Improvements in Promenade and Landing Piers and in Waggons or Trucks to be Used thereon.
Year: 1887

page_text: .Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Sept., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Promenade and Landing Piers and in Waggons or
Trucks to be Used thereon.
We, HENRY SYED SMART COPLAND and JAMES CHARLES GILMOUR, of No. 42 Old
Broad Street, in the City of London, Civil Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates in the first place, especially to piers where provision has to
be made for the conveyance of goods and passengers in vehicles running on rails, in
addition to the usual provision for promenaders; and has in view the entire separation
of such two classes of traffic. Also, in the second place to the construction of the
Pier Head in such a manner as to form a small sheltered harbour at each side of the
longitudinal central line of the Pier in order to give shelter to yachts and other small
vessels, whatever may be the direction of the winds and tides or currents.
To attain the first object, we construct our Piers in such manner that the Promenade
deck would be placed at a slightly higher level than is usually the case, and carry this
deck on girders of sufficient depth for the purpose intended; the wheels of the
carriages or waggons being placed at each side near the top of the vehicles, which
would run between the longitudinal girders on rails supported by or near the bottom
flanges of the said girders. In soine cases the vehicles would also have a second set
of wheels in the usual position in order to facilitate the shunting and shifting about
of the vehicles when at the Quay, shore end or at the Pier-Head, in which places it
may be found more convenient for the vehicles to be run in the ordinary way.
to enable them to be transferred to other lines which may be connected with the fier
Tramway. We also provide the landings under the upper or promenade deck of the
Pier-Head with rails or other means of running the vehicles. For the conveyance of
foreign trucks or carriages which may not be fitted with our upper wheels, we also
provide a sling frame capable of running along our pier tramway.
Also

page_text: Motion may be imparted to the vehicles by cable, electric, steam or any other
known means of imparting motion, which may be most available for the purpose at
the places at which the piers may be erected.
To attain our second object we construct the pier-head of open piling faced with
fender piles, &c. in the usual way, but of such a general form that after the usual
tee shaped head at the end of the pier has been constructed to a sufficient length of
face we change the direction at each end at a proper angle in the direction of the
land, and for a sufficient distance to enclose a sheltered area of sufficient extent on
each side of the longitudinal centre line of the pier.
Dahi th .. SN 1007

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Promenade and Landing Piers and in Waggons or
Trucks to be Used thereon.
We, HENRY SYED SMART COPLAND, and JAMES CHARLES GILMOUR of No. 42 Old
Broad Street, in the City of London, Civil Engineers, 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 following statement :-
This invention consists in an improved form and construction of Iron Promenade
and Landing Piers, which may be intended for promenade purposes as well as for the
landing of goods and passengers, in such manner as to cause as little interference as
possible between the two classes of traffic-Also the formation of the Pier-Head in
such a manner as shall be conducive to the above objects, and at the same time afford
a certain amount of Harbour protection for vessels in all states of the wind and tide,
at a minimum of cost and in the construction of Rolling Stock to be used thereon,
and means of conveying Railway or Tramway Stock, which may not be specially
constructed to run on our proposed piers.
The general features of the construction, form and arrangement of the Pier and
Pier-Head, and of the Vehicles, &c. are shewn in the accompanying Drawing, in
which―
Fig. 1. is a general elevation of Pier.
Fig. 2. is a general plan of pier at level of deck.
Fig. 3.
Girders.
is an enlarged elevation of one Bay shewing Tramway Car running between
Fig. 4. is an enlarged cross section of Fig. 3. shewing end view of Car running
over the rails.
Fig. 5. is a cross section shewing sling-frame for transferring railway trucks or
other vehicles.
Like letters indicate like or corresponding parts.
We construct or erect a viaduct or bridge, A. to a sufficient distance from the
shore, land, esplanade, quay, or wharf, represented at B. B', of a sufficient number of
longitudinal girders to support the various lines of traffic to be accommodated, 2 rows
of girders being requisite for carrying one line of vehicles, and 3 or 4 for carrying two
lines, &c. These girders may be of any of the usual types generally known as, lattice,
Warren, &c. The bottom member being of sufficient width to carry a longitudinal
rail (a) on the edge or edges next the cars. The ordinary promenade traffic is
carried over the top, members of the longitudinal girders on a platform-(b)-
structed of cross-bearers and planking in the usual way. We arrange the framework
and bracing connecting the girders (c) over the piles so as to admit of the passage of
the trucks or carriages, C, between the points of support of the girders-(c)-in any
convenient manner adapted to local conditions, such for instance as that shewn in
fig. 4.
-con-

