1840.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



CURTIS'S PATENT RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS. 



RAILWAY TRUCK. 



Fig. 1. — Side elevation. 



Fig 2.— End elevation. 

 O 



Fig. 3.— Plan. 



G^I -p K 



DE.SCRIPTION. 



Figure 1 is a side view, figure 2 an end view, and figure 3 a plan of 

 the macliine, the same letters refer to the same parts of the machine 

 in each figure, so far as the jjarts are thown in each. A is the framing 

 of the machine, which is suspended below the axle in the usual way, 

 B the hind wheels connected with the shifting frame C, whicli frame 

 is held in its place by the bolts D D D D, or oy any other usual and 

 suitable means. EE are two eccentrics hung upon the cross shaft 

 F, upon one end of which shaft the ratchet G is hung, and upon the 

 other the head I, into the holes of which the lever K is inserted, when 

 it is required to turn the shaft F rounil, so as to bring the eccentrics 

 into contact with the rails or otherwise. L is a windlass placed upon 

 the front bar of the machine round which a rope coils, so that when a 

 carriage is required to be placed upon the machine, one end of the 

 rope is made fast the carriage, and the other end to the windlass, then 

 a man turning the windlass round by means of the handle M, tlie car- 

 iage is drawn upon the machine ; the machine is connected to the 

 train by means of the coupling N in the usual way, and the diagonal 

 bars are placed as shown, in order that the concussion of the train may 

 be transferred to the main frame of the machine A. OO OO are the 

 wheels of a carriage placed upon the machine, the body and carriage 

 is omitted in the drawing, as It is not material to the explanation of 

 the invention that they should be shown. 



The mode of operation is as follows : — when a carriage is required 



to be placed upon the machine, the eccentrics are brought upon the 

 the rails and made to occupy the position shown by the red lines in 

 figure ), the ettect of which is to raise the end of the carriage to which 

 the shifting frame and wheels are attached, a space equal to that in- 

 cluded between the shaded line X and the red line Y, and to support 

 it whilst the frame C and wheels B are withdrawn, then the eccentrics 

 are turned back until they occupy the position shown in the drawing, 

 when the end of the machine is lowered to the ground and occupies 

 the position shown by the blue lines Z Z. The carriage is then brought 

 to the machine, the rope from the windlass is made fast to it, the fioor 

 of the machine being formed into an inclined plane, the carriage is 

 dragged upon the machine by the windlass with great facility, when 

 placed upon the machine the eccentrics are again brought into the 

 positions shown by the red lines, which raises the end of the machine, 

 the shifting frame C and wheels B are connected with the machine, 

 and made last by the bolts D, the eccentrics are then brought into the 

 position shown in the drawing, riding clear of the rails ; the ratchet G 

 and paul H are provided to retain the eccentrics in any position they 

 may be placed in, the best way to effect all these operations is to place 

 the machine upon a turn table, the fore wheels and the eccentrics 

 being upon the table when the machine can be disengaged from the 

 wheels and placed to receive the carriage in a very simple and easy 

 manner, the same operations apply if the machine is employed for 

 goods or cattle, or any other purpose. 



