In- PROVEMENTS IN CRANES CAPABLE OF BEING USED ON RAILWAYS AND IN PARTS OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PERCEVAL
MOSES PARSONS, late of Robert Street, Adelphi, but now of Duke Street,
Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of May.
(One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one), in the fourteenth year of Her,
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Perceval Moses Parsons, my exors, adñors, and assigns, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Perceval
Moses Parsons, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Perceval Moses Parsons, my exors, admňors, or 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, and
in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all
Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN CRANES CAPABLE OF BEING USED ON RAILWAYS AND IN PARTS OF
RAILWAYS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Perceval Moses Parsons, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an.

page_text: instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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, the said
Perceval Moses Parsons, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:
Firstly, my improvements in cranes consist in so arranging the parts that
when a weight is suspended from the end of the jib, the tensile strain thrown
on the back stays is transmitted by means of a lever to a counterweight,
which is caused thereby to move from the centre up an increasing incline so
as to adjust it to the leverage required to counterbalance the weight being
lifted. A crane constructed in this manner may be mounted on wheels so as
to be capable of being moved along a railway or other road, or it may be fixed
in a stationary position. In the annexed Drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation,
Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an end view of a crane thus constructed and
mounted on wheels for use as a portable crane on a railway. The same letters
of reference refer to the same parts in each Figure. The back stays a, a, are
attached to the short arm of the lever b, b, which turns freely on a pivot. c,.c;
the long arm of the lever b, b, is connected by means of the connecting rods
e, e, to the counterbalance weight d, d, which is supported on the curved or,
increasing incline formed by the projecting flanges on the bottom edges of the
girders g, g. The counterweight d, d, is made of the cylindrical form, as
shewn in the Drawing, or mounted on wheels or otherwise so constructed that
it may roll or travel with facility on the increasing incline 9, g. The jib f
turns upon a point at its lower end, and is sustained by the back stays a, a;
the other parts of the gearing and the arrangements for swinging the crane
round require no particular explanation, being similar to those of ordinary
cranes. It is evident that when a weight is suspended from the end of the
jib, the tensile strain thrown by it on the back stays a, a, will be transmitted
through the levers b, b, and the connecting rods e, e, to the counterweight d, d,
and cause it to travel outwards up the incline g, g, and in consequence of the
incline increasing or becoming gradually steeper towards its outer end, the
distance the counterweight moves along it will be in proportion to the weight
applied at the jib, so that the greater the weight to be lifted the greater, will

page_text: be the leverage of the counterbalance to counteract it. As it is released from
the weight the counterbalance will of its own gravity descend the incline and
return to its original position; thus, whatever may be the weight suspended
from the end of the jib, the equilibrium of the crane will always be preserved.
The blue lines shew the position of the jib, back slays, lever, &c. when the
counterweight is forced to the extreme end of the incline, and the crane is
supporting the heaviest weight for which it is calculated.
Having described the first part of my Invention, I declare that I claim as
of this part of my Invention, the constructing cranes with self-acting or self-
adjusting counterbalance weights in manner herein-before described.
:
Secondly, my improvements in the parts of railways consist of certain modes
of constructing and supporting switches and crossings of railways. These
improvements will be best understood by referring to the Drawings annexed.
In each of the switches represented in these Drawings, I have only shewn a
switch at one side of the railroad, that being sufficient to shew the construction
of the switch, and it must be understood, that another switch may be placed
upon the opposite side of the road. when required; and each mode of con-
structing the switches may be adopted either in making a single moveable
tongue switch or a two-throw switch, or a three-throw switch, as may be
required. In the following description the same letters of reference refer to
the same parts in the different Figures or views of the same thing.
Figure 7 is a plan; Figure 4 is a cross section at ,A, (Figure 7); Figure 5
is a cross section at B, B, (Figure 7); Figure 6 is a cross section at C, C,
(also in Figure 7), of one of my improved switches. The main rail a together
with the iron slabs or bars c, c, upon which the tongue rail 6 traverses and
rests, are rivetted, bolted, or otherwise firmly secured to a wrought-iron plate g,
which extends the whole length of the switch. The two ends of the plate are
rivetted, bolted, or otherwise secured to the junction chairs d and e, which are
made to receive the ends of the rails of the permanent way f, f, which join
the switch. A switch thus constructed may either rest directly on the ballast,
or it may be placed on longitudinal or cross sleepers.
Figure 11 is a plan; Figure 8, a cross section at D, D, in Figure 11;
Figure 10 is a cross section at E, E, (also in Figure 11) of another of my
improved switches. In this switch the main rail a itself is so constructed
that the slabs or bars c, c, c, on which the tongue rail 6 traverses, are placed
on or against and firmly attached to it by rivets, bolts, or other suitable
fastenings. The rail forms its own sleeper, but it may (if preferred) be laid
on wooden sleepers. This modification of switch is more particularly intended
to be used where rails of the same section as the main rail are employed for

