IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS, IN ROLLING STOCK FOR SAME, AND IN OTHER APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of 89, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS, IN ROLLING STOCK FOR
SAME, AND IN OTHER APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH." -A commu-
nication from abroad by Jesse Frye, of the City, County, and
State of New York, in the United States of America, Mechanical
Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition;
on the 5th April 1872.
I, EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS, IN ROLLING
STOCK FOR SAME, AND IN OTHER APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Jesse Frye, of the City, County, and

page_text: State of New York, in the United States of America, Mechanical En-
gineer), to be as follows:-
This Invention refers to a new or improved railway, and to the rolling
stock and other apparatus connected therewith. The railway is endless,
and consists of an up and a down line parallel to each other, but at each
end running into each other with curves sufficiently large for the trains
to turn them with ease.
I prefer a gauge of about 16 or 25 inches, and cars about 2 or 3 feet
wide. Corresponding to the endless track there is an endless rolling gear
having double wheels with axles and cross pieces consisting of metal
tubes fastened to draw, or coupling bars jointed together by universal or
knuckle joints, so as to adapt the mechanism to the windings of the road.
The axles of the double wheels are enclosed in similar metal tube cross
pieces which all serve as cogs for the double teeth of the driving wheel
to gear into.
The driving wheels are operated by stationary engine
power. The rolling gear consists of a series of double wheels with
leather tyres, and secured upon small steel axles arranged equidistant
apart over the entire line of the road at a distance; by preference, not
exceeding four feet.
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The rolling wheels are held on the ways or tracks at any curve by the
endless sectional coupling bar, which sustains all the tensile and crush-
ing strain imparted from the power given out by the stationary engines,
while it distributes the power equally to all the steel axles throughout
the entire line, without regard to the pressure exerted by the tooth
wheels upon the tubular cross pieces aforesaid. The inner or smaller
peripheries of the rolling gear double wheels run on the ways or tracks.
On the endless rolling gear there is an endless platform constructed in
sections, say, about 12 feet long, close together and united at the ends by
universal or other joints, and on the under side thereof are secured light
steel angle rails with the flanges downwards, so that the outer or larger
peripheries of the rolling gear double wheels receive the platform on the
inside of the rail flanges, and the platforms are stiffened by means of a
longitudinal rib running the whole length underneath, also serving to
couple them together! The platforms are propelled on the endless rolling
gear by rolling friction" instead of "tension friction "as is the case
when the weight is borne on the axles now in use on railways... By the
use of gearing. wheels being double, or having two rolling or bearing
surfaces of different diameters, the speed of the endless platform is made
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page_text: The
double (more or less) than the rolling gear wheels on the track.
trains are placed on the endless platform at equal distances, say, a
mile apart, composing a series of cars extending over 5 or 10 miles of
track and rolling gear, 10 trains constituting a short, and 20 trains a long
series. The number of trains should be even, the short series will stop
every 5 miles, the rolling gear having passed over only 1 miles.
The freight cars are loaded or unloaded by means of hoisting engines,
which lift the loaded car off bodily or places it on the endless platform
bodily.
The stationary reversible engines are placed under the two divisions
of endless track, say, 5 miles apart, for propelling a pair of counter-
balancing driving wheels revolving on horizontal shafting parallel with
each other transversely to the tracks, with one wheel on each shaft
under the centre of each rolling gear, and these shafts are geared together
with triplicate spur gearing, so as to revolve with equal velocity in
opposite directions. As one division counterbalances the other, the
heaviest gradients are overcome with ease..
The whole of the railway is, except at the ends, enclosed in an endless
metallic tube tunnel, having on one side an up line compartment, and
on the other a down line compartment, with an intermediate passage for
workmen and other to pass through. The tube tunnel may be located
on the most direct line, above or below ground, without regard to
gradients or irregularities of the surface. Each division is enclosed
with a smooth metallic ceiling for separating the moving cars, and pre-
venting air resistance and concussion. The central passage should be
lighted, and all compartments be well ventilated by injecting fresh air in
the direction of motion, the air passing down between the sides of the
metallic ceiling and the edges of the endless platform into the central
passage, and from thence through large conduits to the surface.
30 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Edward Griffith Brewer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th October 1872.
1

