A NEW AND IMPROVED SYSTEM OF PERMANENT WAY
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Kaulbach, of 21, Gower Street, Bedford
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "A NEW AND IMPROVED SYSTEM OF PERMANENT WAY."
Scaled the 23rd June 1874, and dated the 26th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Kaulbachi
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th December 1878.
I, EDWARD KAULBACH, of 21, Gower Street, Bedford Square, in the
3 County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW AND IMPROVED SYSTEM OF PERMANENT WAY," to be as
follows:-
Instead of levelling the ground over which the railroad is to pass I
avoid all ordinary and costly earthwork of that nature, and consequent
loss of time, by resting my permanent way upon piles throughout its
entire length, two rows of piles to every single line of rails, as seen in
Figs. I. and II.

page_text: -
Any kind of piles may be used, but those which I recommend and
adopt in preference are Mitchell's screw piles. These may be of solid
wrought iron, of hollow cast iron, or of wood; if of wood they should bo
fitted with an iron shoc and screw. Theso piles necessarily vary in
length, according to the nature and undulations of the soil, and each
one is crowned with a cast-iron cap C, C, C, Fig. V., which has a flange
corresponding with the flange of the pile, to which it is secured by bolts.
Moreover each cap is surmounted with two lips 2, 1, Figs. I., II., III.,
and 1, Figs. IV. and V., that receive and secure tho timber or rolled
iron beams B, B, B, Figs. I., II., V., upon which the rails rest longitu-
dinally.
By referring to Figs. I. and II., which show a lateral view of the line
or permanent way, with a section of the beams B, B, and the superposed
rails R, R, it will be seen that the piles are braced together by a
wrought-iron bar b, and were the line a doublo one thero would be an :
additional bracing between the two lines, but as this bracing, which is to
. give strength and rigidity, varies according to the conditions of soil and
height to which the structure has to be carried it must be left to the
judgment of the engineer under whose guidance the work is being
executed.
In laying out curves the piles must be planted at an inward angle
proportional to the radius of the curve and the regulation speed of the
train at that particular spot; it would not do to keep the piles perpen-.
dicular, merely raising the outside rail of the curve, as is usually done.
When the beam is of wood, as in Fig. I., the rails may be fixed in the 2
customary way, with the exception that tho fish plates must be sunk in
the wood sufficiently to allow the entire rail to bear upon the beam.
When it is of rolled iron, as in Fig. II., I use a rail of my own with two
lips forming a deep groove, into which the beam fits, the two being
bolted together at distances of three feet, the rail acting as a flange to a
strengthen tho beam.
The shape of the rail and the method of fixing it are shewn in Figs.
III. and IV. The rails should be of steel.
It will also be seen by referring to Fig. V. that the arrangement of:
the rails upon the beams is such that the joining of two beams always g
falls in the middle of a rail, so that throughout the structure each part.
is devised to give strength to the other, while the whole is reduced to

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Kaulbach in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
KAULBACH, of 21, Gower Street, Bedford Square, in the County of t
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, 1
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Kaulbach, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward. Kaulbach, my executors, adminis-'
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Kaulbach,
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
"A NEW AND IMPROVED SYSTEM OF PERMANENT WAY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Kaulbach, my executors or 2
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 2
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Kaulbach, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
Instead of levelling the ground I rest my permanent way upon piles
throughout its entire length, two rows of-piles to every single line of
rails, see Figs. I. and II.
Any kind of piles may be used, but those which I recommend and
adopt are Mitchell's screw piles. These may be of solid wrought iron, of
hollow cast iron, or of wood; if of wood they are fitted with an iron

page_text: ~
shoe and screw. These piles necessarily vary in length, according to
the nature and undulations of the soil, and each one is crowned with a.
cast-iron cap 0, 0, 0, Fig. V., with a flange corresponding with the.
flange of the pile, to which it is attached by bolts. Moreover each.cap.
has two lips 1, 2, Figs. I., II., III., and Z, Figs. IV. and V., that receive
and secure the timber or rolled iron beams B, B, B, Fig. V., upon which
the rails rest longitudinally. .
The piles are braced together by a wrought-iron bar b, Figs. I.,
II., and were the line a double one, and four rows of piles used instead
of three, as in Fig. II., where the centre cap has two arms, there would
be an additional bracing between the two centre rails; but as, this
bracing varies according to the conditions of soil and height to which
the structure has to be carried, it must be left to the judgment of the
engineer, under whose guidance the work is being.executed...
:
In laying out curves the piles must be placed at an inward angle
proportional to the radius of the curve and the regulation speed of the
train at that particular spot. When the beam is of wood the rails may
be fixed in the customary way, with the exception that the fish plates
must be sunk in the wood sufficiently to allow the entire rail to rest
upon the beam. When it is of rolled iron, as in Fig. II., I use a rail of
my own with two lips forming a deep groove, into which the beam fits,
the two being bolted together at given distances, the rail serving to.
strengthen the beam.
The shape of the rail and the method of fixing it are shown in Figs.
3 III. and IV.
It will also be seen, Fig. V., that the arrangement of the rails upon
the beams is such that their junction always falls in the middle of a
beam, so that throughout the structure each part is devised to give
strength to the other. Where the height of the level becomes great I
widen the base in proportion, giving the piles an inward inclination.
Although I have said that where the beam is of wood the ordinary
rail may be used I prefer adopting a rail of my own,.Fig. VI., as being
less costly, and more easily and rapidly fixed.
Moreover though piles form a prominent feature of my system I do
not exclude myself from the occasional use of natural objects, such as
trees or rooks, neither do I discard altogether masonry where it is

page_text: necessary, but in all cases I employ the cap, so that my method remains
essentially identical throughout. Where trees are utilised they are
fitted with an iron ring with a flange corresponding with the flange of
the cap.