IMPROVEMENTS CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT WAY FOR TRAMWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: We WILLIAM NEWBY COLAM of 2 Victoria Mansions Victoria Street in the City
of Westminster Engineer and ROBERT EDWARD PHILLIPS of N° 46 Southampton
Buildings Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Engineer & Patent Agent.
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS
CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT WAY FOR TRAMWAYS; to be as follows :—
IN THE
The object of our invention is the construction of a permanent way for Tramways,
which shall combine the following essential advantages which we believe havo
never yet been attained in any one system at any rate not without sacrificing the
essential qualifications of simplicity and cheapness.
The advantages we claim are as follows:-the section of rail is an easy one to
roll and admits of the points and crossings being forged from the rails, the rail
although not heavier than those used in existing systems is so strong as to be self
supporting & therefore it does not require a continuous chair to carry it, the rails
do not require drilling or punching being laid down just as they are received from
the Mills. The rails are reversible so that two, three, or four wearing surfaces may
be obtained, the chairs carrying the rail can be fixed at any distance from one
another so as to pitch evenly with any kind of paving. The rails can be taken up
relaid, or tightened without disturbing the surface of the road, and lastly the width
of the slot can be regulated without altering the section of the rail.
Our systein is constructed on what is known as the "Twin rails" system that is
to say the rail itself is formed of two parts the groove in which the Hanges of the
wheels travel being formed between them.
The two parts of our rails may be symetrical both being tread rails, or one may
be a tread rail and the other a guard rail (in both these cases the top halves of the
rails are similar to the bottom halves so that they may be reversed) or again both
may be symetrical the top half of one rail being a bearing rail and the bottom half
a guard rail, and the other rail vice versa. The section of our rail is a peculiar
one, each part of the twin rail may best be described as half of a double "bulb-
headed" rail divided vertically, with a bellied back instead of a flat one. The
rails are laid in chairs made with recessed sides to take the bellied backs of the rails
the longitudinal channels in the rails being face to face. In the channel formed
by, and between the rails, strips of timber are laid each slightly longer than the

page_text: distance apart of the chairs-These strips serve two purposes they form the bottom
of the groove between the rails and they serve to lock the rails in position in the
following manner;-
The wooden strips are halved together, the junction of each pair being in the
centre of a chair, between the two halved faces of the strips an iron wedge is
driven, this forces the strips apart and locks the rails firmly in the chair, the bellied
backs preventing their rising, we make the strips of wood as much narrower in
width than the width of the channel formed by the twin rails, as the rails
themselves are bellied at their backs-the object of this is that the rails may be
clamped together with the wooden strips between them, and then dropped into the
chairs the wedges forcing the strips of wood, and consequently the rails, apart until
they are firmly fixed in the chairs, we serrate one or both faces of the wedges so as
to prevent their working loose or we provide a locking device to attain the same
end. The simplest form of our locking device consists of forming a small hole
running vertically down from the top face of the wedge through about one third
its depth, and then running into its vertical face by an easy curve. After the
wedge is firmly driven home a spike of good Swedish iron is driven into this hole-
the curve directing its motion at right angles to the direction at which it is being
driven and so into the wooden strip. Another device we propose to use and one
that has the advantage of being easily withdrawn in case it should be necessary to
withdraw or tighten the wedge is constructed as follows;-From the top of the
wedge we make a square hole running down vertically until it meets a similar
hole running horizontally between the vertical sides of the wedge about two thirds
down. In this vertical hole after the wedge has been driven home we drop one or
two L shaped spikes these are driven home by a drift which forces the horizontal
fangs into the wooden strips we then drop a small wooden plug into the hole to
prevent the L shaped spike or spikes from working out; we sometimes make
a square recess in one side of the wedge which serves the same purpose as the
square hole when only one L shaped spike is used. Instead of bellying the backs
of the rails we sometimes form longitudinal strips on their backs which fit into
corresponding recesses in the chairs, and serve the same purpose.

