CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND CARRIAGES
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MELVILLE, of Upper Harley Street, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great.
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of July,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Melville, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial license, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Melville, my exors,
adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Melville, my exors,
adiñors, 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 "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND
CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said John Melville, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an.
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme
diately 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Melville, have ascertained and set forth the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, in and by the following
description, and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had to
the figures and letters marked thereon, observing that where two or more
views are given of the same object, the same letters indicate the same parts
in each.
Under the first head of my Invention, viz, that which relates to the con-
struction of railways, the improvement consists in forming a continuous
longitudinal bearing or sleeper of cast-iron tubes, of circular or elliptical
section, connected together by bolts and flanges, and having along the upper
side a rib or a channel to which rails of wrought iron, of certain peculiar
forms, are connected in any suitable manner.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, represent a sleeper and rail of one of my improved
modes of construction, Figure 1 being a transverse section; Figure 2, longi-
tudinal elevation; and Figure 3 a plan. a, a, are the tubes bolted together
at the flanges b, b; and c is a channel to receive the wrought iron T-shaped
rail d; and e is a taper key, by which the rail is secured to the sleeper.
Figure 4 represents another construction of sleeper and rail. a is a trans-
verse section of the tubular sleeper, having a rib c extending along the upper
surface, and d is a wrought-iron rail, in the form of an inverted trough, which
fits on to the rib, and is secured thereto in any suitable manner. In both
constructions the wrought-iron rails should be so applied to the sleeper
that the joints of the rails should not coincide with those of the sleepers.
These tubular sleepers may perhaps form a channel for communicating
orally, or by the clectric wires along the linc. Under that bead of my
Invention which relates to locomotives, the improvement consists in coating
the periphery of the driving wheels with a thin stratum or film of some
suitable viscous or adhesive substance, upon which may be spread some gritty
or carthy material in order to increase the bite or adhesion of the wheels to
the rail. The adhesive materials which I prefer are Bastenne tar or Jeffery's
marine glue. The periphery of the wheel being heated the tar may be
applied to it in a fluid state by a brush, but the marine glue is best spread
over the heated surface of the rim of the wheel by means of a hot iron.
The gritty or earthy materials must be spread over and pressed down upon
the adhesive material whilst the latter is soft. It will be advantageous to
roughen the periphery of the wheel transversely before applying the adhesive
matter.
My improvements in the construction of railway carriages relate to the'

page_text: wheels, to the buffers, to the supporting springs, to the connecting links, and
to the retarding apparatus.
Figures 5 and 6 exhibit ny improvement in the construction of railway
wheels, which has for its object the diminution of concussion or vibration.
Figure 5 is a back elevation of the rim of a wheel with a portion of it
removed, and Figure 6 a cross section. a is the felloe, the periphery of
which is covered with a layer 6 of any suitable fibrous material, as coir or
woollen fabric, or with cork or india rubber, secured by two thin bands of
iron c, c, applied one over the other. Another layer d of the materials before
mentioned is then applied over the iron bands until the wheel will just fit
into the tire e, which is put on from the outside or face of the wheel, and
which, besides the guide flange on the inner edge, has a flange e' on the
outer edge, standing upwards or pointing towards the centre of the wheel.
A number of iron wedges are then driven in between the two bands of iron
to compress the fibrous or other material, and in the open spaces between the
wedges segments of wood f are inserted and the iron wedges are withdrawn.
A flat ring. is then applied to the inner face of the felloe and secured
to the outer flange of the tire by bolts h passing through the space between
the iron bands, whereby the felloe and tire are firmly attached to each
other.
Figures 7, 8, and 9, represent one of my improved buffers; Figure 7 being
a longitudinal clevation partly in section; Figure 8, a back clevation of the
buffer head; and Figure 9, an end elevation of the buffer springs with the
buffer head removed. a, a, and b, b, are two sets, consisting of any number
of circular steel springs placed alternately one within the other, so as to stand
in two planes at right angles. They are placed in two cross grooves cut in a
cylinder of wood c, to the base of which they are attached by a bolt d.
e is the buffer head, having a short cylinder or socket e' attached to it, which
slides over the cylinder c, and having also a transverse bar f, which bears
upon the largest of the springs, and when the buffer head is forced in, two or
more of the springs, according to the pressure, are in succession brought into
contact.
Figure 10 is a side clevation, partly in section, and Figure 11 is an
end section of one of my improved supporting springs. a, a, is a series
of cylindrical steel springs attached below to the box or case b, which is
connected to the axle of the carriage, and is an inverted case or box
attached to the carriage, and supported upon the springs. The box o
descends partly within the box b, and there is a small space between tho
two to allow. a slight degree of lateral and end motion, small springs d, d,