page_text: Figure 22 is a cross
the permament way and laid on the ballast, but it is equally applicable to
other kinds of rails by making junction chairs to suit them. Figure 15 is a
plan; Figure 12 is a cross section at C, C, (in Figure 15); Figure 14 is a
cross section at H, H, (also in Figure 15) of another of my improved switches,
which is a modification of that lastly described, and differs only from it in this,
that the main rail a is rolled or made with a platform p extending its whole
length, on which the tongue rail 6 is supported, and works so that the slabs or
bars for the support of it are, in this case, entirely dispensed with. Figure 18
is a plan; Figure 16 is a cross section at I, I, (in Figure 18); Figure 17
is a cross section at K, K, (also in Figure 18) of another description of my
improved switches. In this switch the main rail a is supported on separate
cast or wrought-iron sleepers h, h, h, which rest on the ballast; these be
may
made of the form shewn in the Drawing or in any other suitable way, and the
main rail a, a, 'keyed into chairs, either cast on or made with the sleepers; or
the main rail itself, when of a suitable form, may be bolted, rivetted, or other-
wise secured to the sleepers. In any case suitable tables or supports c, c, c, c, c,
must be provided for the tongue rail 6 to work on. Figure 23 is a plan;
Figure 20 is a cross section at L, L, (in Figure 23);
section at M, M, (also in Figure 23) of another of my improved switches.
In this switch the main rail a, a, is made of the section shewn at Figures 20,
21, and 22, or of any other similar section, in which the upper table over-
hangs the web or body of the rail on one or both sides; and the base is made
flat and of greater width than the upper table, such, for instance, as those shewn
in section at Figures 9, 13, or 19. The chairs with the supporting bars c, c, c;
which may be either of cast iron, as in Figures 20, 22, and 13, or of wrought
iron, as in Figure 9, are firmly attached to the main rail by rivets, bolts, or
screws, or other fastening, or by casting or welding them on, and they rest on
sleepers in the ordinary way. The section of rail shewn at Figures 20 and 22
I consider suitable for the main rail of switches which are to be employed
where the ordinary double T rail is used for the permanent way; and that
represented in Figures 9 and 13 where the bridge rail is used. In construct-
ing the moveable tongue rails of my improved switches, I make use of taper
bars cut out of a parallel bar in the manner described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to me on the Twenty-eighth February, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-nine, for improvements in railways, railway engines and
carriages, and certain of their appurtenances; or I make use of a parallel-
bar of the section shown on an enlarged scale at Figure 19, or any similar
section in which the sides, intended for the external side of the tongue rail,
is made inclined or sloping, and the base made flat and wider than the upper

