IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Bishop, of Hackney, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS;" ·
Sealed the 22nd April 1879. and dated the 24th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Bishop at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1878.
<<
RICHARD BISHOP, of Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS."
This Invention relates to improvements in tramways, and consists in placing
(and fastening in the manner hereinafter described) two rails in one chair, one
forming a tread rail and the other a guard rail. The rails may be of the same
section or not, and reversible or not, as desired. The two rails, when in position,
abut against the opposite sides of the chair, and are secured in their place by wedges
("folding" or otherwise) being driven between them. The wedges may be driven
either horizontally, vertically, or at an angle, and may be composed of any suitable
material. The Invention is susceptible of various modifications, many of which I
shall show in my Final Specification.
The main advantage of my Invention is the immense facility afforded for re-
moving either one or both of the rails by simply driving out the wedges, which can
be effected without interfering with or breaking up the roadway.

page_text: SPECIFICATION-in-pursuance-of-the-conditions-of-the-Letters-Patent
and of
Can Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Richard Bishop in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th May 1879.
RICHARD BISHOP, of Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS."
This Invention relates to improvements in tramways, and consists-in-placing-and-
fastening in the manner hereinafter described two rails in one chair, one forming a
tread rail and the other a guard rail..
The rails may be of the same section or not, and reversible or not, as desired. The
two rails, when in position, abut against the opposite sides of the chair, and are secured
in their place by wedges ("folding" or otherwise) being driven between them. The
wedges may be driven either horizontally or vertically, and may be composed of any
suitable material. The Invention is susceptible of various modifications.
The main advantage of my Invention is the immense facility afforded for
removing either one or both of the rails by simply driving out the wedges, which
can be effected without interfering with or breaking up the roadway.
In carrying out my Invention I form combinations of tread and guard rails of
particular sections, and combine and secure them in chairs of particular form, held
to sleepers in such a manner that the parts forming the tramway only, and not the
roadway need be disturbed as a rule when it is necessary to do so for purposes of
repairs.
My Invention will be clearly understood on reference to the annexed Drawings,
in which Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents a chair and a portion of a tramway in
section. A is the tread rail; and B the guard rail; C, the chair; D, a packing
piece; E, the sleeper; F, one of the holding down screws; G, the holding down
lugs on the chair foot; and H, H', the wedges or keys. The tread rail is of the
double head type, and reversible and rests on what I term the cross bar M of the
chair.
The chair has a projection I upon it, which takes into the recess shown in the
tread rail, and which prevents the rail rising after it is keyed in its place. The
guard rail is formed at one side with a similar recess, though not so deep, into which
a projection K on the chair takes, and which acts in a similar manner to I, pre-
venting the said guard rail rising when keyed home in position.
The two keys, or wedges H. and H', require to be well supported, and to effect
this the key H rests on a lump L, cast on the chair, through its whole length
for that purpose, while H' takes into and fills the recess in the side of the tread
rail.
In laying the " way "the two rails are first put in their places in the chairs,
the wedge K¹ is next introduced, and then the wedge H is put in and driven
upon the other when the two rails become tightly secured.
The chair is formed with vertical parallel, or nearly vertical parallel, sides, and
the holding down lugs G are formed in a line with the longitudinal axis of the
tramway. The form of chair and position of the holding down lugs G is of great
importance, as when the rails are moved it enables the holding down screws F to
be got at, so that they may be tightened up or withdrawn, the form of the chair
then allowing it to be lifted entirely out if desired. The chair rests preferably (as
shown) on a packing piece or pieces D, though it may be bolted direct to the
sleeper E if preferred. This packing piece D is of great importance, as it enables
the rail level at all times to be adjusted. To show its utility, suppose the level of
the rails to have sunk, it is only necessary to remove the rails, withdraw the
screws F, and take out the packing piece D, which can then be replaced by a piece
slightly thicker, so as to bring the rails up to the desired level. Should the road
have slightly sunk on either side of the rails, or have become worn away, and it be
felt advisable to. or the rails to save the inconvenience and expense of breaking

page_text: up the public roadway it is only necessary to introduce a thinner packing piece
under the chair to attain the desired result. The said packing may take the form
of two wedges if desired, one laying on the other with slotted holes in each to clear
the holding down bolts F.
