IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTION AND IN THE MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTION AND IN THE MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREIN." A communication from abroad by Nicolas Joly, of Paris,
in the Empire of France, Chemist.
Sealed the 13th May 1870, and dated the 22nd March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd March 1870.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTION AND IN THE MEANS TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication to me from abroad by Nicolas Joly,
of Paris, in the Empire of France, Chemist, to be as follows:-
My improvements in railroads' rolling stock and working of the line
are as follows:-
First. The Rolling Stock.-In order to build a road conforming to the
general surface of the ground over which it is carried however undu-

page_text: lating, hilly, or mountainous it may be, in this way avoiding tunnels,
viaducts, and deep cuttings, it is necessary to change the character of
the present equipments of railways. This I propose to effect by the
introduction of single carriages or omnibusses upon the plan of city
tramways, but modified to suit the differing circumstances, the first
being to provide each carriage or vehicle with its own motive power;
the second, locating the power as near the centre of the carriage as
possible; the third, supporting the load however great upon but few
wheels so as to bring it under the direct control of the engine when
running upon gradients or making stops. In some cases the more
effectually to carry out this Invention I propose to build the carriages
several stories high.
Running the Carriages.-As these carriages because running singly
must run often and at a high rate of speed a safety system is indis-
pensable. My plan for this is a series of time stations connected by
electric apparatus worked automatically by the action of the carriages.
These stations are disposed at such distances from each other along the
linc as to determine the intervals between the carriages, no carriage
being permitted to leave a station until the dial plate of its electric
indicator shews that the next station in advance has become vacant by
the departure of the preceding carriage. The difference between the
Invention described herein called "time stations and the plan in use
on railways called the "block system is, that according to ny
Invention the run of the carriage from one station to another as well as
its arrival at the forward station is not only "signalled" but recorded,
and this notification instead of being made from one station to another
is made by the carriage itself as it runs, cach carriage being furnished
with an electrical apparatus, which is in constant communication with
the rear station until its arrival at the one in advance.
""
Construction of the Carriages.-These I propose to make upon one of
two plans according to the system of roadway adopted. Where the road
is laid with rails but one is used for the track upon which the carriage
rests, the other is placed above it as a guide. The wheels that run
against these rails are deeply grooved and thus hold the carriage to its
way, the rails being placed directly opposite each other and in the same
vertical plane. The bearing wheels rest upon the lower rail, but the
guide wheels run against the upper one. The wheels are all provided
with india-rubber tires, and besides their ordinary functions they serve

page_text: upon gradients as adhesion wheels, and under other circumstances as
brake wheels to stop the carriage. These effects are produced by the
direct action of the engine operating through suitable levers, the upper
and under rails acting in concert as fulcrums of resistance.
The
Upon the other system of roadway no rails are employed.
carriages are run upon a level floor, and kept to their track by horizontal
wheels that take against the vertical sides of the road. Carriages
constructed on this form have their wheels flat faced, and without
flanges; the tires are india-rubber. The horizontal or guide wheels are
located upon the sides of the carriage at both top and bottom; they
only and not the main wheels serve in the capacity of both brake and
adhesion wheels in addition to their regular functions.
Bearing Wheels.-I propose to make these wheels in both the above
styles of carriage of extraordinary diameters being from ten feet and
upwards according to circumstances, upon the principle that the amount
of friction produced in the revolution of a wheel is proportionate to
the difference between its journal and periphery, the former being a
rubbing and the latter a rolling surface. Wheels of more than ten feet
diameter are designed for carriages that are more than one story high,
but whatever their size they are disposed in line on the " bycycle"
plan, the upright position of the carriage being maintained by the guide
wheels.
Second. The Roadway. This as has been already mentioned may be
made either with or without rails. I prefer a road without rails as being
less dangerous. This roadway is an organised structure of wood or
metal, or both combined, and resembles a continuous bridge. In effect
and fact it is a beam of the "web and flange" pattern, but so modified
as to form a pair of incomplete tubes, the outer edges of the top and
bottom flanges being bent at right angles to themselves, and extending
sufficiently to convert the right and left hand spaces on the sides of the
web into oblong tubes, thus forming two roadways, through which
carriages may be run in opposite directions. This beamway may be
|carried along upon the face of the ground or above it through the air
upon supports; in either case its construction is independent, the carth-
way forming no part of its organisation. By making it sufficiently high
several lines of way may be established along the face of the web on
each side on as many separate flanges.

