IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lawson Thompson, of 11, Queen Victoria Street,
in the City of London, and Charles Claude Rogers, of 2, Cork Street, Bond
Street, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 23rd May 1879, and dated the 26th November 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lawson Thompson
and Charles Claude Rogers at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 26th November 1878.
WILLIAM LAWSON THOMPSON, of 11, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, and CHARLES CLAUDE ROGERS, of 2, Cork Street, Bond Street, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS."
We form a reversible rail with four surfaces, on which wheels may run, such
surfaces being arranged two and two at opposite sides of the rail. Between the
two surfaces of each such side of the rail is a groove or channel. The surfaces are
designed to be used successively; thus, for instance, as one surface becomes worn,
the other surface on the same side of the rail, but at the opposite side of the groove
or channel, may be brought into use by turning the length of rail end for end.
When the two surfaces of the one side of the rail are worn by turning the rail over
or upside down the other two surfaces may be successively used, as already described
with reference to the first two. The surface at one side of each channel may be
narrower than the other, so that on each channelled side of the reversible rail there
will be one surface only for wheels to run on.
The rail may be formed with longitudinal flanges or fillets along its vertical sides
for convenience of fixing to the sleepers, which may be recessed to receive the rail,
and through such longitudinal flanges or fillets bolts or fasteners may be passed to

page_text: secure the rail to the sleeper, and also to secure the ends of the transverse tie rods
for maintaining the gauge.
Reversible rails according to our Invention may also be secured to suitable
sleepers in other ways. One plan is by staples, the sleeper being shaped to receive
the lower side for the time being of the rail. Another plan is by chairs, which we
form of a section somewhat resembling the letter H, which we cause to partly
embrace the rail and the longitudinal sleeper.
Such chairs may in some cases be used merely where two lengths of rail come
together, formning a substitute for fish plates. We do not however confine ourselves
to these modes of fastening.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Lawson Thompson and Charles Claude Rogers in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th May 1879.
WILLIAM LAWSON THOMPSON, of 11, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, and CHARLES CLAUDE ROGERS, of '2, Cork Street, Bond Street, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS."
We form a reversible rail with four surfaces, on which wheels may run, such
surfaces being arranged two and two at opposite sides of the rail, as shewn in Fig. 1
of the Drawings, where the four surfaces above referred to are marked respectively
1, 2, 3, and 4. Between the two surfaces of each side of the rail is a groove or
channel 5. The surfaces are designed to be used successively; thus, for instance,
as one surface (say that marked 1) becomes worn, the other surface (2) on the same
side of the rail, but at the opposite side of the groove or channel (5), may be brought
into use by turning the length of rail end for end. When the two surfaces (1 and 2)
of the one side of the rail are worn, by turning the rail over or upside down the
other two surfaces (3 and 4) may be successively used, as already described with
reference to the first two. The surface at one side of each channel of the rail
may be narrower than the other, as shewn in Fig. 2, so that on each channelled
side of the reversible rail there will be one surface only for wheels to run on, which
surfaces are in Fig. 2 marked respectively 1 and 3. The rail may be secured to
suitable sleepers in various ways. In the Drawing, Fig. 1, we shew the sleeper (7)
shaped to receive the lower side for the time being of the rail, which is secured by
staples a,
b. The rail may be formed, as illustrated in Fig. 3, with longitudinal
flanges or fillets 6 along.its vertical sides for convenience of fixing the sleepers (7),
which may be recessed to receive the rail, as shewn, and through such longitudinal
flanges or fillets 6, bolts or fasteners (8) may be passed to secure the rail to the
sleeper, and also to secure the ends of the transverse tie rods for maintaining the
gauge; or fang bolts may be used for fastening the rail to the sleeper, as shewn at 9.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew another plan of securing to a sleeper 7 a reversible rail according
to our Invention. In this case we use chairs 10, which we cause to partly embrace
the rail and the longitudinal sleeper.
. Such chairs may in some cases be used merely where two lengths of rail come
together, forming a substitute for fish plates. We do not however confine ourselves
to these modes of fastening.
Having described the nature of our said Invention, and explained the manner
of carrying it into practical effect, we hereby declare that what we consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as secured to us under the Letters
Patent hereinbefore in part recited is, the constructing reversible rails for tramways
and railways, substantially as shewn in and described with reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lawson Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty sixth day of May, in the year of our
L
hi houdend and coventu nina