Improvements in Cliff Tramways, Railways, and Appliances for the same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cliff Tramways, Railways, and Appliances for
the same.
I, GEORGE CROYDON MARKS, of 18 Southampton Buildings London, W.C.
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of laying or forming the
track or railway for cliff railways or incline tramways having two cars working
thereon to move simultaneously in opposite directions up and down, the object of
the invention being to lessen the disturbance of the cliff as much as possible and to
reduce the amount of excavation required for forming the track road. Another
part of my invention relates to improvements in the cars and the brakes upon them
for use upon such incline balanced car railways.
In carrying my invention into effect when constructing an incline railway or
cliff tramway, I form the track with varying gradients instead of employing one
practically continuous gradient throughout; arranging the varying gradients in
such a manner that the ascending car has never a position upon its upward track
that the descending car by its momentum and position upon the other track is
unable to overcome.
In connection with the alteration of gradient I provide seats that may be used
by the passenger so as to prevent the change of position corresponding to the
altered angle at which the car travels along different parts of the route from causing
discomfort or inconvenience. I find reversible hinged back rail or garden seats
with a stepped platform car accomplishes this end in a most advantageous manner,
the seats being placed so that the passenger may sit facing either direction of motion
at pleasure; the stepping form of the seat foot plates or platforms ensures economy
in the head room required for the car.
I form my car with its stepped body made to attach to an underframe, this under-
frame carrying bearings for the wheel axles. I also mount upon the girders or
members of the underframe a tank for containing the water which is to be employed
as the overbalancing power to produce motion of the cars by excess of gravity
force in one car over the other.
To arrest and control the motion of the car I form rail brakes in such a manner
that hydraulic or air pressure may be employed to force down or force outwards a
ram or rams for giving pressure to the rail brake blocks or slippers. I make the
brake cylinder to be worked by independent supply pumps so as to minimize the
risk of leakage upon the brake rams, and I make my rams to work either vertically
or horizontally, one ram forcing outwards one or two brakes, or causing two brake
shoes to be drawn together upon or against the rails as may be desired.
Dated this 27th day of Max 1805
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant..

page_text: CUM LEIE DI DUIFICATION.
Improvements in Cliff Tramways, Railways, and Appliances for
the same.
I, GEORGE CROYDON MARKS, of 18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Consulting Engineer, 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 relates to improvements in the method of laying or forming the
track or railway for cliff railways or incline tramways having two cars working
thereon to move simultaneously in opposite directions up and down, the object of
the invention being to lessen the disturbance of the cliff as much as possible and
to reduce the amount of excavation required for forming the track road. Another
part of my invention relates to improvements in the cars and the brakes upon them
for use upon such incline balanced car railways.
In the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved line of track or road.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of my improved car and
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 4 is a part plan of the same showing pipes in outline.
Figure 5 is a part sectional part end elevation of my rail brakes.
In carrying my invention into effect when constructing an incline railway or
cliff tramway, I form the roadway or track A A B with varying gradients instead
of employing one practically continuous gradient throughout; arranging the
varying gradients in such a manner that the ascending car never occupies a position
upon its upward track A¹ that the descending car by its momentum and position
upon the other track A' is unable to overcome. The upper and lower grades A A¹
I make of about the same length and of the same angle, while the intermediate
grade B may be of any length and of any angle. When however other grades are
employed instead of one continuous intermediate grade B, I make the opposite
portions of the gradients such that the descending car is upon a gradient about equal
to that upon which the other car is ascending.
In connection with the alteration of gradient I provide seats that may be used
by the passenger so as to prevent the change of position corresponding to the
altered angle at which the car D travels along different parts of the route causing
discomfort or inconvenience. I find reversible hinged back rail or garden seats E
with a stepped platform car D accomplishes this end in a most advantageous
manner, the seats being placed so that the passenger may sit facing either direction
of motion at pleasure; the stepping form d d' d' of the seat foot plates or platforms
ensures economy in the head room required for the car when passing under bridges C
or under tunnels.
1 form my car D with its stepped underbody made to attach to an underframe E',
this underframe E' carrying bearings F, for the wheel axles G. I also mount upon
the girders or members of the underframe a tank H for containing the water which
is to be employed as the overbalancing power to produce motion of the cars by
excess of gravity force in one car over the other.
To arrest and control the motion of the car I form rail brakes KK in such a
manner that hydraulic or air pressure may be employed to force down or force
outwards a ram or rams LL' for giving pressure to the rail brake blocks or
slippers M. I make the brake cylinder to be worked by independent supply pumps
driven preferably from the car axles so as to minimize the risk of leakage upon
the brake rams, and I make my rams to work either vertically or horizontally, one
ram forcing outwards one or two brakes, or causing two brake shoes M to be drawn
together upon or against the rails as may be desired.

page_text: I employ a falling weight n accumulator block to work in a guide or frame N
and this weight produces the desired pressure in the hydraulic pressure pipes P
leading from the accumulator to the brake cylinder K.
I mount the windlass or brake controlling gear R for actuating the weight n
upon the drivers platform d³ and I employ chains or cords to convey the motion
from the windlass to the weight spindle.
I vary the method of constructing the car to suit the number of passengers that
are to be carried and I modify the arrangement of the grades upon the track to
suit the surface of the hill or cliff that is to be cut through or upon which the
track is to be formed. I am enabled to reduce the cost of constructing gravity or
hydraulic balance railways by my improvements in varying the extent and number
of grades employed as hereinbefore described instead of adopting one continuous
gradient throughout.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In gravity or the hydraulic balance arrangement of cliff railways, the use of
a track or road having varying gradients for the cars to travel over, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and as illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
2. In cliff railways the improvements in carriages or cars having a series of
rising platforms upon which reversible or garden seats are secured substantially as
herein before described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In cliff railway brakes the arrangement of independent pressure supply pump
for feeding the rail gripping ram cylinders substantially as and for the purposes.
hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated thio 26th dow of March 1806
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.