page_text: Although I have described this as a structure wholly independent of
the ground, I would observe that it may be organised by means of posts
and rails as a temporary or cheap combination, in which case the earth
would seem to be a part of the organisation.
Third. Motive Power.-Any power suitable for the purpose may be
employed, but I propose to employ compressed air and in combination
with heat. This power is to be put into portable condition by means of
stationary engines along the line worked by wind, steam, or other
agency. At these stations it is to be stored in large reservoirs, and let
on as water is now furnished to locomotives, or it is to be packed in
cylinders convenient for handling so that the empties of the passing
carriage can in a moment be exchanged for filled ones without loss
of time; the plan and the policy being to have relays of ready made
power to hand, instead of loading the carriage with the weight of
materials from which to generate it. In working this compressed air
I propose to apply heat to the cylinders in such quantity as in a
measure to compensate for the force withdrawn by the working of the
engine.
Running the Engine.-Contrary to the ordinary method I propose to
make the mechanical arrangements of the engine such that its normal
condition shall be to stop the running of the carriage being the matter
requiring the will and effort of the engineer. This plan renders.
impossible the occurrence of a runaway" carriage.
Brake Wheels.-In place of "brakes" I make use of brake wheels,
using the guide wheels for this purpose, which are made to "bite" the
roadway under the action of levers moved and controlled by the engine.
When these wheels are called thus into action the power is of course
withdrawn at the same moment from the driving wheels. By this easy
and gentle method the momentum of the carriage whatever its velocity
is resisted, and the body is brought without violence or jar to a sudden
and complete standstill.
Gradients. Besides their double function, already described, these
same guide wheels also perform the further one of adhesion upon the
gradients. For this purpose two sets of levers are employed by the
engine, one furnishing the pressure (the same which converts them into
brake wheels), and the other causing them to revolve whilst under the
influence of this pressure.

page_text: Crossings. This beamway being in effect a tube or closed way from
end to end becomes in effect a wall to the country through which it
passes, thus creating a necessity for some provision for casy passage
either under or over it. By making the way of a series of arched beams
having a rise of not more than one foot in 150 feet we get easy
crossings underneath it at many points, whilst practically the beamway
itself is a dead level. This provision refers of course to the needs of
prairie or level countries.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Joun
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS [cr most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVENE ITS
IN LOCOMOTION AND IN THE MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication
from abroad by Nicolas Joly, of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in locomotion, and
embraces certain peculiar constructions and arrangements of roadway,
and certain peculiar constructions and arrangements of rolling stock to
be used thereon, the roadway and rolling stock being both specially
adapted to one another.
The roadway according to this Invention is constructed
on the
principle of an incomplete tube of rectangular section, that is to say,
a rectangular tube left open on one side, which tube may either be
supported alone or in combination with corresponding tubes situate
parallel thereto (according as a single or double way is required) upon
posts or pillars of wood, iron, or masonry at such an clevation above the
ground as to afford ready means for the passage of ordinary traffic
beneath the same without the necessity for bridges, or it may be con-
structed upon the surface of the ground itself, in which latter case the
usual provisions now adopted on ordinary railways would be required
for the passage of ordinary traffic either over or under the line. Suitable
guide rails or surfaces forming part of the improved roadway serve to
maintain the rolling stock in its upright position whilst travelling
thereon, the main weight of the said rolling stock being supported upon
two or more large bearing and propelling wheels disposed in a single
line with each other, somewhat after the fashion of what is known as a
bicycle velocipede. In addition to the bearing wheels the rolling stock
is provided with other and smaller wheels, which serve as guide wheels
by bearing against the guide rails or surfaces on the roadway before
referred to, and these guide wheels are moreover so arranged as to be
capable not only of maintaining the proper position of the carriage in
its roadway, but also of acting when required as break wheels for
arresting or retarding the motion of the carriage, and in some cases as
auxiliary propellers when ascending heavy gradients.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings,

