Year: 1897

page_text: mprov
I, JAMES H. NICHOL, residing at corner of Federal and Delaware Streets,
Camden, New Jersey, United States of America, Civil 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: -
On many railways the roadbed is composed of fine material, such as gravel and
sand, and, in some instances, cinder, coal dirt and ordinary earth. Rapidly
moving trains, in dry weather, raise clouds of dust from such roadbeds, which dust
is very disagreeable to travelers and also destructive to rolling stock, as it cuts
into the journals and bearings of the locomotives and cars. The chief object of
my invention is to prevent. dust on railways ballasted with fine material, such as
gravel, sand, cinder from either bituminous or anthracite coal, and the like. This
object I accomplish by treating the superficial layer of the roadbed or ballast with
a heavy oil, such as some of the petroleum products, sufficient oil being used to
cause the particles to cohere more or less and prevent them from being raised by
the currents of air created by trains. Other objects I have in view are the pre-
servation of the cross-ties, the prevention of vegetation, and the protection of the
ballast and roadbed from rain water.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shown in Fig. 1 a section of double-track
railway through a cut, and in Fig. 2 a section of single-track railway, to illustrâte
my method of treatment. In this drawing A indicates the cross-ties, B the ballast,
C the roadbed proper, and D slopes of the cut.
In carrying out my invention, I preferably apply the oil to the surfaces under
treatment by sprinkling it from a tank car. Any suitable apparatus may be used
for this purpose. I use an oil which will not evaporate readily, such as some of
the cheap and heavy petroleum products, and I apply it in sufficient quantity to
cause the particles of the superficial layer of ballast and roadbed to cohere, thus
forming a mat or covering which prevents the dust underneath from rising. The
oil is sprayed uniformly over the ballast and the ties and such oil as falls on the
ties tends to shed the water from them and to preserve them. The water is also
shed from the surface of the ballast by the oil layer on top, thus keeping the ballast
in better condition in wet weather and preventing the water from soaking through
the ballast to the lower portion of the ties. My invention, furthermore, prevents

page_text: the growth of vegetation, which is troublesome upon all railways and particularly
so upon those in locations where sand and gravel are used for ballast.
In cases where the side banks are sandy or likely to become dusty in Summer,
it is sometimes advisable to treat their surfaces also with oil as above described.
In the accompanying drawings E-indicates the-superficial layer which has been
treated with oil.
I am aware that water has been sprinkled upon streets and highways for the
purpose of preventing dust, but the water does not form a permanent mixture or
composition with the material of the street or highway, its effect being of a tem-
porary nature; on the other hand, I form a fixed or permanent composition of oil
and the fine material of the roadway, differing in its nature as well as in its objects
and effects from the water sprinkled surfaces. In fact, one of the objects of the
invention is to throw off water in order to aid in the preservation of the roadbed
and ties. The mixture of oil and fine material produced does not bake or become
hard, but the oil retains its moist condition and the ballast can be worked as readily
in surfacing the track or renewing cross-ties as it could if the cil were not applied.
In the following claims, the term "roadbed" will be considered as including the
ballast and the exposed portions of the adjacent roadbed which are subject to the
air currents created by moving trains.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
-
1. A railway roadbed of fine material, such as gravel, sand, or cinder from
bituminous or anthracite coal, having its surface treated with oil as and for the
purpose set forth.
2. A railway roadbed and track having the exposed surfaces of the roadbed and
ties treated with oil as and for the purpose set forth.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.