Machine for Whitening the Edges of Railway and other Platforms.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1899,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Machine for Whitening the Edges of Railway and other Platforms.
I, JAMES HILL, of 35, Westbourne Grove, Harpurhey, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a machine or apparatus for whitening the edges of
railway station and other platforms, the object being to dispense with hand
labour for that purpose and to substitute an apparatus which will perform the
whitening process much more expeditiously than has hitherto been the case,
with a resulting economy in both time and labour.
My invention consists essentially in the use of a tank supported on wheels and
provided with handles for moving it about and with a tap cock or valve for
regulating the flow of liquid onto a brush or the like which may be hinged to the
tap or cock to enable it to be moved out of action when not required.
In carrying out my invention I use a tank or cistern of a suitable size and
shape and mount it upon wheels to enable it to be easily moved about.
At one
or both ends the tank is provided with a handle or handles or other means of
propulsion and on one or two sides of the tank near the bottom is fixed a cock,
valve or the like. This valve terminates in a knuckle or swing joint to the
movable portion of which is fixed a brush stock. The head or stock of the brush
is chambered, the chamber communicating with the valve, and the bottom is
perforated. Below the latter is fixed the bristles forming the brush. The per-
forations are so arranged that the whitening liquid may readily escape onto the
bristles.
When the apparatus is in use the tank is first filled with whitening or other
suitable liquid. The brush is turned to a horizontal position in contact with
the edge of the platform and the tap turned on. As the machine is moved along
the liquid escapes through the chamber in the brush stock onto the brush and
is transferred to the platform, the amount of liquid escaping being regulated
by the tap or valve. By means of this apparatus the edges of platforms are easily
and expeditiously whitened.
1
1 1000
WILLIAM H. TAYLOR,
Swan Chambers, 69, Market Street, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Machine for Whitening the Edges of Railway and other Platforms.
I, JAMES HILL, of 35, Westbourne Grove, Harpurhey, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, 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 relates to a machine or apparatus for whitening the edges of
railway station and other platforms, the object being to dispense with hand
labour for that purpose and to substitute an apparatus which will perform the
whitening process much more expeditiously than has hitherto been the case,
with a resulting economy both in time and labour.
My invention consists essentially in the use of a tank supported on wheels and
provided with handles for moving it about and with a tap cock or valve for
regulating the flow of liquid onto a brush or the like which may be hinged to the
tap or cock to enable it to be moved out of action when not required.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of machine and
Fig. 2 a front elevation partly in section.
In carrying out my invention I use a tank or cisterna of a suitable size and
shape and mount it upon wheels to enable it to be easily moved about.
At one
or both ends the tank is provided with a handle or handles c or other means of
propulsion, and on one or two sides of the tank near the bottom is fixed a cock,
valve or the like d. This valve terminates in a knuckle or swivel joint e to the
movable portion of which is fixed a brush stock f. The head or stock of the
brush is chambered, the chambers g Fig. 2 communicating with the cock d. The
bottom of the stock is formed with perforations or holes and also serves as the
means to hold the brush bristles, which project downwardly sufficiently far to
touch the platform j. The perforations are arranged so that the whitening
liquid contained in the cisterna may readily and evenly escape onto the bristles i.
When the apparatus is in use the tank is first filled with whitening or other
suitable liquid. The brush is turned to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 in
contact with the edge of the platform and the cock a is turned on. As the
machine is moved along the liquid escapes through the chamber in the brush
stock onto the brush and is transferred to the platform, the amount of liquid
escaping being regulated by the tap or valve. As the machine is pushed along
it is guided against the edge of the platform by the bowl or roller / carried by
the arm secured to the brush stock. This roller and with it the brush stock
can be turned into a vertical position about the joint c when the machine is out
of use or is being transferred from place to place.
In place of having a hollow perforated brush stock it will be evident that a
perforated pipe may be run alongside a solid stock and discharge the whitening
liquid onto the brush in that way and it will also be obvious that strips of textile
material such as felt may be used in place of the bristles, but I prefer the arrange-
ments described. The apparatus may be made of any suitable materials.
By means of this machine the edges of railway and like platforms may be
readily and expeditiously whitened and in far less time and with less labour
than is now required to do so by hand.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A machine for whitening the edges of railway station and similar platforms
comprising a tank or cistern to hold the whitening liquid, a cock or valve to
regulate flow of liquid therefrom and a pivoted brush stock with bristles or
strips of fabric attached thereto, the said stock being hollow and perforated lo
allow of distribution of the whitening liquid substantially as described.
.
2. A machine for whitening the edges of railway station and similar platforms
constructed arranged and operating substantially as described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1900.
WILLIAM H. TAYLOR,
Stephen's Buildings, 62, Market Street, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.