may consist either of two carriages
of any description, or they may consist of an engine and a carriage of
any description.
The several parts of this our said Invention are all applicable to the
rolling stock of all or any railways or tramways of any guage.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,— ..
First. The combination of three self-adjusting bogies or wheel trucks
connected together by diagonal connecting rods in such a manner that
the motion of the middle truck, which slides transversely to the main
frame, shall turn the two swivelling end bogies or wheel trucks into a
radial position upon curves, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described, and illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of our Drawings.
Secondly. The construction and use of railway and tramway cars or
rolling stock provided with a traversing middle truck, the wheels of
which truck are enabled to traverse freely under the side soles of the
usual construction, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described, and illustrated in Figure 3 of our Drawings.
Thirdly. The construction and use of carriages or tram cars propelled
by steam or other motive power, wherein the engine is mounted upon
the end truck of a self-adjusting system of three connected radiating
wheel trucks carrying the body of the carriage or tram car, sub-
stantially as herein-before described, and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5
of our Drawings.
Fourthly. The construction and use of carriages or tram cars pro-
pelled by steam or other motivo power, wherein the engine is mounted
upon the middle frame of a self-adjusting system of three connected
radiating wheel frames carrying the body of the tram car, substantially
as hercin-before 'described, and illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of our
Drawings.
Fifthly. The combination in one twin vehicle of two four-wheeled
vehicles, cach of which has one pair of wheels connected to the main

page_text: frame in the ordinary way, and one pair mounted in a bogie, the two
bogies, as also the ends of the two main frames being closely coupled
together, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated in
Figures 8 and 9 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Claxton Fidler, for and on
behalf of myself and the said William John Cockburn-Muir,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day
of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-five.
T. CLAXTON. FIDLER. (L.S.)
Witness,
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.