IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATED RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREWITH
Year: 1879

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATED RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREWITH." A communication from abroad by Cornelius
Donkersley, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
Engineer
Sealed the 11th July 1879, and dated the 10th May 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th May 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATED RAILWAYS, AND
IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREWITH." A communication from abroad by
Cornelius Donkersley, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, Engineer.
My Invention relates to that class of elevated railways in which the vehicles run
by central wheels upon a "single-rail" line or track. The objects of the said
Invention are to attain more rigidity and simplicity of construction of such
railways, reduce their rattling noise, increase traction by increasing adhesion
between the driving-wheel and rail, and provide for the lateral steadying of the
vehicles and for their safe support in case of accident through the breaking of a
rail or otherwise.
The said Invention consists in the construction and combination of the various
parts as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of my improved elevated "single-rail"
railway partly broken away.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1, and shows
the driving wheel and side-wheels in position as when in use.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the same on the line y, y, Figure 1, and shows
also a portion of the side bars for the stretcher.
Figure 4 is a plan of a portion of the line showing a single grooved rail joining
a rail with three grooves.
Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 2, 3, of the single-grooved rail.
Similar letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
The line or track is supported upon standards or posts A placed at suitable dis-
[Price 6d.1

page_text: tances apart and high enough above ground to prevent the blockading of a train by
snow. These standards A have a deep recess or opening at their upper ends to form
a central horizontal surface a for the support of the stretcher, and two side-posts a¹
for the support of bars, one on each side of the said stretcher.
B is the said stretcher and C, C, are the said side-bars. The stretcher B is made
of corrugated iron plate of a thickness and height proportioned to the requisite
strength; the side-posts a¹ are shorter in height than the stretcher by just the
proper thickness of the side-bars C, so that when the parts are placed in the position
shown in the Drawing, the plane of the upper surfaces of the bars C will coincide
with the plane of the upper edge of the corrugated iron-stretcher B, and the said
bars and stretcher together form a continuous support for the rail.
The stretcher B is secured to the side bars C (at the points where the corrugations
of the former come in contact with the inside edges of the latter) by rivets or bolts b
passed through the side bar C and stretcher-plate B simultaneously. The surface a
in the standard. A may be provided with a groove (as shewn at c in Figure 3)
to receive and retain the lower edge of the stretcher B if desired. By this con-
struction immense strength and rigidity is obtained to effectually resist the vertical
as well as lateral pressure; moreover, the strength may be furthermore increased if
required by attaching one or two side bars similar to the bars C along the lower
edge of the stretcher B. It has been practically demonstrated that a stretcher
thirty inches high made of only 5/16 inch iron plate and resting on standards A, 30
feet apart, will support the heaviest locomotive.
D is a continuous plank placed upon the stretcher throughout the whole length
of the road, and forming an unbroken bed for the rail to rest upon. The entire
upper surface of the plank D is covered with a non-conducting material, which thus
interposed between the rail and its bed throughout the entire length of the road,
forms excellent means for deadening the rattling noise of the railway, the plank
itself being also conducive to that effect.
E is the rail provided all along its surface with one or more continuous V-shaped
grooves e, and the driving wheel F has annular V-shaped webs f corresponding in
number, size, and position with the said grooves e so as to exactly fit the latter.
The edge of each web f is faced off or turned down flat, as shown, f', and the point
of the angle at the bottom of the corresponding groove e is cut away by forming a
square channel e¹ of the same width as the face f¹ of the corresponding web f, thus
leaving a space under each face f¹ sufficiently large to ensure that the weight of the
locomotive shall exert a wedging pressure upon the sides only of the webs and
grooves, and consequently produce a far greater adhesion between the wheel and the
rail than would be practicable with rails of ordinary construction; 1 thus greatly
increase the traction of the engine. Moreover, this construction affords controllable
means for varying the traction in proportion to the requirements of the grade by
simply varying the number of grooves in the rail, that is to say, by placing a single
grooved rail on a level part of the road, and continuing the line with a rail of
It will be seen
several grooves (as shown in Figure 4) where an up-grade occurs.
that by the shape in cross-section of the single-grooved rail shown in Figure 5 its
bearing surface comprises not only the sides of the central groove e, but also the
outer bevelled surfaces e². In order to steady the locomotive or carriage against
lateral movement, such as may be due to centrifugal force in passing a curve of the
line, I provide smooth faced conical side wheels G, one or more on each side of and
below the rail E; the said wheels are mounted on shafts or journals g in bearings H
attached directly or indirectly to the body or frame of the locomotive or vehicle.
I surround the shafts g with spiral springs h acting to hold the wheels G in position
to bring their conical surfaces in running contact with the bevelled surfaces of two
safety rails I, which I arrange continuously one on each side of the line or track, as
seen in the Drawing, and I secure them to the standards A, retaining them in
position at the proper distance apart by cross braces i.
If the vehicles are made to straddle the rail E, and have the seats for passengers
arranged on both sides along the safety rails I, as is sometimes the case, the bevelled

page_text: wheels G will be journalled in bearings attached directly to the frame or body of
the vehicle; but if the latter is arranged above the rail E as usual the said wheels
are journalled in vertical side braces (as in Figure 2) projecting downward from the
frame or body of the vehicle.
The wheels G are not intended to support any portion of the weight except to
prevent accident in consequence of a broken rail or otherwise, in which case the
safety-rails I receive the pressure, and the vehicles may be moved along on them by
the wheels G until the defective place is passed over. By reason of the bevelled
form of the side wheels G and safety rails I the springs h act to relieve the effect of
sudden pressure, whether vertical or lateral, and thus prevent injury by concussion
between the said wheels and rails, as any setting or wabbling " of the vehicles
only causes the side wheels G to travel higher up or lower down upon the inclined
faces of the safety rails I, more or less varying the tension of the springs h according
to the force exerted.
"
It is obvious that this Invention is well adapted also for use in towing canal
boats.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I do not claim broadly the forming of an annular flange upon a wheel working
in a groove upon the rail, nor the combination of side wheels and a central wheel,
nor do I claim broadly a continuous packing to inuffle the sound, but I claim,-
First. In an elevated railway the stretcher formed of corrugated metal plate, and
supported at intervals upon suitable bearing surfaces in combination with the
longitudinal side bars or braces secured to the said plate, substantially as specified.
Second. The standard having a recess or opening at its upper end to form the
central surface, and the side posts in combination with the corrugated stretcher and
the longitudinal side-braces, substantially as set forth.
Third. The continuous plank with or without a non conducting covering in com-
bination with the corrugated stretcher and the longitudinal side-braces to form a
bed for supporting the grooved rail upon the said stretcher and to reduce the noise,
substantially as specified.
Fourth. The rail provided with one or more V-grooves having bottom channels,
in combination with the driving wheel, having circumferential annular V-shaped
webs provided with flattened faces, as and for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. The single-grooved rail having the central bottom channelled V-groove
and bevelled outer edges, as described and shown in Figure 5, and for the purpose
set forth.
Sixth. A single-rail elevated railway formed by the combination of a rail having
a single groove with a rail having two or more grooves, constructed as shown, to
increase traction on an ascending grade, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The combination of the bevelled safety rails and the bevelled smooth
faced side-wheels, supported by bearings attached directly or indirectly to the body
or frame of the carriage or locomotive, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The relief spring in combination with the shaft g, wheel and bearing
G, H, and the bevelled safety rail, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)