Improvement in Railways.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1898
Improvement in Railways.
I, GEORGE JOSEPH CAPEWELL, of 903, Asylum Avenue, Hartford, County of
Hartford, State of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement—
This invention relates to a railway designed for traveling vehicles propelled by
electricity, steam or other common motive power, which has trucks with vertically
arranged wheels having the usual flanges and tread faces of common gauge and
tread faces of different gauge without flanges, and horizontally arranged retaining
wheels with treads that bear sidewise against rails that are higher than the traction
rails.
The object of this invention is to provide a simple railway construction for
vehicles having trucks which permit them to travel on the usual track in the
customary manner at ordinary rates of speed or on a flat track of higher level at
increased rates of speed with less noise and greater efficiency, without danger of
derailing or accident and which permit the trucks to be run from one track to
the other without stopping and without uncomfortably jarring the passengers in
the car supported by such trucks.
The present invention resides in a railway having a track with rails of ordinary
form located at the standard distance apart for the flanged wheels in present use,
a track with rails that have flat horizontal tread faces higher than the tread faces
of the rails for the flanged wheels, for wheels that have flat flangeless treads, and
a track with rails that have vertical tread faces for horizontally arranged retaining
wheels.
This railway may be used to advantage in large cities, for the flat rails may be
utilized by providing the trucks with flat tread wheels which are cushioned so as
to run noiselessly. It is also serviceable in districts where high speed is desired
with a minimum expenditure of power and greatest precautions for safety must
be exercised, for the side retaining rails preclude the possibility of the flat wheels
running off from the flat track, and the flat wheels without flanges will run with
less friction than flanged wheels, the horizontal retaining wheels running against
the retaining rails with less friction than rigid flanges.
Referring to the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of an
elevated form of railway embodying the invention. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation
of a portion of this form of railway. Fig. 3 shows a transverse section of a surface
form of railway embodying the invention. Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of a
portion of the form shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows a transverse section of a raised
form of railway embodying the invention. Fig. 6 shows a side elevation of a
portion of the form shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows a transverse section of another
form of raised railway embodying the inventien. Fig. 8 shows a side elevation
of a portion of the form shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows a transverse section of
another form of surface railway. Fig. 10 shows a side elevation of a portion of the

page_text: "
form shown in Fig. 9. And Fig. 11 shows a plan of a portion of a railway embody-
ing the invention, illustrating various methods of securing the retaining rails in
position.
In the form illustrated by the first two figures, the supporting posts 1 are built
of metal, but any suitable material may be employed. These posts are located
at the desired distances apart and stand upon foundation bases 2 of stone or con-
crete. Secured to the upper ends of the posts are angular brackets 3. Upon
plates 4 that lie across the brackets and tops of the posts are strung I-beams
that form the bed of this copstruction of railway. At suitable distances apart the
stringer beams are joined by tie plates 6.
Laid upon the tie plates over the stringers and firmly fastened in place the
correct distance apart to form a track of standard gauge are the ordinary rails 7
usually employed for the common flanged car wheels. On the tie plates outside
of the ordinary rails, I-beams 8 are laid so that their upper faces are at a higher
level than the upper faces of the ordinary rails 7. These beams 8 form the rails
of a track that is slightly higher than the track of ordinary rails and is utilized
by the flat tread flangeless vertically arranged wheels of the truck provided for
this form of railway.
Secured at suitable distances to the track rails and stringer beams are brackets 9,
and fastened to the upper ends of these brackets are rails 10. These rails are
arranged to provide a track for horizontally placed wheels which retain the truck
in position when the flat wheels are running on the flat tread rails of the upper
track. Blocks 11 may be placed between the brackets and the upper track beams 8
where the bolts are employed to fasten the parts together.
In the surface road illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 rails 7 for the flanged wheels
of a car truck are laid upon common wooden ties 12 set in the ground. Near the
ends of these ties timbers 13 are laid parallel with the ordinary rails and upon the
upper surfaces of these timbers metallic plates 14 are placed to form the treads
for the flat wheels of a car truck. In this case the side retaining rails 10 are
secured by posts 15 set in the ground at the ends of the ties suitable distances
apart. These posts are held from outward movement by the angularly placed
braces 16 which are backed by brace posts 17.
The road illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 is raised upon piers of brick 18 supported
by foundations of stone or concrete 19. Laid upon these supporting piers are
stringer timbers 20. These are joined by cross ties 21. The ordinary rails 7 are:
placed upon the stringer timbers and, outside of them on the same timbers, the
rail timbers 13 with metal tread plates 14 are fastened. At suitable distances
apart upright brackets 22 are secured to the stringer and the rail timbers, and
the side retaining rails 10 are secured to the upper ends of these brackets.
In the construction illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8 the ties 12 are raised upon 4
posts 23 that are set into the ground in a substantial manner and are joined by
suitable cross braces 24. In this case the stringer timbers 20 rest upon the ties 12
and the lower rails 7 and rail timbers 13 with plates 14 are laid side by side upon
the stringer timbers. The upright brackets 25 are fastened to the ties and also
to the rail timbers so that they support the side retaining rails firmly in position. 4
The posts 15 which support the side rails 10 in the construction illustrated in
Figs. 9 and 10 are held from moving outwardly and also from moving upwardly
by metallic strips 26 that are shown as passing around the posts, through loops
and beneath the rail timbers 13 with their metallic plates 14 that are laid upon the
ties 12 along side of the lower rails 7.
6
The posts 15 which support the side rails 10 may, as shown in Fig. 11, be held
from separating and from upward movement by the blocks 27 spiked to the ties
upon each side of the posts or by being bolted to a block 28 spiked to the ties on
one side of the posts, or by being held by a strap 30 to a block 29 spiked to the
ties on one side of the posts. These are equivalent forms for securing the posts 5
in place so that they will properly hold the side retaining rails in position.
These forms for securing and holding the rails, whether elevated high above

page_text: the surface, laid on the surface or raised a little above the surface
of the ground, are simple to build and are strong and serviceable in
use. The rails can be laid parallel in the manner described and illustrated for the
entire length of the road, or the lower rails only may be laid for short sections,
or the upper traction rails and retaining rails only may be laid for short sections.
If desired, the flat rails and the side retaining rails may be located along the rails
of a road already built.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. An improved railway having a track formed by two parallel rails with tread
faces of usual shape and common gauge, and a track formed by two rails with
smooth horizontal tread faces extending parallel with but higher than the rails
of the first mentioned track and two rails with smooth vertically arranged tread
faces extending parallel with anil higher than the other rails and held to withstand
outward thrust.
2. An improved railway having a track formed by two parallel rails with tread
faces of usual shape and common gauge, a track formed by two rails that have
horizontal tread faces at a higher level and wider gauge than the rails of the first
mentioned track, brackets at intervals extending upwardly from the rails with
the higher tread faces, and rails with vertical tread faces secured to the brackets
higher than the wide gauge rails.
tray of July
GEORGE JOSEPH CAPEWELL.
D. Young & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.