IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT RAILWAYS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Barraclough Fell and George Noble Fell,
of Sparke Bridge, Ulverstone, in the County of Lancaster, Civil
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
LIGHT RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 26th August 1873, and dated the 19th March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Barraclough Fell
and George Noble Fell at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th March 1873.
We, JOHN BARRACLOUGH FELL, and GEORGE NOBLE FELL, of Sparke
Bridge, Ulverstone, in the County of Lancaster, Civil Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to improvements in the construction of light
railways of any gauge, but generally of gauges of two feet and upwards.
These improvements are also adapted for railways on which the centre
rail system is intended to be used.

page_text: The object of our Invention is to effect economy in the construction
of light railways, by dispensing wholly or partially with cuttings,
embankments, and masonry, the railway being erected on a wooden or
iron structure or supports formed of frames which are constructed and
completed in the workshops, and only require to be fixed in their places
on the ground, such frames consisting of two upright or inclined pillars
or posts connected together by suitable cross ties strengthened by
external lateral struts and diagonal struts fixed between the upright
pillars, which latter rest upon a sill or sleeper placed upon or sunk under
the surface of the ground. For centre rail lines a third or central
post may be used, and this third post may also be introduced, especially
for wide gauges, when the centre rail is not employed.
This combination of posts, cross ties, struts, and sleepers, forms a
portable frame and support for the railway, on which two longitudinal
beams or girders are laid, and firmly secured by means of wooden blocks
or iron chairs to the upper cross ties of the support, and they may be
made continuous by overlap joints and fish plates. The beams may
also be further strengthened by longitudinal struts resting on cross ties,
and against the upright or inclined posts vertically, over or by the side
of which the beams are placed.
When portions of the railway are on the surface, or laid in cuttings,
or in embankments, if such should be used, the permanent way in
connection with that laid on the timber structure may be of the usual
form of carrying rails and cross sleepers, or the rails may be laid on
longitudinal timbers connected by cross ties, or the longitudinal timbers
may
be laid on cross sleepers placed at suitable distances apart.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Barraclough Fell and George Noble Fell,
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN 3
BARRACLOUGH FELL, and GEORGE NOBLE FELL, of Sparke Bridge, near
Ulverstone, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Barraclough Fell and George Noble
Fell, Her special licence that we, the said John Barraclough Fell,
and George Noble Fell, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John Barraclough Fell and George Noble
Fell, our 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT RAILWAYS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said John Barraclough Fell and George
Noble Fell, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Barraclough Fell and George
Noble Fell, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and the
accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
Our Invention relates to improvements in the construction of light
railways of any gauge, but generally of gauges of two feet and upwards,
and they are also adapted for railways on which the centre rail system
is used.
The object of our Invention is economy in the construction, working,
and maintenance of railways by dispensing wholly or partly with earth
works, masonry, and ballast, and by using as a substitute for them a
structure of wood or iron consisting of supports formed of two upright
or inclined pillars or posts, connected together by suitable cross ties
strengthened in some cases by external lateral struts and by diagonal
braces fixed between the upright pillars, which latter rest upon a sill
or sleeper placed on or sunk under the surface in the ground. For
centre rail lines and for the broader guages a third or central post may
be used.

page_text: This combination of iron or wooden pillars or posts, cross ties, struts,
and sleepers forms a portable frame and support for the railway on
which two longitudinal girders or bearers are laid, and firmly secured by
means of wooden blocks, iron brackets, or by bolts passing vertically
through the bearers and the upper cross ties of the supports; the beams
may also be made continuous by fish plates and overlap joints. Longi-
tudinal struts may also be used, one end resting on the under cross ties
of the supports and against the posts, the other end being fixed under
the beams and abutting on to a middle bridge piece. The rails may be
of the vignoles or bridge form, and fastened on to the beams with coach
screws or dog nails.
These forms of structure may be used in combination with the
ordinary description of permanent way laid on the surface of the ground
on embankments, or in cuttings where it is convenient to use such on
any portions of the line.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are side and end elevations and plan of a timber
structure for a 4 feet eight and a half inches gauge railway which may
be used with or without the centre rail. a are the two side posts or
pillars of the supports; b, the central post; c, the upper cross ties;
d, the under cross ties; e, the diagonal braces; f, the sleeper; g, the
longitudinal struts; i, the beams; j, the carrying rails laid on the beams;
k, the fish plates; ?, the longitudinal on which the centre rail is fixed;
and m, the centre rail.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of another form of support in which a,
are the posts; b, the external lateral struts; c, the diagonal braces; d, the
upper cross ties; e, the under cross ties; f, the sleeper; g, the beams;
h, the iron brackets bolted to the beam and upper cross ties; i, the fish
plates; and j, the carrying rails.
Figures 5 and 6 are a side and end elevation of a form of structure in
which the longitudinal and lateral struts are dispensed with; a, are the
posts; b, the upper cross ties; c, the diagonal braces; d, the sleeper;
e, the beams; f, the iron brackets; 9, the fish plates; and h the rails.
These different forms of structure may be varied in their details; the
beams may be made continuous by overlapped joints instead of fish plates,
or both may be used; the posts may be placed inside instead of under-
neath the beams; the latter resting on projecting ends of the upper
cross ties, and being bolted to the sides of the posts; and corbels may

page_text: be fixed under the ends of the beams in this and any of the other forms
of structure; iron instead of wooden beams can also be used. These
beams, may be separate from the rails, or the beams and rails may be
rolled in one piece, the rail being of the girder form.
Figures 7 and 8 represent a structure the supports and beams of which
are iron, resting on wooden sleepers; a are the pillars of the supports,
which may be of wrought or cast iron and placed in a vertical or inclined
position; b, are the cross ties; c, the diagonal braces; d, the sleeper; e, the
beams; and the carrying rails, which are fastened to the beams with
bolts or clips. As above stated, the beam and rail may be made in one
piece, for which a deep vignoles rail would be a suitable form, and in
either case longitudinal struts may be used.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention, and
the mode of carrying it into effect, and claim as our Invention of
improvements in the construction of light railways, the several modes
of constructing portable frames or supports, and combining the same
with the superstructures to form railways as herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barraclough Fell, on my
own behalf and on behalf of the said George Noble Fell, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three..