page_text: table, and I taper it at one end as much as required by planing or otherwise
cutting it away on the inside t, as shown in plan at b, Figure 23; I then
further cut or plane the points of these bars or tongue rails, so as to fit them
to, and house them under, the upper table of the main rail, as described in the
Specification of a Patent granted to Charles Heard Wild, on the Twenty-
fourth February, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, for "Im-
provements in constructing Parts of Railways." The points may, however, if
preferred, be formed so as to enter recesses made in the main rails as shewn
by the red lines in Figures 14 and 15. The first-named description of tongue
rail is shown applied to the switches represented in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 18,
but its form will be best seen by reference to the diagram, Figure 49, which is a
front view of the tongue rail 6 placed against the main raila. The positions of
the imaginary sections are indicated by corresponding numbers on the plan,
Figure 7; the last-named description of tongue rail is shewn applied to the
switch represented in Figures 20, 22, and 23; and Figure 21 is a front view
of the tongue rail 6 placed against the main rail a, the position of the imagi-
nary sections being indicated by corresponding numbers on the plan, Figure 23.
In the construction of these switches it is necessary to provide a pivot or other
joint, on which the tongue rail is to turn, as shown at k, Figures 4, 8, 12,
16, and 20 and in those swiches which are not supported on cross sleepers
it is advisable to preserve the guage means of tie bars. The tongues are
worked in the usual manner by levers to which the rods l, l, are attached.
It will be seen that in switches constructed in the manner before described,
those parts which are intended to remain stationary will be more firmly held
together, and the relative position of the various parts maintained, while the
tongue rails, from the greater width of their base and their greater strength,
particularly at the points, will be more securely fixed or held in their position
than in the kind of switches at present in use.
One of my improved crossings is shown in Figures 24, 25, 26, and 27;
Figure 26 is a plan; Figure 24 is a cross section at N, N, (in Figure 26);
Figure 25 is a cross section at O, O, (also in Figure 26); and Figure 27 is
a cross section at P, P, (also in Figure 26) of this crossing.. The point rail a
of this crossing is made in the following manner :-A parallel bar is first
rolled or made to the section shown at Figure 45 of the length required; it
is then cut in half diagonally, the line of cut sloping at an opposite angle to
that of the sides; the position of the cut at the extreme-ends is shown by the
blue lines at c, c, c, c, Figure 45, and the diagonal direction of the cut as
shown by the blue lines at d, d, on the plan, Figure 46. It will be seen
that by this operation two point rails will., be cut out of one bar, and they will

page_text: .
be of the form described in my former Patent herein-before mentioned, vide-
licet, the cross section at the point P, P, and at the thick end will be a
trapezoid as shown at a, Figure 47, the sides being inclined at equal angles
and produced so as to meet at the point to give a section of a triangle. This
point rail is jammed or wedged in between the two wing rails b, b, which are
firmly rivetted on to a wrought-iron plate e, e, which extends the whole length
of the crossing, together with the junction chairs f. f, which are made to
receive the rails of the permanent way 9, and are kept in their places by
wedges h, h, which are tightened up and secured by means of bolts i, i, passing
through them. The point rail a is prevented from coming out by means of
the pieces k, k, which are rivetted to the plate, or it may be held by bolts or
rivets or other fastening. This kind of crossing may be either laid on sleepers
or directly on the ballast. Figure 81 is a plan; Figure 28 is a cross section
at Q, Q, (in Figure 31); and Figure 29 is a cross section at R, R, (also in
Figure 31) of another of my improved crossings. In this the wing rails b, b,
are rivetted or bolted on to several separate cast or wrought plates c, c, c, c,
the end ones being made to receive the rails of the permanent way g, g.
The point rail a is wedged or jammed in between the wing rails b, b, and
secured in the manner before described. Figure 36 is a plan; Figure 33
is a cross section at S, S, (in Figure 36); and Figure 34 is a cross section
at T, T, (also in Figure 36) of another of my improved crossings. In In
this the wing rails b, b, are rivetted or otherwise firmly united together, and
form a support for the blocks or chairs c, c, c, into which the point rail a is
wedged and drawn up by a cotter e, or the wing rails may be so made as to
form a seat for the point rail without the aid of the chairs or blocks c, c, c, c,
or the point rail may be made to form a support for the wing rails. The thick
end of the point rail'a is firmly rivetted between the ends of the rails of the
permanent way g, to which it joins. Figure 41 is a plan; Figure 38 is a
cross section at U, U, (in Figure 41); and Figure 39 is a cross section at
W, W, (also in Figure 41) of another form of my improved crossing, more
particularly applicable where the bridge rail is used for the permanent way.
It is similar to that first described in some respects. The point rail a is
wedged in between the wing rails b, b, which are rivetted or otherwise firmly
secured to a wrought-iron plate e, e, extending the whole length, but they are
'of a somewhat different section to those first described, being thicker at the
part next the point rail for the purpose of causing the flanges of the wheels to
run upon them. The rails of the permanent way 9, 9, are laid on to the ends
of the plate e, e, or on to another plate fif, attached to it so as to join the ends
of the wing and point rails, and are secured to it by screws, bolts, or other