The sleepers may be laid longitudinally, and tied together in any well known
way, or they may be arranged transversely, they may be of wood, as shown in
Figure 1, or of iron, or of wood and iron combined, an example of the latter being
shown in Figure 18, Sheet 2, and Figure 19, Sheet 4. There is an advantage in
using wood for the sleepers, as the case with which screws may be introduced into
it enables at any time a chair to be put where desired without lifting the sleeper or
disturbing the roadway. If the sleepers are preferred to be of iron or steel they
may be, for example, of FTI or I section, and would be firmly bedded on a
concrete or equivalent solid foundation.
As stated in my Provisional Specification my Invention is susceptible of various
modifications, several examples of which I show in my Drawings, and as I have
described Figure 1 in detail it is unnecessary so to describe the other Figures on
the same Sheet, as they are modifications of that Figure as clearly shown, similar
letters of reference indicating similar parts in all of them. In reference to the said
Figures it will suffice to say that in Figure 2 the double headed rail A. represents an
ordinary railway rail after it has become worn down and is too weak for railway
traffic, but placed in a chair in company with a guard rail, as shown, it makes an
efficient train way rail. In Figure 3 the tread rail is reversible, and of channel
section, and rests on the cross bar M of the chair, in Figures 4 and 5; the tread
rail is also of a reversible section in Figures 6, 7, and 8, the guard and tread rails
are interchangeable, Figures 9 and 10 show simple combinations; in Figure 10 the
tread rail rests on the fastening block as a cushion.
In Figure 6 the wedges are shown protected by a thin metallic slip a²; in
Figure 11 the tread rail is reversible, and partly secured by the lip of the guard -
rail, taking over its lower head, and so preventing its rising, the guard itself not
being able to lift by a recess in it taking over the projection K as in many of the
previous Figures. In Figure 12 the rails are held secure by a parallel block
piece N driven down between the rails, each end of the lower face of said block
being bevilled off to facilitate its being removed when desired by a lifting tool,
such as a small lever or pinch bar. On Figure 16 both rails are of channel section
and reversible, and may rest on the projections I, K, or on packing pieces of
slightly yielding nature, say wood, as shown at P, or a similar packing may be
introduced between the upper head of the tread rail and I, if preferred.
Figure 13 vertically driven keys are shown between the rails, the space between
the rails being wider at the bottom than at the top for securing purposes; in
Figure 14 this last mentioned feature is reversed, and the keys are kept down by
the lips on the rails, as shown. In Figure 15, the keys are supported by the rails,
and the lump L on the chair.
In
In Figures 12, 13, 14, and 15 the guard rail may be of the same section as the
tread rail. In Figures 2 to 16 inclusive, as well as in many Figures in the other
Sheets of Drawings, the top portion only of the chair is shown, but the lower
portion is similar to that shown in Figure 1, the depth being as desired. In
Figure 17, Sheet 2, the tread rail is similar to that shown in the previous Figure,
a difference being in the guard rail, which is double headed. Both these rails are
reversible. In Figure 17a the two rails are of the same section, and are reversible
and interchangeable.
Figure 18 shows the chair as being carried on a narrow wooden sleeper E in its
turn supported by and bolted to a longitudinal iron plate Q, a side view of this
combination of wood and iron forming a sleeper is seen in Figure 19 on Sheet 4,
which clearly shows a chair C fastened to the sleeper E by the screws F, the sleeper
E being firmly attached to the iron sleeper plate by the bolts R. This com-
bination allows the sleeper E to be taken up without disturbing the roadway. In
Figure 20, Sheet 2, both rails are of similar section and rest on the top of the chair

page_text: A lip S is formed on each rail to carry a slip S' preferably of metal on which the
keys H, H, rest, and which slip serves to support a gravel or ballast "filling in "T
placed between the rails to the desired height. The rails may abut at their lower
portions or lap as in Figure 21 in which case-the-metal-slip S¹ may be omitted..
This provision for supporting-the-ballast. filling, in allows the omission of the
balast in the space between the lower edge of the rails and the top of the sleeper if
desired, though it would be preferable to thoroughly fill in with ballast all spaces
for the sake of solidity. These two last mentioned Figures show a neat and effective
manner of forming a tramway, the rails are simple in section and well supported.
They are prevented from lifting by the lips U, and the keys by the lips V. Figure
22 shows that the tread and guard rails may be in one piece in, say, steel, either of
the form shown in the full or in the dotted lines; they might be rolled flat, and then
bent into the form as shown, and when put in their places in the chairs would be
sprung out by keys similar to those in Figure 21, the lips U securing them in the
chair as in that Figure. Figure 23 shows two rails overlapping at their lower
portion; in other respects they are very similar to those in Figure 20.
