Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 28th May, 1887
Complete Accepted, 5th July, 1887.
I, WILLIAM STRONG, Coach-Builder, of 12 Lyppiatt Buildings, Redfield, St.
Georges, (near Bristol) in the County of Gloucester, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed to form a simple apparatus for clearing tramway or other
rails, of dirt, stones, snow, and other obstructions, to act as a wheel-guard, and save
life or limb in cases in which persons or animals have fallen across the track.
I consists principally, of: A bar or arm of metal, (preferably of iron or steel) this
arm having an elbow (preferably a right-angled one), one end of the arm to be
attached to the wheel-box, on the inner side, (for the purpose of giving the apparatus
a steady bearing, while the car is in motion) by means of abutments as the top and
bottom of the wheel-box, which form bearings for an upright shaft, the arm being
fitted into a vertical slot in the shaft by means, of a bolt around which it works freely,
by this arrangement the arm is enabled to work in a horizontal or vertical direction;
in a vertical, when it is required to lift the apparatus off the track, and in a
horizontal, when the vehical is passing round curves.
By the means described above the other end of the arm is brought directly in front
of the wheel, its direction being across the line of motion of the vehical; this end of
the arm is connected, by means of a suitable light rod, to the similar end of the arm,
that is fitted to the opposite side of the vehical, and if necessary a duplicate rod can
be fitted from one scraper to the other, (the scraper to be described below) so that
both portions should work in unison, and a line of netting may be fixed, if found
necessary, between these two rods, to prevent the car passing over persons or animals,
who have fallen across the track.
To the arm described above a scraper fixed, preferably clamped.
At a short distance below the point at which it is fixed, it assumes a V shape, the
angle taking the foremost position, the flanges or wings of this V shaped scraper
becoming broader towards the bottom; and to the bottom a shoe is fixed (preferably
of steel,) which rides in the groove of the rail, this shoe serving both as a guide, and,
to clear the groove of dirt or any other obstruction, this shoe has at the front a narrow

page_text: projection or point, which turns up at the end, to enable the shoe to glide easily over
an immoveable obstruction; this point, and front portion of the shoe, projects beyond
the scraper, by this means the shoe first meeting with any immoveable obstruction or
raised joint, raises the scraper before it reaches the joint or obstruction.
The scrapers are not necessarily all alike, but may have the lower portion of one, or
both flanges cut away and the space filled by a brush (fixed by a suitable arrange-
ment of screws, so as to be easily raised or lowered,) or a sheet of India-rubber, or
any other suitable material for cleaning the track.
When the vehical is running, the arms and scrapers at the back end can be raised
around the bolt in the vertical shaft as centre (so as to clear the track) by a rope,
cord, or chain, passing over pulleys to a suitable piece of mechanism, to which the
power for raising is to be applied, preferably by a man's foot, and a suitable spring
catch provided for holding the scraper, &c. up by, while necessary.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Track Clearer and Wheel-guard Combined.
I WILLIAM STRONG, Coach-Builder, of 12 Lyppiatt Buildings Redfield, Bristol, in
the County of Gloucestershire, 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 :-
This invention is designed to form a simple apparatus, for clearing tramway or
other rails, of dirt, stones, snow, and other obstructions, to act as wheel-guard, and
save life, and limb, in cases, in which persons, or animals have fallen across the
track.
:-
Referring to the drawings:-
Fig. 1. Side elevation of apparatus.
2. Front elevation of apparatus.
"
3. Plan.
"
4. Plan of track clearer.
"
5. Plan of track clearer.
"
6. Elevation of guide wheel, and vertical rod, to which clearer, is attached.
Fig. 7. Plan of guide wheel and vertical rod to which clearer is attached.
