IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS AND IN CARRIAGES FOR TRAMWAYS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Allarton Edge, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS AND
IN CARRIAGES FOR TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 17th May 1878, and dated the 30th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Allarton Edge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th November 1877.
CHARLES ALLARTON EDGE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Architect.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS AND IN CARRIAGES FOR TRAMWAYS."
My Invention consists,-
First. Of the improvements. herein-after described, in tramways, by which
improvements certain inconveniencess attendant on tramways of the ordinary con-
struction are remedied.
And, Secondly. Of the improvements. herein-after described, in carriages to be
used on tramways constructed according to the first part of my Invention, part of
which improvements in carriages may also be applied to carriages used on tramways
of the ordinary construction.
In constructing tramways according to my Invention, I make the rails of the
tramway of a figure in cross section somewhat resembling that of the letter U
inverted. This rail is supported upon foundation chairs by its vertical sides resting
ou shoulders formed on the summits of the foundation chairs and secured thereto,
as herein-after explained. The foundation chairs have broad bases which are
supported on an inverted arch of brickwork or concrete, the said inverted arch
being set in a foundation of concrete. The upper surface of the rail on which the
wheel of the tramway carriage travels is perforated with a series of equidistant
oval or circular tubes.
The rails are fixed in the following way:-The vertical sides of the rail are
provided with narrow internal flanges at bottom, on which flanges iron plates rest
at short distances, screw bolts with square heads pass downwards through holes in
D

page_text: these plates and in the foundation chairs, and take into concave screws made in
tramsverse iron bais fixed in the inverted arch of brickwork or concrete
By means of a key fitting the head of the screw bolts described, they can be
screwed into the tramsverse on bars. The heads of the bolts bear upon the plate:
resting on the flanges in the rails, and these plates bind down the rails firmly to
the foundation chairs.
I prefer to make the roadway on each side of the rail incline downward, so that
rain may run towards the rail and pass through the holes in it into the inverted
arch supporting the rail. The said inverted arch is connected at convenient
distances with the ordinary sewer, so that the rain falling into it is carried off by
the ordinary channel.
In making tramway carriages according to my Invention, 1 dispense with the
flanges ordinarily employed, and in place thereof I fix on the peripheries of the
wheels a series of teeth having the figure of inverted pyramids with an oval base
These teeth are of a size and fixed at such a distance apait as fits them to take into
the oblong holes in the rails Hence, when the carriage is propelled on the rails,
the teeth not only give it a firm hold on the rail, but by entering the holes in the
rails clear the said holes of anything which may have accumulated therein, and the
inconvenience attending the clogging of tramway rails of the ordinarily construction
is entuely obviated
In order to fit the carriages to travel with greater safety on curved portions of
the tramway. I connect the ends of one of the axles of the carriage with the ends
of another of the axles by means of connecting rods underneath the carriage. Each
of the said axles is capable of swivelling on a centre Connecting rods are con-
nected to the ends of the axles by swivelling joints These connecting rods cross
each other. so that a connecting rod connected at one end and at one side of the
carriage with one of the axles is connected at its other end and on the opposite
side of the carriage with the other axle By this method of connecting the axles
the simultaneous inclining to one another of the axles is effected as the cuiage
passes on to a curve, and the wear of the rails and the risk of the carriage leaving
The rails at curved parts of the tramway are wholly or in large part avoided.
The last-described part of my Invention is applicable to carriages for ordinary
tramways.
1

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Allarton Edge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
May 1878.
CHARLES ALLARTON EDGE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Architect.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS AND IN CARRIAGES FOR TRAMWAYS."
My Invention consists,―
First. Of the improvements, herein-after described, in tramways, by which
improvements certain inconveniences attendant on tramways of the ordinary con-
struction are remedied.
And. Secondly. Of the improvements, herein-after described, in carriages to be
used on tramways constructed according to the first part of my Invention
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in cross section a rail and
the foundation chair on which it is supported, constructed according to my Inven-
tion: and Figure 2 represents in plan a portion of the rail, Figure 1.
The rail, marked a, has in cross section à figure somewhat resembling the letter U
inverted. This rail is supported upon foundation chairs by the vertical sides of
the said rail resting on the flanges of the said foundation chairs. and connected
thereto in the manner herein-after explained. The foundation chairs b, which are
fixed at distances of about three feet apart, have broad bases which are supported
on an inverted arch or trench formed of brickwork or concrete, as herein-after
explained The upper face of the rail a, on which the wheel of the tramway
These holes
carriage travels, is perforated with a series of equidistant holes c, c
are either circular or oval, according as the teeth on the tramway carriage wheel
(which teeth engage in the holes) are circular or oval in cross section.
The rails are fixed in the following way:-The vertical sides of the rail are
furnished at bottom with internal flanges a³, a", on which flanges plates of iron d
rest at short listances apart. Screw bolts e, with square heads f. pass downwards
through holes in the plates d and in the foundation chairs b. the said screw bolts c
taking into concave screws made in the foundation chairs at b.
of
By means of a key fitting the heads f of the screw bolts e, they can be readily
screwed into or withdrawn from the foundation chairs The cylindrical parts
the heads of the screws bear upon the plates d. and bind down the rails firmly to
the foundation chairs. The kind of rail represented in Figure 1 has the form which
I prefer to give it when it is made of cast iron.
Figure 3 represents in cross section the figure which I prefer to give to the rail
when it is made of wrought iron. In this case I fix. by rivetting or otherwise,
cross bolts g. extending from one of the vertical sides of the rail to the other. The
plates rest upon the cross bolts g. the said plates d being held down by the screw
bolts in the manner before described with reference to Figure 1.
Figures 4 and 5 represent in cross section other modifications of rails with
continuous cast-iron hollow foundation sleepers in lieu of the chairs at intervals,
and the brick trench.herein-before described. The rail in the modification Figure4,
may either be made of cast or wrought iron, and the rail in the modification.
Figure 5. of wrought iron. In Figures 4 and 5 the rail is marked a, and the
foundation sleeper b. In these modifications the rail is held down on the
shoulders of the sleeper by means of the screws e, taking into screwed holes in
the cross plates d. These cross plates d take their bearing upwards against the
shoulders h. h, in the interior of the foundation sleeper b.
Figure 6 represents in cross section a modification of my Invention, in which
the rail and the foundation sleeper are made in one piece by the process of casting
or rolling.
Figure represents in cross section a street or road provided with tramways
constructed according to my Invention. By an examination of the said Figure 7,