In Figure 24 the two rails are secured by a wedge H², preferably metallic, driven
between two others by, say, a narrow faced hammer, the centre metallic wedge being
well supported by the lump L on the chair; in this example the " way" when laid
would have, practically speaking, a metallic bottom to the groove in which the
Blanche of the car wheel runs owing to the prominence given to the lips V, V, on
each rail.
In Figure 25 the two rails are secured by the central key H2, which locks all
parts between the jaws of the chair. Figures 26 and 27 will be understood from
the description of previous Figures, the fastenings H, H¹, and H2 being well pro-
tected by the ballast filling in T. The piece marked H² in Figure 27 may be cast
on and form part of the chair, then the securing keys H and H¹ would tighten
against it.
Figure 28 shows the rails as fastened by a bolt W secured in the chair by the
key X, which tightens the shoulders Y on said bolt against the upper part of the
cross bar M of the chair. Two blocks Z placed in position around the bolt when
the rails are put in the chair, are drawn down by the upper key a, and these blocks
pressing each on the lip S of one rail secure them in place. One or more bolts W
with blocks Z may be used as found necessary.
In Figure 29 the rails are held secure by a vertical screw b screwed into the cross
bar M of the chair, and its head resting upon and drawing down two blocks Z, Z,
which tighten the rails in their places. More than one screw may be used if found
necessary; c is a packing piece of wood or other slightly yielding material to give
elasticity to the fastening.
In Figure 30 the rails are held secure by two parallel blocks tightened against
the rails by two or more screwed taper trenails & screwed in from above by a
suitable tool. The trenails may be of metal if preferred.
In Figure 30 both rails rest on blocks as cushions which are forced apart by
screwed taper trenails, and compel the projections on the rails to take into the recess
in the chair and so hold them secure. The trenail may be made with a screwed
stem and the head plain, the stem taking into the cross bar M as seen in Figure
30b. In Figure 31 the bolt W is provided with a head e between which and the
rails independent keys are driven, thus securing the rails in the chair.
Figures 32 and 33 show the rails secured by a spring key, each leg of which is
formed with a projection f with angled faces, one of which when forced down springs
into a recess formed in each rail. To withdraw this fastening a tapped hole may
be provided in the crown g of the spring into which an eye bolt, Figure 34, may be
screwed, one end of a lever passed into the eye of said bolt with a fulcrum placed
upon the rails will withdraw the spring key when pressure is applied at the free
end of the lever, the angled faces on the projections f facilitating the compression
and withdrawal of the spring.
In Figure 35 a similar spring key is shown, but the projections f, f, on the legs

page_text: 5
of it are caused to enter the recesses in the rails by the key piece H which is driven
between them. To withdraw the spring the key piece H is driven out when the
spring itself will collapse and it may then be removed.
Figures 36 to 52 inclusive, on Sheet 3, show combinations and parts of such in
which the rails are secured by a metallic clip or claw, key or keys in conjunction
With the exception of
with a preferably wooden wedge key or block as shown.
Figures 51, 3, and 54, the portions of the chairs shown in this Sheet are all in
section. In Figure 36 the key g is provided with a claw h at the top, and another
claw at the bottom, the latter on a sort of leg seen clearly in Figure 37, the
former taking into a groove in the tread rail, and the latter being passed through
an opening in and taking under the cross bar M as shown, the wedge piece H
driven between the claw key g and the guard rail effectually tightening both rails
in the chair.
The filling in piece helps to support the tread rail, but it may be omitted.
The claw key g is made with a taper horizontally. This is seen clearly in Figure
37, which is a perspective view of it, the horizontal sectional view, Figure 38, also
showing the taper which is of course for tightening purposes.
In Figure 30 two claw wedges are used acted upon by a driving wedge between
them, and Figure 40 shows a double headed rail and a guard rail secured by a claw
wedge.
In Figures 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47, are shown different ways that the claw
wedge permits of for holding and securing rails in which the tread rail is of channel
or gutter section and reversible, in Figure 43 two tightening blocks are shown,
but one will suffice and would be introduced before the guard rail is put in
position.
If
In this Figure the block H is parallel, the other block being tapered and driven
between the block H' and the claw key g to effect the fastening of the rails.
the blocks H and H are made in taper form then the claw key g may be
parallel.
"
Figure 45 is a longitudinal section of Figure 44 with the guard rail removed.
