IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF RADIAL TRAVERSING CARRIAGES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Pease Smith, of Weymouth, in the County
of Dorset, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF RADIAL TRAVERSING CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 22nd August 1861, and dated the 4th May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Pease Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
4th May 1861.
I, EDWARD PEASE SMITH, of Weymouth, in the County of Dorset, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF RADIAL TRAVERSING CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain means for traversing loaded carriages or
trucks over a segmental or circular railway, for the purpose of such trucks
depositing their loads in arcs of circles, by which means the construction of
segmental or circular erections (such, for example, as forts for protecting the
sea coast, and which require their foundations to be laid under water,) will be
greatly facilitated.
The Invention also applies to the transference of railway carriages and
engines to lines of railway radiating from the centre of segmental or circular
railways.
In carrying out my Invention I lay down a segmental or circular railway
of any required radius, and gauge and mount thereon a carriage, the platform
of which is provided with a pair of rails of suitable gauge for receiving the
railway trucks or carriages to which it is intended to impart a radial traverse
motion. The traversing carriage when designed of large size (suitable, say,
for receiving several trucks at the same time,) I prefer to make of wrought
iron beams and plates, after the manner of constructing compound girders,

page_text: and I set it upon flanged carrying wheels, which I mount on independent
radial axles. The carriage I drive by means of a steam engine mounted on
the carriage platform. The driving wheels when of equal diameter I cause to
revolve at different speeds by the intervention of a train of gear, and I
transmit the motion from the outer to the inner end of the carriage by means
of a driving shaft and couplings that will admit of the direction of the shaft
being varied. The platform of the traversing carriage will be open in the
middle when it is required to discharge the contents of the railway carriages
below the circular or segmental railway, as, for example, when it is intended
to form a foundation of rubble or rough stone below water. To adapt this
traversing carriage to the building up of masonry I propose to elevate at any
required height above the platform which receives the loaded trucks a railway,
upon which I place a travelling crab. With this crab I lift the squared stones
off the trucks, and deposit them in their proper position on the rubble or other
foundation, and thus when building a fort isolated from the land, I am enabled
to avoid the necessity for floating the blocks of stone to the place of deposit.
When applying the Invention on a small scale I propose, instead of using a
steam engine as the motive power, to employ a crab and hand power, and the
driving shaft in such cases may be mounted radially in its bearing, and made
continuous, and employed as the axle of the driving wheels. This arrangement
would involve the constructing of the wheels of suitable diameters, and giving
them a proportionate surface speed to ensure the maintenance of the carriage
in its proper radial position on the railway.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Pease Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on s
the 4th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
PEASE SMITH, of Weymouth, in the County of Dorset, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Pease Smith, Her special license that I, the said Edward
Pease Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Edward Pease Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should

page_text: 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RADIAL TRAVERSING CARRIAGES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Pease Smith, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Pease Smith, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the leters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
==
This Invention relates to certain means for traversing loaded carriages or
trucks over a segmental or circular railway, for the purpose of enabling such
trucks to deposit their loads in arcs of circles, by which means the construction
of segmental or circular erections (such, for example, as forts for protecting
the sea coast, and which require their foundations to be laid under water,) will
be greatly facilitated.
The Invention also applies to the transference of railway carriages and
engines to lines of railway radiating from the centre of segmental or circular
railways.
In carrying out my Invention I lay down a segmental or circular railway of
any required radius and gauge, and mount thereon a traversing truck carriage,
which consists of a strong framing or platform mounted on flanged wheels,
and provided with a pair of rails of suitable gauge for receiving the railway
trucks, carriages, or engines to which it is intended to impart a radial traverse
motion. The wheels of the truck carriage or radial railway, as it may be
termed, are driven through the intervention of suitable gearing,, the motion
being transmitted from the outer to the inner wheels, and in such manner as
to give a less surface speed to the inner than to the outer wheels to suit the
smaller diameter of circle over which they have to travel.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet I., shews in side elevation
the truck carriage or radial railway constructed and mounted according to this
Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is an end view
thereof; Fig. 4 is a Diagram shewing the arrangement of the staging for

