IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS AND OTHER ROADS AND WAYS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JACOB
BRETT, of Hanover Square, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-five, in the ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Jacob Brett, my exors, adñors,
and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Jacob Brett, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said Jacob Brett, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter, during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend within that part of Her said Majesty's United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS
AND OTHER ROADS AND WAYS," communicated to me by a certain Foreigner
residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging
me, the said Jacob Brett, to particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an

page_text: instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to
be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery, within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being had thereto, will more fully and
at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Jacob Brett, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into practical effect, to be as the
same are described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the illustrative Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon respectively (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in propelling Carriages on Railways and
other Roads and Ways."
Firstly, in a new mode of propelling carriages upon two continuous rails by
the action of highly compressed air introduced into a closed tube or passage of
peculiar construction, such tube or passage being composed of parts which
are partly rigid and partly flexible, and such flexible portions thereof, when
distended by the action of compressed air, impart rotary motion to rollers
situate at each of the outer sides of the flexible portions of such said tube or
passage, and these rollers, being attached to or in connection with the carriage
to be moved, will propel or advance the same by the said rollers being kept in
close forced contact with the sides of the tube or passage by means of
the mechanical combinations and arrangements hereafter described and
referred to.
And, secondly, in the application of the propelling tube or passage above
mentioned, to a carriage or train of carriages suspended from and moving
along a single rail situate about midway between and in a line, or nearly so,
with the top or tops of such carriage or carriages, and in the direction of the
length thereof, such rail extending throughout the whole length of the line of
traffic of such railway or road, which I term or designate the suspension
railway. And in order to explain the said Invention as completely as possible,
I will proceed to describe the principle of construction, together with the
mechanical combinations and arrangements of parts which I consider well
calculated for carrying for the said Invention, and which will be found to
answer extremely well in practice.

page_text: The Figure 2 represents a transverse and vertical section of the flexible
tube or passage above mentioned, and hereafter referred to.
The Figure 3 represents a top plan view of the said tube or passage and
parts in connection therewith.
The Figure 4 represents a transverse and vertical section of a railway
carriage suspended from a single rail.
The Figure 5 represents a perspective view of a portion of a line of railway
illustrative of the modes of connecting the ends or points of the rails to the
transverse and longitudinal timbers upon which they are placed, and by which
they are supported and retained in their proper position, as hereafter fully
described.
Figure 6 represents a perspective view of that portion of two distinct lines
of rails or rail roads intersecting each other, and commonly known and dis-
tinguished as a crossing, shewing the mode of arranging the flexible tube or
passage under such circumstances. Similar letters of reference are placed upon
and denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear or can be seen
at each of the Figures respectively. A, A, marks a closed flexible tube or
passage, which extends throughout the entire length of the rail road, and
about midway between the two lengths of rails upon which the locomotive
wheels of the carriages move. The construction and arrangement of this tube
is as follows:-B, B, marks a solid piece of metal, wood, or other hard or
rigid substance formed parallel or of equal thickness throughout the vertical
portion of its depth, and in lengths of from six to nine feet, except at the
curves of the railway, where they may be of shorter lengths, according to the
radius of the curve to be formed at each of the vertical sides of the piece
B, B, which is supported as hereafter described. I arrange or dispose a
flexible material composed of from ten to fifteen thicknesses or folds of a cloth
prepared with a solution of gum caoutchouc, so as to be impermeable to and
of sufficient strength to resist the pressure of highly compressed air. This
flexible material is attached by its upper and lower edges to the piece A, A, by
screws as shewn at Figures 2 and 3, or in any other known and convenient
manner by which a perfectly air-tight joint may be obtained; to ensure which
I attach a piece of wood or other rigid substance C to the upper part of the
piece A, A, against which, and the piece C, the upper edges of the flexible tube or
pieces composing the same are forcibly pressed. D, D, mark cylindrical rollers
or revolving pistons, which I arrange or dispose at each side of the flexible tube
or passage A, A, and which are kept in close contact therewith in the manner
hereafter fully described. These rollers are mounted and revolve loosely upon
fixed vertical axes E, E, which are supported by the moveable horizontal

