IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES IN ORDER TO STOP THEM, AND ALSO TO PREVENT THEIR RUNNING OFF THE RAILS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BOYDELL junior, late of Dee Cottage, in the County of Flint, but now of
Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester, Iron Master, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Second day of November, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Boydell, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Boydell, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Boydell, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY AND OTHER
CARRIAGES IN ORDER TO STOP THEM, AND ALSO TO PREVENT THEIR RUNNING OFF
THE RAILS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that
I, the said James Boydell, shall cause a particular description of the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Boydell, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the manner

page_text: and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the Figures and letters marked thereon (that is
to say):
My Invention relates,-
First, to the application of apparatus acting by lever pressure on the rails,
and thus offering retarding means to stop railway and locomotive carriages,
trucks, and other carriages on railways.
5
And, secondly, my Invention relates to a mode of connecting locomotive
and railway carriages and trucks into trains on railways, whereby they are 1
rendered more secure from running off the rails. And, in order to give the
best information in my power, I-will-proceed-to explain the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a side view and Figure 2 a plan of a part of a train of 1
carriages, as will enable me to explain my Invention. In the Drawing there
is only so much of the framing and parts of carriages shewn as 'will bo
required to point out the nature and mode of applying my improvements.
a is a lever moving on an axis at 6, which is carried by a projection affixed to
the framing of a railway carriage, or it might be to a truck, or to a locomotive 2
engine or carriage, on a railway. At the lower part of the lever a, the lever is
enlarged, as is shewn, and embraces the rail; and I prefer that the under
Surface which comes against the rail should be lined with wood, in order to its
offering greater friction. c is a connecting rod which connects the upper end
of the lever a with the end of the arm d affixed on the axis e; and f is a lever 2
also affixed to the axis e. By this arrangement the lever à can be depressed
on to the rail, and offer more or less pressure thereon as the lever f is more or
less pressed on, and consequently offer a means of retarding and stopping of
the carriages. And I prefer this arrangement of apparatus to those now used,
which act on the surface of the wheels of the carriages.
8
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention. g, g, are
a'series of bars by which 'I'connect the various carriages of a railway train one
to another. "These bars "move on a pin h, there being a "slit formed in each
bar through which the pin passes, and one such pin is affixed in the centre of
each carriage, as is shewn. By this arrangement the bars g can move a short 3
distance, and thus allow of the train of carriages passing round curves; and
the slots in the bars g should be of such a length as to allow of a train passing
readily round a curve of the shortest radius of the line of railway along which

page_text: the train is to travel. In other respects the bars 9, 9, of a series of carriages,
when connected together, will act as a continuous bar, and in most cases
prevent the carriages getting off the rails; but should one carriage run off the
rails it will be prevented running at any considerable angle to the rails, as the
other carriages by their bars 9 will prevent one carriage moving off from the
others to any considerable extent; consequently, one carriage being forced off
the rail, it could not get off to that extent as to run off an embankment. The
bars 9 are connected together at their ends by pins i, as is shewn, and the
locomotive carriage need not have the bars 9, 9, applied thereto, but only
means of connecting it with the ends of the bars g of the next carriage. The
bars 9 are kept separate towards the ends of each carriage, but are capable
of a sliding movement through the opening in which they are contained, as
is shewn.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangement herein described, provided tho
general character of the Invention be retained. But what I claim as the
Invention secured by the above-recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the mode of applying apparatus acting by lever pressure on rails as a
means of stopping carriages, as herein described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of applying bars g to prevent carriages running
off the rails of railways, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Boydell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one