IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS AND IN THE WHEELS OF TRAMWAY CARRIAGES TO RUN THEREON
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wilson of Adelaide Buildings, London Bridge
in the City of London for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT
WAY OF TRAMWAYS AND IN THE WHEELS OF TRAMWAY CARRIAGES TO RUN
THEREON
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th April 1883.
GEORGE WILSON of Adelaide Buildings, London Bridge in the city of London
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS AND IN THE WHEELS OF
TRAMWAY CARRIAGES TO RUN THEREON."
My Invention relates to improvements in the permanent way of tramways, and
in the wheels of tramway carriages to run thereon, and it has for its object to
lighten the construction of the permanent way and render it less expensive, to
lessen the cost of repairs by facilitating the renewal of the rails without disturbing
the paving of the road, and to avoid the liability of horses to slip upon the rails
and prevent the wheels of other vehicles becoming engaged in the grooves of
the rails
My Invention consists in making the wheels for tramway vehicles with a
periphery adapted to run in the grooves of the rails, and without any tread bearing
on the adjacent flat surface or head of the rail, the whole weight bearing upon the
bottom and sides of the grooves of the rails, and it further consists in constructing
the rails of the section hereafter described, whereby they are adapted for use with
such wheels and are made capable of supporting the weight of the traffic without
being laid upon sleepers, and in roughening or notching the head of the rail at both
sides of the groove, and in the construction of the chairs or bearers for the rails and
the mode of securing the rails thereto.
The wheels have a periphery of V shape or rounded section and the rails have a
groove of corresponding form adapted to receive the same. At the underside of
the rail there is a longitudinal rib or web of corresponding section to the groove in
the rail by which the necessary strength and rigidity are imparted to the rail, and
by which the rail is retained in position upon the chairs or bearers. These are cast
....מי

page_text: iron blocks having an enlarged foot or base of sufficient area resting directly upon
the concrete foundation. The top of the block is grooved to correspond to and
receive the rib or web of the rail and form a seat for the rail to rest upon. The
rails are supported at intervals upon these blocks and may be secured thereto by
screws passing down through the rail and chair and screwing into a nut lodged in
a recess in the latter, the head of the screw being entirely countersunk in the rail
head. By this means the rail can be unfastened and removed and replaced by a
new one without disturbing the adjacent paving or the rails may be secured to the
chairs by transverse cotters passing through mortises in the chair and through the
V shaped web of the rail. The head of the rail at either side of the groove is cut
across at intervals by deep broad square notches, those at one side of the groove
alternating with those at the other side, so as to afford a good foothold for the
horses, there being no smooth surface flush with the paving as when the tread of
the wheels runs upon the head of the rails in the usual way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said George Wilson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th October 1883.
GEORGE WILSON of Adelaide Buildings, London. Bridge in the City of London
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS AND IN THE WHEELS OF
TRAMWAY CARRIAGES TO RUN THEREON
"
My Invention relates to improvements in the permanent way of tramways and
in the wheels of tramway carriages to run thereon, and it has for its object to
lighten and cheapen the construction of the permanent way, to lessen the cost of
repairs, to avoid the liability of horses to slip upon the rails and prevent the wheels
of other vehicles becoming engaged in the rail grooves.
My Invention consists in making the wheels for tramway vehicles without the
usual flat tread, and with a periphery adapted to run in a central groove of the
rail so that the bearing is wholly in the said groove, and it further consists in
constructing the rails of a peculiar form whereby they are adapted for use with
such wheels and in roughening or notching the head of the rail at both sides of
the groove to prevent slipping. It also consists in the construction of the chairs or
bearers for the rails and the mode of securing the rails thereto.
The wheels have a periphery of V or rounded section and the rails have a groove
adapted to receive the same. At the underside of the rail there is a longitudinal
tongue or web by which the necessary transverse strength or rigidity is ensured
without the support of sleepers and by which the rail is retained in position upon
the chairs or bearers. The latter are cast iron blocks having a foot or base of
sufficient area resting directly upon the concrete foundation and grooved at top to
form a seat for the rail. The rails are supported at proper intervals upon these
chairs and require no intermediary support except that afforded by the concrete
bed. The rails are secured to the chairs by screw bolts passing down through the
rail and chair, so that the rail can be unfastened, removed, and replaced without
disturbing the adjacent paving. The bead of the rail at either side of the groove
is cut across at intervals by deop broad square notches, those at one side of the
groove alternating with those at the other side so as to afford a good foothold for
the horgo
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a cross section, and Figure 3 is a plan of
my improved permanent way for tramways, the two former figures showing also
the wheels of a car intended to run thereon. Figures 4. 5. and 6 are detail views
of a rail and chair in elevation, section, and plan. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in all these figures.
A are the rails, B the chairs, and Ŏ the cross ties of the permanent way. The
rails A are rolled of the sectional form shown in Figures 2 and 5, that is to say,
with the central longitudinal groove a in the upper surface for the wheels of the
form shown at D to run in, and with a V shaped web b on the underside. The
depth of this web should not be less than that of the groove a but may exceed it
according to the transverse strength required for the rail. The groove a is of a
width and depth adapted to receive the periphery of the wheels D which run
therein. care the transverse notches in the heads of the rail at either side of the
groove a. They are preferably of the form shown and alternate with one another
at opposite sides of the groove a and may or may not correspond to the joints

page_text: between the rows of setts of the paving, but I do not limit myself to this precise
arrangement of these notches.
The chairs B which rest on the concrete foundation d' are cast with a groove e
in the top corresponding in form to the web b which fits therein as shown, and
with a transverse slot d to receive the fastening of the rail. This as shown in
Figure 5 is a screw bolt e' passing through a hole bored through the rail at one
side of the groove and having its head countersunk therein and through a corre-
sponding hole bored or cast in the chair B and meeting the slot d. f is a nut
fitting in this slot d so as to be prevented from turning into which the bolt e¹
screws. The cross-ties C are made of inverted T iron with turned up ends to
receive the bolt connecting them to the chairs B.
The wheels of the carriages are of the form shewn being formed with a rim
of V section the extreme edge or periphery being rounded as shewn in figure 5.
As, owing to the absence of the usual tread, the brakes cannot be conveniently
applied to the wheels as in cars at present in use, I provide a brake drum h which
is keyed on the axle and encircled by a band brake and operated by a band lever
as usual. This arrangement is superior to the ordinary wheel brakes as the wheels
are not subject to the wear and tear of the brake blocks.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is
1 The employment, in combination, of centrally grooved and cross notched
tongue rails of the sectional form herein described supported on and attached to
chairs as described, and of treadless wheels running in the grooves of said rails,
substantially as shewn and described for the purpose specified.
2nd The combination with the longitudinally grooved rail A supported on
chairs B, of the bolt e' passing down through the chair and secured in place by a
nut fitting in the slot d substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3 A rail for tramways having a central longitudinal groove and transverse
notches in the flat surfaces adjacent to the groove, the said notches alternating
with one another substantially as and for the purpose described
4th The improved permanent way for tramways consisting of the centrally
grooved rails A of the section shewn, supported on chairs B connected together by
cross ties and placed at intervals upon the concrete bed, the whole substantially as
described and shewn in the drawings
In witness whereof I the said George Wilson have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty seventh day of October, A D. 1883
GEO: WILSON (L.S.)