Improvements in the Construction of Tramway Rails.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Tramway Rails.
I, JAMES JOHNSTON, of 14, Fennel Street, Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object certain improvements in the construction of
tramway rails, and in order that my invention may be the better understood I
append a sheet of drawings herewith which may be described as follows:-
Figure 1 is a cross section through tram rail, guard rail and fish plate.
Figure 2 is an alternative section of tram rail and guard rail.
Figure 3 is a plan of the rails as laid to form the tramway.
Figure is a side elevation of the tram rail and guard rail.
In carrying out my invention I make use of rolled steel, or iron, rails of
special section (as shewn and marked A in Figure 1) these form the tramrails upon
which run the wheels of the tramcars. To the inner side of these rails and
running along their whole length, I attach rolled steel or iron, guardrails of the
section as shewn and marked B in Figure 1, thus forming the groove D to
receive the flanges of the tramcar wheels. These guardrails are equal in length
to the tramrails, but are arranged so that their joints occur at a distance of
about one third the length of the tramrails, from the joints of the latter, and
to which tramrails they are firmly secured by bolts and nuts at convenient dis-
tances.
I cover the joints of the tramrails on the outer sides with an ordinary fish-
plate (marked C in Figure 1) which I secure by means of bolts which pass through
the guardrail, tramrail and fishplate, and bind the whole firmly together. I also
cover the joints of the guardrails with a fishplate (marked E in Figure 4) bolt-
ing the whole together in the same manner.
This principle of construction besides simplifying the method of forming the
groove for the wheel flanges of the tramcars, also secures more perfect contact
between the tramrails, and therefore for purposes of electrical traction renders
the rails better conductors of the electric current than has heretofore been found
practicable.
In carrying out the construction of tramways, I may by preference make use
of tramrails and guardrails of the section as shewn in Figure 2, or of any other
suitable section that I may deem advisable according to circumstances.
101
1000

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Tramway Rails.
I, JAMES JOHNSTON, of 14, Fennel Street, Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Civil 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 has for its object certain improvements in the construction of
tramway rails.
In order that my invention may be better understood I refer to a sheet of
drawings left with the Provisional Specification, which may be described as
follows;-
-
Figure 1 is, a cross section through tram rail, guard rail and fish plate.
Figure 2 is an alternative section of tram rail and guard rail
Figure 3 is a plan of the rails as laid to form the tramway.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the tram rail and guard rail.
In carrying out my invention I make use of rolled steel, or iron, rails of special
section, as shewn and marked A in Figure 1. These form the tram rails upon
which run the wheels of the tram cars. To the inner side of these rails, and
running along their whole length, I attach rolled steel, or iron, guard rails of
the section as shewn and marked B in Figure 1, thus forming the groove 1) to
receive the flanges of the tram car wheels. These guard rails are equal in
length to the tram rails but are arranged so that their joints occur at a distance
of about one third (or other suitable proportion) the length of the tram rails
from the joint of the latter, and to which tram rails they are firmly fixed by bolts
and nuts at convenient distances: Two holes, at least, in each tram rail, and
guard rail being truly bored, and turned bolts fitted in so as to bond the rails
in an efficient manner. I cover the joints of the tram rails on the outer side
with an ordinary fish plate, marked C in Figure 1, which I secure by means
of bolts and nuts which pass through the guard rail, tram rail, and fish plate,
and bind the whole firmly together.
I also cover the joints of the guard rails with a fish plate, marked E on Figure 4,
bolting the whole together in the same manner.
This principle of construction, besides simplifying the methods of forming the
groove for the wheel flanges of the tram cars also secures more perfect contact
between the tram rails, and therefore for purposes of electrical traction renders
the rails better conductors of the electric current than has heretofore been found
attainable.
In carrying out the construction of tramways, I may by preference make use of
tram rails and guard rails of the section as shewn in Figure 2, or of any other
suitable section I may deem advisable according to circumstances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
-
1st. Simplifying the methods of forming the groove in the tram rail, for the
wheel flanges of tram cars.
2nd. The more perfect and continuous electrical contact between the tram rails.
Deted the 14th day of Tuly 1900
JAMES JOHNSTON.