IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE PASSAGE OF TRAINS UP STEEP GRADIENTS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE PASSAGE OF TRAINS UP STEEP
GRADIENTS ON RAILWAYS."-A communication from abroad by Thomas
Audio. of Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy. Engineer.
Sealed the 18th March 1862, and dated the 21st October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1861.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE PASSAGE OF TRAINS UP STEEP
GRADIENTS ON RAILWAYS," a communication from abroad by Thomas Agudio, of
Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy, Engineer, to be as follows:→
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction, arrangement, and con-
bination of machinery or apparatus for enabling heavy railway trains to ascend
steep gradients, whereby considerable economy is obtained over the ordinary
endless rope system, whilst at the same time the apparatus is more certain and
effective in its action. According to this Invention it is proposed to attach to

page_text: the front of a train which is about to ascend a steeper gradient than the
ordinary locomotive engine is competent for, a peculiar apparatus, consisting of
a frame mounted upon two four-wheeled "bogies" at the front and rear ends.
The centre portion of this frame carries two shafts, which are each provided
with a fast and loose grooved pulley or drum. Round the two fast pullies or
drums is passed a flat rope, guided on to them by the loose pullies, and having
one end fixed in a permanent manner at the top of the incline or gradient,
whilst it is kept distended by a heavy counterweight at its opposite end or
bottom of the incline. Rotatory motion is imparted to the fast pullies or
drums, so as to cause the train to wind itself up the incline by means of an
endless travelling rope extending along the incline, and actuated both at the
top and bottom end thereof by any convenient prime mover, one of which acts
upon the ascending part of the endless rope, and the other upon the descending
part. The ascending side of the endless rope is passed round a grooved pulley
fast on the end of one of the drum shafts, and the descending side of the same
rope is passed round a grooved pulley fast on the end of a central shaft situate
between and parallel to the two drum shafts. This central shaft carries a
friction wheel or pinion, which imparts motion to two larger friction wheels
respectively keyed on to the two drum shafts, and bearing upon opposite sides
of the circumference of the central friction wheel or pinion, against which they
are forcibly held by the tension of the flat hauling rope passing round the
drums. On motion being imparted to the endless rope the hauling drums are
rotated, and by acting upon the stationary hauling rope wind up the train, the
rope passing over the drums, and being left on the line as the train passes
over it.
The dimensions of the various pullies and drums admit of the
endless rope travelling at double the speed of the train, and by reason of the
simultaneous combined action of both sides or strands of the endless rope on
the pullies, it is only subjected to about one-fourth the strain that it would
undergo under the ordinary system, wherein the train.is hauled by the single
ascending side or strand of the endless rope attached directly to the train
without the intervention of pullies. Hence heavy goods trains can be traversed
up the steepest gradients with comparatively light endless ropes, whereby a
considerable saving in first cost is obtained, whilst the gradients may be made
much steeper than heretofore. By using a separate motor for the ascending
and descending side or strand of the endless rope, it is obvious that should one
engine become deranged the other could still be worked, and hence the traffic
on the line need not be stopped.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my. executors, administrators, or. 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE PASSAGE OF TRAINS UP STEEP
GRADIENTS ON RAILWAYS," a communication from Thomas Agudio, of Turin, in
the Kingdom of Italy, Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one
of them, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction, arrangement, and
combination of machinery or apparatus for enabling heavy railway trains to
ascend and descend steep gradients, whereby considerable economy is obtained
over the ordinary endless rope system, whilst at the same time the apparatus
is more certain and effective in its action. According to this Invention it is
proposed to attach to the front of a train which is about to ascend a steeper
gradient than the ordinary locomotive engine is competent for, a peculiar

