Year: 1887

page_text: 1, ALFRED BARNES PICKARD of 12 Heaton Grove, Bradford, Yorkshire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the class of railways for popular amusement in which a car
descends an undulating course by gravity and subsequently ascends a similar course
by the momentum acquired in the down course. Hitherto these railways have been
constructed of comparatively heavy timber frames permanently secured to the ground
so as to be fixtures; now by my improvements I propose to make such a railway
portable or semi-portable.
:
I employ by preference an iron or steel framework although the same principle of
construction may be carried out in woodwork if preferred; I will however describe
here the metal construction. I prefer to use H or double channel section and place
upright posts at suitable distances apart and of varying height to suit the undulations
to be given to the track these posts may be carried up above the track to support a
hand-rail preferably made of wood in lengths whose joints occur at some of the posts
so as to make one joint do for connecting two lengths of wood and also connecting
the hand-rail with the post. The posts may be secured at the bottom in cast-iron or
other foot steps fixed to baulks of timber or cross girders which can lie upon the
ground or may preferably be buried to a small depth. The posts may be connected
in pairs or sets by cross girders to which the rails upon which the cars run are fixed
the rails serving as ties to connect each pair or set of posts and connected framing
thus dispensing with much expensive longitudinal tieing which would otherwise be
necessary. The rails are therefore made of sufficiently heavy section to support the
weight of the car and for this purpose I prefer to use the double or single channel
section for the rails which are connected by transverse ties preferably of flat bars
rounded and screwed at the ends and secured by nuts to the rails. Upon these flat
bars I secure the guard rails (preferably of wood or angle iron) and central

page_text: stringers and underneath and resting upon the lower flange of the rail 1 place
flooring boards which may also be placed on each side of the track, or may be carried
underneath it.
Connected to each pair of posts at its lower ends and to the cross girders at its
upper end I place an arch or frame strut to strengthen the whole.
As the tracks are generally arranged in pairs for taking the traffic in opposite
directions only three posts may generally be used for each complete supporting frame
or trestle the central post doing double duty.
Any required cross or other ties can of course be used and various forms of
connecting joints. When the apparatus is made of wood the rails would still be
caused to perform the duty of connecting the frames and they might be made of wood
faced with metal and supported if required or entirely of metal.
Dated this 14th day of December 1887.