page_text: receiving the circular rails on which the radial railway is to run, and also the
connection therewith of the lines of railway along which the carriages and
engines intended to be transferred and the laden and discharged trucks pass:
when advanced to or withdrawn from the radial railway. This truck, carriage,
or radial railway when designed of large size (suitable, say, for receiving
several trucks at the same time,) I prefer to make as shewn in the Drawing,
that is to say, I connect together wrought-iron beams and plates after the
manner of constructing compound girders, so as to produce two stiff parallel:
girders A, A, and these I brace together by transverse beams B similarly con--
structed. The open frame thus produced I mount upon two pairs of wheels
C, C, which have their bearings in end frames outside the body of the carriage.
On the parallel girders A, A, longitudinal wooden sleepers are laid, and to
these are secured a pair of railway rails corresponding in gauge and height:
with the rails of the lines D and E, along which the trucks travel in their
passage to and from the radial railway. The flanged carrying wheels C, C+,
are mounted on independent radial axles, and the wheels C carry each a spur
wheel a, into which gear respectively the pinions b, c. The pinion bis
mounted on the axle of a fly wheel d, that receives its motion through a crank>
pin and connecting rod from the piston rod of an engine F mounted on the
truck, carriage, or radial railway, and the pinion c is mounted on the inner
end of a toggle jointed shaft G extending along the side of the truck carriage
from one wheel C to the other wheel C. This shaft is driven by the pinion b.
through the intervention of the spur wheels 61, 62, (see the Diagram, Fig. 5,)
the latter of which spur wheels is keyed to the outer end of the shaft G. The
inner and outer carrying wheels may be made of the same or different
diameters, but when of equal diameters I cause them to revolve at different
speeds by adjusting the intervening train of gear accordingly. It will now be
understood that by the arrangement above described loaded trucks brought
up to the truck carriage or radial railway by, say, the line D, Fig. 4, may be
traversed round the circular staging, which may be supposed to rise from deep
water, and caused to discharge their load, say, of broken stones, at any
required point into the water below, the truck carriage framing being open to
allow of such loads being discharged through it.
The arrangement of railways shewn in Sheet I. is intended to effect the
rapid accumulation of rubble at a given spot for the purpose of forming a
foundation below water. The Invention, however, also applies to the bringing
up of hewn stone and other building materials, and delivering them at a
higher instead of a lower level than the railway. In order to adapt the truck
carriage to the building up of masonry I elevate at any required height above

page_text: the level of the rails of the carriage which receive the loaded trucks a railway
parallel to the lower one, and upon this I place a travelling crab, by means of
which the squared stones or other load may be lifted off the trucks and
deposited where required, the squared stones, for example, being deposited in
their proper position on the rubble or other foundation already prepared and
brought up to the level of the railway D.
In Sheet II. of the Drawings this modification of my Invention is shewn in
longitudinal sectional elevation at Fig. 6, and in transverse section at Fig. 7.
The truck carriage it will be seen is in this example constructed of timber,
and erected upon it is a timber framework G, G, standing at a sufficient height
to ensure the free passage of loaded trucks passing below it. On the top of
this framework G a pair of rails is fixed to receive a carriage H, which is
fitted with a crab I of any suitable construction. By the employment of this
modified construction of truck carriage I am enabled when building a fort or
lighthouse isolated from the land to avoid the necessity for floating the blocks
of stone from the land in barges to the place of deposit.
When applying the Invention on a small scale I propose, instead of using a
steam engine as the motive power, to employ a crab and hand power, and the
driving shaft of the truck carriage in such cases may be mounted in its
bearings in a line radiating from the centre of the circle or segment over
which it is intended to travel. This axle may be employed as the axle of the
driving wheels, and it will require no toggle joints, as noticed with respect to
the shaft. This arrangement involves the constructing of the inner and outer
wheels of such proportionate diameters that their surface speed when rotating
shall ensure the maintenance of the truck carriage in its proper radial position
on the railway.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improvements in the
construction of radial traversing carriages, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim constructing truck carriages, and
providing them with the means for traversing radially in the manner and for
the purposes above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Pease Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Second day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
EDWARD P. SMITH. (L.S.)

page_text: In the Matter of a Patent granted to EDWARD PEASE SMITH, of
Weymouth, in the County of Dorset, Engineer, for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RADIAL TRAVERSING CARRIAGES," bearing date
at Westminster, the 4th day of May 1861 (No. 1128).
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION proposed to be
entered by the said Edward Pease Smith to the Specification of the said
Patent, pursuant to an Act passed in the 5th and 6th years of His late
Majesty's reign, intituled "An Act to amend the Law touching
Letters Patent for Inventions."
WHEREAS I have been advised that certain matters contained in the
Specification of my said Patent were or may be deemed to be to some
extent anticipated by a prior user, so far as respects the principle of action of
a modification of my Invention, I desire to disclaim by erasure, and do hereby
> disclaim such modification, and confine my Invention to that portion of the
description which has reference to the Drawings annexed to the Specification,
that is to say, I strike out from the Specification the paragraph commencing