page_text: "
apparatus, consisting of a frame mounted upon two four-wheeled "bogies at
the front and rear ends. The centre portion of this frame carries two shafts,
which are each provided with a fast and loose grooved pulley or drum. Round
the two fast pullies or drums is passed a flat rope, guided on to them by the
Joose pullies, and having one end fixed in a permanent manner at the top of
the incline or gradient, whilst it is kept distended by a heavy counterweight at
its opposite end or bottom of the incline. Rotatory motion is imparted to the
fast pullies or drums so as to cause the train to wind itself up the incline by
means of an endless travelling rope extending along the incline and actuated
both at the top and bottom end thereof by any convenient prime mover, one
of which acts upon the ascending part of the endless rope, and the other upon
the descending part. The ascending side of the endless rope is passed round
a grooved pulley fast on the end of one of the drum shafts, and the descending
side of the same rope is passed round a grooved pulley fast on the end of a
central shaft situate between and parallel to the two drum shafts. This
central shaft carries a friction wheel or pinion which imparts motion to two
larger friction wheels respectively keyed on to the two drum shafts and
bearing upon opposite sides of the circumference of the central friction wheel
or pinion, against which they are forcibly held by the tension of the flat hauling
ropè passing round the drums. On motion being imparted to the endless rope
the hauling drums are rotated, and by acting upon the stationary hauling rope
wind up the train, the rope passing over the drums and being left on the line
as the train passes over it. The dimensions of the various pullies and drums
admit of the endless rope travelling at double the speed of the train, and by
reason of the simultaneous combined action of both sides or strands of the
endless rope on the pullies, it is only subjected to about one-fourth the strain
that it would undergo under the ordinary system, wherein the train is hauled
by the single ascending side or strand of the endless rope attached directly to
the train without the intervention of pullies. Hence heavy goods trains can
be traversed up the steepest gradients with comparatively light endless ropes,
whereby a considerable saving in first cost is obtained, whilst the gradients
may be made much steeper than heretofore. By using a separate motor for
the ascending and descending side or strand of the endless rope, it is obvious
that should one engine become deranged the other could still be worked, and
hence the traffic on the line need not be stopped.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same; and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the Figures.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represent re-
spectively a side elevation and plan of an improved arrangement of apparatus
constructed according to this Invention, for facilitating the passage of railway
trains along steep gradients.
x, y, represents a long framing supported at each end upon a four-wheeled
"bogie," as shown, and carrying near its middle the bearings for the axes of
the two drums A and B. These axes also carry near one side of the framing
two grooved pullies C, D; the pulley D being loose on the axis of the drum B,
whilst the pulley C is coupled with the axis of the drum A by means of a
conical friction clutch G actuated by the lever handle R. The ascending side
or section of the endless rope passes round and crosses between the two
pullies C, D, the motion of the rope being transmitted directly from the
pulley C to the drum A through the friction clutch G. On the opposite side
of the framing are situate the two pullies E, F, rotated in the direction
indicated by the arrows by the descending side of the endless rope. Upon the
end of each of the axes of the pullies E, F, near the centre of the framing is
fixed a friction pulley M, which transmits the rotatory motion of the pullies
E, F, to the drums A, B. It will thus be readily understood that the two
sections or sides of the endless rope, although moving in opposite directions to
each other, cause the pullies C, E, and F, to revolve in the same direction,
which pullies transmit their motion to the drums A and B. This apparatus
may be worked in various ways; for example, cranks may be made upon
the axis of the two drums A and B, which may be made to act upon the axles
of the carriage by means of connecting rods, the carriage being sufficiently
weighted to give the necessary adhesion of the wheels upon 'the rails. Or
racks may be laid down along the incline, into which racks corresponding
teeth on the circumference of the drums may be made to gear. The méthod
which the Inventor prefers to adopt, however, consists in the employment of a
flat wire rope a, a, colored blue in the Drawing, which is passed round the
drums A, B, as shown, such rope being permanently fixed at the upper end of
the incline, and kept distended by a counterweight attached to it at the bottom
end thereof. By this arrangement the apparatus is made to wind itself up the
incline. The tension of the flat rope causes the inner surfaces of the rims of
the two drums to be pressed against the peripheries of the friction rollers or
pullies M, M, the friction thus obtained being sufficient to transmit the
rotation of the pullies E and F to the two drums A and B. But should the
adhesion thus obtained not be sufficient, it may be augmented at will by still
further pressing the pullies M, M, against the interior of the rims of the
drums A, B, by means of the handles P, Q, which act upon the axes of the

page_text: pullies M, M, through the intervention of the rods t, t': Supposing it be
desired to stop the train on the incline without stopping the endless rope, the
handles P, Q, will be reversed, as well as the handle R, in order to disengage
the pullies M, M, and move the friction clutch out of contact with the pulley C,
and so leave the latter to turn freely upon the axis of the drum A. By this
.means the transmission of the motion of the pullies C, E, and F, to the
drums A, B, will be interrupted. On descending an incline this adjustment
of the several parts will be maintained, and in addition thereto the breaks b, b;
which are situate between the drums A, B,. will be applied by the aid of the
handle S. According to this arrangement of apparatus, should the endless
rope break, the train will be retained stationary upon the incline by the
combined action of the flat wire or hauling rope and the breaks,. the latter
preventing the drums from turning round. The flat rope thus serves the
'purpose also of a safety rope, as it can always be kept in good condition, since
it is not subjected to the rapid wear and tear of the endless rope.. The
arrangement moreover of the two prime movers, which operate upon the
endless rope at the two extremities of the incline, admits of the working of
the line even when one of the injuries may be under repair. In order that
the two engines shall exert an equal force upon the two sides or sections of the
endless rope, which is very important, it is arranged that each tension apparatus.
applied to the extremities of the rope shall be connected by a lever to the
engine, so as to act upon it at each vibration, thus serving the purpose of a
regulator or governor.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is, the general construction, arrangement, and
combination of machinery or apparatus for facilitating the passage of railway
trains along steep gradients, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-two.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.B.)