IMPROVE. MENTS IN AND ADDITCAR TO MORRADI
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Pratchitt, John Blaylock, and John Pratchitt,
all of the City of Carlisle, Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN AND ADDITCARLE TO MORRADIE DAMPORNO FOR D
Blaylock, and John Pratchitt at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 18th November 1863.
WILLIAM PRATCHITT, JOHN BLAYLOCK, and JOHN PRATCHITT, all of the City
of Carlisle, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO MOVEABLE PLATFORMS FOR RAILWAY
STATIONS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of moveable platforms
for railway stations, and to the arrangement of machinery for raising and
lowering the moveable part of the platform where cross roads for the passage
of carriages or traversers are required to intersect the platforms. Our
platform consists of a covered girder bridge resting at the ends upon moveable
supports and having upon the top rails similar in gauge to those on the
cross road; under this bridge or platform we place one or more hydraulic
cylinders connected either to pumps or to the service pipe of towns water
when there is sufficient pressure, so that upon withdrawing the moveable
supports and allowing the water to escape from the cylinder or cylinders, the
bridge or platform may be lowered to the level of the permanent way or
traverser road and allow the passage of carriages or waggons over it, and when
the water is re-admitted to the cylinders the moveable part of the platform
may be raised to the same level as the fixed part. This platform may be

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Pratchitt, John Blaylock, and John Pratcbitt in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
PRATCHITT, JOHN BLAYLOCK, and JOHN PRATCHITT, all of the City of Carlisle,
Machinists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said William Pratchitt, John Blaylock, and John Pratchitt, Her
special license that we, the said William Pratchitt, John Blaylock, and John
Pratchitt, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said William Pratchitt, John Blaylock, and John Pratchitt, 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 AND
APPLICABLE TO MOVEABLE PLATFORMS FOR RAILWAY STATIONS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Pratchitt, John Blaylock, and
John Pratchitt, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their, or one of our or their bands 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 we, the said William Pratchitt, John Blaylock, and
John Prachitt, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
The nature of this Invention consists in an improved construction of
moveable platforms for railway stations, and in the arrangement of machinery
for raising and lowering the moveable part of the platform where cross roads

page_text: for the passage of carriages or traversers are required to intersect the plat-
forms.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters marked thereon:-
a is the moveable floor of the platform, constructed of longitudinal and
transverse beams b, the whole moveable platform is similar to a covered girder
bridge resting at the ends upon moveable supports c. Above the transverse
beams 6 are placed the rails d for the wheels of the carriages or traversers
to run upon; the rails d are similar in gauge to the rails e on the cross road.
Under the bridge or moveable platform we place the hydraulic cylinder f
provided with a ram or plunger g. The cylinder f is connected either to
pumps or to the service pipe of town's water, when there is sufficient
pressure, so that upon withdrawing the moveable supports c, and allowing the
water to escape by the valve h from the cylinder f, the bridge or moveable
platform may be lowered to the level of the permanent way or transverse
road e, and allow the passage of carriages or waggons over it, and when the
water is readmitted to the cylinder the bridge or moveable platform may be
raised to its original position. The platform may be counterbalanced by the
weights suspended to chains passing over the pulleys j, or the counter-
weights may be dispensed with; the moveable supports c may also in some
cases be dispensed with, and although we have shewn only one cylinder f and
ram g to raise the bridge or platform, it is evident that two or more may be
employed if desired.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of our Invention, we
declare that we claim the general combination and arrangement of the
moveable platform for railway stations, and the means for raising and lowering
it, as shewn and described.
. In witness whereof, we, the said William Pratchitt, John Blaylock, and
John Pratchitt, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth
day of May, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
WILLIAM PRATCHITT. (L.S.)
JOHN BLAYLOCK.
(L.S.)
JOHN PRATCHITT.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM PRATCHITT. (L.S.)
JOHN BLAYLOCK.
(L.S.)
JOHN PRATCHITT.
(L.S.)