IMPROVE- MENTS IN ATMOSPHERIC BALLWAYS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ZAMBAUX, Chemist, of Paris, in the Kingdom of France, send groeting. ..
WHEREAS IIer present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of June, in the ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Zambaux, my exors, adññors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the, said Joseph Zambaux, my
exors, alñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Zambaux, my
exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ATMOSPHERIC BALLWAYS;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-
tained a proviso, that I, the said Joseph Zambaux, should cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, tho said
Joseph Zambaux, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, to be fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to:

page_text: the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My improvements in atmospheric railways consist,-
First, in the employing of an additional tube placed along the line of rail-
way, the air from which tube is exhausted by pumps or other convenient
means; a communication is established between this tube and the propulsion
or traction tube, which communication is regulated by valves, as will be
afterwards described, by which arrangement the movement of a train may be
more easily controlled in either direction than by the system now employed.
Secondly, in arranging certain valves and apparatus of atmospheric rail-
ways.
Thirdly, in using the travelling carriage for opening certain valves, as will
be afterwards described.
Fourthly, in a peculiar mode of constructing the longitudinal valve, which
differs from those now in use; it is formed of three pieces of leather or other
similar flexible material stitched together, and the form of it is a conical
section; it closes hermetically the longitudinal slit in the tube, that being of a
similar form. Between the pieces of leather are placed wires or other non-
elastic material to prevent them from stretching.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In all the different views the same letters indicate the same parts wherever
they occur. Figure 1 schow a general arrangement of a railroad, shewing
the traction tube in section and the rods which successively open and close the
longitudinal valve; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the railroad, taken
through the traction tube; Figure 3 is a plan of the railroad; Figure 4 is a
transverse section, taken from one of the valves of communication between the
traction and the lateral tube; Figure 5 is an elevation of the machinery em-
ployed for opening and shutting off the communication of the tubes; Figure 6
is a plan of the same machinery; Figure 7 is a plan of the valves which
closes the traction tube successively; Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of the
traction tube, with a detail of the connecting rod; Figure 10 is a transversal
section of the propulsion tube, closed by the longitudinal valve; Figure 11 is
a detail of a transversal section of the valve, raised by the connecting rod:
A is the traction tube; B, the lateral tube; C, the longitudinal valve; D is
the slide valve, closes the traction tube transversely; it slides in two grooves
forming part of the tube; E is a cylinder, in which there is a piston, the rod
of which piston is connected to the slide D; F is a tube, by which a com-
munication is made between the lateral tube and the valve box G, which valve

page_text: box communicates with the traction tube by means of; two tubes c'; H.is the.
connecting rod attached. to the locomotive carriage, and which is also attached
to the piston I; N is the place where the engines are supposed to be placed
for the purpose of exhausting the air from the lateral tube. a, a, is a conical
valve, which serves to open alternately the communication between the lateral
tubes and the two separate sections through the slide valve D; h¹ is a piston.
attached to the rod of the slide D, and sliding in the cylinder E; c, c, are
small tubes, communicating between the valve box G and the upper part of
the cylinder E; d is the tube for the admission of atmospheric air; e is a slido
which carries a transversal opening, which allows the air to enter into the
cylinder F, when required; is a jointed lever, the two branches of which are
put in motion by the sliding rods g, g; his.a connecting rod, which transmits
the motion from the lever f. to the sliding piece; i, i, are two branches of a
lever fixed to the plug of the cocks le, k, to the ends of which are attached
the wires j, j; these levers serve to work these, cocks, and at the same time to
move the leverf by means of the rod g, g;.k,.k, are two-way cocks, which¿
put in communication the box G with the cylinder E by means of the tubes
c, c, c; is a lever fixed on the sides of the traction tube, and against which
presses and inclined plane m, affixed underneath the carriage; n is a pulley,
over which the wire or cord j,j, is passed, attached, at one end to the lever l,.
and from the other to the lever i or i; o are projections placed upon the piston
rod, which, as the rod rises, raises the lever p, joined to the piece q; the lever
passes into an opening r made in the lever f, which it draws in its movement.
S is a clair piece at the extremity of the lever p, and raising alternately the
levers t, tu,,u', are levers mounted upon the axis of the lever t; t¹,- and,
transmitting the movement to the rods v, v³, of the valves a, a². :
"
Having thus given a general description of the arrangements of the Drawing,
I will proceed to describe the mode of producing the vacuum successively in
the section before the train arrives at the spot, and in the two directions of the
working of the train. The propulsion tube A may be-divided into any number
of sections; in Figure 1 we have supposed them to be of about 550 yards. The
tube B, which I have called the lateral, tube, is at all times in connection with
the exhausting machinery, and which is constantly kept at a vacuum of about 6.
to 8 inches, more or less. The arrangement.of the parts is as follows:-First, .
the vacuum in the tube B; second, the atmospheric pressure in the tube A;
third, the cocks k, k, shut, the valves a, a, shut, the palette D open; in this
state the piston C of the cylinder is down. The lever f.f, is in the middle of,
its course, which is the piston, where it will establish the communication.be-
tween the atmospheric air and the body of the cylinder E. The working of