page_text: the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 (Sheet 1 of the Drawings) represents a transverse vertical
section of one arrangement of the improved roadway and carriage
adapted thereto, and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the carriage framing
with the body of the carriage removed, and shewing only the upper and
lower guide rails and bearing or rolling surface of the roadway.
In Figure 1 a double roadway is illustrated constructed, as herein-
before described, on the principle of two rectangular tubes, each having
the outer side open. The tops A of these open sided tubes are composed
of open framework consisting of a series of transverse H bars a, a,
secured to a main central vertical frame or web B, which constitutes the
inner or closed side of both the tubes. The bottom C of the tubes is
also composed of a number of transverse H bars 6, 6, secured to the
bottom of the main vertical frame or web B covered with planks or with
plates of iron c, as shewn, so as to form the floor or bearing surface for
the carriage D to run upon. E represents one of a series of columns or
supports, which are firmly bedded at their lower ends several feet in the
ground and rest upon concrete foundations S, whilst their upper ends
support or carry the double roadway in the form of a continuous girder
at such an elevation above the natural level of the ground as to afford
clearance for the free passage under the roadway of ordinary traffic
without the necessity for bridges; d, d, are vertical guide rails firmly
secured to the outer ends of the upper set of transverse H bars a, and
extending continuously along the entire roadway, and e, e, are other
vertical continuous guiding surfaces attached to or forming the lower
part of the inner vertical frame or web B. The carriage adapted to this
roadway consists of a long body D provided with a single row of scats f
facing outwards. This body may be tapered or wedge-shaped at the two
extremities, so as to present as little obstruction to the air as possible
when running at the high speed for which this system of locomotion is
specially adapted, namely, from seventy to one hundred miles per hour.
This carriage body is bolted to the carriage frame F, F, shewn in
Figures 1 and 2, and rests also upon overhanging T bars g, g, firmly
secured to the said framing F, which latter may consist of any powerful
and light arrangement of framing well braced together by tie bars h, h.
This frame I carries the axles G of three running wheels II disposed in
a line with each other, and of a diameter of from ten to thirty feet.

page_text: In the arrangement shewn in Figures 1 and 2 the running wheels are
about ten feet diameter. They are made with plain flat tires, which are
covered with india-rubber to afford better adhesion with the floor c upon
which they run, no bearing rails being required in this arrangement.
The centre one of the three running wheels forms the driving or
propelling wheel, the propelling force being thus exerted as near the
centre of the carriage framing as possible. I is the motive-power
engine, which actuates the driving wheel through a crank pin i and
connecting rod j coupled to the piston rod of a piston working in the
horizontal cylinder I, the valves of which are worked in the usual
manner. This engine is supported on a bed plate K resting upon and
secured to one of a series of strang metal compressed air receivers L, L.
These receivers are supported on suitable brackets k, k, (Figure 1) fixed
to the uprights 1, 1, of the carriage frame, and are connected with each
other and with the cylinder of the engine by means of the pipes m, m,
a stop-cock n, and suitable pressure regulator, hercin-after described,
serving to shut off the supply of compressed air from the engine when
not at work, and for regulating or rendering uniform or nearly so the
pressure of air supplied to the engine. The air receivers when exhausted
may either be removed from the carriage at suitable stations and replaced
by fresh ones already fully charged by means of air pumps worked by
steam or other motive power at the charging stations, or the said
receivers may remain in the carriage and be charged at the stations by
means of supply pipes M fitted at intervals along the line, and provided
with union joints N for temporarily coupling them to the receivers, as 2
shewn in Figure 1. As the running wheels H, H, of the carriage are
placed in a line it is necessary in order to support the carriage in its
upright position to employ horizontal guide wheels O, O', running
loosely on vertical shafts P, P, forming part of the main carriage
framing. The upper set of guide wheels O bear against the inner
surface of the continuous guide rails d, d, and the lower ones O' against
the guiding rails or surfaces e, e. Suitable breaks, not shown in the
Drawings, may be applied to the wheels H, II, for the purpose of
retarding or stopping the train.
Any suitable pressure regulator may be employed for reducing the
absolute pressure of the air supplied to the cylinder of the engine, and
maintaining such supply at or near a uniform pressure of, say, sixty
pounds to the square inch. I have represented at Figure 3 (Sheet 2)