page_text: pieces F, F; two of such said pieces F, F, being loosely connected at their
other ends to the vertical piece or stem G attached to the under framing of
the carriage, as shewn at Figure 1. H, H, mark screw glands or pieces
bushed with pieces of hard metal, so as to reduce the wear at these parts.
I marks a spindle placed vertically, and working in suitable bearings at its
upper and lower extremities. At the lower part of this spindle is keyed the
worm K, which takes into a worm wheel L, fixed upon the horizontal spindle
M. At one end of this spindle there is formed a right-handed and at the other
a left-handed screw, which pass through holes formed in the pieces F¹, F¹, as
shewn at Figure 3. N marks a levilled wheel keyed upon the upper end of
the spindle I, and taking into a bevilled wheel O, keyed upon one end of the
horizontal spindle P, upon the other end of which is keyed the wheel or pulley
Q, which is under the immediate controul of the conductor of the train. R
marks a rod or bar, the ends of which pass through holes formed in the pieces
F. Around this bar, and between the pieces F, there is placed a strong helical
spring R', for the purpose hereafter mentioned. S, S, marks a woden sleeper,
upon which rests the longitudinal timbers a, a, carrying the rails b, b, and
the piece T which supports the parts A and B. U marks a vertical oblong
opening formed in the piece B, B, for the admission of compressed air from
the reservoir to the flexible propelling tube or passage A, A, by the pipe V,
which is connected to the main pipe W leading from the reservoir of com-
pressed air. X marks a cock for shutting off the communication between the
flexible tube A, A, and the main W; and Y marks a cock for the escape of
compressed air contained within the said tube, as hereafter more fully
described. The operations of the propelling apparatus above mentioned and
referred to are as follow:-The officer or servant at the station having first
closed the cock Y, and afterwards opened the cock X, compressed air of the
pressure of from two and a half to six atmospheres is allowed to
pass from
the reservoir through the main supply W into the flexible tube or passage (A)
by the pipe (V), and behind the rollers or pistons (D), (D), which are pre-
viously placed and kept in close contact with the flexible sides of the tube or
passage (A) by the conductor turning the wheels (0), N, and (Q), when the
worm K acting upon the worm wheel (L) will cause the pieces F¹ to
approach each other simultaneously, thereby preventing escape of compressed
air to the front of the said rollers or pistons. Thus, as the compressed air
continues to rush into the flexible tube or passage, it will be distended, and the
rollers or pistons being at liberty to turn upon their axes will be wedged or
propelled forward, together with the carriages in connection therewith. The
spring (R) pressing outward will preserve an uniform pressure throughout the

page_text: the tube to
rollers or pistons. And I would here remark, that I arrange or erect station-
houses or sections at distances ranging between five hundred and one thousand
yards asunder, and each of such station-houses are furnished with two similar
pipes and cocks V, X, Y, leading from the main pipe W, and at about midway
between the connecting passages (U), (U), which are formed out of the
solid part of the piece (B), one of which is shewn at Figure 3. The flexible
tube or passage is firmly secured, as shewn at * * Figure 3. Thus it will appear
evident that after the propeller attached to the leading or front carriage has
passed this point in either direction it will be necessary for the officer or
servant at the station-house to close the cock (Y), should it be open, and open
the cock X, when the compressed air rushing in behind the rollers will propel
them as before, until the carriages arrive at another station-house or section,
when a similar operation must be repeated there, and this at each of the
stations in succession. I would further remark, that after the propelling
carriage has passed each station, the inlet cock (X) should be closed, and
the outlet cock (Y) should be opened to allow the compressed air contained
in the flexible tube or passage to escape, in order to prepare the tube for the
return of the carriages in a contrary direction, and such outlet cock should
be left open until after the propellers have passed, so as to prevent any
resistance being offered by the atmospheric air contained in
the action of the compressed air on the rollers or pistons. When it is
required to stop the train of carriages at any point intermediate between
station and station, the same may be readily done by the conductor reversing
the direction in which he turns the wheels (O), (N), and (Q), when, the
pressure of the rollers or pistons against the sides of the flexible tube or
passage being removed, the compressed air will pass them, and have no effect
thereon until they are again brought into close contract with the sides of the
flexible tube. And the impetus of the train may be checked by the applica-
tion of breaks to the carriages in the ordinary manner. For reversing the
direction of the motion of the carriages, it will only be necessary for the
officer at the station to allow the compressed air contained in the flexible tube
to escape until the rollers or pistons have been brought into contact with the
sides of the tube, when, the cock being closed, and the compressed air
admitted, the train will proceed as before. In constructing or forming a line
of railway upon the before-mentioned principle, I form those portions of the
line where the rails and the propelling tube intersect or cross each other as
shewn at Figure (6), where b, b, mark the rails and A, A, the flexible propelling
tubes or passages, a portion of which, equal or nearly so to the width between
the rails, is removed, to enable the propelling rollers or pistons to pass the