page_text: the machinery, as will be seen, operates when the train is going in one
direction by the action of the small cock k, and by the cock when going in
a contrary direction. By opening the cock ¹, which is done by drawing the
eird in the direction indicated by the arrows, a communication is made
between the lateral tube and the upper part of the body of the cylinder E
through the tube c, c, but at the same time as the cord ; has been drawn
the lever has been raised by the connecting rod g³, and the movement of this
fever will give motion to the sliding piece e, which closes the communication
of the atmospheric air with the body of the pump F, and will draw the
lever p of the same slide; as soon as the vacuum is established above the
piston the atmospheric pressure will cause it to raise, the slide valve D will
rise with it. To close the traction tube transversely, the projections o come
in contact with the lever p, which also comes in contact with the lever t, and
raises it, and opens the valve a by means of the arm a' and the piece b¹.
Thus the valve cannot open but when the palette D is almost closed, which
is next to that in which the vacuum is required to be established, may not be
passed into the lateral tube. And by closing the cock k¹, by drawing the
cord in the direction indicated in the Drawings by the arrows, the levers f, f.
will be brought into the midle of the course by the action of the connecting
rod g', and the sliding piece e is moved, which opens the communication of
the atmospheric air with the body of the pump E, then the piston b, the rod,
the palette, and the weight e', attached underneath it, will descend, and the
tube open, the allow of the passage of the travelling piston; the valve a¹ will
be closed before the arrival of the train. The means described to be used for
the travelling of a train in the direction opposite to that indicated by the
arrows, Figure 6, will equally apply when required to move a train on the
opposite direction; but, as will be described, the cords " and " will have to
be drawn, and the cock k will be opened and closed, and the effects produced
will be the same, with this single difference, that the vacuum will be produced
in the other section, because it will be the valve a that will be opened. The
action will be as follows:-As the tube c, which is in constant communication
with the vacuum, communicates with the cock k through the tube c, in
drawing the cord j", so as to give to the lever i a quarter of its revolution, the
cock will be opened, and a communication will be opened between the
lateral tube and the body of the pump through the tube c", the lever f, f, will
be drawn from the side, and the claw of the lever p will be brought under
the lever t, the sliding piece e will prevent any communication taking place
between the atmospheric air and the body of the cylinder; the vacuum will
be above the piston C, which will rise,, close the palette, and the shoulders or