page_text: one form of pressure regulator which may be employed with advantage
for this purpose. It consists essentially of a cylinder A, within which
works a piston B carrying a cross head C, which slides along the
guides D, D. The piston rod works through a fixed guide or cross
head E secured to the guides D, D', and is surrounded by a powerful
helical spring F, which bears against the cross heads C and E and tends
constantly to force the piston down. The upper part of the piston rod
is screwed and receives a hand nut G for regulating the compression of
the spring, a jamb nut H securing the regulating nut in position when
adjusted. I is the pipe which leads from the compressed air receiver to
the bottom of the cylinder A, and K is another pipe leading from the
bottom of the cylinder A to the engine, which latter pipe should be
provided with a stop-cock; L is a regulating valve in the pipe I worked
by a lever and rod M from the forked lever N, which embraces an
annular groove in the regulating nut G. The air pressure exerted upon
the piston B forces it upwards and raises the forked end of the lever N,
which through the rod and lever M acts upon the regulating valve L.
The greater the pressure the higher the piston B will be forced, and
consequently the more will the valve L be closed, thereby throttling the
compressed air, and as the pressure in the compressed air receivers
diminishes the piston B will descend and gradually open more and more
the throttle or regulating valve L. By varying the compression or force
of the spring F by means of the hand nut G the reduced pressure of
the air supplied to the engine through the pipe K may be varied. A
divided pressure scale may be marked on the guide D', as shown, which
enables the engineer to set the regulator so as to supply any given
uniform pressure of air to the engine, which pressure will be indicated
by the cross head C on the scale.
Sheet 2 of the Drawings further illustrates a slightly modified arrange-
ment of my improved roadway which necessitates a corresponding
modification of the rolling stock to be used thereon, and which will be
herein-after fully described in reference to Sheet 3 of the Drawings.
Figure 4 (Sheet 2) represents a cross section of the roadway taken along
the line 1-2 in Figure 5; Figure 5 is a longitudinal section with a
portion of the roadway broken away; and Figure 6 is a cross section
taken along the line 3-1 in Figure 5. Like the previously described
arrangement the roadway is constructed on the principle of two parallel
rectangular tubes open on their outer sides to afford ingress and egress to

page_text: and from the carriages. The top A of each tube consists of a series of
transverse T bars a secured to the main central vertical rib or lattice
frame B, to the lower edge of which is secured the bottom C of the said
open tubes, which bottom is also composed of a series of transverse double
Tor H bars or girders 6 supporting the planking c which constitutes the
running or bearing surface of the roadway. Each open tube is provided
with two lateral guide rails d, d, and e, e, (Figures 4 and 6) against
which cight or more guide wheels run, situate, say, four at the top and
four at the bottom of the carriage, as herein-after fully described and
illustrated on Sheet 3 of the Drawings. The two rails d, d, are situate on
opposite sides of the top of cach tube, and the two rails e, e, on opposite
sides of the bottom of each tube. These guide rails are represented as
composed of wood, but metal may be employed if desired. In order to
bind the structure firmly together arched lattice girders Q (Figures 4
and 5) are secured at suitable intervals to the supporting columns E, say
at every second or third column. These arched girders pass outside the
roadway, the top of which is bolted or rivetted to the inside of the arch,
as shown at o, o, in Figure 4, whilst the lower portion of the said arched
girders is firmly bolted to the transverse bearing plates R carried on the
tops of the columns, which are at this part disposed in pairs, as shown in
Figure 4; the rest of the columns may be placed singly, as shown in
Figure 6. These columns are bedded in concrete foundations 8, s, as
previously described, and may be of any convenient height so as to
afford free passage way underneath the line.
The roadway here illustrated is intended to accommodate a single
storied carriage provided with driving wheels of, say, ten feet diameter,
but on Sheet 3 of my Drawings I have represented a roadway and carriage
adapted for driving wheels of thirty feet daimeter. Figure 7 (Sheet 3)
is a side elevation of the carriage, the top and bottom only of the roadway
being shewn Figure 8 is a corresponding cross section of the roadway
shewing a carriage therein in end elevation; Figure 9 is a plan of the
carriage without the roadway; and Figure 10 is an enlarged detail of the
driving or actuating mechanism, and of the mode of supporting the
driving and running wheels. The roadway may be similarly constructed
to that herein-before described with reference to Sheet 2 of the Drawings,
but in lieu of being clevated above the ground on columns it rests upon
the surface on suitable sleepers or bearers which may or may not be
secured to posts driven into the ground, the tops of the said posts being

