Improvement relating to Means of Access to a Number of Surface, Elevated, or Underground Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement relating to Means of Access to a Number of Surface,
Elevated, or Underground Railways.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, lo hereby declare the nature of this invention, (which
has been communicated to me from abroad by Rowland Robinson Hazard, Gentleman, .
of 120 Broadway, in the City, County and State of New York, United States of
America,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide access to trains in any one of a number
of underground, surface, or elevated railways or railway tunnels or structures so
closely arranged in respect to each other as to leave sufficient space for platforms, or
means of entrance and exit between them.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, is a transverse section of a station of an underground railway structure,
showing my invention.
Fig. 2 is a modification thereof.
Hitherto in underground railways, the several tracks have been arranged on
approximate levels with landings or platforms at the side of the walks respectively, or
between them, and stairways leading to these platforms from the street above either
directly or through buildings. This arrangement of tunnels, and platforms between
them on the same level required lateral space for curves and turnouts to admit the
placing of said platforms. In some instances it may become desirable to confine the
tunnels within a narrow space, so as to preclude locating the platforms between
the tracks. Provision must then be made for access to trains in any one of the tunnels.
To this end the tracks at the station are arranged on different planes..
Referring to the drawings, in Figure are shown four tracks, the inner ones A, A,
being on a higher plane than the outer ones B, B. This location of the tracks inay
be brought about by a depression of the roadbeds of the side tracks at the station to
such a depth as to bring the top of the trains on the side tracks slightly above the
tracks of the inner tunnels, as shown. A platform C is placed over each side of the
tracks, adjacent to the inner tracks.
The thin walls of the tunnels are discontinued at the station, except that between
the inner ones, as indicated at F. At one side of the lower tracks B is located a plat-
form E, which is shown to be connected by a stairway D with the upper platform C, but
which may connect directly with the surface by a stairway, or other suitable means.
A stairway G leads from platform to the street or surface. In narrow streets
and localities where room is lacking, access can thus be had to express and way trains
by a double platform station, and limited lateral space utilized for a number of
tunnels.
In Fig. 2 is shown a modification, where the planes are reversed, the inner
tracks A, A, being below, and the outer ones B', B¹, above. In this instance the
road bed of the inner tracks is in a depression at the station, and the outer tracks are
nearly on a level with the upper platform. The upper platform C¹ is narrower than C,
and the lower platform E¹ is as wide, extending beneath the side tracks, and adjacent
to the inner ones. The support for the side track inay be an iron frame structure with
space beneath for access to the inner tracks, or it may be solid, with a masonry or
other arch formed therein under which the lower platform extends. The double
platform may be connected by a stairway D', as before, or directly with the surface.
The same principle is carried out here as in the arrangement in Fig. 1, the tracks
being on different planes, and accessible by means of a double platform.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In underground railway stations the combination of four adjacent tracks of which
the two outer ones are arranged in different vertical and horizontal planes from the
two inner ones, with platforms adjacent to each track, substantially as described.
2. An underground railway station having tracks on different planes, the outer
track being depressed below the inner, and a landing for the inner track extending
over the outer one, and a second landing adjacent to the latter, substantially as shown
and described.
3. In underground railways having tunnels arranged close together, a double
platform station, with tracks on different planes, the inner tracks having an adjacent
platform which extends over the outer tracks, substanțially as described.
Dated this 29th day of October 1889.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.