AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF RAIL AND TRAM WAYS AND CONTROLLING OR DIRECTING THE ROLLING STOCK THEREON
Year: 1871

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LETTERS PATENT to Edward Foulger,, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF RAIL
AND TRAM WAYS AND CONTROLLING OR DIRECTING THE ROLLING STOCK
THEREON."
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Sealed the 14th July 1871, and dated the 19th January 1871.;.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Foulger at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th January 1871.
I, EDWARD FOULGER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " AN IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF RAIL AND TRAM WAYS AND CONTROLLING OR DIRECTING THE ROLLING
STOCK THEREON," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
This Invention of an. improved system for rail and tram ways is so
arranged that a carriage or trains of carriages travelling thereon may be
turned off from main on to branch lines, and vice versâ, without, the aid of.
local pointsmen, the direction of the carriage or train being- entirely
controlled by a person or persons travelling therewith...
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page_text: Rail or tram ways according to this Invention are constructed with
fixed or movable points or a combination thereof. The carriages or train
moving thereon are caused to move the main line and turn on to branch
lines or pass from a branch on to a main line by means of a guide wheel
or roller, or guiding wheels or rollers, mounted below the carriages on
the ends of jointed arms or on vertical or oblique shafts actuated by a
screw or lever motion or their mechanical equivalents in such a manner
that the guide wheel may be elevated or depressed from the engine or
other carriage to which it is attached. The guide wheel may be mounted
on (say) the outer end of an arm or beam which projects beyond and
within the line of the leading wheels, and the inner end of which is
jointed to the body of the carriage in such a way that the outer end
carrying the wheel may be raised or lowered by a screw or lever motion
on the carriage to which it is fitted. A guide wheel is fitted to each side
of the carriage, arranged. to project beyond and within the running
wheels, or when applied to the last carriage of a train then in rear of the
last pair of wheels. These guide wheels or rollers are mounted loosely
on their axes or keyed on to their axle, which then works loosely in their
bearings on the end of the beam or its mechanical equivalent. The
guide wheels may be vertical, horizontal, or oblique, according to
circumstances, as will be hereafter explained.
In applying this system of guide wheels to (say) the "Improved Rail
and Tram Ways" for which the applicant obtained Provisional Protection
dated the 19th December 1870, and numbered 3316, at the junctions or
rigid crossing points, there is fixed between and at a little elevation above
the ordinary rail a supplementary rail (or rails) of the required curve, so
that the guide wheel previously let down coming into contact therewith
it is constrained to follow its course, thus directing the carriage with
precision.
This arrangement may be modified by placing a curved bar on the
under side of the carriage, and by using a number of horizontal anti-
'friction wheels mounted on fixed axles, so as to give the required
contour or curve for directing the carriage through the crossing points.
When movable points are used the movement thereof may be effected by
the guide wheels as follows:-When the guide wheel is placed hori-
zontally or obliquely by the. use of a. metal bar, one end of which is
curved in a horizontal direction and jointed to a fixed vertical axis, and
the other end working in a slot or a hole in the tie rods of the points or

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by the rod being slotted, into which slot takes a vertical stud on the
tie rod, by which arrangement the horizontal guide wheel. coming into
contact with the said rod it is thrown to one side, carrying the points with
it. When it is desired to close the points after after the train or carriage
has passed over the junction, this can be done by letting down the guide
wheel on the opposite side of the last carriage, which, coming in contact
with a curved lever having its fulcrum in front and connected to the
tie rod of the switches by a stud or slot at any convenient portion of its
length, which has the effect of returning the switches to their normal
position.
The same end may be accomplished by a vertical guide wheel by the
use of a wedge motion on the end of a lever jointed at one end to a fixed
point, and at the other carrying a vertical wedge piece acting on an
antifriction roller mounted in an eye or on one side of the tie rod. One
of these levers is used on each side of the road, so that upon one being
depressed and and the other elevated the switches or points are carried to
one side, and when the reverse lever is elevated and the other depressed
the switches are removed to the other side, which can be readily done
by dropping one of the leading wheels in front and the opposite guide
wheel at the back, thus removing the points to allow the carriages to
move in the required direction, and then returning them to their former
position after the train has passed over them.
In some cases where gutter rails are used the leading guide wheel
coming into contact with the ordinary rail at the curves before the
leading wheels of the carriage, it will be found sufficient to give the lead
so as to direct the carriage through the crossings on to the junction line.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of, the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Foulger in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
FOULGER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty--
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give;