page_text: level with the surface.
Of course the vertical dimensions of the roadway
are considerably increased in order to accommodate the increased diameter
of the driving wheels, but the same width of line, namely, about four
feet six inches, is maintained. The carriage is here represented as being
built in four stories or compartments, one above another, numbered
respectively 1, 2, 3, and 4, cach story, if desired, being a distinct class.
The stations may also be provided with four platforms corresponding in
height to the various compartments of the carriages, so that cach class of
riders may be kept perfectly separate. Intercommunication between the
several compartments of the carriage may be provided for the guards
and ticket collectors by having staircases A constructed at one or both
ends of the carriage body, as shewn clearly in Figure 7.
The body of the carriage is supported in a strong wrought-iron frame
B, which overhangs considerably at each end, in order to carry the two
thirty feet running wheels C, C, the wheel C being represented as the
driving wheel. Both these wheels are in the same line, and in order to
maintain the vertical position of the carriage a pair of horizontal guide
wheels D, D, and E, E', are situate at the top and bottom of each end of
the carriage, such wheels running or bearing against the corresponding
guide rails d, d, and e, e, in the top and bottom of the roadway herein-
before referred to, and shewn also in Figure 8. These guide wheels are
so arranged and mounted as to act either simply as guide wheels, as
break wheels or retarders, or as auxiliary propellers when ascending
heavy gradients, as will be herein-after fully described in reference to
Figures 11, 12, and 13, on Sheet 1 of the Drawings. The axles on which
the large running wheels C, C', are made fast are carried in blocks a, a,
which play freely in curved guiding slots in the extreme ends of the
main framing. These blocks a rest upon pins c, c, which pass through
the framing and rest upon the bearing springs F, F, firmly secured at
their inner ends to the carriage framing. By this mode of supporting
the wheels C, C', they are free to rise and fall over any small inequalities
in the bearing surface G of the roadway without undue shaking of the
carriage body, but in order to check any excess of vertical motion of the
carriage it is proposed to adapt a vertical guard wheel II, II', to cach
end of the carriage, such wheels being mounted in the frames I, I', bolted
to the main framing and carriage body. The two guard wheels II, II',
run just clear of the top or roof of the roadway, but will be brought
against the roof should the carriage body tend to jump or rise, and will