page_text: it will be seen that the foundation chairs bare supported upon inverted arches i of
brick and concrete.
I prefer to make the roadway on each side of the tramway incline from the
outsile towards the middle of the road, so that rain may run towards the rails and
pass through the holes in the rails into the inverted arches i, 1, on which the
foundation chairs are supported. The said inverted arches i, i, are connected at
convenient distances by means of the pipes or channels k, k, with the ordinary
sewer, by which the rain passing into the inverted arches i, i. is carried off.
In Figure 7 I have represented two kinds of tramways, constructed according to
my Invention, the one consisting of a pair of iron rails 7. 7, and the other of one
iron rail m, situated midway between two plain iron, wood, or other rails n, n.
Figure 8 represents in plan the tramway with two iron rails 7, 1, and Figure 9
represents in plan the tramway, having one middle iron rail m and wooden or other
rails n, n, on either side of it
Figures 8, 9, and 10 illustrate the arrangements which I adopt for points and for
turnouts for the tramway carriages.
In Figure 10 the carriage on arriving at the points can he guided at the will of
the driver either on the direct line or on to the diverging line. As the holes in
the rails (in which holes the teeth of the tramway carriage wheels enter) are in
the divided rail opposite to each other, and as the two rails pass into one another,
the holes gradually approach each other, then coalesce to form nearly oval holes.
which gradually shorten in their longest diameter, and finally pass into circular
holes By this arrangement of the holes at the points the carriage is free either
to continue on the principal, rail or to be turned on to the diverging rail.
In Figures 8 and 9 the points are made self-acting, that is. the tramway carriage
is directed by the holes in the 1ails so that it passes from the principal line to the
branch or divergent line automatically.
By an examination of Figures 8 and 9 it will be seen that the principal rails
7.7. m, before they divide are provided with double sets of holes, that is, holes the
distance between two of which is equal to half the distance between two of the
teeth of the tramway carriage wheels. These double sets of holes it will be seen
separate as the rail is divided into two single rows of holes, by the action of which
the tramway carriage may either be turned to the right or left. This will be
understood by an examination of Figure 9, in which Figure let it be supposed that
the carriage, advancing in the direction of the arrow is so situated on the rail m
that two of the teeth of its wheel are engaged in the holes p. q. The following
teeth of the wheels as the carriage advances will engage in the holes r, s, t, and the
carriage will be deflected to the left of the main line; but if the carriage were so
situated on the line that two of the teeth of its wheels were engaged in the
holes .. then as the carriage advances the following teeth of the wheels would
engage in the holes e, r. and the carriage would be deflected on to the rails at the
right of the main line
The arrangement of holes represented in Figure 10 may be combined with the
arrangement of boles represented in Figures 8 and 9
Figure 11 represents in elevation a portion of a wheel of a tramway carriage
provided with teeth y. y. for engaging in the holes e, e, in the rails. These teeth
.. may either be circular or elliptical in cross section, the holes c. c, in the rails
having a corresponding Figure
Figure 12 represents in section a portion of the tyre of a tramway carriage wheel,
in which the tyre and teeth are made by the process of casting
Figure 13 represents in section a portion of the tyre of a tramway carnage wheel
made of wrought non In this wheel the tooth y is made separate from the tyre,
and is connected thereto by a shank passing through a hole in the tyre, and being
fixed in its place by a screw 2 and screw nut 3, as represented.
Figure 14 represents in elevation and section a wheel for a tramway carriage
constructed according to my Invention As will be seen by an examination of the
Drawing. I dispense with the flanges ordinarily employed on the wheels of tramway

page_text: carriages and the corresponding grooves in the rails, the guiding of the wheels being
effected by the teeth y, y, taking into the holes c, c, in the rails. These teeth not
only give the wheels a firm hold upon the rails, but they clear the said holes c, ¤,
of anything which may have accumulated in them, and the inconvenience attending
the clogging of the grooves of the tramway rails of the ordinary construction is
avoided.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention;
First. Constructing and fixing the rails of tramways, substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The method of constructing the wheels of tramway carriages, herein-
before described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Allarton Edge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
HENRY SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
CHARLES ALLARTON EDGE. (L.S.)