IM- PROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING OR COMBINING THE WHEELS AND TRAMS OR WAYS FOR CARRIAGES ON COMMON ROADS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Johnston and Thomas Wilson Rennie,
British Subjects, residing in Copenhagen, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING OR COMBINING THE WHEELS AND TRAMS OR
WAYS FOR CARRIAGES ON COMMON ROADS."
Sealed the 22nd September 1866, and dated the 24th March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Johnston and
Thomas Wilson Rennie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents;
with their Petition, on the 24th March 1866.
We, THOMAS JOHNSTON and THOMAS WILSON RENNIE, British Subjects,
5 residing in Copenhagen, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING OR COMBINING THE WHEELS AND TRAMS OR
WAYS FOR CARRIAGES ON COMMON ROADS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in arranging or combining.
the wheels and. trams or ways for carriages on common roads. For these
purposes one of the trams or rails of a line is formed with a narrow groove

page_text: towards one edge whilst the other part of the rail or tram is flat, and is to
receive the flat or plain part of the tyre of each wheel on the sides of the
carriages which are to run on the line. The flanges of each wheel on that
side of a carriage enters the narrow groove in the rail or tram, and the
carriages are thereby guided along the line. The ather rail of the line is flat,
and such is the case in respect to the surface of the wheels which run
thereon, such wheels having no flanges. By this arrangement or combination
carriages are guided and retained by only one rail or tram of a line of ways
constructed along a common road by reason of one tram or rail only being
formed with a narrow groove in which the flanges of the wheels on one side
only of the carriages (running on such line) are received. At the same time
carriages with ordinary wheels or wheels without flanges may run with freedom
on the lines, and also cross the lines without shock, owing to the narrowness
of the groove in the one rail or tram.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Johnston and Thomas Wilson Rennie in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 24th September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
JOHNSTON and THOMAS WILSON RENNIE, British Subjects, residing in
Copenhagen, send greeting,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Thomas Johnston and Thomas. Wilson Rennie, Her special
licence that we, the said Thomas Johnston and Thomas Wilson Rennie,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Thomas Johnston and Thomas Wilson Rennie, 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 ARRANGING OR COMBINING THE.
WHEELS AND TRAMS OR WAYS FOR CARRIAGES ON COMMON ROADS," upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Johnston and Thomas
Wilson Rennie, our executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 Thomas Wilson Rennie, on behalf
of myself and the said Thomas Jolinston, 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:
This Invention has for its object improvements in arranging or combining
the wheels and trams or ways for carriages on common roads. For these
purposes one of the trams or rails of a line of tramway on a common road is
formed with a narrow groove towards one edge, whilst the other part of the
rail or tram is flat and is to receive the flat or plain part of the tyre of each
wheel on one side of the tram carriages which are to run on the line. The
flange of each wheel on that side of the tramway carriages enters the narrow
groove in the rail or tram, and the carriages are thereby guided along the line.
The other rail of the line is flat, and such is the case in respect to the surface of
the tyres of the wheels on the other side of the tram carriages which run
thereon, such wheels having no flanges. By this arrangement or combination
the tram carriages are guided and retained by only one rail or tram.
Carriages with ordinary wheels or wheels without flanges may run with
freedom on the lines, and also cross the lines without shock owing to the
narrowness of the groove in the grooved rail or tram.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
In the annexed Drawing a section of a line of tramway constructed
according to our Invention is shown together with a pair of wheels suitable
for the tram carriages to run thereon.
a is the grooved rail or tram; and 6 the plain rail or tram of ordinary bar
iron; c, c, are the sleepers on which they are supported; & is a flanged wheel
on one side of the tram carriage, and e the plain wheel on the opposite side
thereof; fis the axle, The wheel without a flange is loose on the axle, and
the flanged wheel is fast on the axle,

page_text: in cases where both rails are grooved and the grooves very narrow, as shown
in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wilson Rennie, have hereunto:
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth, day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.