SINGLE RAIL AND PIONEER RAILWAY."
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Kyte Collett at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 7th November 1879.
JOHN KYTE COLLETT, of Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan.
SINGLE RAIL AND PIONEER RAILWAY."
"
AN IMPROVED
One of the objects of my Invention is the formation of a cheap and simple method
of railway communication in countries where, from the limited amount of the
population and other causes, the expense of an ordinary railway would be too great;
another is the establishing of some means of railway communication in time of war
when rapidity of construction, especially with local materials is the great desideratum ;
and, finally, my Invention will provide a railway suitable for any country, cheaper
in construction and giving more comfort to passengers than an ordinary railway, it
being comparatively free from noise and entirely free from dust and violent lateral
jerks.
These ends I propose to accomplish by erecting tripods of timber, iron, or any
suitable material, or combination of materials, at intervals of, say, from 20 to
35 feet from centre to centre, according to the lengths and strength of timber
or other material obtainable for the horizontal beams. I propose to fix pro-
jecting pieces of wood or other material to two of the legs of these tripods, and
upon them I propose to lay and secure a horizontal beam, the projecting pieces of
wood being also supported by iron hanging bars from the apex of the tripods. Upon
this beam I propose to lay an iron rail of any suitable form, say a rail similar to
what is now used extensively in colliery tram lines, this rail to be spiked or other-
wise secured to the horizontal beam; or I might dispense with the horizontal beam
and use the rail alone making it of sufficient strength and of suitable form. Upon
this rail I propose to run the carriages or vehicles upon single wheels, using two
wheels braced together for the locomotive or driving engine, and uniting the wheels
by driving bars as may be advisable. Suspended from these wheels by a cranked
hanger passing round one side of the beam, will be hung the carriages or vehicles of
every description required; any required number of these vehicles may be coupled
together to constitute a train something after the usual appearance, except that they
will be hanging from above. The motive power for working such a train I propose
to obtain in several ways. In one way the train might be drawn along by an engine
attached to the front end, such engine to be driven by steam or other power. In
another way 1 propose to propel the whole train by the foot or manual power of some
or all of the occupants of the carriages; or I might employ the traction of horses
or elephants or other means of propulsion. These latter arrangements will be

page_text: applicable more particularly to the transport of soldiers with light guns and military
stores.
In order that my Invention may be more fully understood I have hereunto
annexed three Sheets of Drawing.
Sheet I. representing a general view of a railway embodying my Invention, as it
would be constructed for passing through an open country as an ordinary passenger
or goods train. It will be observed that the carriages are narrow and will
accommodate say, only two persons on each seat, and this I deem preferable as likely
to prevent any great oscillation, but broader or narrower carriages might be used as
experience may direct.
In Sheet II. Plate 1 represents a railway embodying my Invention, the train
being propelled by manual labour and conveying soldiers and guns. It will be seen
that I use here two wheels braced together for driving wheels, and single wheels for
the cars carrying guns and other material, the driving wheels are here propelled by
cranks worked by the feet and arms of the occupants, but any suitable driving gear
may be used; Plate
represents my railway passing through a defile; in this case
in lieu of using my tripod, I support the rail by means of horizontal beams let into
the rock or banks.
Sheet III. shows details of construction; Figure 1 showing carriage suspended
from my tripod support; Figure 2, my mode of suspending the rail between trees
in passing through a forest; and Figure 3, my mode of suspension upon abutments
when crossing very deep rivers or gorges, but this arrangement will only be required
in exceptional cases, as my tripods may be readily made of various heights, mostly
from material found upon the spot and are easily planted even in streams of
considerable depth.
In constructing this railway through any country little or no earth-works would
be required, as the rail could be borne at a regular level throughout, or in gently
rising and falling gradients by simply cutting the legs of the tripods and so adjusting
their heights, and that of the rail.
I propose by this Invention to avoid the expense and time lost in constructing
bridges, by placing the tripods on either side of small water-courses, and in the
case of large rivers by planting the said tripods in the bed of the river as may be
required.
I may erect my improved railway by the side of rivers or canals, so that boats or
long trains of barges may be towed along by a suspended locomotive engine, and I
may also place an additional rail upon my supports for the purpose of carrying
bycycles which will be propelled in the ordinary manner; but travel at a much
increased speed with less fatigue to the rider than over an ordinary roadway.