IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH TRAM-CARS
Year: 1885

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I ALBERT EVAN ADLARD of 33 Guildford Road, South Lambeth, Surrey,
Tramway Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH TRAM-CARS," to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to connect to the under part or to the frame of a
tram car, bars or levers the lower ends of which are provided with ribbed shoes to
ride within the grooves and upon the rails so that they serve as groove cleaners, as
guards, as brakes for stopping the vehicle, and as guides for the wheels which
I purpose making with flanges of less depth and of more rounded form than those
usually employed, to enable the car to be the more readily drawn out of the track
as for passing obstacles or while the road is under repair.
The levers or bars are hung some what loosely on their supporting pins and are
connected in pairs at each end of the vehicle by transverse rods which are springy
and are connected each by a rope or chain at about the centre, said rope being
carried round the bar at the opposite end of the carriage and back to a hand lever
or winch by which all the shoes, (without reference to the direction of travel) can
be put into contact not only by a descending surface pressure to brake the vehicle
but by the yielding capability of the bars the shoes are drawn inwards to bear
against the inner sides of the grooves to obtain additional friction. The bars or
levers are connected to chain or other appliance by which they can be lifted clear
of the groove when passing points or other obstructions.

page_text: improvements in and Connected with Tram-cars.
I, ALBERT EVAN ADLARD of 33 Guildford Road, South Lambeth Surrey,
Tramway 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:―
The object of my invention, which will be clearly understood by reference to the
annexed drawings is to connect to the under part or to the frame A of a tram car,
bars or levers B the lower ends of which are provided with shoes C each having a
rib D to ride within the grooves and upon the rails E so that they serve as groove.
cleaners, as guards, as brakes for stopping the vehicle, and as guides for the
wheels F, which I purpose making with flanges G of loss depth and of more
rounded form (as shown at Figure 1 of the drawings) than those usually employed
so as to enable the car to be the more readily drawn out of the track for passing
obstacles or while the road is under repair, the ribs on the shoes C C serving
instead of flanges while the wheels are in the grooves of the rail.
The levers or bars B are hung somewhat loosely on the axles H of the wheels or
upon supporting pins or lugs and are connected in pairs at each end of the vehicle
by a transverse rod or rods I I which allow a certain amount of springing and are
connected each by a rope or chain J at about the centre said rope J being carried
round the bar at the opposite end of the carriage and back to a hand lever or
winch by which all the shoes, (without reference to the direction of travel) can be
put into contact not only by a descending surface pressure to brake the vehicle but
by the yielding capability of the bars the shoes are drawn inwards to bear against
the inner sides of the grooves to obtain additional friction. The cross bars I, I, of
the levers are connected to a rope or chain K attached to one end of a spring L
(the other end of said spring L being fixed to the under part of the car frame A)
by which the shoes CC are lifted clear of the groove when passing points or other
obstructions or when it is desired to draw the car off the track.
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings represents in.elevation one wheel and part of
the frame of a tram with my invention attached. The bar B is provided with an
extension M to grasp the wheel F and hold shoe C in position. Figure 2 is a side
elevation of the same. Figures 3 and 4 are front and side elevations of the shoe C
with rib D and Figure 5 is an elevation showing the arrangement of the levers BB
and shoes C C at each end of the car.
The apparatus may be operated by the winch N at either end. When the winch
is released the levers B B and shoes C C are drawn up out of the track by the
springs LL. On turning the winch N, the rope J which passes over the pulleys PP
and the transverse bars II (or pulleys thereon) is wound up, thus pulling the
shoes CC by means of their levers B B into the grooves of the rails. The spring Q
compensates for the motion of the car due to its springs.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The improvements in and connected with tram-cars hereinbefore described
and substantially as shown on the annexed drawings.
2. In a tram-car the arrangements of ropes or chains springs and bars or levers
herein described, whereby ribbed shoes may be raised from contact with the rails
or lowered into contact by means of a winch at either end of the car as set forth.
3. The employment of wheels for tram-cars with little or no flanges in con-
junction with shoes having a rib to serve instead of wheel flanges, said shoes being
capable of employment also as brakes, guards and groove cleaners as herein before
set forth.