Improvements in and connected with Metallic Pavement, and the Manner of Using the same for Fixing Tramway Rails.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1893-Accepted, 13th Jan., 1894
Improvements in and connected with Metallic Pavement, and the
Manner of Using the same for Fixing Tramway Rails.
I, RIDLEY JAMES URQUHART of 57 Barton Arcade Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer, and Patent Agent, 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 metallic pavement intended.chiefly for use in connection
with tramway lines for paving along, the rails and consists in an improved
construction or arrangement of metallic paving blocks and a novel or improved
nanner of using the same for fixing tramway rails, the objects of my improvements
being chiefly to provide a durable and economical pavement along the edges of
the rails of tramways preventing the formation of ruts at their sides and to utilize
the paving blocks for fixing the rails and forming a groove for the wheel flange
without the employment of grooved rails or check rails.
On the three sheets of drawings appended hereunto
Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of my improved metallic paving blocks in
full size.
Fig. 2 a plan of their arrangement along the edges of a grooved tramway rail or
rail with check rail on a reduced scale.
Fig. 3 a section of two blocks and bedplate showing the manner of securing a
rail by their means.
The metallic pavement is formed of blocks a a' cast of iron or steel or other
tough metal which are cored out either cross ways as shown at bb or length ways
as shown ate or chambered out with openings in the ends, and filled with concrete
or equivalent material hardening under or resisting to the influence of water and
humidity. The upper and under surfaces of the blocks are formed with longi-
tudinal and cross grooves d as shown on Fig. 2 in plan or diagonal grooves and are
chamfered round the top and bottom edges affording a sure hold to the horse's
hoofs and preventing their slipping. The blocks have a scating or bedding surface
equal to their upper surface and when worn off on the upper side can be reversed,
the blocks thus being used twice over.
Fig. 2 shows a plan of the pavement along a grooved rail d', or provided with a
check rail to form a groove. The blocks are preferably placed alternately with
their long and short sides against the rail so as to be bound in with the wood or
other pavement e used. In this way an iron roadway 12 to 15 inches wide is
obtained preventing the formation of ruts along the rails which with ordinary
pavement is caused by carts and carriages of different wheel gauge proceeding
along the tramway line.
or
I utilize such metallic paving blocks for fixing the tram rails in the manner
shown in Fig. 3. Two blocks fand g of the sectional shapes shown are fixed upon
a bedplate which may be done by means of a wood plug i and screw k or by a
headed screw screwed into the bed plate and rivetted over, or any other convenient
means, the hollows in the blocks being filled afterwards in with concrete
equivalent material. The bed plate h may be of any size considered necessary, the
outline showing a suitable size for use with blocks of the size shown on
Fig. 1. These plates and twin blocks are placed at a distance of about a yard
from each other along each side of the line, and every third opposite set is

page_text: preferably connected by a tie-bar which may be a length of tee iron, rivetted to
the two plates. The rail m to be used in connection with the blocks and plates is
of the sectional shape shown on the drawing, and is fixed by means of a wooden
wedge n driven in, the plate with the blocks fġ fixed thereto forming a chair for
the rail, which is fixed without bolts; fishplates may also be dispensed with. If
the wedge shrinks through dryness it can be tightened against the rail by means
of iron wedges driven into the ends. If the top of the rail becomes worn to an
appreciable extent the rail can be easily raised by placing wood or metal packings
under it on the-bedplates.
Between the twin blocks the pavement along the rails is formed of metallic
blocks as herein before described these being made an inch to an inch and a half
deeper than the twin blocks so as to become well fixed against the foot and web of
the rail at the points A. and B. The blocks are filled with concrete or its
equivalent as described above. The rail with web A and the blocks placed along
the sanie form the groove for the wheel flange.
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. The manufacture and use of reversible hollow metallic paving blocks filled
with concrete or equivalent material substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by Figs. 1 & 2 of the drawings.
2. A metallic pavement along the sides of the rails of tramways made of
reversible hollow paving blocks filled with concrete or equivalent material
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the
drawings.
3. The manner of fixing tramway rails by means of wedges in chairs formed by
attaching two hollow metallic paving blocks to a base plate one of said blocks
being recessed at one side substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by Fig. 3 of the drawings.
4. The construction of tramway lines with flat bottomed rails having a lateral
web (A) below the head and supported in chairs formed by attaching two hollow
metallic paving blocks to a base plate and fixed therein by means of wedges, in
combination with a pavement along the sides of each rail formed of metallic
hollow paving blocks said blocks being filled with concrete or equivalent
material, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 1st day of December 1893
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,.
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.