It shows clearly how the leg i passes through and takes under the cross bar of the
chair. The claw wedge may be made with two legs 2', ', spanning the chair as it
were and taking under two lugs 1, 1, one at each side of the chair, as shown in Figure
40, and this would perhaps be the preferable arrangement; Figure 48 shows a
perspective view of such a wedge.
Figures 49, 50, and 51, show another combination with a claw wedge. In this
arrangement the tread rail A rests by the underside of its head on two lumps m, m,
which rise from the cross bar of the chair, the space between them allowing the
upper claw h to take into the groove in the web of the tread rail, while the leg i¹
passes through, and the claw i takes under the cross bar of, the chair as before, a
single key H tightening all.
In the plan view, Figure 51, the lumps m, m, are indicated by the dotted cross
lines, and Figure 52 shows a perspective view of the form of claw wedge used in
this combination.
Figure 53 shows in cross section the two rails as secured in a chair by means of
a key H in combination with and acting upon a metallic spring key, and Figure 54
shows a plan view of two rails, in which a similar spring. key is arranged with a
key H horizontally, the feet m¹, m', of it in this instance being placed at right
angles to the position of the same in the previous Figure. The key H and the spring
0 key may be as in Figures 54" and 54b.
and forms
Figure 55, Sheet 4, shows in cross section another of my improvements,
an effective yet simple way of laying a tramway. In this arrangement the two
rails are secured by independent keys. This is arrived at by the form of section
It will be seen that the
given to the rails in conjunction with the form of chair.
5 chair is formed with a central rib n with a T head. The tread rail A rests on this
Thead of the central rib, as clearly shown, and is provided at its lower edge with
a lip o. The key Hinserted between the underside of the T head of the central

page_text: rib and the lip o on the rails draws the rail down to its bearing on the T head, and
tightens it against the side of the chair in a very secure and effective manner. The
guard rail B is also provided with a lip o¹, and rests on the cross bar of the chair;
it-is-drawn-down-to-its-bearing-on-the-latter-by-the-key-Hin-a-similar-manner-to-
the tread-rail
In this arrangement the rails are of simple section, well supported in the chair,
and the fastening keys are protected by the T head of the central rib, as well as
by the gravel or ballast "filling in" between the rails, which also prevents the
possibility of the keys shifting from their places. P, P, are the "sets" of the road-
way, which abut close against the rails and chairs, as shown.
Figure 56 shows a side elevation of a piece of trainway on this system, in which
the rails A and B, chairs C, holding-down_bolts or screws F, packing pieces D, and
sleeper are clearly shown. The chair to the right in Figure 56 is shown as held
down by coach screws, while in that to the left the screws take into a metal nut let
into the underside of the sleeper. The screws F, as before stated, can be easily got
at when the rails are removed. The chair to the right is also shown with a
steadying stud p¹ on its underside let into the sleeper, but this is not absolutely
essential. Stays, shown in section at q, may pass through or be attached to the
sleepers under each line of rails of the track where desired to keep it in gauge. In
Figure 57 the chair is provided with lips r, on which strong shelf picces s may be
placed to support the ballast "filling in" T beween the rails if it were preferred to
leave the space between the lower edge of the rails and the top of the sleeper open.
In this Figure bolts pass through the sleeper, packing piece, and chair feet, and hold
the latter secure by means of the nuts, as shown. A stay g formed of a flat bar
with a lip t at each end taking into the base of the chair, as in Figure 58, may be
used, which Figure shows an end view of a chair used in this system; or the stay
may pass across the base of the chair, and hold it in gauge by a turned up lip t out-
side the chair, as in Figure 59, which is a plan view of the chair shown in Figure 58.
Figures 60, 61, and 62 are combinations similar to Figure 55, but slightly
modified in regard to the form of keys, as clearly shown. The guard rail in these
Figures may be formed with a head, as seen in dotted lines in Figure 60, and the
keys in Figure 62 may be as in dotted lines if desired.
In Figure 63 the central rib n of the chair is made without the T head, and
a reversible tread rail of S section is shown keyed in the chair in company with a
guard rail, the rails being secured by independent wedges, as in the Figures just
described.
By supporting the rails on slightly yielding cushions of, say wood, as at P, in
Figure 63, metal keys might be employed. Figures 63b and 63° also show double
headed reversible tread rails, which with their guard rails are secured by independent
keys bearing against a central rib n. In Figure 64 the rails are in each case held
secure and partly supported by a key H under the rail head. The said key taking
against the central piece n of the chair causes the projection U on each rail to lock
into the recess in the chair.