page_text: fastening; Figure 44 is a plan; Figure 42 is a cross section at X, X, (in
Figure 44); and Figure 43 is a cross section at Y, Y, also in Figure 44, of
another of my improved crossings, of a suitable construction to be employed
where the bridge rail is used for the permanent way. In this, the ordinary
bridge rail, or a solid rail of similar section, is used for the wing rails b, b, which
together with a saddle of wrought or cast iron d and the chair or block c are
rivetted or otherwise secured to the wrought-iron plate e, e, and the point rail
is wedged into the saddle d and chair c.
Another mode in which I construct my improved crossings is, by forming
the wing and point rails and sole plate out of one mass of wrought iron. This
may either be done by forming the parts separately and then welding them
together, or by stamping them with proper dies from the bloom or faggot
by means of a powerful steam or other hammer. A section of a crossing of
this description at the point P, P, Figure 26, is shewn at Figure 32; a is the
point rail; b, b, the two wing rails. The junction chairs at the ends, .if
required, would be attached in the manner before described.
The sections of wing rails I employ in my improved crossings are
represented at Figures 47 and 48, and at b, b, Figure 30. The top or upper
table is made almost. flat, and the inside top edge is very slightly rounded; the
base is made flat, and considerably wider than the upper table, and its inside
edge is bevilled, or otherwise so made that when fastened on to the plate
the two wing rails will with it form a dovetail or other recess to receive the
base of the point rail, and effectually hold it down when driven in between
them.
In the construction of the check rails for crossings, I make use of bars of the
various sections shown at m, m, m, in Figures 35, 37, and 40. These are
secured into the check rail chairs c, c, c, by means of wedges n, n, n. The
check rails may also be made of the sections shewn and described at Figures
47 and 48, and when the flanges of the wheels are made to run on the wing
rails of the crossing, I also make the flange of the opposite wheel to run
on the check rails for an equal distance, or on a packing piece between
it and the main rail.
My said improvements in parts of railways, consist, firstly, of the method
herein-before described of constructing switches for railways by fixing the main
rails with the slabs or bars for the support of the tongue rails on a wrought-
iron plate extending the whole length of the switch.
Secondly, of the method herein-before described of fixing the supports for
the tongue rails on or against the main rail itself when of a suitable form, as
herein-before: described.

page_text: Thirdly, of the method herein-before described of constructing the main rail
itself in such a manner as to form a suitable platform or support for the
tongue rail, as herein-before described.
:
Fourthly, of the method herein-before described of constructing switches for
railways by fixing the main rails on separate cast or wrought iron plates to
act as sleepers, such sleepers being also furnished with slabs or bars for sup-
porting the tongue rails, in manner herein-before described.
Fifthly, of the method hereiu-before described of fixing the chairs with, their
bars for the support of the tongue rails to the main rails of the section, shown
and described at Figures 20, 22, 23, 9, and 13.
Sixthly, of the methods of constructing the tongue rails of switches herein-
before described.
Seventhly, of the method described of constructing crossings for railways by
fixing the point and wing rails on a wrought-iron plate extending the whole
length of the crossing, and having junction chairs attached to it at the ends, as
herein-before described.
Eighthly, of the method herein-before described of fixing the wing and
point rails on separate cast or wrought iron sleepers in manner herein-before
described.
"
:
Ninthly, of the mode herein-before described of fixing chairs or saddles on
or against the wing rails to support the point rails, or by forming the wing
rails so as themselves to make a support for the point rail, or vice versâ, as
herein-before described.
Tenthly, of the mode herein-before described of forming the wing and point
rails and sole plate in one solid mass of wrought iron, in manner herein-before
described.
Eleventhly, the methods herein-before described of fixing the point rails by
wedging them in between the wing rails, fixed on cast or wrought iron plates
or sleepers, either extending the entire length of the crossing in one piece or
in separate pieces, whether the junction chairs are used or not.
Twelfthly, of the method herein-before described of cutting two point rails
out of one parallel bar.
And, lastly, the making or constructing wing and check rails of the several
forms and sections shewn in Figures 30, 35, 37, 40, 47, and 48.
In witness whereof, I, the said Perceval Moses Parsons, have hereunto
set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of Noveniber, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
P. M. PARSONS. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineteenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid Perceval Moses Parsons came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.