AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF ELEVATED RAILWAY
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
.
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
ELEVATED RAILWAY."-A communication from abroad by Richard
Price Morgan, junior, of Bloomington, in the State of Illinois,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th May 1875.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF ELEVATED RAILWAY," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to elevated railways to be used in the streets
of cities, towns, or villages, or elsewhere where it is deemed advisable

page_text: Tanway.
The Invention consists in the use (in the construction of such a rail-
way) of a novel system of arches supported on each side of the street on
suitable foundations, and a novel system of trusses connecting said
. arches, and combined therewith to produce a structure of sufficient
strength and rigidity to support the ties and rails in such manner as to
prevent their vertical or lateral displacement.
Standing across the street or way and supported on foundations on
either side thereof are arches of iron or other material, and within cach
of these is an elliptical, semicircular, or other arch connecting the more
elevated arch near its base, and having such elevation as will give it
a suitable rise from the surface of the street, so that it will offer no
obstruction to carts, carriages, or other conveyances. This latter arch
forms the seat upon which longitudinal trusses rest, and aided by
various connections with the outer arch is the base of the railway
superstructure.
A sufficient space is left between the two arches for the passage
of the cars, and it is proposed to use dummy engines for the motivo
power, although other and different power may be employed for that
purpose. Running longitudinally along the line of the road under the
middle of the outer arch is a truss frame, the bottom of which rests
upon the inner arch, and by this means the series of arches are con-
nected together. This truss frame also serves to support transverse ties
upon which the rails are laid. Other and similar trusses carry the ends
of the ties upon which the rails are laid. Tension rods connect the two
arches vertically at the centre, and also holding the ends of the central
truss. The arches are stiffened by horizontal and vertical tension rods.
These archics being set up and adjusted at proper intervals on the street,
and connected together by means of the longitudinal trusses aforesaid,
offer no obstruction to the ordinary street traffic or travel, and present
a light, airy, and ornamental appearance.
The pressure upon the inner and outer arches is vertical, and by the
combination is directed in the line of the greatest strength of the
material used, and the arches act as mutual supports to each other.
Access can be had to the cars from the buildings along the line of

page_text: route by means of platforms placed at convenient intervals, supported
by additional trusses, or stairways may be erected from the side walk
on the structure itself.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs. and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton', my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should 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 King.
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF ELEVATED RAILWAY,"
being a communication to me from abroad by Richard Price Morgan,
junior, of Bloomington, in the State of Illinois, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :—
This Invention relates to elevated railways to be used in the streets
of cities, towns, or villages, or elsewhere where it is deemed advisable
to construct an elevated instead of either a surface or underground
railway.
The Invention consists in the use (in the construction of such a
railway) of a novel system of arches supported on each side of the street
on suitable foundations, and a novel system of trusses connecting said
arches, and combined therewith to produce a structure of sufficient
strength and rigidity to support the ties and rails in such manner as to
prevent their vertical or lateral displacement.
In the accompanying Drawing which forms part of this Specification
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a railway constructed according to this
Invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; and Fig. 3 is a
plan of the same.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
several Figures.
A, A, represent the external arc or arch constructed of iron or other
material in two pieces, which are of sufficient length to start or spring
from their respective seats or shoes P on either side of the street and
meet at the point X over the centre of the street; B is the interior arc
or arch firmly fastened to the arcs A. at or near their base on each side
of the street, and extending across the same in an elliptical, semi-
circular, or other curve, as may be required to give it a suitable rise
from the surface of the street, so that it will offer no obstruction to carts,
carriages, or other conveyances. This latter arch or arc forms the seat
upon which longitudinal trusses rest, and aided by various con-
nections, as shown, with the outer arch. A is the base of the railway
superstructure.
'
A sufficient space is left between the two arcs or arches for the cars
to run without any obstruction or hindrance whatever, and it is
proposed to use dummy engines for the motive power, although
other and different power may be employed for that purpose. C is
a vertical truss frame running longitudinally along the line of the
road under the middle of the arch A, A, and resting on the arches B

page_text: and connecting the same together. This truss frame C forms also
a support for the cross ties I upon which the rails K are laid; D, D,
are trusses of similar construction to C, supporting the ends of the
ties I upon which the rails are laid; H are tension rods connecting
the two arches A and B vertically at the centre, and also holding the
ends of the truss C; and O, O, O, are other tension rods which unite
the arcs A at the top, and A and B at the sides. These arcs or arches
being set up and adjusted at proper intervals on the street, and con-
nected together by means of the trusses aforesaid, offer no obstruction
to the ordinary street traffic or travel, and present a light, airy, and
ornamental appearance.
The structure being made preferably of wrought iron is of great
strength and not liable to get out of repair, and its uniformity in all its
parts is such that any part can be easily supplemented without impeding
the travel thereupon.
The pressure, as will be seen, upon the arches A, B, is vertical, and
by the combination is directed in the line of the greatest strength
of the material used, and the arches act as mutual supports to each
other.
Access can be had to the carriages from the buildings N along the
line of the route by means of the platforms M placed at convenient
intervals, supported by the trusses D and an additional truss E at such
platforms, or stairways may be crected from the side walks on the
structure itself.
P, P, represent the shoes upon which the arch A rests, and are
embedded in masonry at or near the curbstone on opposite sides of the
street Q represents the street, and R, R, the side walks.
Each of the arches may be constructed of angle iron, or such other
form as may be deemed most advisable. Between the vertical tension
rods O and the point of intersection of the two arches A and B, other
tension rods G are used to impart additional strength to the whole
structure. Stay rods leading from the arcs A, A, on each side
extending to the trusses C and D arc applied in sufficient number
to prevent lateral vibration, and also to overcome any flexile action
of the arcs.
It has not been considered necessary in this Specification to describe
any details of the mode of uniting or connecting the different members

page_text: of the structure, as these are matters not involved in the Invention,
but which will depend on the judgment of the constructing engineer.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved
Construction of Elevated Railway," as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, 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,―
First. The elevated railway constructed and arranged in the manner
and for the purpose herein described.
Second. The arches A and B so connected as to act as mutual
supports, and in sustaining the structure of and trains working on
a street railway, in the manner and for the purpose herein described.
Third. The combination of the arcs or arches A and B with the
truss frames C and D, in the manner and for the purpose herein
described.
Fourth. The connection of the arcs or arches A and B of an elevated
street railway by means of truss frames, in the manner and for the
purpose herein described.
Fifth. The combination of the arcs or arches A and B with the
tension rods, as herein described, so as to resist the vertical and lateral
pressure upon the whole structure, and by a conflict and consequent
resolution of forces to direct the same into the line of the greatest
strength of the material employed, thus enabling a light and economical
structure to be used, and interfering in the smallest possible degree
with the space, light, and ventilation of the streets occupied and the
buildings thereon.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five