IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonas Proctor and Walter Martin Musgrave, both of
Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Civil Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 11th October 1878, and dated the 24th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonas Proctor and Walter
Martin Musgrave at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th
July 1878.
JONAS PROCTOR and WALTER MARTIN MUSGRAVE, both of Bolton, in the County.
of Lancaster, Civil Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAM-
WAYS."
Our Invention consists in supporting the rails for the wheels of the tram cars on
chairs bedded upon concrete or other suitable foundation; between these chairs
are placed anti-deflection girders, the ends of which bear upon the chairs; these
girders support the rails, and the rails are secured to the chairs by wedges, bolts, or.
cotters.
By this means we obtain economy in construction, strength, and durability,
facility for repairs, and we provide for the expansion and contration of the
different metals composing the tramway.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jonas Proctor and Walter Martin Musgrave in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd January 1879.
JONAS PROCTOR and WALTER MARTIN MUSGRAVE, both of Bolton, in the County
of Lancaster, Civil Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAM-
WAYS."
Our Invention consists in supporting the rails for the wheels of the tram cars on
chairs bedded upon concrete or other suitable foundation; between these chairs are
placed anti-deflection girders, the ends of which bear upon the chairs; these
girders support the rails, and the rails are secured to the chairs by wedges, bolts,
or cotters.
By this means we obtain economy in construction, strength, and durability,
facility for repairs, and we provide for the expansion and contraction of the
different metals and parts composing the tramways.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan of part of a tramway, constructed
according to our Invention.
Fig. 3 is a detached view of our improved chair drawn in perspective, and Fig. 4
is a section of the chair drawn full size.
a, a, are the chairs, which are bedded on blocks of concrete b. Between the
chairs a, a, are the anti-deflection girders c; the ends of the girders fit between the
sides of the chairs and upon the shoulders a', see Fig. 3; by this means the
chairs and girders are kept in line and to the same level. A little play is left
between the ends of the girders and the chairs, to allow for the expansion and
contraction of the parts.
The rails & bear upon the sides of the chairs and the sides of the girders, and
the mid-feather projecting from the rail fits in the partitions a³ in the chairs a,
and the partitions c¹ in the girders c; the rails are secured to the chairs by wedges e,
as shewn in Fig. 4, or by bolts or cotters.
The rails are made by preference of rolled steel, and the ends are brought
together in the chair, as shewn in Fig. 1, or in the girder when more convenient.
Figs. 5 and 6 represent an elevation and plan of a modification of our improved
tramway. In this arrangement the concrete instead of being made in blocks, as
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, is laid down in continuous lengths, and the anti-deflection
girders c iustead of being arched between the chairs, as shewn in Fig. 1, are straight.
The rail is secured to the chairs, as before described.
Fig. 7 is a full size section of the girders shewn in Fig. 5, and Fig. 8 is a
section of our improved chair with a rail having two outside flanges instead of
a midfeather.
In laying our improved tramways in streets or roads already paved or maca--
damised it is necessary, first, to lower the surface of the road to the depth of the
chair and girder, and then, if the foundation of the road be not already formed with
concrete or other suitable material, trenches or recesses are cut under each line of
rails of about 18 inches wide and 6 inches deep, or of such other dimensions as the
circumstances require, to secure a firm and unyielding foundation. The trenches
or recesses so made must be filled with Portland cement concrete, and beaten down,
so that all interstices may be filled up; the chairs and girders are then placed upon
the concrete and bedded upon a finer mixture of concrete; the rails are then placed
upon the chairs and girders, taking care that they bear uniformly throughout;
the rails are then wedged to the chairs with the square iron cotters e, two cotters
at the end of each rail where they join, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 5, and two in each
, intermediate chair, and, finally, both the level and the line of the rails must be
tested before the fine concrete is set.

page_text: When the surface of the road is formed with broken stone, or where the joints
of the paving setts are not flushed with gravel and asphalte run in hot, the gauge
of the rails may be maintained by tie bars f secured with cotters to the chairs a, as
shewn in Fig. 8.
It is desirable to bed the lower part of the girders c, shewn in Figs. 5 and 6, and
the flanges of the chairs a in the concrete, so that a level surface may be obtained
for the paving setts along the rails.
By means of our improvements we obtain a continuous support to the rails,
economy in construction, great strength and durability, and facility for repairs,
and we provide for the expansion and contraction of the different parts composing
the tramway.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not intend to limit
ourselves to the details given, and that we claim,—
First. Supporting the rails of tramways on chairs and anti-deflection girders
bearing upon or bedded in concrete or other suitable foundations, as shewn and
described.
Secondly. The improved mode of connecting the chairs and girders, as shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonas Proctor, for myself and on behalf of the
within-named Walter Martin Musgrave, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twentieth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-nine.
JONAS PROCTOR. (L.S.)