page_text: consequently check such motion. The leading wheel C is driven by a
pair of engines K, K', worked by compressed air, steam, or other
suitable medium. These engines are situate on opposite sides of the
driving wheel, and are each supported on an independent oscillating
frame L, L', of its own, as shewn clearly in the plan view Figure 9, and
in the enlarged detail Figure 10. The oscillating frames L are contained
within the main framing B, and are supported on a centre of oscillation
at their inner ends at M, M, such centre of oscillation forming, if
desired, a continuation of the compressed air or steam pipe N which
supplies the engines. The front or outer ends of the two oscillating
frames are traversed by the driving axle, and consequently rise and fall
therewith as those axles play in their guiding slots b. A crank
shaft O, O', is fitted in bearings in each of the oscillating frames, and
carries a friction wheel or toothed gear wheel P, P', which drives the
corresponding friction or toothed gear wheels Q, Q', fast on the main
driving shaft or axle of the driving wheel C. The dotted lines in
Figure 10 shew the extreme elevated position of the driving axles,
oscillating frame, and engines and gearing. The crank shafts O, O', are
actuated in the usual manner by connecting rods, and the cylinders of the
engines are provided with the usual valve motion. When using com-
pressed air as the motive power the pipe N which supplies the engine is
connected to a compressed air reservoir carried on the roof or other con-
venient part of the carriage, and charged in the manner herein-before
described, a suitable self-acting pressure regulator hercin-before de-
scribed and illustrated by Figure 3 on Sheet 2 of the Drawings being
employed for regulating the pressure of the air supplied to the engine,
in addition to which I employ a self-acting stop valve for shutting off
the supply when required. This valve will be herein-after fully described
in reference to Figures 14 and 15 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings.
Figures 11, 12, and 13, (Sheet 1) represent respectively side elevation,
front view, and sectional plan on an enlarged scale of the arrangement I
propose to adopt in mounting the top and bottom guide wheels D, D', and
E, E', herein-before referred to with reference to Sheet 3 of the Drawings,
whereby the leading or front pairs of such wheels may be made to act
either as breaks or as auxiliary propellers. In these Figures the same
letters of reference indicate the parts corresponding to those on Sheet 3.
The guide wheels D' and E' of the front or leading pairs are fast on a
vertical spindle R supported in the main framing B, and rotated when

page_text: required to act as auxiliary propellers by means of the mitre gearing S, S',
the wheel S being keyed on the shaft R whilst the wheel S₁ runs loose
on a lever shaft T, which carries also the friction pulley U deriving motion
by being brought in contact with the periphery of the main driving
wheel C. This is accomplished by mounting one end of the lever shaft T
loosely upon the vertical spindle R between two fixed collars f, f, and
providing a handle at the opposite end, whereby the said friction
pulley U can be brought into or out of contact as required with the
main driving wheel C. When brought into forcible contact therewith
the lever shaft T is locked in position so as to maintain the pulley in
working contact by means of the latch lever V provided with an inclined
projection g which presses against the side of the lever shaft T.
In
this position it will be obvious that a positive rotatory motion will be
imparted to the two guide wheels D and E¹. The corresponding
wheels D and E of each pair are mounted on spindles h, h, carried in
the arms W, WI, which are loosely mounted on the vertical spindle R
so as to be free to turn slightly thereon. The arms W' are connected to
a rigid bar X to the centre of which is connected a screw spindle X',
which works freely through a boss in a cross bar attached to the main
framing B, and passes through the internally screwed boss of the hand'
wheel Y. When the guide wheels D, D', and E, E', are simply acting
as guides, the friction pulley U is thrown out of gear, and the
arms W, W', which carry the guide wheels D, E, of each pair are at such
an angle as to allow of the said wheels being just clear of their guiding
rails, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 13, but when it is desired to
use the guide wheels as breaks or retarders then the wheels D, E, are
forcibly pressed against their corresponding guide rails by turning the
hand wheel Y so as to draw up the screw X', which by acting through
the rigid bar X turns slightly the arms W', and with them the arms W,
bringing them nearly at right angles with the roadway and jamming the
wheels D, D', and E, E', forcibly against their opposite guide rails, the
increased friction thereby produced tending to arrest the motion of the
carriage without interfering in any way with the main driving wheel C.
Should it be required to use the guide wheels D, D', and E, E¹, as
auxiliary propellers for ascending inclines it is simply requisite to bring
the friction pulley U into forcible contact with the periphery of the
driving wheel C, and to lock it in that position by means of the latch
lever V. The rotatory motion which will thus be transmitted through the
gearing S, S', to the guide wheels D¹ and E', and thence by the frictional

