Improvements in Recreation Railways and Plateways and Cars be Employed thereon.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 30th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Recreation Railways and Plateways and Cars
be Employed thereon.
1, JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS, of 68 Bridge Street, Birkenhead, in the County
of Chester, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
According to my Invention I construct a railway, or plateway in a circular, or other
form, arranged in single, or multiple form in concentric, straight, or curved ways and
single or in tiers. The railway has level and undulating surfaces, or undulating
surfaces only and is provided with cars driven by the feet, or hands of the occupant,
or occupants, in such a manner as to drive the cars on the level surface, or surfaces
and so gain sufficient impetus to pass over the undulating way, or ways, or to gain
an impetus to ascend the rise of the undulating ways. The cars are in the form of
velocipedes, so that the occupant can propel the car on the level way and so gain an
impetus to pass over the undulating way, or can help the car up the rise of the
undulating way. The ways may also be provided with hand ropes whereby the
occupant may assist the car up the rise of the undulating way. The ways may be
formed of rails of any suitable section, or of plates, and there may be provided
horizontal, or other rails, or plates which serve as safety rails to take wheels provided
on the car for that purpose. A suitable form of way for example consists of two side
rails and a central plateway; the side rails take the bearing wheels of the car and
the centre plateway takes the driving wheel, or wheels of the car. The car being
formed for example as a bicycle, or tricycle provided with additional and flanged
wheels to run on the rails, the ordinary bicycle, or tricycle wheel, or wheels being
arranged to run on the plateway and serve to drive the car.
The cars are provided with brakes and buffers and may be run singly, or in trains.
Dated this 2011 have of Amount 1007

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Recreation Railways and Plateways and Cars to
be Employed thereon.
I, JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS, of 68, Bridge Street, Birkenhead, in the County
of Chester, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
According to my Invention, I construct a railway, or plateway in a circular, or
other form, arranged in single, or multiple form in concentric, straight, or curved
ways and single, or in tiers. The railway has level and undulating surfaces, or
undulating surfaces only and is provided with cars driven by the feet, or hands of the
occupant, or occupants, in such a manner as to drive the cars on the level surface, or
surfaces and so gain sufficient impetus to pass over the undulating way, or ways, or to
gain an impetus to ascend the rise of the undulating ways. The cars are in the form
of velocipedes so that the occupants can propel the car on the level way and so gain
an impetus to pass over the undulating way, or can help the car up the rise of the
undulating way. The ways may also be provided with hand ropes whereby the
occupants may assist the car up the rise of the undulating way. The ways may be
formed of rails of any suitable section, or of plates.
In order that my Invention may be clearly understood I have hereunto annexed
four sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof showing examples of my improvements.
The Drawings are marked with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those used in the following description and like letters and figures are used to denote
the same, or corresponding parts throughout the several views and Figures.

page_text: According to my Invention I construct a railway, or plateway, with level and
undulating surfaces and I use thereon velocipede cars. For example, the railway
may have level and undulating surfaces as shown at Figure 1, or undulating
surfaces only namely a lovel surface a an incline b, level surface a¹ and depression c,
which may be repeated according to the length of the railway-The railway is
supported on a suitable framework A such as shown at Figures 2, 3, and 4 and
may consist of a single track or multiple tracks B which may be of endless form,
for example the tracks B may be constructed in tiers one above the other as shown
at Figure 5, or they may be constructed concentrically one within the other as
shown at Figure 6, or in parallel lengths with end loops as shown at Figure 7.
It being understood that the track B has level and undulating surfaces such as
shown at Figure 1. The cars to be used on the tracks B are constructed in the
form of velocipedes. For example as shown in Figures 8 and 9, or 10 and 11,
the car shown in Figures 8 and 9 is provided with four flanged wheels d which
run on the rails e of the track B. These wheels d are fixed on their axles f and
the axles are driven by means of gripping devices which may take the form
of pawl and ratchet devices of any known kind, but preferably constructed as
described in a formor Patent granted to me No. 655887. The axle fruus free in
the device h, but if the speed of the device his greater than the axle f, it engages
with and drives the axle f. The device is driven by an endless chain from a
chain wheel i, the axle of which runs in bearings in the supporting brackets k¹.
The axle is driven by treadles 7, the driver being seated on the adjustable saddle m.
The car is constructed for eight persons to work the wheels, the gear, or gripping
devices being made to work in reverse directions, so that two persons in front
and two behind can work the same axle in one direction. In the example of car
shown at Figures 10 and 11 the car is arranged for the occupants to drive the wheels
direct. The axle f of the wheel is hollow and the treadle axle
passes through the
axle and gears by the pin on the treadle with the gripping device which
engages with and drives the axle f of the wheels d. Saddles m are provided for the
drivers and seats w for the non drivers, in both the examples shown, and the cars are
provided with brakes which may be of the kind used on like railways.
In my Provisional Specification I have described a form of railway having two
side rails and a central plateway the driving wheels acting on the plateway, but I have
since found that for heavy cars, it is better for the driving wheels to act on the side
rails and to dispense with the central plateway, but for light cars and single users a
central plateway may be used for the driving wheels and the side rails used only for
wheels to steady the car.
In use the cars are propelled on the level surfaces of the track by the occupants or
some of them, by means of the treadles and in running down the inclines of the track
the cars gain impetus to ascend the rising surfaces of the undulations of the track.
Hand ropes such as shown at s Figure 5 may also be made use of to assist in ascend-
ing the inclines. By reason of the axles of the wheels being driven by the gripping
devices any, or all of the persons driving the car can rest, as if the drivers stop
working, the axles run free without the treadles working.
Recreation railways constructed according to my Invention can be used simply for
recreation purposes, or for competative trials of skill, or speed in the form of racing.
In this latter case concentric tracks, or parralel tracks are used, or the competitors
are timed on single tracks.
Although I have shown a railway according to my Invention provided with two
side rails forming a track and cars to work thereon provided with treadles applied to
work the carrying wheels, I would have it understood that the form of track the
dimensions of the undulations and the construction of the cars are capable of various
modifications without departing from my Invention, for instance ordinary velocipedes
may be used to run on the way, additional wheels being provided to keep them on
the track. The railway can also be constructed in sections so as to be portable; in
erection these sections are bolted, or otherwise connected together and supported on
trestles.

page_text: 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
First. A recreation plant consisting of a railway, or plateway of single, or multiple
track, having level and undulating surfaces, or undulating surfaces only and a car,
or cars constructed as velocipedes to be driven, or run thereon, substantially as set
forth.
Second. A car for use on recreation railways consisting of a body, having wheels
constructed to track on the railway and to be driven by the occupants substantially as
set forth.
Third. A car for use on recreation railways consisting of a body, having wheels
constructed to track on the railway and to be driven by the occupants, said wheels
being driven by treadles through friction ratchet, or equivalent engaging devices,
substantially as set forth.