IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert James Ransome, of Ipswich, in the
County of Suffolk, James Deas, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, and Richard Christopher Rapier, of No. 5, Westminster
Chambers, in the City of Westminster, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 7th June 1870, and dated the 10th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert James Ransome,
James Deas, and Richard Christopher Rapier at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 10th December
· 1869.
We, ROBERT JAMES RANSOME, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk,
JAMES DEAS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, and RICHARD
CHRISTOPHER RAPIER, of No. 5, Westminster Chambers, in the City of
Westminster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS," to be as follows:-
We construct tramways on either of the following plans with the

page_text: object of adapting the tramway both to vehicles with flanged wheels
and to vehicles with ordinary wheels :-
$6
Firstly. We make a tramway of cast-iron blocks, each about 10 to 15
feet long, and about 8 to 16 inches broad on the top face, and on the
top face we make (at such part of its width as may be desired) a groove
or grooves running the whole length of the blocks wide enough to allow
the flanges of the wheels of railway or other vehicles to pass. The
grooves or the whole or any parts of the surface may be chilled so as to
increase the duribity. The surface may be quite smooth or chequered
or roughened in any way. The ends of the blocks may be dovetailed or
made with male and female lugs or sockets or snugs in any convenient
way for joining up, and they may be bolted together if desired. We
lay two lines of such blocks parallel with each other at any desired
"
gauge or distance apart, and the space between the lines may be
filled in with iron paving, granite, macadam, or other material. The
flanged vehicles pass along the grooves, and the unflanged wheels travel
on the flat surface; for example, if the width of the blocks be 16 inches
and the grooves be in the centre the blocks may be laid so as to allow
flanged vehicles of a gauge of, say, four feet eight and a half inches to
traverse the grooves, and ordinary vehicles of a greater or less gauge
travel outside or inside the grooves. By having two or more grooves in
one or both lines of tram blocks flanged vehicles of different gauges
may be accomodated. The blocks may be of any desired depth or
thickness, and the under side of the blocks may be cast hollow to save
weight. We prefer to place the blocks on a bed of concrete, but they
may be placed on timber, gravel, earth, or other material. When the
gauge of the wheels of the flanged vehicles is less than that of the
ordinary vehicles using the tramway the blocks may be made without
any groove, but with the inner edge "stepped down" so that when the
paving stones or other materials used in paving butt up against the lower
part of the blocks there will be a space between the running edge of
the block and the paving stones for the passages of the flanges of the
wheels.
Secondly. We make a tramway for the above twofold purpose of
1
1ght imn on steal with a amara

page_text: space between them for the passage of the flanged wheels; or if the
flanged vehicles are the narrowest vehicles which use the tramway a
passage for the flanges may be obtained by making the timber sleeper
a little broader on the inner edge than the iron plate or plates, and
stepping it down to afford room for the flanges between the edge of the
plate and the paving stones or other material used in paving which butt
up against the timber sleeper. Instead of wooden sleepers cast-iron blocks
may be used, and the grooved rails or plates of steel or iron for the face of.
the tramway may be fixed on the cast-iron blocks by bolts or screws.
filed by the said Robert James Ransome, James Deas, and Richard
Christopher Rapier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th June
1870
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
JAMES RANSOME, of Ipswich, in the County of. Suffolk, JAMES DEAS,
of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, and RICHARD CHRISTOPHER
RAPIER, of No. 5, Westminster Chambers, in the City of Westminster,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Robert James Ransome, James Deas,
and Richard Christopher Rapier, Her special licence that we, the said
Robert James Ransome, James Deas, and Richard Christopher Rapier,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Robert James Ransome, James Deas, and Richard Christopher
Rapier, 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 TRAMWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others), that
we, the said Robert James Ransome, James Deas, and Richard
Christopher Ransome, our executors or administrators, by an instrument.

page_text: in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us or them, 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 Richard Christopher Rapier, on
behalf of myself and the said Robert James Ransome and James Deas,
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 thereof, that is to say:-
We construct tramways on either of the following plans with the
object of adapting the tramway both to vehicles with flanged wheels
and to vehicles with ordinary wheels:-
Firstly. We make a tramway of cast-iron blocks (as shewn in plan at
A, elevation at B, and section at C), each about 10 or 15 feet long and
about 8 to 16 inches broad on the top faces, and on the top face we
make (at such part of its width as may be desired) a groove or grooves
running the whole length of the blocks wide enough to allow the flanges
of the wheels of railway or other vehicles to pass. The grooves or the
whole or any parts of the surface may be chilled so as to increase
the durability. The surface may be quite smooth or chequered or
roughened in any way. The ends of the blocks may be dovetailed or
made with male and female lugs or sockets or snugs
in any
convenient
way for joining up, and they may be bolted together if desired. We
lay two lines of such blocks parallel with each other at any desired
gauge or distance apart, and the space between the lines may be
filled in with iron paving, granite, macadam, or other material. The
flanged vehicles pass along the grooves and the unflanged wheels travel
on the flat surface; for example, if the width of the blocks be 16 inches
and the grooves be in the centre the blocks may be laid so as to allow
flanged vehicles of a gauge of, say, four feet eight and a half inches to
traverse the grooves, and ordinary vehicles of a greater or less gauge
travel outside or inside the grooves. By having two or more grooves in
one or both lines of tram blocks flanged vehicles of different gauges
may be accommodated. The blocks may be of any desired depth or
thickness, and the under side of the blocks may be cast hollow to save
weight. We prefer to place the blocks on a bed of concrete, but they
"

page_text: may be placed on timber, gravel, earth, or other material. When the
gauge of the wheels of the flanged vehicles is less than that of the
ordinary vehicles using the tramway the blocks may be made without
any groove, but with the inner edge "stepped down," so that when the
paving stones or other material used in paving butt up against the
lower part of the blocks there will be a space between the running
edge of the block and the paving stones for the passage of the flanges
of the wheels.
Secondly. We make a tramway for the above twofold purpose of
iron plates either cast iron (as shewn at section 9) or rolled wrought
iron or steel (as shown at section d) with a groove at any part of the
width, and the remainder of the surface either plain or chequered, and
these plates are bolted or screwed to timber sleepers, or instead of a
grooved plate two narrower plates may be used with a space between
them for the passage of the flanged wheels (as shown at section e), or if
the flanged vehicles are the narrowest vehicles which use the tramway
a passage for the flange may be obtained by making the timber sleepers
a little broader on the inner edge than the iron plate or plates,.and
stepping it down to afford room for the flanges between the edge of the
plate and the paving stones or other material used in paving which
butt against the timber sleeper (as shown at section f). Instead of
wooden sleepers cast-iron blocks may be used, and the grooved rails or
plates of steel or iron for the face of the tramway may be fixed on the
cast-iron blocks by bolts or screws.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that what we
claim is, the construction of tramways, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Christopher Rapier, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.