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Griffith
Brewer, my executors, administrators, and 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS, IN ROLLING STOCK FOR
SAME, AND IN OTHER APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," (a communication
to me from abroad by Jesse Frye, of the City, County, and State of
New York, in the United States of America, Mechanical Engineer),
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Griffith
Brewer, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Edward Griffith Brewer, 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 accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that
is to say
The Invention will be best understood by reference to the accompany-
ing Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective Drawing of a section of this endless railway,
showing a side elevation and oblique top view. Fig. 2 is a vertical
section showing it enclosed in a cylindrical tunnel longitudinally
divided into compartments. Fig. 3 is a plan of a section of the end-
less rolling gear upon which the endless platforms (E, E, Figs. 1 and 2)
are operated. W, W, W, are wheels having double bearings which are

page_text: held on a line upon the ways or tracks by means of the longitudinal
sectional bar R, R', R", whose ends are united by universal or knuckle
joints, so as to adapt the said bar to the spinal movements requisite to
overcome the sinuosities of the road. These coupling bars R are pro-
vided with transverse arms a, a, a, made of metallic piping which serve
the double purpose of casing the entire axles between the wheels W, W,
and bearings to receive the projecting double teeth or fingers of the
driving wheel N, N, which extend up each side of the coupling bar R, so
as to catch the arms a, a, and carry the rolling gear in either direction,
when the said driving wheel N is operated by any stationary engine
located below the line of the road, bed, or otherwise, at different stations
along the line inside of the tunnel.
Fig. 4 represents a plan of the endless road or ways. P, P¹, and P¹¹, P¹¹¹,
are the dividing partitions of the same, all arranged inside of a tunnel or
archway (see Fig. 2). N, N, are the driving wheels provided with pro-
jecting fingers or teeth; G, G, are large cog gearing wheels to be
operated by the engines. The track or ways being endless, the use of
turntables, switches, and frogs usually employed on railroads are avoided.
Angle or trough shaped iron or steel rails are used, firmly laid upon
wooden stringers, which are securely bound by iron cross ties all within
a metallic tunnel or archway located on the most direct line, either above
or under ground, between any two distant points or intermediate stations
without regard to the grade or irregularities of the surface, either in the
cities or country, and the new railroad may be carried under the beds of
rivers, sites of cities, mountains, or otherwise through the bowels of the
earth, or the same may be constructed through archways above ground
if thought best.
It is designed that the divisions of the endless track be enclosed in a
single tube, excepting at the ends thereof, where the ways will be laid
upon an easy curve of not less than 1920 feet radii for the narrow guage,
and 2640 feet radii for the wider guage; this should be the minimum and
maximum guage of the curves along the entire line. The rails on the
narrow guage will be about 16 inches apart for 25 (more or less) inch
cars, and the rails on the wide guage will be about 25 inches apart for
reception of 39 (more or less) inch cars capable, of seating two persons
abreast. The above cars I construct of metal.
There will be two partitions between the two divisions of endless rail-
way tracks and rolling gear, with a central passage for workmen and

page_text: watchmen to pass along at all times between the trains. Each division
of the rolling gear will be enclosed with a smooth metallic ceiling for
the purpose of separating the moving cars, as well as to prevent the
resistance of the air upon the moving train, and to allow the same to
move with the least resistance, as well as to prevent the concussion of
the opposing currents of air which would be produced by the rapid
The central
passage of trains so near together in opposite directions.
passage E through the tunnel, Fig. 2, must be properly lighted, and all
the compartments must be thoroughly ventilated by the introduction of
'fresh air, supplied by means of air engines at each power station, which
discharge condensed air into each passing train in the same direction
with the moving cars, which in a small way assists the motive power.
This air gradually passes down between the sides of the metallic ceiling
and the edges of the endless platform or carrier into the central passage,
and from thence freely through large pipes or conduits to the surface.
The rolling gear W consists of a series of leather tyred wheels secured
upon small steel axles which are arranged equidistant apart over the
entire line of the road at a distance not exceeding four feet apart. These
wheels are held on a line upon the ways or tracks at any curve by the
endless sectional guide bar R, R, Fig. 3, which resembles the back bone
of an animal, and is one of the most important features or devices in
this Invention. It must be substantially constructed in all its parts,
.and carefully put together to adapt itself to the different curves of the
road, and to sustain the constant and severe crushing and tensile strain
imparted from all the stationary engines through the driving wheels N, N.
One of the most important features of the jointed connecting bar is
that it receives all the power from the driving wheels N collectively,
.while it distributes the same equally to all the steel axles throughout
the entire line without regard to the impingement of the driving toothed
wheels N, N, upon the transverse arms a, a, a, Fig. 3; hence it must be
of great longitudinal as well as lateral stiffness and proof against expan-
sion and contraction from the lost motion in the joints, or otherwise.
It may be mentioned at this point that an underground route affords a
more uniform temperature, consequently it avoids a great amount of
contraction and expansion from a changeable atmosphere, and in relation
'to the distribution of power between the axles I will assume that each
"division of my endless railway requires an average of 13,200 lbs. of

