IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Louis Thirion, of Aisch en Refail, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY
AND OTHER
CARRIAGES,"
Sealed the 7th November 1862, and dated the 16th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Louis Thirion,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petiti in
on the 16th May 1862.
I, ALBERT LOUIS THIRION, of Aisch en Refail, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare that
the nature of my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES," to be as follows, that is to say :---
My improvements consist in removing the direct weight of the carriage
from the axletree and receiving it on metal balls or bodies of a spherical or
conical form turning between two plates, which balls or cones do not touch
the axle-tree, and in the mechanical arrangements or contrivances by which
this object may be advantageously attained. Such plates may be arranged
and set up in two ways.
My first arrangement consists in employing a bridge underneath the carriage
and between the wheels, formed oftwo pieces of wood, rising towards the centre
where their ends are connected together by a pin passing through them, the
other ends of which abut and rest against the two plates between which are

page_text: the balls or spherical bodies, such plates being attached to the inside of the
nave or boss of the wheels of the carriage. When the body of the carriage
is placed on the centre of the said bridge and the carriage is set in motion the
rollers within the plates are caused to rotate. Several pairs of wooden pieces
may be employed to form a bridge in a parallel position and perpendicular
to the axletree, their ends being attached together by two longitudinal pieces,
and pressing on the rolling plates in the manner before described.
The second arrangement consists in applying to the floor of the carriage two
vertical axles upon which the roller plates rotate. The axletree in this case
has fixed upon it two or more small friction wheels which work against the
roller plates, and cause them to rotate, the body of the carriage is prevented
from moving or getting out of place by means of forked pieces on the axletree.
This system may be advantageously applied to velocipedes in the following
manner: I fix on the axletree a pulley with lateral teeth, and place aside of
it a treadle playing in the axletree. This treadle acts in the same manner as
the treadle of a spinning wheel. In descending it engages itself by means of
a small catch in the teeth of the pulley fixed to the axletree, and in rising it
slides along the teeth of the wheel, which should be inclined.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Albert Louis Thirion, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALBERT
LOUIS THIRION, of Aisch en Refail, in the Kingdom of Belgium, and 4, South
Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Albert Louis Thirion, Her special licence that I, the said
Albert Louis Thirion, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Albert Louis Thirion, 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 CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER

page_text: CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Albert Louis
Thirion, 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 Albert Louis Thirion, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed
aud to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
My improvements consist in removing or relieving the axle from the direct
weight of the carriage, and receiving iton metallic balls or bodies of a spherical
or conical form, revolving.between the plates or discs, which metallic balls
or cones do not touch the axle, and in the mechanical arrangements or con-
trivances by which this object may be advantageously attained. The plates
and balls may be arranged in two different ways.
To render my Invention better understood I will proceed to describe the
saine by the aid of the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 represents
an axle to which my improvements are adapted; Figure 2 a plan of a
modification of the same; Figure 3 an elevation of another arrangement.
The same letters of reference indicate similar parts.
My first arrangement (Figures 1 and 2) in which the balls or cones are set
up vertically,consists in employing a bridge underneath the carriage andabove
the axle a, and between the wheels B, B. This bridge is formed of two pieces
of wood C, C, rising towards the centre S where their ends are connected
together by a pin C₁ passing through them, their opposite ends abut and rest
against the two plates or discs D,D,between which are placedtheballsorconical
bodies a, a. The plates attached to the inside of the nave or boss of the
wheels of the carriage are cupped to retain theballs or spheres in their proper
position. In this arrangement the axle a and wheels B, B, are fixed together.
When the body of the carriage is placed on the centre S and the carriage is
set in motion, the balls or spheres within the plates are caused to rotate. The
carriage being placed on this bridge the two pieces tend to press against
the outer plates 1) and to become nearly horizontal, and thus the axle is
relieved of great part of the weight of the carriage, and consequently of the
friction. Several pairs of wooden pieces or frames may be employed to form
a bridge as represented in Figure 2, in which two pairs of cross pieces C, C,

page_text: or bridges are shown, placed in a parallel position to the axle, their ends being
attached together by two longitudinal pieces L, L, and pressing on the plates
or discs D1, D1, in the manner before described.
In the second arrangement, where the plates continuing the spheres or
truncated cones are placed horizontally, as shewn in Figure 3, the axle A is
furnished with two antifriction wheels F, F, which are fixed thereto. The
platės or discs Da are attached horizontally to the floor or bottom of the
carriage E, E, by the pins or pivots T, T, the spheres or cones being placed
between them as in Figures 1 and 2. The vertical forked guides do not rest
on the axle but serve to keep the bottom of the carriage from moving or
getting out of its place, the wheels F, F, supporting the whole weight of the
same. When the axle revolves the wheels F, F, turn at the same time,
with the greatest facility and with little friction.
This system is applicable to railway and ordinary carriages, carts, and
velocipedes. For the latter it is necessary to fix to the axle one or two lateral
toothed wheels to work the treadle provided with a pawl or catch, which acts
on the teeth only in descending. In rising it would slide over the inclined
sides of the teeth.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the best means
I am acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, I reserve the right-of
modifying the same. What I claim as my Invention and desire to be secured
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and
employment of plates or discs and spheres or cones either with or without
a bridge, for removing from or lessening the direct weight of the carriage on
theaxles of railwayand other carriages substantiallyas herein-before described
and shewn in the Figures of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Albert Louis Thirion, have here to set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of November in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
N. A. SERVINIEU.
Curé de Liernu,
Province de Namur, Belgique.
A. L. THIRION. (L.S.)