8. Elevation of Scraper.
9. Elevation of Scraper.
10. Elevation of lifting apparatus.
11. Arrangement of chains and pulleys for raising clearer.
A is sole bar of car, B axle guard axle box to which abutments D, are fixed, in
these abutments works a vertical shaft E in which a slot is cut, and the arm F is
pivoted by means of a bolt, around which it (the arm F) can be raised readily, as the
shaft E can move freely in a horizontal direction it enables the whole apparatus to
turn curves easily, to the arm F the vertical bar G, which is also shown in Fig. 6, is
clamped by means of staples which also supports a guard H, which is attached for the
purpose of protecting the clearer and removing heavy obstructions which may be
across the track.
The bottom end of the bar G assumes a forked shape, between the prongs of which
a wheel I is pivoted; this wheel supports the apparatus, and also acts as a guide. To
the bar G is also fixed a fork J. The bracket K which which is shown in place-in
Figs. 3. 4. & 5, is fixed to the bar G by means of a set screw k, which enables it to
be raised or lowered, as the brush L, or scraper N wears, these latter mentioned
arrangements are clamped to the bracket K as shown in the plans Figs. 4 & 5.
The scraper M is shown in detail in Figs. 8 & 9. Fig. 8 represents a scraper
formed of one piece of metal, at the bottom of which india-rubber, or some other
substance of a similar nature may be fixed if found necessary; Fig. 9 represents a
scraper formed of a sheet of material of the nature of india-rubber or leather with
plates of metal fixed across it, & having steel wires or a thin sheet of steel also fixed
to the back to stiffen it. The scraper is clamped to bracket K by means of bolts, one

page_text: bolt passes through the slot a, & by means of this slot it can be easily raised or lowered
to suit circumstances.
The brush L preferably of steel wires is clamped at the top to the bracket K, a
portion of the wires are longer than the rest, in fact reach to the bottom of the groove
in the rails, and are held in position as shown in Figs. 1 & 2 by fork J.
The connecting rod N shown in Fig. 2 is fixed to the end of the arm F, and also to
the end of the similar end of an arm like F, on the other side of the car & so enables
the clearers on both sides of the car to work in unison.
It will be observed that the bracket K varies in shape, the one shown in Fig. 4 is
straight but inclined to the direction of the track being so formed, that the dust may
be swept on to the track, for the purpose of preventing the horses sliping on the
pitching stones; the one shown in Fig. 5 is V shaped, and would be found more
suitable where steam or other mechanical power is used & on macadamised roads.
The clearer is lifted off the track when not required to be in action by means of the
chain O, which is attached to the arm F by a bolt and D link as shown in Fig. 1 & 2;
this chain passes over a pulley P, as shown in Fig. 2, and thence round a horizontal
pulley P, as shown in Fig. 11, and a little distance from which it is joined by a
similar chain, coming from the clearer on the opposite side of the car; from the
junction W of the chains, a single chain O, passes forward over the pulley Q as shown
in Fig. 10 & 11 it then passes down to the end of the rod R. to which it is fixed.
The apparatus shown in Fig. 10 is fixed to the front end of the car in such a
position as to enable the driver to press the rod R down by placing his foot on the
plate S which is fixed to the top of the rod R.
The action is as follows;-The driver presses down the rod R with his foot, this
draws the chains O & O. over pulleys P & Q, and raises the clearer of the track;
when S is pressed down it is held in position by a spring catch T, the clearer falls by
its own weight, and raises the rod R to the position shown by the dotted lines in
Fig. 10.
By means of the arrangements before described, more especially by the attachment
of the arm to the axle box C, the clearer is unaffected by the rocking motion or over-
loading of the car.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
I wish it be understood that I do not make specific claims for the separate parts of the
apparatus but what I do claim is ;-
1. That portion of the apparatus, for attaching the arm F, to the axle-box, as shown
in Figs. 1 & 2, D E, in such a manner as will admit of both a vertical and horizontal
movement.
2. The whole of the clearer, consisting of arm F, rod G, and its attachments, which
consist of guide-wheel, bracket, scraper, brush, and gaurd H, as described and shown.
3. That portion of the apparatus, for raising the clearer off the track, as shown in
Figs. 10 & 11.
Dated this 26th day of May 1887