OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING OR CLEARING THE TRAMS OR RAILS OF TRAMWAYS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bray, of Deptford, in the County of
Kent, Wheelwright, for the Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR CLEANING OR CLEARING THE TRAMS OR RAILS OF TRAMWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th February 1873.
•
I, GEORGE BRAY, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Wheelwright,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR CLEANING OR CLEARING THE TRAKS OR BAILS OF TRAMWAys,” to
be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to provido apparatus which is adapted
to be fitted to tram cars whereby as the cars progress the trams or rails
of tramways may be cleaned or cleared of snow, ice, dirt, dust, or other
objectionable accretions of matter. This apparatus consists of a lever
one end of which is secured to the car (preferably to a bar extended and

page_text: secured from one axle box to the other, or to one axle box only, as by
this arrangement the cleaner or clearer will be kept working at the
same distance from the tram as the centre of the wheel maintains), and
the other end of this lover is provided with an instrument similar to a
plough which may have a suitable steel tool or cutter attached, or in 5
some cases have steel brushes secured thereto to brush dust off from the
tram or rail. This plough works close to the periphery of a car
wheel.
The lever aforesaid is provided with a spring acting between the lever
and the under part of the carriage; this arrangement will be applicable 1
to a single wheel, but if it be desired to render the apparatus useful
either for one wheel or the other the upper end of the lever and of the
spring are secured to a block which is bolted free to turn to the bar or
part aforesaid, so that the whole apparatus can be turned round from the
periphery of one wheel to that of the other.
1
In order to regulate the working of the apparatus I use a guide bar
secured to the under side of the carriage; this is made in two parts so
that the lever and spring may be released when the apparatus is to be
turned round from one wheel to the other. By means of a foot lever,
one end of which is attached to the said plough, the said plough, 2
lever, instrument, or brush can be raised from the tram or rail when
desired, or instead of the foot lever arrangements a system of chains
and pulloys may be used for effecting the same object.
Although I have referred to my apparatus as adapted and fitted for
tram cars, it must be understood that it can be applied to a separate 2
carriage or apparatus if desired for purpose of cleaning or clearing
as aforesaid, and instead of a plough, other cleaner, or clearer may be
substituted.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Bray, Her special
licence that I, the said George Bray, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Bray, my. execu:
tors, 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 "NEW OR
IMPROVED APPARATUS POR CLEANING OR OLEARING THE TRAMS OR RAILS OF
TRAMWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Bray, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, 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.
"
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Bray, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner. the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
"
The object of my Invention is to provide apparatus which is adapted
to be fitted to tram cars, whereby as the cars progress the trams or
rails of tramways may be cleaned or cleared of snow, ice, dirt, dust, and
other objectionable accretions of matter.. This apparatus consists of a
lever one end of which is secured to a connecting rod or bar.extended
from one axle box to the other, and secured to each axle box or axle,
as by this arrangement the cleaner or clearer will be kept working
at the same distance from the tram as the centre of the wheel
maintains, the other end of the said lever being provided with an
instrument similar to a plough which may have a suitable steel tool
cutter attached, or in some cases have steel brushes secured thereto to
brush dust off from the tram or rail. This plough works close to the
neriphery of a car wheel.

page_text: The lever aforesaid is provided with a spring acting between the lever
and the under part of the carriage. This arrangement will be applicable
to a single wheel, but if it be desired to render the apparatus useful for
either one wheel or the other the upper end of the lever and of the
spring are secured to a block which is bolted free to turn to the
connecting rod or part aforesaid, so that the whole apparatus can be
turned round from the periphery of one wheel to that of the other.
In order to regulate the working of the apparatus I use a guide bar
secured to the under side of the carriage; this is made in two parts, so
that the lever and spring may be released when the apparatus is to be
turned round from one wheel to the other. By means of a foot lever
one end of which is attached to the said plough, the said plough,
lever, instrument, or brush may be raised from the tram or, rail when
desired. Or instead of the foot lever arrangement a system of chains or
pulleys may be used for effecting the same object.
Although I have referred to my apparatus as adapted to and fitted
for tram cars it must be understood that it can be applied to a separate
carriage or apparatus if desired for purpose of cleaning or clearing
as aforesaid, and instead of a plough, other cleaner or clearer may be
substituted.
The foregoing statements particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention and indicate in what manner the same is to
bo performed or put in practise, and in further compliance with the
condition in the said Letters Patent contained, I will now further and
particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to be a
performed or carried out in practice by referring to the Drawings
accompanying these Presents..

