IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Emerson Dowson and Alfred Dowson,
both of 3, Great Queen Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineers, for the Invention of “ IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Emerson Dowson
and Alfred Dowson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 26th March 1873.
WC, JOSEPH EMERSON DOWSON and ALFRED Dowson, both of 3,
Great Queen's Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRAMWAYS," to be as follows:→
The improvements relate to permanent way intended for tramways
or light railways, and consist in constructing the permanent way with
or of longitudinal bearers of metal serving as sleepers formed longitu-
dinally in halves or of two or more pieces in convenient lengths, and
rendered capable of being fitted and joined together in their longitudinal

page_text: or transverse direction by dovetails, ribs, grooves, or butt joints, and
when desired securing them when in place by bolts, clips, keys, linch
pins, or other convenient fasteners.
Also in so placing when desired said longitudinal halves or pieces in
position together that the pieces of which they are composed may break
joint or overlap one with the other, and thus form a practically con-
tinuous longitudinal bearer or sleeper capable of being laid either in a
curved or straight direction.
Also in so.constructing such bearers or sleepers. that they may be able
to receive and support on or by their upper surfaces or parts a rail or
rails, sometimes by means of convenient flanges, jaws, ribs, or by other
convenient means, retaining and holding the rail or rails which may be
formed for the purpose, and sometimes retaining and holding an ordinary
flat bottomed rail furnished with punched or drilled holes by means of
linch pins or other bolts, securing clip plates made to fit up against,
under, or within the said flanges, jaws, or ribs of the sleepers, and so
securing the rail in place, or other convenient modes of securing the rail
to the sleepers may be used.
The improvements may be performed by making the halves or pieces
of the bearers or sleepers of metal either wrought or cast, but when
cast preferably in lengths of about two or three feet, so that in addition
to the facility afforded for their manufacture and transport they may
when necessary be so placed in position as to form a longitudinal and
practically continuous bearing round curves. The bolts and fasteners
may be made of wrought iron, the keys or linches of steel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Emerson Dowson and Alfred Dowson in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Josepu
EMERSON DOWSON and ALFRED Dowson, both of 3, Great Queen's Street, 30
in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Joseph Emerson Dowson and Alfred
Dowson, Her special licence that we, the said Joseph Emerson Dowson
and Alfred Dowson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Joseph Emerson Dowson and Alfred Dowson, our
exccutors, 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 TRAMWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Joseph Emerson Dowson and Alfred Dowson, my exccu-
tors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 be filed in the Great
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Josoph Emerson Dowson and
Alfred Dowson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
:-
The improvements relate to permanent way intended for tramways or
light railways, and consist in constructing the permanent way with
or of longitudinal bearers of metal serving as sleepers formed longi-
tudinally in halves or of two or more pieces in convenient lengths and
rendered capable of being fitted and joined together in their longitudinal
or transverse direction by dovetails, ribs, grooves, or butt joints and
when desired securing them when in place by bolts, clips, keys, linch
pins, or other convenient fasteners.
Also in so placing when desired said longitudinal halves or pieces in
position together that the pieces of which they are composed may break
joint or overlap one with the other, and thus form a practically con-
tinuous longitudinal bearer or sleeper capable of being laid either in a
curved or straight direction.

page_text: Also in so constructing such bearers or sleepers that they may be able
to receive and support on or by their upper surfaces or parts a rail or
rails sometimes by means of convenient flanges, jaws, ribs, or by other
convenient means retaining and holding the rail or rails which may be
formed for the purpose, and sometimes retaining and holding an ordinary
flat bottomed rail furnished with punched or drilled holes by means
of linch pins or other bolts securing clip plates made to fit up against,
under, or within the said flanges, jaws, or ribs of the sleepers, and so
securing the rail in place, or other convenient modes of securing the rail
to the sleepers may be used.
The improvements may be performed by making the halves or pieces
of the bearers or sleepers of metal cither wrought or cast, but when cast
preferably in lengths of about two or three fect so that in addition to
the facility afforded for their manufacture and transport they may when
necessary be so placed in position as to form a longitudinal and prac-
tically continuous bearing round curves. The bolts and fasteners may
be made of wrought-iron, the keys or linches of steel.
The accompanying Drawings No. 1 and 2 will serve in further
explanation of the mode in which our Invention may be conveniently
carried into effect, but it is to be understood that these are illustrative
only, and are not to be considered as limiting the Invention, and
specially not to the exact shapes of the bearers nor the precise modes
of joining or connecting them together, as the said shapes and modes of
joining or connecting the bearers will evidently admit of considerable
variation.
The Drawing No. 1 represents plan, elevation, and sections of one
form of our improved permanent way for tramways.
M, M, are iron longitudinal bearers or pieces cast in suitable lengths,
and intended to be used so that the end portions of their lengths may
lie or be placed alongside of the end portions of the adjoining lengths,
the several pieces or halves forming a practically continuous sleeper with
top flanges or rail carriers and bottom flanges or feet at parts on one
side only, at parts on the other side only, and at parts on both sides, as
shewn by the transverse sections at A, A, B, B, and C, C. N is the
rail having holes to receive pins O, O, with cotters P, P, securing the
rail in place; Q, Q, are bolts for connecting the halves or pieces M
together. The overlapping of the halves or pieces may be extended or
shortened as desired.

page_text: The Drawing No. 2 represents another form of our improved permanent
way for tramways in which the bearers or pieces are provided at the ends
with jaws for holding the rail down upon its seat, the fastening which
is employed to connect the bearers or pieces together serving also to pull
the jaws together, so that the inclined surfaces with which they are
furnished may effectively clip and secure the rail. The Figures repro-
sent an elevation, a plan, and two cross sections. One of these at A, A,
is taken through the body of the bearer, the other at B, B, through the
ends showing the joint or connection of two lengths. In this Drawing
the body of the bearer is marked m, consisting of a web, top flange,
bottom flange, and gusset ribs. n, n, are seatings at intervals for the
rail or a continuous packing of felt or other material to prevent
vibration may be substituted. o, o, are sockets for the connecting pin p;
2, 9, are studs or projections at the bottom; 8, 8, are the jaws for holding
the rail, the cotter & serving to draw these together and pull down the
rail to its proper seat.
The arrangement represented also conveniently provides for laying in
curves.
We would remark that the mode of securing the rail by pin and
cotter, as represented in Drawing No. 1, is applicable to the bearers or
picces represented in Drawing No. 2, and that the mode of securing the
rail by jaws as represented in Drawing No. 2, is applicable to the
bearers or pieces represented in Drawing No. 1.
And further that the bearers shewn on both Drawings may for
purposes of economy be lightened by perforating the web and making
the flanges to vary in shape and width.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Emerson Dowson and
Alfred Dowson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
JOSEPH EMERSON DOWSON. (L.S.)