Figure 65 shows in eross section a combination in which the tread rail A rests
upon the central piece n, and the guard rail upon the cross bar of the chair, as in
Figure 55, with rails very similar in section, but in Figure 65 the rails are secured
in an effective and simple manner by one driving key H. To make this arrange-
ment plainly understood I have shown in Figure 66 a perspective view of the top
part of the chair used in this instance. In putting this combination together the
tread rail is put into the recess u, then the block piece v (seen in Figure 65) is put
into the cavity w by being passed down the opening x in the central piece n, and
caused to take into the groove in the web of the said rail, as seen in Figure 65.
The guard rail B is then put into position in the recess y, and lastly the key H
is driven in between the guard rail and the block v, and locks all securely together.
The key H is well protected and prevented from rising by the projections z.
In Figure 67, which is a cross section, two block pieces vare employed, put in
position through the openings a¹ at the time the chair is laid on its sleeper, and

page_text: previous to the rails being put in the chair. One central key H on being driven in
between the blocks vacts on both of them at the same time, causing one of them
to take into the groove in the tread, and the other into that of the guard
rail, and draw the said rails down to their bearings by means of the angled
faces b¹.
"
22
Figure 68, on Sheet 5, shows a plan view of a piece of tramway similar to that
seen in Figures 55 and 56, with the ballast "filling in" between the rails and all
complete, whilst Figure 69 is a plan view of one of the chairs and part of roadway,
and is given to show the chair exposed after the rails and ballast " filling in
are removed, and to show how easily they may be got at between the "sets
"pitching" forming the roadway. It is evident that it is only necessary to apply,
say, a box spanner to the heads of the screws F, when the latter may be tightened
or altogether removed for lifting out the chair, which will come up between the
pitching.
#
or
Figure 70 shows a cross section of a line of tramway laid similar to the
combinations as shown in Figures 55, 56, and 68, the tie bar being shown as
passing under the sleepers.
In Figure 71 is seen a plan of a piece of tramway laid according to the combination
shown in 65; the portion of tramway to the right in this Figure has the ballast
filling in between the rails, whilst in the left of the Figure the ballast is omitted;
Figure 72 showing one of the chairs exposed after the rails have been removed.
Figure 73 illustrates a plan of a crossing; it is formed with rails similar in section
to those seen in Figures 55, 56, and 68, and also in the plan view 74, which latter
represents an arrangement of rails and chairs at a point.
In the crossing, Figure 73, the ends of the rails are secured in four chairs
(though this number may vary as long as the parts where the rails meet are well
supported), the chairs being preferably united by being cast on one sole plate; this
I think desirable for the sake of rigidity. It is evident that as the ends of long
rails form this crossing, the tilting action and the destruction arising from it so
common in ordinary tramway crossings will be done away with. A side elevation
of the chair casting for the crossing is shown in Figure 75; c' is a strengthening
rib, and the extension d' shown on one of the chairs are to afford bearing surface
for the ends of the rails which rest upon it.
The stone or wood pitching or the macadam or asphalte of the roadway can fit
or abut close against the rails and chairs as in a piece of straight or curved way.
The chairs may be cast hollow below, as seen in Figure 76, which is a cross section
on the plan of the crossing at the point indicated.
In the plan of the point, Figure 74, five independent chairs are shown, but any or
all of them may be united by being cast on one sole plate as in the crossing if
preferred; also any desired number may be used and placed where thought
desirable. A feature in this case is, that the rails are so arranged that they abut at
all the joints, and the point rail A' is a simple casting preferably of steel, and would
consequently go into its place as readily as the other rails which run up to and
abut against it. Figure 77 is an elevation of the point rail A¹ on a smaller scale,
and the sections shown on it illustrate its form at those places respectively, and
which are indicated on the point rail in Figure 74 at the spots marked e, f, g, h,
and i, k.
Figure 78 is an end view of the point rail at its broad end, whilst Figure 79
shows a cross section taken through the chair and rails on the line A, B, of Figure 74.
The space between the tip of the point rail and the chair C to the right of
Figure 74 may be filled in with blocks, say, inetallic, or of wood if found necessary;
the dotted lines at that part showing two blocks a², a³, secured by metallic taper
screws or trenails screwed between them. These blocks are cut at their ends if
required to clear the heads or ends of the keys.