page_text: A denotes the connecting rod or bar which is secured to the axles or
axle boxes; B is a moveable connector fitted on to the said connecting
rod capable of being secured at any desired position thereon by means
of the set screws 0; D, lugs appertaining to the said moveable con-
5 nector, through which the regulating screws E are attached to a running
plate F. The screws are secured by means of the nuts, as shown.
Under the said running plate the wheel G runs, the said wheel being
socured to the end of the lever H. To the other end of that lever
the plough or clearer I is secured; such plough or clearer being held on
to the rail by means of the spring K. The Drawings show a lifter L fitted
in front of the plough, this lifts the plough whenever it encounters a
difficult obstruction. Such lifter may if desired be dispensed with, and
the plough formed in the same shape as the lifter. Attached to the
moveable connector by means of lugs M is a bolt N, on which the
lever H is held free to slide. O is a block connected by means of a
shackle O' and bolts P to the moveable connector B. In the centre of the
said shackle is a pin which is secured to the spring K and the block O,
so that the spring is allowed to move with a circular motion, the friction
roller Q facilitating such motion; R is the sliding plate for the spring K
to work upon. The plate S attached to the plough by bolt T connects
the india-rubber or other elastic substance U shod with steel with the
plough; the brush, wings, or sweepers V come behind the india-
rubber U, and pressing on the top of the part Ụ are india-rubber
springs W which allow of the part U being made to press firmly or lightly
on the grooved rails or roadway, as may be desired. Usually allowance
should be made for the wings or sweepers V to move slightly up or
down, so that they may conform to the nature of the ground over which
the vehicle is travelling. By means of the screws E and running
plate the wheel G is depressed or elevated, thus releasing or
increasing the pressure on the plough I. The plough is lifted out of
the rails by means of the chain X, which is worked by means of
lever Y, such lever being worked of foot or hand, as may be desired.
This may be effected by means of a system of chains and pulleys.
The mechanism on each side of a car is connected by means of a cross
bar Z secured to lugs a on the lever H. To this bar is secured two
springs 6, which are fixed to a bar o which rises in the centre, on the
top-of which bar c is another bar d, the ends of which are so formed
as to be actuated by the foot of the driver, though it may be so formed

page_text: as to be worked by hand or other means.
plough and of the india-rubber secure the
groove and cleaning of the head of the rail.
The peculiar form of the
complete clearing of the
-
In Figs. 6 and 7 a mode of attaching the connecting rod or bar A
to the axle box is shown. In these Figures e denotes angle iron 5
scrowed, as shown, to the axle box f, such angle iron securing the
connecting rod d between the axle box and wheel g, as shewn. I do not
however confine myself to this mode of fixing to the axle box, as I can
if desired, and usually should in the case of axle boxes expressly con-
structed for use with my said Invention, make them with lugs or flanges 1
to fix the connecting rod or bar to. The mode of fixing to the axle
itself will be similar. One method is shown in Fig. 8, where K is the
axlo and the connecting rod A is secured by means of the coupling and

page_text: when desired, the said arrangements remaining the same in substance
and effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Bray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
T. MORGAN,
Secretary,
GEORGE BRAY. (L.S.)
Inventors' Patent Right Asn., Limited,
21, Cookspur Street,
London,
S.W.