Im- PROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR TRAMWAYS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Andrew Lumsden Murray, of Brompton,
in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 14th August 1868, and dated the 20th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Andrew
Lumsden Murray at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 20th February 1868..
I, THOMAS ANDREW LUMSDEN MURRAY, of Brompton, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR TRAMWAYS," to be as followe:-
The object of my Invention is to construct rails for tramways in such
manner that horses will not slip thereon, and so that there shall be no
interference with the regular traffic..

page_text: My Invention consists in corrugating or roughing the rails, the
corrugations being either transverse or otherwise. I form the cor-
rugations preferably in a portion of the rail which forms a guard between
the groove of the rail and the pavement between the rails, the portion
of the rail outside the groove being smooth for the wheels to run upon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Andrew Lumsden Murray in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ANDREW LUMSDEN MURRAY, of Brompton, in the County of Middlesex,
Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Andrew Lumsden Murray, Her
special licence that I, the said Thomas Andrew Lumsden Murray, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Andrew Lumsden Murray, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thercafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR TRAMWAYS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Andrew
Lumsden Murray, 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 Thomas Andrew Lumsden Murray,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to construct rails for tramways in such
manner that horses will not slip thereon, and so that there shall be no
interference with the regular traffic or obstruction to the wheels of the
ordinary carriages.
My Invention consists in corrugating or roughing the rails, the
corrugations being either transverse or otherwise. I form the cor-
rugations preferably in a portion of the rail which forms a guard between
the groove of the rail and the paving between the rails, the portion of
the rail outside the groove being smooth for the wheels to run upon, but
if desired the portion of the rail outside the groove may be corrugated or
roughened instead of or in addition to the guard..
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view, and
Figure 2 a side elevation of a portion of a rail constructed according to
my Invention; Figure 3 shows in perspective a portion of a road or way
laid with my improved rails.
A is the wooden sleeper, and B is the rail, the width of which is, say,
4 inches more or less. The rail is formed with a groove C to receive the
flange of the wheels of the tramway carriage. D is the portion of the rail
on which the wheels bear, and E is a portion forming a guard to prevent
the wheels coming against and damaging the paving stones F forming
the ordinary road or way. The portion or guard E is corrugated or
roughened, as shown, to prevent horses slipping on the rail; the portion D
may be corrugated or roughened for the same purpose in addition to or
instead of the guard E; G, represents a joint plate, say, 8 inches long
more or less. I find it desirable to place one of these plates under the
rails at their joints to prevent the ends of the rails becoming embedded
in the wooden sleepers. The upper surfaces of these plates G must
correspond in form to the under surface of the rails, and their under side
must fit the sleepers.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not claim
as my Invention the construction of grooved rails for tramways; but
what I claim is, the construction of grooved rails for tramways with their
surface or part thereof corrugated or roughened, substantially as and for

page_text: the purpose herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings..
In witness whereof, I; the said Thomas Andrew Lumsden Murray,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of
August One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.