A cross section of a "filling in" of this nature is seen in Figure 80, in which two
metallic blocks a² and a³ are shown resting on a piece of metallic plating a, which
latter is carried in the groove formed in the rails, and is inserted from above after

page_text: the rails are in their places, or the space in question may be filled in by a block
piece a resting on the sleeper E as seen in Figure 81, and be secured by trenails as
shown or by other equivalent fastenings; or the block piece may be provided with
feet at each end through which screws may pass to hold it to the sleeper; or the
-feet-of-said-block-may-rest_on_the_lugs G. of the chairs, in which case the holding
down bolts F might do duty in holding it secure.
The angle of the point shown in Figure 74 is very small; if this were encased
the aforementioned block er blocks could be dispensed with.
Figures 82 and 83 show a simple method of connecting the tie bars to the
-sleepers-when-the-latter-are-laid-longitudinally. -In-Figure-82,-E-is-a-cross-section-
of the top portion of a sleeper, and q one end of a tie bar attached to it by the fang
hooks e¹ which take over the pin f1, the latter passing through the end of the tie
bar. In Figure 83 which shows a plan of the connection and a portion-of-the-top-
of a sleeper E, a notch g' is shown in the sleeper which runs vertically through it.
When the tie bar is in position each end is secured opposite to or partly in the top
of the notch in its respective sleeper as shown in Figure 82, the pin f¹ spanning
the notch as it were and supporting the tie bar upon it. When it is desired to lift
the sleeper, it is only necessary to loosen the fang hooks e¹ when the pin f¹ can be
withdrawn, the sleeper is then free to be lifted, the notch g' allowing it to clear
past the end of the tie bar as it rises. Figures 84 and 85 show a method of
connecting the tie bars and sleepers without requiring the notch g¹ in the latter as
in the previous arrangement. In this case the connection is made by the hook '.
To disconnect, the screw is withdrawn when the lip on the hook can be lifted
from its recess in the sleeper, and the hook itself brought into the dotted position
shown in Figure 85, it can then be withdrawn from the hole in the tie bar.
The connections just desscribed could be made to either wood or iron sleepers; if
iron, the pin f in the first described method would be held to the sleeper by screws
instead of fang hooks, and in the second method, the lip in the hook h¹ might be
dispensed with. These connections would allow the sleepers to be raised by
disturbing merely those blocks forming the roadway which abut against the rails
and chairs.
In all cases I use chairs as shown with the sides vertically parallel or nearly so,
so that they may be lifted out, and in all cases the space between the rails, and
preferably under them, also is filled up with, say, ballast nearly level with the top of
the rails, and which may be consolidated if necessary by being rammed in with a
suitable tool, leaving only a groove sufficient for the flanches of the car wheels to
run in. It is evident that it is only necessary to remove with a narrow raking sort
of tool some of the ballast over and against the securing keys of the rails when
they can be readily got at for being tightened up or loosened.
The advantages of my improvements consist in so forming a tramway that,-
1. The rails (compound) can be tightened when in their places after they are
laid.
2. The rails can be removed for being reversed, if reversible or for renewal.
3. The level of the rails can be adjusted to suit that of the roadway.
4. The chairs holding the rails can be tightened in their places or be taken up.
5. The whole of the above operations being performed without as a rule
disturbing any of the ordinary roadway, and the sleepers on which the chairs rest
can if desired be so constructed and laid, as to be capable of being raised and
removed also without interfering with the roadway, as seen in Figures 18 and 19.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improvements in
tramways,
First. The several combinations of parts as herein before described, and sub-
stantially as shown in the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. Forming the chairs of tramways with vertically parallel or nearly
vertically parallel sides, and with the holding down lugs or feet in line with the

page_text: Iongitudinal axis of the rails as described for the purposes set forth, and sub-
stantially as shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The method of securing rails forming a tramway as described, and
substantially as shown in Figures 36 to 52, both inclusive.
Fourthly. The method of securing rails forming a tramway as described, and
substantially as shown in Figures 29, 30, 30ª, and 30b.
Fifthly. The method of securing rails forming a tramway as described, and
substantially as shown in Figures 28 and 31.
Sixthly. The method of securing rails forming a tramway as described, and
substantially as shown in Figures 32, 33, and 35.
Seventhly. The method of securing rails forming a tramway as described, and
substantially as shown in Figures 53, 54, 54ª, and 54b.
Eighthly. The method of securing rails forming a tramway by the employment
of a central rib in the chair as described, and substantially as shown in Figures
55 to 67, both inclusive.
Ninthly. I claim the mode of attaching the tie bars to the sleepers to facilitate
the lifting of the sleepers as herein before described, and substantially as shown in
Figures 82 to 85.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Bishop, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy nine.