US38996A - Improvement in snow plows or scrapers for railroads - Google Patents

Description

E. TRENHOLM.

Car-Track Clearer.

Patented June 23, 1863 Inventor:

Witnesses:

@nas/* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD TRENHOLM, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN-SNOW PLOWS OR SCRAPERS FOR RAILROADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,996, dated June 23, 1863.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD TEENHOLM, of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and Improved Devices for Removing Snow, Mud, and other Obstructions from Railroads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section ofthe front ofalocomotive, illustrating my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are perspective views of the successive Scrapers, hereinafter to be described.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in the several views.

My said invention consists in the use vof Scrapers of peculiar construction which may be applied at the front or rear or underneath a locomotive or car to remove snow, mud, and other obstructions from the rails of any railroads, including those used with horsecars in the streets of cities.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying illustration of my invention, A represents a frame supported on WheelsB Rand adapted for attachment in front of a locomotive.

C may represent a cow-catcher of any suitable form and construction, and D an endless slatted apron,revolving in the direction shown by the arrows, to carry up and back any matters which may be caught by the cow-catcher C and deliver them upon a shelving board E, by which they are discharged clear of the track on either side.

F F2 F3 are beams extending from side to side of the frame A for the attachment of the helical springs G G G, on which are mounted Scrapers H I J, of peculiar construction.

The front scrapers, H, may be made of any width and have a form analogous to that of the mold-board of a plow. They rest upon the upper surface or tread of the rails in nearly horizontal positions, with their faces and lower edges presented obliquely outward, as shown in Fig. 2. These Scrapers will thus effectually remove snow, stones, and other small or light substances from the surface of the rails and throw them clear of the track.

The second scrapers,l,are prov-ided on their inner sides with iianges t', and are notched at their lower edges, as shown in Fig. 3, so that they will extend below the top or tread of the rail to a distance of about three-fourths of an inch on the outside and an inch and a quarter on the'inside. The office of these Scrapers is to complete the cleaning of the tops ofthe rails, and,further,to remove snow for some distance below it on the outside, and on the inside as far down as the iiange of the wheel extends. They are also provided with pins or points fi', projecting down to a sufficient distance on the inside of the rail to keep thescraper in correct position on thetrackin passing over switches, frogs, &c.

The third and last Scrapers, J, are formed with guidesj,resting upon the top of the rails, while the main partj,whieh has a form analogous to that of the scraper H, but presented inward instead of outward, extends down to the base of the rail on the inside,as represented in Fig. 4. This scraper is especially applicable to street-railways. It is to be attached to the car either in front or rear of the Wheels on cach side, and will operate very effectually to remove all snow, mud,sand,and other obstructions from the rails, entirely avoiding the necessity for hand-shoveling and sweeping now so commonly practiced on city railways.

To cleanse the track more perfectly,a yielding brush may be secured in the interior ofthe mold-board j,projecting out at the open lower end of the same, so as to sweep the surfaces of the rails as the car passes along.

By the employmentofhelical bars or springs G G G as the means of attaching the Scrapers to the framing the said Scrapers may be placed perpendicular] y, or presented slightly forward, and remain in easy but close contact with the surfaces of the rails, so as to operate efi'ectuall y without danger of injury from catching or breaking. In the event ot'any immovable obstruction or abrupt projection catching either of the Scrapers, the elastic attachment permits it to yield without violence or injury, and when the obstruction is passed the scraper is at once restored to its original position. The spring attach ments likewise afford the necessary vertical play to the Scrapers, so that they may be kept constantly in contact with the surfaces of the rails in passing over inequalities, or when the Scrapers are attached to the truckframes above the springs of the latter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secre by Letters Patent, is-

The helical springs G, constructed and ernployed in the manner described for the attachment of Scrapers of any suitable form toa framing by which they are carried.

The above specification of my improved device for removing snow, mnd, and other obstructions from railroads signed this 5th day of March, 1863.

EDWARD TRENHOLM. Witnesses:

OoTAvIUs KNIGHT, CHARLES SMITH.

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