IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS AND ROLLING STOCK."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Edwards Wilson, of Spring Gardens,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS AND ROLLING STOCK."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Edwards Wilson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th February 1871.
I, JAMES EDWARDS WILSON, of Spring Gardens, in the County of
5 Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS AND ROLLING
STOCK," to be as follows:-
In order to avoid the undue rigidity which results from the use of
rails of great depth rolled all in one piece, and at the same time to remedy

page_text: the want of depth in the rails of ordinary permanent way, I construct rails
in the manner of a wrought-iron girder, the upper member of which is
the rolling surface and the lower the bearing surface, these two being
connected together by a thin web formed either of one plate or of two
plates. And to add to the solidity of the system I lay these rails on a
surface of concrete made by preference with Portland cement, and I fill
up to the level of the upper rolling surface and to the necessary width
with a similar concrete. To add to the cohesion and stiffness of the
mass of concrete the web plates may be formed with openings or made
of diagonal slips in order to allow the concrete to unite through the
interstices. The upper and lower members are rivetted or welded to
the webs, and the joints are consolidated by means of fish plates, and
to increase the effect of the action of the fish plates I insert a slip of
iron between the web plates of two successive rails, this slip of iron
being of the same length as the fish plates and of the full height between
the upper and lower members. I prefer to rivet the fish plate joints,
and in order to insure against any disturbance of the road from variation
of temperature I temporarily insert distance pieces according to the
temperature at the time of laying the rails.
1
In constructing single rail railways for engines and carriages whose
wheels are arranged one in front of another, I form the rail either with
a central groove or of two parts connected together so as to leave
a central groove or space between them, and I construct the wheels of
the rolling stock with a flange or rib in the middle of their periphery
to run in the central groove or space of the rail. Or instead of
employing a grooved rail and correspondingly flanged wheels I employ
plain rails and plain wheels, and attach to the rolling stock a suitable
number of pairs of.horizontal rollers which bear against the sides of the
rail, and in combination with these horizontal rollers I sometimes
employ vertical rollers which bear against the under side of the head of
the rail. Other horizontal rollers may be attached to the rolling stock
to bear against any suitable part of the rail or its support for the purpose
of steadying the vehicles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Edwards Wilson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
EDWARDS WILSON, of Spring Gardens, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, 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 and grant unto me, the said James Edwards Wilson, Her special
licence, that I, the said James Edwards Wilson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Edwards
Wilson, my executors, administrators, and. assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 RAILWAYS AND ROLLING STOCK,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Edwards
Wilson, 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 James Edwards Wilson, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
In order to avoid the undue rigidity which results from the use of
rails of great depth rolled all in one piece, and at the same time to
remedy the want of depth in the rails of ordinary permanent way, I
construct rails in the manner of a wrought-iron girder, the upper

page_text: member of which is the rolling surface and the lower the bearing surface,
these two being connected together by a thin web formed either of one
plate or of two plates. And to add to the solidity of the system I lay
these rails on a surface of concrete made by preference with Portland
cement, and I fill up to the level of the upper rolling surface and to the
necessary width with, a similar concrete. To add to the cohesion and
stiffness of the mass of concrete the web plates may be formed with
openings or made of diagonal slips in order to allow the concrete to
unite through the interstices. The upper and lower members are rivetted
or welded to the webs, and the joints are consolidated by means of fish
plates, and to increase the effect of the action of the fish plates I insert
a slip of iron between the web plates of two successive rails, this slip of
iron being of the same length as the fish plates, and of the full height
between the upper and lower members. I prefer to rivet the fish plate
joints, and in order to insure against any disturbance of the road from
variation of temperature I temporarily insert distance pieces according
to the temperature at the time of laying the rails.
In constructing single rail railways on the elevated or post system
for engines and carriages whose wheels are arranged one in front of
another, I form the rail either with a central groove or of two parts
connected together so as to leave a central groove or space between
them, and I construct the wheels of the rolling stock with a flange or
rib in the middle of their periphery to run in the central groove
or space of the rail.
If desired a suitable number of pairs of hori-
zontal rollers may be attached to the rolling stock to bear against the
sides of the rail, and I sometimes also employ vertical rollers which
bear against the under side of the head of the rail. Other horizontal
rollers may be attached to the rolling stock to bear against any
suitable part of the rail or its support for the purpose of steadying the
vehicles.
•
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
-
First. Constructing rails in the manner of a wrought-iron girder, the
upper member of which is the rolling surface, and the lower the bearing
surface these two being connected together by a thin web substantially

page_text: Second. Constructing single rail railways with a central groove and
the wheels of rolling stock with a corresponding flange or rib in the
middle of their periphery, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edwards Wilson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.