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and grant unto me, the said Edward Foulger, Her special licencé that I,
the said Edward. Foulger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I; the said Edward Foulger, 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 "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF RAIL AND
TRAM WAYS AND CONTROLLING OR DIRECTING THE ROLLING STOCK THEREON," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Foulger, my
executors or 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 of the-said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Foulger, 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:-
This Invention of an improved system for rail and tram ways is so
arranged that a carriage or train of carriages travelling thereon may be
turned off from main on to branch lines, and vice versa, without the 'aid
of local pointsmen, the direction of the carriage or train being entirely
controlled by a person or persons travelling therewith.
Rail or tram ways according to this Invention are constructed with
fixed or moveable points, or a combination thercof. The carriages or train
moving thereon are caused to move from the main line and turn on to
branch lines or pass from a branch on to a main line by means of a guide
wheel or roller, or guiding wheels or rollers, mounted below the carriages
on the end of jointed arms or on vertical or oblique shafts actuated by
a screw or lever motion or their mechanical equivalents in such a
manner that the guide wheel may be clevated or depressed from the
engine or other carriage to which it is attached. The guide wheel may
be mounted on, say, the outer end of an arm or beam which projects
beyond and within the line of the leading wheels, and the inner end of
which is jointed to the body of the carriage in such a way that the
outer-end carrying the wheel may be raised or lowered by a screw.or
i

page_text: lever motion on the carriage to which it is fitted. A guide wheel is
fitted to each side of the carriage arranged to project beyond and within
the running wheels, or when applied to the last carriage of a train, thien
in rear of the last pair of wheels. These guide wheels or rollers are
mounted loosely on their axles or keyed on to their axle, which then
works loosely in their bearings on the end of the beam or its mechanical
equivalent. The guide wheels may be vertical, horizontal, or oblique,
according to circumstances, as will be hereafter explained.
In applying this system of guide wheels to, say, the improved rail
and tram ways for which I have obtained Letters Patent bearing date
the 19th day of December 1870, and numbered 3316, at the junctions
or rigid crossing points there is fixed between and at a little elevation
above the ordinary rail a supplementary rail or rails of the required
curve, so that the guide wheel previously let down coming into contact
therewith it is constrained to follow its course, thus directing the carriage
with precision.
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This arrangement may be modified by placing a curved bar on the
under side of the carriage, and by using a number of horizontal anti-
friction wheels mounted on fixed axles, so as to give the required contour
or curve for directing the carriage through the crossing points. When
moveable points are used, the movement thereof may be effected by
the guide wheels as follows:-When the guide wheel is placed hori-
zontally or obliquely by the use of a metal bar, one end of which is
curved in a horizontal direction and joined to a fixed vertical axis, and
the other end working in a slot or hole in the tie rods of the points,
or by the rod being slotted, into which slot takes a vertical stud on the
tie rod, by which arrangement the horizontal guide wheel coming into
contact with the said rod it is thrown to one side, carrying the points
with it. ´ When it is desired to close the points after the train or carriage
has passed over the junction, this can be done by letting down the
guide wheel on the opposite side of the last carriage, which coming in
contact with a curved lever having its fulcrum in front and connected
to the tie rod of the switches by a stud or slot at any convenient portion
of its length, which has the effect of returning the switches -to their
normal position.
The same end may be accomplished by a vertical guide wheel by the
use of a wedge motion on the end of a lever jointed at one end to a fixed
point and at the other- carrying a vertical wedge piece acting on an

