26 Mr. Thomson on an apparatus for Emptying Railway Waggons. 



2d. The tilting frame upon which the waggon is placed, b, b. 



3d. The malleable iron swings for suspending the frame to the 

 brackets, c, c. 



The supporting brackets, «, a, are bolted to the wooden frame, «?, rf, 

 of a moveable shipping platform, by means of which the apparatus is 

 advanced at pleasure, and made to project beyond the wharf, so as to 

 discharge the waggon immediately over the hold of a vessel. 



The tilting frame is formed of two cast-iron cheeks or sides, having 

 in each two slots or grooves for attaching to the swings, and for adjust- 

 ment of the apparatus. These sides of the frames are connected to- 

 gether by two flat malleable iron slugs, e, e, as represented in fig. 2, 

 with a bolt in each end, and a light round iron stay, f, at the 

 curved ends. 



The swings are attached to the frames by means of snubs, g, g, 

 which are bolted vertically to the lower ends of the swings, and hori- 

 zontally to the sides of the frame, the bolts passing through the 

 grooves or slots already mentioned, in which they are moveable. The 

 upper ends of the swings work upon malleable iron journals, fastened 

 in he top of the cast-iron brackets. 



' When the apparatus is properly adjusted, (which is done by moving 

 the tilting-frame forward or backward upon the swings, by means of the 

 adjusting slots,) the waggon, on taking its position, should be so placed 

 that its centre of gravity may he slightly in advance of the point of sus- 

 pension. 



The rails to the tilting frame are laid with a gentle declivity, so that 

 the waggon may be brought upon it with a slight impetus, just suffi- 

 cient to set the frame in motion ; the waggon will then immediately 

 fall into a position ready for discharging, as shown in fig. 1, when, by 

 a simple contrivance, which may be effected in various ways, the door 

 of the waggon is opened from beMnd by a handle and connecting 

 rod, communicating with the door latch, and the load is discharged. 



While loaded, the tilted position of the waggon will of itself remain 

 the same, being in equilibrio ; but immediately it is discharged, and 

 consequently the centre of gravity thrown behind the point of suspension ^ 

 the tendency is then to resume the horizontal position, which it is, how- 

 ever, prevented from doing, by means of the spur, A, until completely 

 emptied ; the spur is then disengaged, and the waggon resumes its 

 level position, ready to be removed. 



The whole operation of discharging a waggon, of whatever weight, 

 is effected with perfect safety and facility in a few seconds ; and one 

 very important desideratum is supplied by this apparatus, viz., the 

 practicability of discharging waggons of different dimensions and differ- 

 ent sized wheels upon the same tilting frame. 



The advantages of the apparatus have been fully tested at the 

 Magheramorne Lime Works, in Ireland, where they were first applied ; 

 and have since been in constant operation for the last three years, dis- 



