IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY TURNTABLES AND WEIGHING CRANES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Irlam, of the Gibraltar Iron Works,
Newton Heath, near the City of Manchester, Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY TURNTABLES AND
WEIGHING CRANES."
. "
Sealed the 2nd June 1857, and dated the 26th December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Irlam at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th December 1856.
I, WILLIAM IRLAM, of. the Gibraltar Iron Works, Newton Ileath, near the
City of Manchester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.. THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY TURNTABLES AND
WEIGHING CRANES," to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention.consists in making the, outer:curb, or guard of
railway turntables of wrought-iron plates, instead of cast iron, as heretofore;
also in rivetting or. otherwise attaching to such plates chairs to support the
annular rail for the turntable to revolve upon; these annular rails. may be
made of ordinary-wrought-iron rails, or, of cast iron. The revolving part of
the turntable consists of an outer ring made of the usual double-headed rail,
or otherwise bearing on the rollers of the live ring, and connected by two
wrought-iron girders on which the chairs for the cross rails are fixed. The

page_text: two girders are united at the centre by means of a cast or wrought-iron beam
for the centre pin, which is made as usual.
My improvements in weighing cranes consist in causing the chain or cord
supporting the load to pass over a guide pulley near one end of a beam or
lever, the other end of which is connected by a link to a weighing lever.
When the load is suspended to the chain or cord the weight can be ascertained
by sliding a weight along the lower lever, which is graduated like a steelyard
of the usual construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Irlam in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th June 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
IRLAM, of the Gibraltar Iron Works, Newton Heath, near the City of Man-
chester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, thé
said William Irlam, Her special licence that I, the said William Irlam, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Irlam, my 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 THE CONSTRUCTION
OF RAILWAY TURNTABLES AND WEIGHING CRANES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Irlam, 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 bo
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 William Irlam, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):--

page_text: The nature of my Invention consists, first, in making the outer curb or
guard of railway turntables of wrought-iron plates, instead of cast iron or
other material, as heretofore.
Secondly, in rivetting or otherwise attaching chairs to such curb or guard to
support the annular rail for the turntable to revolve upon, or in attaching the
rail to the curb or guard by other means.
Thirdly, in making the platform or revolving part of the turntable of an.
outer ring connected by wrought-iron girders, which girders support the chairs
for the cross rails.
And, lastly, my improvements in weighing cranes consist in placing the
fulcrum of the weighing beam or lever at the end thereof, and causing the
chain or cord supporting the load to pass over a guide pulley near the fulcrum
end of the said weighing beam or lever, the other end of which is connected to
a weighing apparatus.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference
being had to the two accompanying Sheets of Drawings, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a transverse section of a railway turntable con
structed according to my improvements; Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
In this view part of the planking of the platform is omitted, to shew the parts
beneath. a, a, is the outer curb or guard made of. wrought-iron plates,.
rivetted together at their joints, and strengthened by a T iron or any other
section of iron ring a¹ at the top; the ring a' has notches in it for the
catches a, which are made in the usual manner. To the plates a are rivetted
or otherwise secured the chairs b, b, which support the annular rail c. This
rail is connected to the centre piece d by radiating rods e, and supports the
rollers ff of the live ring g, which is constructed in the usual manner.
Instead of supporting the rail c in chairs b, as shewn, the rail c may be made
of such a shape that it can be connected to the curb or guard plates a by
angle iron, or otherwise. The platform or revolving part of the turntable
consists of the outer ring h, made of the usual double-headed rail or other
shaped iron. This ring is made in two halves, jointed together by means of
fish plates; the outer ring h bears upon the rollers f, f, of the live ring 9, and
is connected by the two wrought-iron girders i, i, on which the chairs j, j, for
the cross rails k, k, are fixed. The ends of the girders are connected to the
ring h by angle plates, rivetted or otherwise attached to the girders and to the
ring. The girders i, i, are united near the centre by the two wrought-iron
beams I, I, to which is rivetted the block m for the centre pin n, which is of

page_text: the usual construction. The planks forming the top of the platform are
supported by the girders-i- and by the outer ring ; the rails o bear on the
planks, and are secured to the girders i by bolis passing through the flanges of
the rails o; the planks and the angle irons forming the upper part of the
girders. In some cases I propose to dispense with the rails and chairs j,
and to apply cross girders, similar to those marked i. In such cases the
rails would be substituted 'by others like o, which are bolted to the girders,
as before described. These improvements in the construction of turntables
effect a considerable saving in weight and cost.
On Sheet 2, Figure 3 is a' side elevation, and Figure 4 an end elevation of
my improved weighing crane. a is the upright pillar of the crane, and the
jib, which is connected to the pillar in the usual manner. The outer
extremity of the jib serves as fulcrum to the beam or lever c; hear the outer
end of this beam or lever is suspended the guide pulley 'd, which revolves in
the links eTo the inner end of the lever or beam c is suspended the rod f
connected to the weighing lever g. The winding apparatus may be made in
any approved manner; in the present instance it consists of the cranks h,
pinion i, wheel j, and barrel k, the cord or chain from which is taken over the
pulley. To this pulley is fixed the barrel m for the chain or cord », to
which the load or object to be raised, lowered, and weighed is suspended.
The chain or cord n passes under the guide pulley o, supported on a stud
placed between the sides of the jib, and over the guide pulley, supported by
the links e. To the guide pulley d is fixed a spur pinion p, gearing into a
similar pinion q; to which is fixed a pulley r for actuating the chains and
counterweight t, the object of which is to counterbalance the weight of the
chain or cord n; the cliain spasses over a guide pulley u. The Drawing
represents the counterweight tat about the centre of 'the distance between
the pulleys randu, or in the proper position' for balancing the weight of the
chain or cord n-whén half out. When the chain or cord n'is raised, the
pinion on the guide pulley d gearing into the one marked q, causes the
counterweight t to approach the pulley 2, thereby decreasing the effect of
the weight in proportion to the weight of the chain wound on the barrel m.
When the chain or cord n is. lowered; the contrary action takes place.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my Invention, and tlie
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim as of my Invention,-
First, making the outer curb or guard of railway turntables of wrought-
iron plates, as described.
Secondly, rivetting or otherwise attaching thic rail on which the rollers f
run to the curbs.or guards of turntables, as described.

page_text: Thirdly, the wrought-iron girders marked i, i, for connecting the outer
ring of turntable platforms, and the beams 1, 1, for supporting the centre pin,
as described.
Fourthly, placing the fulcrum of the beam or lever of weighing cranes at
the end thereof, as described.
And, lastly, attaching the guide pulley of the cord or chain that supports
the load within the fulcrum of the beam or lever, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Irlam, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
WILLIAM IRLAM. (L.S.)