IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS, AND OF THE CARRIAGES TO RUN THEREON
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Curtis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
September 1872.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH CURTIS, of Holloway, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
AND TRAMWAYS, AND OF THE CARRIAGES TO RUN THEREON," to be as
follows:
—
The main object of my Invention is to construct carriages, more
particularly the wheels of carriages, to run on tramways or railways,
in such a manner that they may be transferred from the tramway to
the ordinary road, and vice versa with great facility. Another object is
to secure the rails in such a manner that their ends may be held down
and prevented from rising in their seat and causing unpleasant shocks
as the wheels roll over them.
My improved mode of fastening the rails of railways or tramways,
consists in cutting a mortice or groove in both the ends of the rails, in
such a manner that these mortices or grooves will exactly correspond
with each other, when the ends of the rails are placed in juxtaposition.

page_text: A cross bolt is then introduced into the mortice. The body of this bolt
may either be square or flattened, so that the cross section thereof will
be a parallelogram. When the bolt is inserted between two rails it
becomes a tongue or feather which will prevent either rail from being
raised or depressed as the load passes over it. Two plates or fishes may
be provided, one for each side, and which if desired may be long enough
to take a bearing on each side of the tongue bolt. By this mode of
fastening rails it will be evident that if the screws should become loose
the rail ends will still be safely held, but the traffic over the rails will
have no tendency to loosen the screws, and therefore the permanent
way will be safer and more even than heretofore.
This improvement is applicable to the permanent way of railways as
well as to tramways. The carriages employed to run on these tramways
are provided with wheels which have a tire of peculiar form, so as to
admit of their running either on rails or on a common-roadway.
The tire of the wheel may be made with a flange adapted for the
rail or tramway, and with an even surface. adapted to run on the
common road. This is effected by forming the periphery or tire of the
wheel conical. The edge of the conical wheel when inclined inwards,
runs in the groove of the tram, and when inclining outwards it runs
on the road like an ordinary waggon wheel, the change being effected
by means of levers (or their mechanical equivalent) which are under
the control of the driver. Or the inner edge of the tire may be made
with a flange, and the portion of the surface next the flange is bevilled
down or cut away at an angle, so that when the wheel is in position on
the tram this part of the tread corresponds with the tram, and the
wheel assumes the character of a railway or tramway wheel, but when
the position of the wheel is reversed, the outer portion of the tire or
tread of the wheel corresponds with the level surface of the road
in the same way as an ordinary carriage or waggon wheel. The
running wheels are loose upon their axles, which are cranked or bent
at an angle with the shaft or axletree, which is capable of revolving
with the wheels, unless its rotation is stopped by means of a latch or
lever which catches. hold of studs upon a central wheel fixed on the
shaft or axletree. These studs are so fixed on the side of this central
wheel that when held by the latch or lever (under the command of
the driver) the cranked axles of the running wheels are made to
point either upwards or downwards as may be required. If the axles

page_text: are bent upwards they will incline the wheels inwards, and cause the
flange to be in contact with the rails, and thus make. the carriage act
as a tram or railway carriage. When the position of the axle is
reversed and the cranks point downwards the wheels will be inclined
outwards, and the outer portions of the tire or tread of the wheels will
bear the load in the same way as an ordinary waggon wheel. The
same object may be effected by the wheels being fixed on their axles
in the manner of ordinary railway wheels, the inclination being
produced by a crank or other equivalent device being made to raise
or depress the inner ends of the shafts.
In wheels supplied with shifting flanges the flanges may be raised
or depressed by the same description of apparatus.
Another modification is to employ two sets of wheels, ordinary flanged
railway wheels and axles being hung or placed within the road
wheels. The latter are hung upon cranked axles, so that when the
carriage is upon the road the base is enlarged, and the carriage is
preserved from the irregularity and unevenness of the road. The axles
of both sets of wheels are so connected together that when the carriage'
travels upon the road the railway wheels are suspended above the road,"
and when the carriage travels on the rail or tramway the road wheels
(by means of the cranked axles) are drawn or lifted off the road, and
are borne by the railway wheels. This change is effected by means of a
capstan or other equivalent means, and by the side of the railway rails.
an inclined plane is formed, so that the change can be made by simply
pushing the carriage along the line of rails.
My next improvement relates to
an arrangement whereby the
momentum overcome in retarding or stopping the carriage is made'
available for starting the carriage de novo. This object is effected by
placing between the wheels of the tramway or railway carriage a
shaft on which excentric wheels are hung, and which wheels when
depressed come into contact with the rails and are turned round, and by
reason of their excentricity the carriage is lifted, and a considerable
portion of the load is transferred from the ordinary wheels, and thus
the centre of gravity of the load is raised. The excentric wheels
revolve until they have passed a short distance beyond the centre of the
axis of the shaft, when their further movement is stopped by the
stud fixed upon the side of the centre wheel or pulley, fixed on the

page_text: shaft or axletree, as already explained, and which stud is held by the
latch or lever under the control of the driver by means of a rod
communicating with a crank treadle.
When it is necessary to release the excentric wheels the driver puts
his foot on the treadle, and thus raises the latch off the stud, then the
weight of the carriage descends and causes the excentric wheel to
revolve, and thus give motion per se to the carriage.
The same object may be effected by a double-ended wedge placed
before the wheels of the carriage; the momentum of the carriage causes
it to run up the wedge until it has passed the apex, when its further
progress over the wedge is stopped by a chain fixed to the body of the
carriage. The further progress of the carriage along the road causes
it to skid along with the wedge in the same way as a skid or shoe of
an ordinary coach, until the carriage is brought to a stop. When it
is desired to start de novo the chain is released, and the carriage rolls
down the opposite incline of the wedge, and is thus again started.
The double inclined wedge or retarder is applied to the wheel or wheels,
and kept in contact with the wheel by means of an india-rubber or
other spring, studs being connected with it whereby its position is
retarted, either under the wheel to retard or start the carriage, or as in
the former instance.
Another method is to fix a cog wheel upon the revolving axle of the
carriage, or to fix it on the back of the nave of the wheel.
This cog
wheel works into another wheel (of larger diameter) upon the axle of
which a pinion is fixed. This pinion is (by-means of a rod and lever
worked by the driver) brought into contact with one side of a double
rack, the carriage is raised, resistance is made to the revolution of the
wheel, and the carriage is retarded or stopped. Then by a reverse.
movement the driver brings the other rack into gear with the pinion,
the weight or centre of gravity of the carriage descends and turns the
carriage wheels, and the carriage is again set in motion.