page_text: at line 17, page 5 of the printed copy, and ending with line 26, when the
Specification will read as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain means for traversing loaded carriages or
trucks over a segmental or circular railway for the purpose of enabling such
trucks to deposit their loads in arcs of circles, by which means the con-
struction of segmental or circular erections (such, for example, as forts for
protecting the sea coast, and which require their foundations to be laid under
water) will be greatly facilitated. The Invention also applies to the trans-
ference of railway carriages and engines to lines of railway radiating from the
centre of segmental or circular railways.
In carrying out my Invention I lay down a segmental or circular railway
of any required radius and gauge, and mount thereon a traversing truck
carriage, which consists of a strong framing or platform mounted on flanged
wheels, and provided with a pair of rails of suitable gauge for receiving the
railway trucks, carriages, or engines to which it is intended to impart a radial
traverse motion. The wheels of the truck carriage or radial railway, as it
may be termed, are driven through the intervention of suitable gearing, the
motion being transmitted from the outer to the inner wheels, and in such
manner as to give a less surface speed to the inner than to the outer wheels
to suit the smaller diameter of circle over which they have to travel.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet 1, shews in side elevation
the truck carriage or radial railway constructed and mounted according to
this Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is an end view
thereof; Fig. 4 is a Diagram, shewing the arrangement of the staging for
receiving the circular rails on which the radial railway is to run, and also the
connection therewith of the lines of railway along which the carriages and
engines intended to be transferred, and the laden and discharged trucks pass
when advanced to or withdrawn from the radial railway. This truck car-
riage or radial railway, when designed of large size (suitable, say, for receiving
several trucks at the same time) I prefer to make as shewn in the Drawing,
that is to say, I connect together wrought-iron beams and plates after the
manner of constructing compound girders, so as to produce two stiff parallel
girders A, A, and these I brace together by transverse beams B similarly con-
structed. The open frame thus produced I mount upon two pairs of
wheels C, C, which have their bearings in end frames outside the body of
the carriage. On the parallel girders A, A, longitudinal wooden sleepers are
laid, and to these are secured a pair of railway rails corresponding in gauge
and height with the rails of the lines D and E, along which the trucks travel
in their passage to and from the radial railway. The flanged carrying wheels

page_text: C, C, are mounted on independent radial axles, and the wheels C carry each
a spur wheel a, into which gear respectively the pinions b, c. The pinion 6 is
mounted on the axle of a fly wheel d that receives its motion through a crank
pin and connecting rod from the piston rod of an engine F mounted on the
truck carriage or radial railway, and the pinion cis mounted on the inner end
of a toggle-jointed shaft G, extending along the side of the truck carriage
from one wheel C to the other wheel C. This shaft is driven by the pinion 6
through the intervention of the spur wheels 6, 6, (see the Diagram, Fig. 5,)
the latter of which spur wheels is keyed to the outer end of the shaft G. The
inner and outer carrying wheels may be made of the same or different
diameters, but when of equal diameters I cause them to revolve at different
speeds by adjusting the intervening train of gear accordingly. It will now
be understood that by the arrangement above described loaded trucks brought
up to the truck carriage or radial railway by, say, the line D, Fig. 4, may be
traversed round the circular staging, which may be supposed to rise from
deep water, and caused to discharge their load, say, of broken stones, at any
required point into the water below, the truck carriage framing being open
to allow of such loads being discharged through it.
The arrangement of railways shewn in Sheet 1 is intended to effect the
rapid accumulation of rubble at a given spot for the purpose of forming
a foundation below water. The Invention, however, also applies to the
bringing up of hewn stone and other building materials, and delivering them
at a higher instead of a lower level than the railway. In order to adapt the
truck carriage to the building up of masonry I elevate at any required height
above the level of the rails of the carriage which receive the loaded trucks a
railway parallel to the lower one, and upon this I place a travelling crab, by
means of which the squared stones or other load may be lifted off the trucks
and deposited where required. The squared stones, for example, being
deposited in their proper position on the rubble or other foundation already
prepared and brought up to the level of the railway D.
In Sheet II. of the Drawings this modification of my Invention is shewn in
longitudinal sectional elevation at Fig. 6, and in transverse section at Fig. 7.
The truck carriage it will be seen, is, in this example, constructed of timber, and
erected upon it is a timber framework G, G, standing at a sufficient height to
ensure the free passage of loaded trucks passing below it. On the top of this
framework G a pair of rails is fixed to receive a carriage H, which is fitted
with a crab I of any suitable construction. By the employment of this
modified construction of truck carriage I am enabled, when building a fort or

page_text: lighthouse isolated from the land, to avoid the necessity for floating the blocks
of stone from the land in barges to the place of deposit.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "improvements in the
construction of radial traversing carriages, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim, constructing truck carriages, and pro-
viding them with the means for traversing radially in the manner and for
the purposes above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Pease Smith, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
To the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions.
I hereby grant my fiat giving leave to the above-named Edward Pease
Smith to file in the Great Seal Patent Office, with the Specification to
which the same relates, the above-written Disclaimer and Memorandum of
Alteration