page_text: projections o will raise the lever p, the claw of which lever will raise the
lever t, which will open the valve, and the air contained in the section of the
traction tube corresponding to the valve a will be forced into the lateral tube,
by which it will be seen that all that will be necessary when a train is
required to go in one direction or another to actuate the cords j, j,,
when the necessary vacuum will be established in the sections of the traction
tube. It should be shown that in working the train that the cords or wires
j, by which the valves are worked should be at the right-hand side
of the train, and by applying an arrangement of machinery to the carriages to.
work these wires, the carriage itself when in motion would open and shut the
cock k or k, thus avoiding the necessity of any one to attend to them. I
will describe a mode by which the carriages may be made to produce this
effect, bearing in mind that I have supposed each section of the tube to be of
a length of about 550 yards. These sections are marked this distance" on
from the other in the Figure 1. The blue lines indicate the wires that are
intended to open the cock k and k¹, and the red lines those which are intended.
to shut them. It will be seen in the Drawing that the blue lines are ex-,
tended to about 990 yards, but that the blue only extend to about 330 yards.
These wires are supported on pullies placed at the side of the tube. At the
end of cach wire is a lever 7, schewn in elevation at Figure 5, and in plan at.
Figure 3. This lever moves on a pin l, fixed to the traction tube; it is
affixed by means of a small chain at the end of the wire, and which passes.
over a pulley w, and carries a stop 7. It will be seen that in pressing this
stop down that the small chain and wire will be moved. The levers to which
the wires ",, are attached for shutting the cocks k and k³, are placed on.
each side of the tube in a line, and the levers for opening the cocks are also
placed in each side of the tube in the same line, but some distance further
from the tube in Figure 2. It will be seen that there is a bar m, shown in
dotted lines. This bar is fixed to the carriage; it is intended to press upon the
part of the lever farthest from the tube, and consequently to move the wire,"
so as to open the cocks k or k¹. At the back of this bar m there is another
bar, not shewn in the Drawing, which presses in a similar way upon the
picce nearest to the tube, so as to draw the wires and close these cocks &
or . This bar is moveable, and may be worked by the conductor, who,
when he desires to stop the train, he has only to raise this bar, when the
cocks k, k, cannot open, and the vacuum in the section will non longer be
kept up, when the train will be readily stopped. From the foregoing descrip-
tion it will be seen that during the progress of the train the cocks and k³
will be opened, and consequently that the vacuum will be made in one section

page_text: of the tube when the train is at 440 yards about of this section, and that
these cocks as closed by causing the air to enter again into the body of the
pumps to cover the palette, and close the valve when the train will be within
330 yards about of this slide. It has been shewn that when a train is
required to be stopped that the vacuum is stopped by the driver, and when it
is desired to stop at one end or of any part of the line, the wire placed at
right hand of the tube is to be drawn as soon as the vacuum is established;
the piston and the train will move on, and continue on until checked by the
driver; then, as will be 'seen when the train is in motion, the carriages will
themselves work the machinery to produce the vacuum in the different sections
before entering thereon.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would remark, that with this Invention, should it be
desirable to use two lines of rails; only one additional tube would be required;
and I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein given, so long as the character of either part of the Invention be
retained; but what I claim is,
First, the employment of an additional tube in atmospheric railways, as
herein described, that is to say, an additional tube for employment of rarefyed
air either compressed air.
And, secondly, the arrangement of valves D and a, a¹, and the apparatus
connected therewith..
Thirdly, the mode of working the valves by the carriages, herein described.
And, fourthly, in a mode of constructing the longitudinal valve of atmo-
spheric railway, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Zambaux, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
JOSEPH (L.S.) ZAMBAUX.
Taken and acknowledged by Joseph Zambaux
(party hereto), at Paris, in the Kingdom of
France, this Eighteenth day of December
1845, before me,
:
THOMAS PICKFORD,
Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at Paris.

page_text: William Henry Ritchie, of Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentlemen, maketh oath and saith, that he is acquainted with the hand-
writing and signature of Mr. Thomas Pickford, Her Majesty's Consul residing
at Paris, that he has examined the Specification of a Patent granted to
Joseph Zambeau to which the signature of the said Thomas Pickford is
affixed, and that he believes the said signature to be the signature of Thomas
Pickford, Her Majesty' Consul of France, and that he was Consul at France
at the time when such signature was affixed.