page_text: antifriction roller mounted in an eye or on one side of the tie rod.
One of these levers is used on each side of the road, so that upon one
being depressed and the other elevated the switches or points are
carried to: one side; when the reverse lever is elevated and the other
depressed the switches are removed to the other side, which can be
done readily by dropping one of the leading wheels in front and the
opposite guide wheel at the back, thus removing the points to allow
the carriages to move in the required direction, and then returning them
to their former position after the train has passed over them.
In some cases where gutter rails are used the leading guide wheel
coming into contact with the ordinary rail at the curves before the
leading wheels of the carriage, it will be found sufficient to give the
lead, so as to direct the carriage through the crossings on to the junction
linc.
The before-going being the nature and object of my Invention I will
now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same
is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in
order that the same may be more clearly and readily understood I have
hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof marked
with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation. Like letters and figures are used to denote
similar parts.
Figure 1 illustrates a main line of rails with points, actuated by my
guide wheel or roller, or guiding wheels working on a lever switch.
Figure 2 illustrates a portion of a guard's van or railway truck with
my adjustable guide wheel or roller or guiding wheels; Figure 3 an
end view of the same.
Figure 4 represents a portion of a tramway car fitted with my guide
wheel or roller or guiding wheels.
Figure 5 represents a tramway track cut to suit the application of my
guide wheel or roller or guiding wheels.
Figure 6 is illustrative of a wedge motion on the end of a lever jointed
at one end to a fixed point, and at the other end carrying a vertical
wedge piece on an antifriction roller mounted in an eye or on one side
of the tie rod..
A, A, (Figure 1) main line of rails; B, B, branch line. The points C, C,
are worked thus, upon a train arriving at D a guide wheel E (Figures 2

page_text: and 3) is let down and takes the lever F, pressing the lever and thereby
causing the points C to come up to the main line and the train to turn
off on to the branch; upon passing a similar guide wheel at the rear
end of the train takes on to the lever G and closes the point after the
train has passed. The guide wheel or roller or guiding wheels (shown
at E, Figures 2 and 3) are mounted below the carriages on vertical
shafts actuated by a screw or lever motion in such a manner that the
guide wheel may be elevated or depressed from the engine, or other
carriage to which it is attached at the option of the guard or driver.
The guide wheel may be horizontal, vertical, or oblique, as thought
expedient.
In the case of tramways a vertical guide wheel may be used, as shown
at H, Figure 4, and in this case, the corrugated or roughed edge of the
rail for tramroads has a gutter cut through it, as shown at K, Figure 5.
The guide wheel H being slightly inside the ordinary running wheel
takes into the gutter at K and strikes the point L, gradually canting
or turning the carriage and causing it to take the branch line as shown.
The guide wheel may be modified by the application of a number of
antifriction rollers mounted on a fixed' axis, giving the required contour
for directing the carriage through the crossing points..
The arrangement shown at Figure 6 is used on each side of the road
or track, so that upon one lever being depressed and the other elevated
the points are carried to one side and when the reverse lever is elevated
and the other depressed the switches are moved to the other side, which
can be readily done by dropping one of the leading guide wheels in front
and the opposite guide wheel at the back, thus removing the points to
allow the carriages to turn to the required direction and then returning
them to their former position after the train has passed, as will be
readily understood by anybody acquainted with the working of railway
switches or points.
Having now described and ascertained the nature and purposes of this
my Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be or may be
carried out, I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not limit
myself to the exact details as shown and described, as it will be readily
understood by any practical engineer that the same may be
meet contingencies without departing from my Invention; but what
varied to
I claim as my Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid
is.-

page_text: Firstly. The application of a guide wheel or roller, or guiding wheels,
or rollers below the carriages mounted on the ends of jointed arms or
vertical or oblique shafts actuated by a screw, lever, or mechanical
equivalent and actuating the points or switches by levers, as shown in
Figure 1..
Secondly. The guide wheel or roller, or guiding wheels fitted below
tramway cars and cutting a groove through the corrugated or roughed
part of the rail, and using the guide wheel to gradually cant or turn
the car on to a branch line, as herein-before described and set forth.
Thirdly. The arrangement of wedge motion herein-before described
and illustrated at Figure 6, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Foulger, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
FREDERICK J. Cheesbrough,
of 15, Water Street,.
Liverpool.
EDWARD (L.S.) FOULGER.