IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE RAILWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Greig, of the Steam Plough Works, Leeds, in
the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE
RAILWAYS."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Greig at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1878.
ALFRED GREIG, of the Steam Plough Works, Leeds, in the County of York.
IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE RAILWAYS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in portable railways.
I construct portable railways of lengths or sections, each complete in itself. Each
section consists of two rails connected by sleepers or cross pieces. These sections
are so constructed that in laying the line they can be readily put together securely,
and in removing the line the lengths can be readily taken apart. I employ flat
bottomed rails connected together in pairs by rivetting them at intervals to sleepers
or cross pieces consisting of broad bars or bands of wrought iron plate. There is
in addition to intermediate sleepers a sleeper at each end of every section. One of
these sleepers projects beyond the ends of the rails which it connects, and the
extremities of the rails fall at about the middle of its width. This sleeper is arched
or bent upwards
in the centre or part between the rails. At the
other end of the section there is a similar sleeper, but it is arched to a lesser height,
and the parts beneath the rails and on the inner sides of thein are notched or cut
away for a portion of the width of the sleeper.
-
In laying the line the dissimilar ends of two sections are brought together aud
the rails made to butt; this the form which has been given to the sleepers admits.
The rail ends of one section then rest upon the end sleeper forming part of the
other section, whilst the central portion of the end sleeper of the foriner section
passes beneath the central portion of the end sleeper of the other section, and so
the sections become locked together both laterally and vertically.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Greig in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th May
1879.
ALFRED GREIG, of the Steam Plough Works, Leeds, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE RAILWAYS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in portable railways.
I construct portable railways of lengths or sections, each complete in itself. Each
section consists of two rails connected by sleepers or cross pieces. These sections
are so constructed that in laying the line they can be readily put together
securely, and in removing the line the lengths can be readily taken apart. I employ
flat bottomed rails connected together in pairs by rivetting them at intervals to
sleepers or cross pieces consisting of broad bars or bands of wrought iron plate.
There is in addition to intermediate sleepers a sleeper at each end of every section.
One of these sleepers projects beyond the ends of the rails which it connects, and
the extremities of the rails fall' at about the middle of its width. This sleeper is
arched or bent upwards
✓ in the centre or part between the rails.
At the other end of the section there is a similar sleeper, but it is arched to a lesser
height, and the parts between the rails and on the inner sides of them are notched
or cut away for a portion of the width of the sleeper.
In laying the line the dissimilar ends of two sections are brought together and
the rails made to butt; this the form which has been given to the sleepers admits.
The rail ends of one section then rest upon the end sleeper, forming part of the
other section, whilst the central portion of the end sleeper of the former section
passes beneath the central portion of the end sleeper of the other section, and so
the sections become locked together both laterally and vertically.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a plan showing portions of two sections of a portable railway con-
structed according to my Invention. In Figure 1 the sections are represented locked
together as when laid for traffic.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same parts, but with the two sections separated.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, the section being taken on the line A, A, in
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line B, B, in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line C, C, in Figure 3.
a, a, are the rails; they are of any convenient length, say for example twenty
fect, and they are connected together at convenient intervals by intermediate trans-
verse bars or sleepers b, b, to which the rails are bolted or rivetted, but by preference
rivetted. The sleepers at the two ends of each section differ the one from the
other; at one end of each section there is a sleeper c arched up in the middle and
projecting beyond the rails, to which it is fixed in order that it may also support
the ends of the rails of the next section.
At the other end of each section is a sleeper d; it is also arched up in the middle,
but not to the same pattern as the sleeper c, but the height and width of the arch
of the sleeper d is such that it may fit accurately within the arch of the sleeper c.
The sleeper d is also cut away at the sides so as to admit of a portion of its arch
entering beneath the arch of the adjacent sleeper c, whilst at the same time the rail
ends, which the sleeper d connects project over and rest upon the sleeper c of the
said adjacent section.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim as my improvements

page_text: in portable railways the combination of the rails a with the sleepers c and d,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Greig, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this 24th day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy nine.
ALFRED GREIC. (L.S.)