page_text: contact of their peripheries to the corresponding wheels D and E will
exert a tractive force against the guide rails d, d, and e, e, and will thus
assist the ordinary propelling power of the engines. On releasing the screw
spindle the guide wheels will cease to bite on their respective rails,
and on throwing the friction pulley U out of gear the positive rotatory
motion of the guide wheels derived from the engine will cease and they
will again operate solely as guiding wheels.
Figures 14 and 15 (Sheet 1) represent two views of a self-acting
arrangement adapted to the stop valve of the engines employed in
propelling the carriages according to this Invention. A is the supply
pipe leading to the compressed air reservoir or steam generator herein-
before referred to and communicating through the self-closing valve B
with the cylinder of the engine; this valve is held open against the
pressure by means of a bent lever C working on a centre D, and
provided with the handle E. This lever works between two racks F,
and carries a spring catch or detent G, which engages when depressed,
into the teeth of the racks and thereby locks the lever C in position and
maintains the valves B open. For this purpose however it is requisite
that the engine driver should keep the top g of the detent depressed,
otherwise the spring f will elevate the said detent and release it from
the rack teeth, whereupon the pressure on the valve B will close the same
and the carriage will be brought to a standstill. By this arrangement
it will be seen that the continued attention of the driver is necessary to
the running of the carriage, and in this my Invention differs from the
system at present adopted wherein the driver having once started the
train it will continue to run without further attention, and hence
accidents arise from run-a-way engines and trains, which accidents under
my system are rendered impossible.
Of course with this self-acting stop valve it will be necessary to
employ a suitable arrangement of self-acting electric communication
consisting of conductors laid along the line and of contact pieces on
the carriage, whereby should the carriage be brought to a standstill
between any two stations the fact will be instantly signalled back to the
station in the rear. In the arrangements herein-before referred to I
have described the use of horizontal guide wheels for maintaining the
carriage in a vertical position and of running wheels having plain or
flat tyres, but I also propose to employ vertical grooved guide wheels
and grooved running wheels running along single guide rails secured to

page_text: the centre of the top and bottom of the roadway, the top rail against
which the grooved guide wheels revolve being exactly over the bottom
rail along which the grooved driving and running wheels travel. When
the guide wheels are required to act as breaks I propose to force them
upwards with considerable pressure against the top rail so as to jam the
wheels of the carriage between the top and bottom rails and so retard
the motion thereof by the increased resistance produced. This vertical
adjustment of the guide wheels may be effected by screw or lever action
as will be obvious to the engineer. When it is required to ascend a
steep gradient the guide wheel may be made to receive a positive
rotatory motion by bringing into action suitable gearing worked from
the main driving wheel.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
mc by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. An open air or above ground continuous roadway constructed
on the girder principle of a "web and flange" in combination with
locomotive carriages adapted thereto when the upper and under flanges
of this beamway are so connected by the web that the movement or
propulsion of the carriages between them calls into play the "tensile "
and "
"crushing" forces of the structure with the practical effect of
making both web and upper flange actively a portion of the roadway in
unison with the lower flange upon which the carriage directly rests
and runs.
Second. A continuous girder way substantially as herein-before
described in combination with carriages specially adapted thereto when
the carriage or running gear is attached to, embraced by, or embodied
within the organic structure of the road, whereby in its character of a
fixture though moveable it shares in the mechanical guarantees against
danger adopted to secure the roadway to the solid earth.
Third. The combination of a roadway constructed in the form of an
open sided tube or tubes provided with top and bottom guiding surfaces
or rails and a bearing or running surface with a locomotive carriage
specially adapted thereto and provided with running and driving wheels
of large diameter disposed in a single line with each other and having
separate guiding wheels for maintaining such carriage in its vertical

page_text: position, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings annexed.
Fourth. The system or mode of using the guiding wheels of the said
locomotive carriage as breaks or retarders and as auxiliary propellers as
found requisite, substantially as herein-before described.
Fifth. The use of a self-acting stop valve in combination with any
system of self-acting electric signalling apparatus for the purpose of
insuring the stoppage of the train in case of accident to the driver, and
for signalling the same to the next station, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of
September, One thousand eight hundred and seventy.