page_text: At a short distance from the shore end we construct inclines-(d. d.) descending
from each side of the promenade, deck or bridge A to the quay or esplanade B' at
which goods and passengers may he landed from the Cars, and if necessary, the width
of this portion of the promenade may be increased in order to provide wider platforms
for the landing of passengers and goods beneath.
We increase the width of the pier at the seaward end D, and in addition to the
ordinary tee-head we continue the same-(as shewn in plan at E, E¹) at suitable
angles to enclose a sheltered harbour area, F, at each or either side. The faces being
formed of fender piles and walings in addition to the bearing piles, bracings,
landings, &c. The tramway girders may be continued to the end or they may
terminate at or near the point (e.), ordinary tramway rails on the lower deck being
substituted in order to convey the Cars or trucks round the pier-head by the sub-
sidiary tramway wheels-(f.)-for the convenience of loading and discharging cargo
and goods.
When it may be necessary, we increase the width of the pier at intermediate places
for the erection of a Concert Rooin, shelter places, &c., and if the pier is of unusual
length, we construct lower platforms, communicating with the promenade deck at
some of these wider portions in order to provide intermediate points at which passengers
may enter or alight from the cars.
We usually construct the body of the Cars C in a similar manner to ordinary
tramway cars having a central gangway from end to end, but instead of the ordinary
running wheels (h)-being placed underneath the car, they revolve at a convenient
level at the sides of the cars, and are carried by cranked axles passing underneath or
above the cars, or in the case of cars divided into compartments, a more convenient
form is that they should revolve upon axles (i.) placed between the compartments,
spring or rubber bearings being in either case built into the frames of the cars. For
long cars carrying passengers, we prefer to have four pairs of these wheels, as an
additional security against accident. In addition to the above, we provide a suitable
number of small wheels (f) under the frame of the carriage for use at the termini,
or when shunting. If intended to pass over curves, these latter may work on bogie
frames, or with radial axles. We may run these cars singly or in trains, the motive
power being supplied by an endless rope driven from either end of the pier, and
travelling over suitable bearings connected to the underside of the promenade
platform, or by any other convenient motor contained in or attached to the vehicles,
such as electricity, steam, pneumatic or otherwise; in any case under the direct
control of the conductor accompanying the vehicles. We construct the goods trucks
of shorter length and prefer to use only two pairs of side wheels for greater convenience
in passing round curves, &c.
In cases where it is desirable to provide for the passage of railway or other trucks
we provide sling frames-H.-furnished with our side wheels-(h.)-as shewn in
Fig. 5, provided with rails corresponding with the gauge of the said trucks, which
should be run by means of hinged ramps at each end of the sling frame on to the
corresponding rails at the pier-head, and thus be conveyed to the position for
loading, &c. The sling frames may also be provided with small under wheels for
passing over the rails at the pier-head, &c.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A promenade and landing pier combined with a harbour or harbours at the
seaward end thereof.
2. The construction of promenade and landing piers in such manner as to retain
the whole of the surface area for promenade & similar purposes. The goods and
tramway traffic being transferred and carried underneath without necessitating the
construction of a continuous lower deck.
3. The tramway rails forming part of or being attached direct to the inner edges of
the lower members of the longitudinal girders.

page_text: 4. Vehicles for the conveyance of passengers and goods along the rails mentioned
in claim 3, and constructed with side wheels so as to travel between the girders at
such a level that the floor of the vehicle is below the level of the underside of the
girders or rails on which they run.
5. Sling frame to run as stated in claim 4 for the transfer of railway and other
vehicles not fitted with our side wheels.
6. All substantially as described and set forth herein, and shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3,
4 and 5 of the accompanying drawing.
HENRY S. S. COPLAND.
JAS. C. GILMOUR.