page_text: propelling tube or passage c which crosses the tube A; and I connect together
the ends of the propelling tubes so divided by a pipe d, placed between the
surface of the ground, and I furnish such pipe with cocks e and f, having
lever handles g, g, fixed thereto, which may be actuated either by the officer
or servant at the station or section, or by a projecting piece attached to the
carriage. For instance, suppose the train of carriages to be moving in the
direction denoted by the arrow at the above Figure, when the rollers or
pistons (D), (D), have arrived at or near the point 5 of the propelling tube,
the compressed air will cease to have any effect upon the rollers or pistons, which
will be carried from the point 5 to the point 6 by the impetus which the train
has acquired, and after the rollers or pistons have been brought into contact with
the sides of the flexible propelling tube A, A, at the point 6, the cocks (9), (9),
must be opened, when the compressed air will pass from the point 5 to the
point 6, and continue to propel the rollers or pistons as before; and a similar
effect will be produced when the carriages are moving in the opposite
direction, by turning the cocks g, g, in a contrary direction; and at the points
of the rails where they cross each other I employ switches of ordinary
construction. It should be observed, that although the Drawing exhibits a
single line of railway only, it will appear evident that two or more lines of
railway, known and distinguished as an up-line and a down-line, might be
arranged upon the same principle as the above.
The construction of the suspension railway shewn at the Figure 4 is as
follows A, A, marks a timber or pile driven vertically into the ground, and
such timbers I place or arrange at distances of about nine feet asunder, more
or less, throughout the entire length of a line of railway, and upon the ends
of each of these timbers I place and secure longitudinal timbers, B, B, the
section of which is of a rectangular form, and at each side of these baulks of
timber I secure rigid pieces of metal, wood, or other hard substance, C, C,
throughout the entire length of the timbers B, B, and to these pieces I attach
the upper and lower edges of a flexible material z, arranged, combined, and
operated upon in a similar manner to that herein-before described, and repre-
sented at Figures 1, 2, 3. D, D, marks an iron rail formed in lengths of
about nine feet, more or less; and several of such lengths are placed end to
end upon the upper side of the timbers B, B. E marks a grooved wheel
resting upon the rail D, D; at the centre of this wheel there is fixed an axis
F, the ends of which support the longitudinal and transverse framing or
beams F¹ and G, and to the beams G are secured the tops of the carriages
Hand I, the lower portions of the body of the carriages being furnished with
guide wheels K, K, mounted upon the vertical axes L, L, attached to the body

page_text: of the carriage, as shewn. These guide wheels press against hard and smooth
surfaces M, fixed to the timbers or piles A, A, and throughout the entire
length of the line of railway, whereby the equilibrium of the carriages is pre-
served. And I employ two of such suspension wheels and guide wheels to each
carriage, and the means that I employ for putting the carriages into motion, and
for reversing or changing the direction of the motion thereof, are precisely similar
to those before described, and represented at Figures 1, 2, and 3. The mode
of connecting the ends of iron rails, and of securing them to the longitudinal
and transverse timbers which support them, is as follows:-A, A, marks a
transverse timber or sleeper, upon which rest the longitudinal timbers or
baulks B, B, one only of which is shewn at the Fig. 5. Upon the upper
surface of this baulk or timber, and in the direction of its length, there is a
grooved channel or recess C, C, formed to receive corresponding projection
formed upon the under side of each length of rail; and at the points of junction
of the ends of the rails I insert a metal plate, of the shape shewn at the
Figure 7, into the timber B, which is shaped to receive it; and I attach the
said rails and plate to the longitudinal and transverse timbers B and A, by
bolts and nuts, as shewn; and in order to secure the longitudinal timbers in
their proper position at their points of junction, I affix castings D to the
sleepers, which castings are placed in close contact with the outer sides of each
line of longitudinal timbers at these points.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed and carried into practical effect, I wish it
to be distinctly understood that I do not claim the exclusive use of any of the
separate parts above mentioned and referred to, except in so far as the same
may be employed in combination and for the purposes of the said Invention;
nor do I claim the use of compressed air for propelling carriages on rail-
ways, as the same has been attempted in a variety of ways. But I do
claim,―
Firstly, the application of compressed air when used within a flexible tube,
one portion of which is composed of a rigid hard substance or material, and
the other portion or portions of a flexible substance or material, the parts
whereof are operated upon in the manner herein-before particularly described,
set forth, and represented by the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly, I claim the application of compressed air when used within a
flexible tube of the construction before mentioned, and this when such tube is
arranged or disposed in the manner herein-before particularly described, set
forth, and represented by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and further, when
such tube is used in combination with a single rail.

page_text: Thirdly, I claim the mechanical combinations and arrangements of parts,
together with the principle of construction upon which the said Invention is
based and by which it is carried into practical effect, as constituting Improve-
ments in Propelling Carriages on Railways and other Roads or Ways, as
herein-before particularly described, set forth, and represented by the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacob Brett, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six