page_text: being attached to the box c to prevent concussion. The boxes are prevented
from separating by the bolts e, e. In lieu of the steel springs a, a,
I sonie-
times employ the kind of spring represented in Figures 12 and 13, which is
composed of a spiral coil of coir fabric a, crossed by an elastic band b, and
having or not the central aperture filled up with a block of vulcanised
caoutchouc. Instead of the transverse band the coil of coir fabric may be
encompassed by a single coil of spring steel.
Figure 14 is a Jongitudinal elevation, partly in section, of my improved
connecting link, the object of which is to support the carriage in the event of
a wheel or an axle breaking; and Figures 15 and 16 shew some of the parts
letached. a, a, are two vertical bars or cross heads connected by hinge joints
to the draw bars b, b'. c is a cross head fixed upon the screw d, and connected
by hinge joint e to the piece a, and f is a cross head fixed upon the cylindrical
rod g; and -connected. by a hinge joint e¹ to the other cross piece a¹. The
rod g has a cylindrical shoulder h accurately fitting a cylindrical tube k; -in
which it can move to and fro, but is prevented quitting the tube by the cap m.
The screw & works in a nut in the tube k, which, being turned by the lover n,
draws the carriages together until the buffer heads are brought into contact, in
which state they continue, as the arrangement_allows the carriages to approach
within certain limits, but not to separate so far as to separate the buffers.
o, o, and o', o¹, are studs screwing into the cross heads c and f, and which are
adjusted by the screws cut on them so as to stand nearly in contact with the
cross heads a and a respectively. From this description it will be seen that
the connecting link, notwithstanding its sliding motion, may be considered
as a rigid bar; should therefore a wheel or an axle of either of two carriages
:so connected break, one arm of the cross head c would press against the
cross bar a, and one arm of the cross head of would press against the cross
head a', and the carriage would thereby be prevented from falling.
Figure 15 shews an improved break. a is a shaft extending across the
frame of the carriage, and having at or near each end of a crank b, from which
is suspended by a link c, a break d having flanges at the lower edges to clip
the rail. On one end of the shaft is fixed an arm e, which is connected by a
link to a screw f', whereby it can be moved so as to force the break into
close contact with the rail, or to lift the break off the rail. The break is main-
tained parallel to the rail by the parallel motion 9, 9, and is guided in its
movement by a radius rod h. The part of the break which comes into contact
with the rail should be arranged so as to admit of renewal when required.
Figure 16¹ represents another arrangement of retarding apparatus. a is a
shaft extending across the frame of the carriage, and having at each end an

page_text: arm b attached to it, from each of which arms is suspended by a link b¹ a shoe
or skid c, having a flange on the outer side. The two skids are connected
together by a stay or bolt. d, d, e, are links by which the shoes are
maintained parallel to the rails. f is a drum or pulley to the circumference of
which is made fast one end of a rope or chain 9, which after passing under
the guide pulley g¹ is taken round the small pulley h and the end made
fast thereto. When it is required to retard the carriage, the shoes are
lowered down upon the rail, whereupon the wheels of the carriage in its
progress enter the shoes, which then slide upon the rail and thereby retard the
carriage; to withdraw the shoes, the carriage is backed, when the shoes are
wound up by the winch handle i into the position shewn. The apparatus may
be made double to apply to both pairs of wheels, as shewn in the Drawing.
Figure 17 is an elevation of the inner side of one of the shoes detached, and
Figure 18 is a plan of the same. The sole k of the shoe is made of wrought
iron, and is tapered off to a thin edge, and should be attached to the shoe
in such a manner as to admit of its being easily removed and replaced.
A cushion made of any suitable material may also be placed in the skid,
to receive the wheel and deaden any shock. Other methods may be employed
to work both the kinds of retarding apparatus.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I proceed to state my claims in relation thereto.
I claim,―
Firstly, the forming a continuous longitudinal bearing of cast iron tubes of
circular or elliptical section, having a rib or a channel on the upper side to
carry wrought iron rails of the forms described.
Secondly, the coating the periphery of the driving wheels of locomotives
with a thin stratum or film of viscous or adhesive substance capable of being
readily renewed, in whole or in part, with or without some gritty or earthy
material applied to the surface of such substance.
Thirdly, the application of woollen or coir or other suitable fibrous fabric or
cork or india rubber to the periphery of the wheels of railway carriages,
between the felloe and the tire.
Fourthly, the construction of buffer herein described.
Fifthly, the two constructions of supporting springs herein-before de-
scribed.
Sixthly, the forming the apparatus connecting the carriages so as to
be rigid, but at the same time admitting of a longitudinal movement.
Seventhly, the construction of break herein-before described, wherein the