US540120A - Fender for street-cars - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. N. TAGGART. FENDER FOR STREET CARS.

No. 540,120. PatentedMay 28, 1895.

UNrTED STATES PATENT nron.

WILLIAM N. TAQGART, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENDER FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION formingipart of Letters Patent No. 540,120, dated May 28, 1895.

Application filed January 5, 1895. Serial K115335890. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM N. TAGGART, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Fenders for Street- Oars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of car fenders which project in front of the car and are adapted to catch and carrya person standing upon the track in front of the car, the object of my invention being to so construct such a fender that while it will readily clear slight obstructions such as projecting paving blocks and thelike, no large object can pass beneath the same, but will be caught and thrown onto a net or apron yieldingly mounted upon the fixed projecting frame of the fender.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of sufficient of a street-car to illustrate my improved fender. Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing the movable portion of the fender in different positions, and Fig. 4 is a plan or top view of the fender detached from the car.

A represents part of the sills or floor framing of the car projecting as usual to support the front platform and secured to this projecting portion of the car sill or framing is the fender structure which consists of a pair of arms B rigidly secured at their rear ends to said sill or framing and projecting forwardly and downwardly therefrom.

The forward ends of the arms B carry a frame D pivoted to the arms at a point by preference about the center of the frame, said frame having a net work or apron a of wire cloth, or other available material which extends some distance rearwardly beyond the frame and is connected to an apron b of canvas or other fabric wound upon a roller F which is mounted in suitable bearings on the arms B and is acted upon by a spring or springs d, tending to rotate it in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1.

A person standing or lying upon the track in front of an advancing car will be struck by the projecting forward end of the frame D which is normally maintained at such a distance above the level of the track and paving as not to strike any slightly projecting obstruction, such as a misplaced paving block or the like, but as soon as a larger body strikes the front end of the frame the latter is depressed, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to prevent an arm or leg from passing beneath the same, the body being caused to roll upward on the frame, as shown in Fig. 3, or in the case of a standing person, being thrown backward onto the frame so as to be caught on the net or apron a, the roller F yielding so as to permit either the swinging of the frame as shown in Fig. 2, or movement to the position shown in Fig. 3, and, in the latter case, providing an elastic support for the body. To assist the roller F in supporting the frame D in the position shown in Fig. 3, springs '5 extend from the rear portion of said frame to the arms B, these springs being subjected to tension when the rear portion of the frame D moves downwardly.

In order to prevent injury to the head or other portion of the person such as would be caused by striking the front dasher or frame of the car, I provide each of the arms B with a projection m and stretch from one to the other of these projections a strip f of rubber, canvas, or other material, which will constitute a cushion to prevent contact of the head or other portion of the body with any rigid or unyielding portion of the front of the car structure.

A central bar 9 extending from one of the side arms B tothe other serves to arrest downward movement of the inner end of the frame D when the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A car fender consisting of rigid bars pro.- jecting in front of the car, afrarne pivoted thereto and provided with an apron, and a spring actuated roller mounted on the fixed bars, and connected to said apron, so as to keep the same constantly under tension, but permit yielding of the same when subjected to pressure, substantially as specified.

2. A car fender consisting of rigid bars projecting in front of the car, a pivoted frame mounted thereon and having an apron, a spring actuated roller connected to said apron and serving to impart tension thereto, but permit yielding thereof, and a stop bar for arresting the downward movement of the inner end of th e 'pivoted rame, substantially as specified.

3. A car fender consisting of rigid bars projecting in front of the car, a pivoted frame mounted thereon and having an apron, a

spring actuated roller connected-tosaidapron, i

and a spring connection between the rear portion of the pivoted frame and the fixed bars 7 substantially as specified.

4. A car fender consisting of rigid bars projecting in front of the car, a pivoted frame mounted thereon and having an apron, a spring actuated roller connectedto said apron WILLIAM N. TAGGART. Witnesses:

H. F. REARDON, WILL. A. BARR.

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