page_text: We WILLIAM NEWBY COLAM, of 2 Victoria Mansions Victoria Street in the City
of Westminster Engineer, & ROBERT EDWARD PHILLIPS of No 46. Southampton
Buildings Chancery Lane, both in the County of Middlesex Engineer & Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT WAY FOR TRAMWAYS " and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The object of our invention is the construction of a permanent way for Tramways
which shall combine the following essential advantages, which we believe have
never yet been attained in any one system, at any rate not without sacrificing the.
essential qualifications of simplicity & cheapness.
The advantages we claim are as follows;-The section of rail is an easy one to
roll & admits of the points & crossings being forged from the rails. The rail
although not heavier than those used in existing systems is so strong as to be self-
supporting & therefore it does not require a continuous chair to carry it. The rails
do not require drilling or punching being laid down just as they are received from
the mills. The rails are reversable so that two, three or four wearing surfaces may
be obtained. The chairs carrying the rail can be fixed at any distance from one
another, so as to pitch evenly with any kind of paving. The rails can be taken
up, relaid or tightened without disturbing the surface of the road & lastly the
width of the slot can be regulated without altering the section of the rail.
Our system is constructed on what is known as the "twin rail" system, that is
to say the rail itself is formed of two parts, the groove in which the flanges of the
wheels travel being formed between them. The two parts of our rail may be
symetrical, both being tread rails, or one may be a tread rail & the other a guard
rail, (in both these cases the top halves of the rails are similar to the bottom halves,
so that they may be raversed ;) or again, both may be symetrical, the top half of
one rail being a bearing rail & the bottom half a guard rail & the other rail vice-
versa. In order that our invention may be fully understood we have annexed
hereto two sheets of drawings illustrating our invention & have marked each part
with a letter of reference, similar parts being being denoted by like letters of
reference, on Sheet No, 1, Fig. 1. is a cross section of our rail through one of the
chairs, Fig 2 is a side clevation & Fig 3 a plan of the rail & chair, & Fig 4 is
a sectional plan through centre of rail showing the joints of the strips of wood
laid in the channel formed by the rail & the wedge fixing the rails in the chair.
On Sheet No, 2, Fig. 1. shows the construction of our rail with a guard & tread
rail respectively. Fig, 2, shows the same with a reversible guard & tread rail.
Fig, 3, is a cross section showing one locking device to prevent the wedge working
loose & Fig 4 is a side elevation of the wedge; Fig 5 is a cross section showing an
alternative locking device & Fig 6 is a side elevation of the wedge with the
locking piece in position.
68
Throughout the figures A & A' are the twin parts forming the rail; B is the
chair; C, C, the strips of wood; D, the wedge. The section of our rail is a peculiar
one, each part A & A', of the twin rail may best be described as half of a double
bulb headed" rail divided vertically, with a bellied side instead of a flat one.
The rails are laid in chairs B made with recessed sides to take the bellied sides of
the rails. The longitudinal channels in each part of the rail being face to face.
In the channel formed by & between them, strips of timber C, C, are laid, each

page_text: end.
slightly longer than the distance apart of the chairs. These strips C, C, serve two
purposes they form the bottom of the groove between the two parts of the rails &
they serve to lock the rails in position in the following manner. The wooden
strips C, C, are halved together, the junction of each pair being in the centre of
a clair; between the two halved faces of the strips an iron wedge D is driven,
this forces the strips apart & locks the rails firmly in the chair, the bellied backs
preventing their rising. We make the strips of wood C, C, as much narrower in
width than the width of the channel formed by the twin rails, as the rails
themselves are bellied at their backs, the object of this is, that the rails may be
clamped together with the wooden strips between them & then dropped into the
chairs, the wedges forcing the strips of wood & consequently the rails apart, until
they are firmly fixed in the chairs. We serrate one or both faces of the wedges D
to prevent their working loose or we provide a locking device to attain the same
The simplest form of our locking device as shown by Figs 3 & 4 Sheet No. 2.
of the accompanying drawings consists of forming a small hole d running vertically
down from the top face of the wedge through about one third its depth & then
running into its vertical face by an easy curve after the wedge is firmly driven
home a spike of good swedish iron E, is driven into this hole the curve directing
its motion at right angles to the direction at which it is being driven & so into the
wooden strips C, C, Another device we propose to use & one that has the advantage
of allowing the wedge to be easily withdrawn in case it should be necessary to do
so, is shown by Fig 5 & 6. Sheet No. 2 of the accompanying drawings & is
constructed as follows;-on one side of the wedge D we make a small square
recess d. In this recess after the wedge has been driven home we drop an L shaped
spike E.
This spike is driven home by a drift which forces the horizontal fang
into the wooden strip, we then drop a small wooden plug e into the recess & to
prevent the spike E from working out. The wooden plug e fits loosely in the
recess d so that it may easily be lifted out when it is necessary to withdraw the
spike E in order to tighten the rails by driving in the wedge D.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said invention
& in what manner the same is to be performed. We declare that what we
claim is :-
First: The twin rail each part of which has a longitudinal groove on one side
& a bellied back on the other, substantially as described & shown.
Secondly The chair to receive the twin rail with recessed sides to receive the
bellied sides of the twin rail substantially as described & shown.
Thirdly The combination of the rail & chairs as herein before described &
shown.
Fourthly The strips of wood C as, and for the purpose described.
Fifthly The locking device to prevent the tightening wedge working loose
substantially as herein before described & shown.
Dated thin and done of Ontahan 1001
Dated this 2nd day of October 1901,
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers,
70, 71 & 72 Chancery Lane,
London, W.C,
Agent for the Applicants.