CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Berrie, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Dyer and Manufacturer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 17th July 1866, and dated the 30th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Berrie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th January
1866.
I, JOHN BERRIE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer and
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is designed for the purpose of extending the capacities of
railways without entailing an equivalent occupation and width of land, and is
especially applicable at termini in towns or other places where land is very
valuable, but the Invention may also be adapted to the whole length of line if
desirable,
The improvements consist in constructing railways with an upper and lower
permanent way, the lower one being on the ground as now employed, and
which will be best adapted for "goods trains" and such heavy traffic, the upper
or passenger lines being constructed above the lower lines, the permanent way
being supported on vertical pillars and transverse girders and suitable lateral
foundations. When the lines thus arranged are carried through from end to,
end each will have ita traffic; but when the principle is only applied, at termini'

page_text: both goods and passenger traffic is conducted on the lower main line as at
present, and access to the upper line for passenger trains at the termini is
obtained by means of a siding made on a gradual incline from the lower to
the upper line, so that passenger trains when at a short distance from the
terminus diverge on to the siding by which they gradually ascend, and are
transferred on to the upper line, and in starting they may either descend by
means of the same siding or by means of a "down" siding on the other side,
as the land may serve. The height of the passenger line above will not of
necessity be great, as engines with short funnels and smoke-consuming
appliances may be used as in under-ground railways. By this arrangement
in the construction of railways width of land is economised, and less space is
required in passing through towns, and the existing stations and company's
servants will be in most cases sufficient, and in its application the alteration
need not stop the current traffic, which with other important results and in the
use thereof will be found of great advantage, and will assist to meet the require-
ments of the largely increasing traffic on railways.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Berrie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BERRIE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer and Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Berrie, Her special license, that I, the said John Berrie,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as "I, the said
John Berrie, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Berrie, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly

page_text: 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 John Berrie, 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. by the following state-
ment and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
My Invention is designed for the purpose of extending the capacity of
railways without entailing an equivalent occupation and width of land, and is
especially applicable to termini in towns or other places where land is very
valuable, but the Invention may also be adapted to the whole length of lines
if desirable.
The improvements consist in constructing railways with an upper and lower
permanent way; the lower one being on the 'ground as now employed, and
which will be best adapted for "goods trains" and such heavy traffic, the
upper or passenger lines being constructed above the lower lines, the perma-
nant way being supported on vertical pillars and transverse girders, and
suitable lateral foundations; or other equivalent supports. When the lines
thus arranged are carried through from end to end each will have its own
traffic; but when the principle is only applied at termini both goods and
passenger traffic is conducted on the lower main line as at present, and access
to the upper line for passenger trains at the lower termini is obtained by means
of a siding made on a gradual incline from the lower to the upper line, so that
passenger trains when at a short distance from the terminus diverge on to the
siding by which they gradually ascend, and aro transferred on to the upper
line, and in starting they may either descend by means of the same siding or
by means of a "down" siding on the other side, as the land may serve. The
height of the passenger line above will not of necessity be great, as engines
with short funnels and smoke-consuming appliances may be used as in under-
ground railways.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale of
about one-eighth of an inch to the foot, similar letters of reference being
marked upon corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 represents in elevation a longitudinal view of the "permanent ways"
along which the trains are conducted to the lower and upper platforms of a
terminal station, the gradient or incline by which the trains ascend to the pas-
senger or upper platform being about one foot in thirty. Fig. 2 represents a plan

page_text: view of the same, shewing more particularly the connection between the lower.
and upper lines, also the divergence the upper line makes in order to pass
clear of the lower line. In Figs. 1 and 2 a, a, represents the lower perma-
nent way, and b, b, the gradient or incline which connects the lower a, a, with
the upper permanent way or platform c of the terminal station; the lower one
being on the ground is best adapted for goods trains and such heavy traffic,
the gradient b, b, and upper platform c being employed for passenger traffic ;
the passenger train when at a short distance from the terminus d diverge on
to the siding by which they gradually ascend, and are transferred on to the
upper, line b, b, from whence they run on to the upper platform c of the ter-
minal-station.
minal station. By this arrangement in the construction of railways width of
land is economized, and less space is required in passing through towns, and
the existing stations and company's servants will be in most cases sufficient;
and in its application the alteration need not stop the current traffic, which
with other important results in the use thereof will be found of great advan-
tage, and will assist to meet the requirements of the largely increasing traffic
on railways.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I claim the novel construction and formation of railways or
portions thereof for the purpose of economizing space and for other advan-
tageous purposes, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Berrie, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
זחח.