(Download) "Ross Winans, Plaintiff in Error v. the New York and Erie Railroad Company" by United States Supreme Court " Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Ross Winans, Plaintiff in Error v. the New York and Erie Railroad Company
- Author : United States Supreme Court
- Release Date : January 01, 1858
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 83 KB
Description
The patent which the defendants are charged to have infringed purports to be, 'for a new and useful improvement in the construction of cars or carriages intended to travel upon railroads.' The specification commences with an enumeration of the difficulties attending short curves in railroads from friction, and the consequent necessity of placing the wheels, where four only are used, near together. But in high velocities the shocks from obstructions or inequalities on the rails are thus greatly increased; so that a compromise is usually made between the evils consequent on too great a separation and too near approach, wherein the advantage of one is necessarily sacrificed for the sake of the other. The incessant vibration felt in travelling on railroad cars is mainly imputed to the minute obstructions which unavoidably exist, and the approximation of the wheels necessary to avoid friction tends to increase the effect of this motion, and its power to derange the machinery of the road. The important object which the plaintiff's invention seeks to obtain, as regards comfort, safety, and economy, 'is to devise a mode of combining the advantages derived from placing the axles at a considerable distance, with those of allowing them to be situated near each other.' The specification then states the methods heretofore used to remedy these difficulties; such as making the track wheels conical, which, in case of slow travelling, has been found an effectual correction. But in high velocities it caused a serpentine motion, not only on curves, but where the track was straight. To avoid this effect, an additional motive is furnished for placing the axles at a considerable distance apart.