Art. XXII. — Patent for " Improvements in Contrivances 

 for Varying the Gauge of the Wheels of Rolling Stock 

 for Rail and other Permanent Ways." 



By D. Anderson. 



[Read 16th November, 1882.] 



The nature and working of my invention may be described 

 in these terms, viz.: — 



The axle is made with a solid collar in the centre. On 

 each side of this collar is a sleeve, to the outer end of which 

 the wheel is fastened, and these sleeves are drawn out from 

 or in to the solid collar by right and left-handed screws 

 fastened to a double platform, on which the wheels rest 

 in recesses shaped to their bottoms. On the inner end of 

 each sleeve is a flange, which is held by a hinged clamp on 

 each side of the solid collar. In these hinged clamps are 

 recesses for the reception of the flanges when the clamps 

 are closed. The hinged clamps are opened and allowed to 

 fall back by the partial unscrewing of two nuts, working on 

 two hinged bolts, thus enabling the sleeves with their 

 flanges to slide along the solid axle, either away from or to 

 the solid collar, according to whether the wheels are to be 

 adjusted to run on a broad or a narrow gauge. 



A truck with its load by this method, and with the aid 

 of machinery to work the right and left-handed screws, can, 

 without unloading, be made to run on either a broad or a 

 narrow gauge in a few minutes. When the clamps are closed 

 the nuts are screwed home, and a split key or pin is inserted 

 through the bolt, thus rendering it impossible that they can 

 get loose or shift in the slightest degree. If preferred, 

 Ibbotson's safety nuts can be used without the split pin. 



By my patent the inconveniences and delays in trans- 

 mitting goods over country laid down with lines of different 

 gauges can be reduced to a minimum. Should the Govern- 

 ments of Victoria and New South Wales adopt my plan, 

 goods can be carried from Melbourne to Sydney as quickly 



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