page_text: 1, ALFRED BARNES PICKARD of 12 Heaton Grove, Bradford, Yorkshire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to the class of railways for popular amusement in which a car
descends an undulating course by gravity and subsequently ascends a similar course
by the momentum acquired in the down course. Hitherto these railways have been
constructed of comparatively heavy timber frames permanently secured to the ground
so as to be fixtures; now by my improvements I propose to make such a railway
portable or semi-portable.
I employ by preference an iron or steel framework although the same principle of
construction may be carried out in woodwork if preferred; I will however describe
here the metal construction. I prefer to use H or double channel section and place
upright posts at suitable distances apart and of varying height to suit the undulations
to be given to the track: these posts may be carried up above the track to support a
hand-rail preferably made of wood in lengths whose joints occur at some of the posts
so as to make one joint do for connecting two lengths of wood and also connecting
the hand-rail with the post. The posts may be secured at the bottom in cast-iron or
other foot steps fixed to baulks of timber or cross girders which can lie upon the
ground or may preferably be buried to a small depth. The posts may be connected
in pairs or sets by cross girders to which the rails upon which the cars run are fixed
the rails serving as ties to connect each pair or set of posts and connected framing
thus dispensing with much expensive longitudinal tieing which would otherwise be
necessary. The rails are therefore made of sufficiently heavy section to support the
weight of the car and for this purpose I prefer to use the double or single channel
section for the rails which are connected by transverse ties preferably of flat bars
rounded and screwed at the ends and secured by nuts to the rails. Upon these flat
bars I secure the guard rails (preferably of wood or angle iron) and underneath and
resting upon the lower flange of the rail I place flooring boards which may also be
placed on each side of the track, or may be carried underneath it.
Connected to each pair of posts at its lower ends and to the cross girders at its
upper end I place an arch or frame strut to strengthen the whole.
As the tracks are generally arranged in pairs for taking the traffic in opposite
directions only three posts may generally be used for each complete supporting frame
or trestle the central post doing double duty.
Any required cross or other ties can of course be used and various forms of
connecting joints. When the apparatus is made of wood the rails would still be
caused to perform the duty of connecting the frames and they might be made of wood
faced with metal and supported if required or entirely of metal.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings figs. 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a plan, a side
elevation and a transverse section of a portion of a switchback railway constructed
according to my invention and fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the same
constructed according to a modification of my said invention.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
As will be seen by reference to fig. 3 each of the supporting frames A on which the
double track is carried is constructed with three uprights A which may be of Hor
double channel section but which on the accompanying drawings are represented as of
single channel section. To the lower end of each of these uprights is rivetted or
otherwise suitably secured a shoc A2 by. means of which the said uprights may be
attached to the sill C which it is intended shall be embedded in the ground in a
direction transverse to the length of the track. To and near the upper ends of the
uprights A are secured brackets A³ on each pair of which is secured by bolts and
nuts Da transverse or cross single channel section girder D, holts and nuts D² also
securing the said girders D directly to the uprights A. At about midway between
the ground and the cross girder DI provide the tubular distanco piece E through
which passes the bolt E the screwed ends of which pass through the webs of the
uprights and the nuts E2 on which screwed ends draw the said uprights tightly against
the outer ends of the tube E. The bolt E¹ of this distance piece may with the bolts
and nuts F serve to support the lower ends of the arch or frame strut F the crown
or upper flat part of which is secured by bolts and nuts F2 or otherwise to the
underside of the cross girder D.
The rails G upon which the cars or carriages travel and which form the only
substantial connections between the supporting frames A can be secured by the
chairs G¹ to the cross girders D or they can be bolted direct on to the girders D the
upper flange of each of which is preferably set up or down as shown on Fig. 2 so as
to conform to the particular sweep of and give a good bearing surface for the track G
at the part where it crosses such girder. Each line of rail G is connected to the
other by the transverse tie bars or rods H each of which at its ends is shouldered
down and the reduced portions of which are screw threaded and pass through the
webs of the rails and at the outer side thereof are provided with nuts H' for drawing
the said rails tightly against the shoulders. To the top side of these bars H I secure
by bolts and nuts I or otherwise the angle-iron guard rails I and these bars
at the station ends of the track serve to carry the dog rails L fig. 1 with which engage
the pawls of the cars to prevent them from accidentally running back down the
incline.
The hand rails J may either be supported in vertical prolongations of the uprights A¹
or as shown in the drawings in standards J₁ the lower end of each of which fits into a
hole formed in the upper flange of one of the cross girders D and is secured therein
by any suitable means such as a screwed nut as shown at K Fig. 3.
As will be obvious flooring boards may easily be laid between the rails G by
resting their ends on the lower flanges of such rails and other flooring boards if
necessary may be placed on each side of the track a suitable way to support them
being to rest their ends on the cross girders D and where requisite to provide other
supports for preventing them from sagging; I however prefer to substitute for such
flooring boards a flooring of canvas, or equivalent material which may if necessary be
applied in strips each strip being secured to the hand rails J and passing beneath the
track. The said canvas may be held distended by means of ropes or by metal rods or
tubing passing as shown at B fig. 1 from the upper end of one upright A to that of
the next and so on thus providing a canvas flooring which follows the curves of the
rails. If necessary however the said canvas flooring as shown at B¹ fig. 1 may
pass from side to side of the track without extending up the sides, the edges of such.
flooring being secured to rods or tubes such as B or in any other convenient
manner.
In the accompanying drawings the double tracked railway is represented as
supported on frames having each three uprights this being an economical manner of
employing the central upright for taking part of the weight of each track, but it

page_text: will be obvious that where the two tracks are desired at a greater distance apart
or for other reason each frame for supporting each track may be formed with two
uprights.
At fig. 4 the girders represented are of lattice construction and as in the preceding
example serve as the track rails but besides this they also constitute the main portion
of the whole structure. These girders are provided with transverse tie bars H and
guard rails I in a manner similar to the preceding example. This construction of
girder or that of a girder built up for example after the manner of roofing frames
which construction I may also employ admits of the use of simple supporting columns
or uprights such as M at greater distances apart than with a rolled iron or other such
joist or girder, such supporting columns being preferably applied at the springing at
the curves or undulations of the track but if necessary others may be provided between
those at such points.
I desire it to be understood that although I have herein described and on the
accompanying drawings I have illustrated a particular manner of carrying my
invention into practice I may in many ways vary the construction of the apparatus
so described and illustrated without departing from the essential features of my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is -
1. In a switchback or similar railway a rail such as G which besides serving as the
track rail also serves as a girder to connect the supporting frames of the structure
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a switchback or similar railway the combination with the double purpose
rails G of tie rods such as H which besides securing the rails at proper distances apart
also carry the guard and dog rails substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a switchback or similar railway the combination with the track of canvas or
equivalent material for the flooring substantially as described.
4. In a switchback or similar railway a lattice or built up girder which besides
constituting the main portion of the whole structure also serves as the track or rail
upon which the cars run substantially as described and illustrated in figure 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of October 1888.