page_text: wheels N, N, to each series, and the axies being four feet apart it would
require 6600 axles in each five miles, and 2 lbs. of power upon the axles,
equally distributed throughout the entire length thereof, therefore the
result must be durability and safety.
The endless platforms E, E, are constructed in sections 12 feet long,
and united at the ends by means of universal joints or otherwise, so as
to bring the ends of the platforms close together, and on the under side
thereof are secured light steel angle rails with the flanges downward, so
that the outer bearings of the rolling gear wheels W, W, receive the
platform upon the inside of the flanges of the angle rails, and the said
endless platforms are stiffened by means of a longitudinal rib running
the entire length on the under side of the same, as shown at Figs. 1
and 2; this also serves to couple the platforms together, and these plat-
forms are propelled upon the endless rolling gear wheels by "rolling
friction" instead of "tension friction," as is the case when the weight
is borne upon the axles now in common use upon railroads, &c. By
the employment of gearing wheels W, W, having two bearings of
different diameters the speed of the endless platforms E, E, is increased
twofold greater (more or less) than the rolling gear wheels W upon the
tracks T, T, Figs. 1 and 2, with one-fourth the power necessary to
operate the ordinary wheels. Attached to the sides of the metallic
ceilings opposite the upper edges of freight and passenger cars are
(india-rubber lined) pulley safeguards for keeping both the carriers or
platforms E and cars C, C, from getting off the track, and to relieve the
rolling gear and axles from any lateral or centrifugal strain when passing
over the sinuosities of the track. The passenger trains of cars should
be placed at equal distances apart upon the endless carriers or plat-
forms E, E, say, of a mile (more or less), and which are to compose a
series of cars extending over 5 or 10 miles of track and rolling gear,
10 trains constituting a short, and 20 trains a long series, if the same are
of a mile apart. Each series should contain an even number of
trains; the short series of trains will stop every 5 miles, the rolling gear
having passed over only 1 miles; the long trains will stop, every 10
miles, while the rolling gear has only passed over 2 miles of the line.
The trains would be arranged in alphabetical order; car A will stop at
station A, car B will stop at station B, each series. Trains and stations
are alphabetic in succession, so that the centre of one series will be

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opposite to the centre of the other series on the opposite divisions, so
that they will bear the same relative position to each other in each
series throughout the entire line. These trains may stop every three
minutes, if necessary; the freight cars are loaded and unloaded by means
of hoisting engines located along the line, which lift the cars and freight
bodily from the platforms E, E, or places the loaded cars upon the
carrying platforms by one simultaneous movement.
It is designed to carry only 100 pounds per lineal foot on the narrow
guage, and 175 pounds per lineal foot on the wide guage. By this arrange-
ment ponderous locomotives and heavy freight trains are done away
with. The metallic passenger cars are divided into compartments for
four persons only on the wide gauge.
The stationary reversible engines are to be placed under the two
divisions of endless track every 5 miles apart (more or less) for propelling
a pair of counterbalancing driving wheels N, N, revolving upon hori-
zontal shafting arranged parallel with each other, and transversely to
the tracks, with one wheel W upon each shaft under the centre of each
rolling gear, and these shafts are geared together with triplicate spur
gearing, so as to revolve with equal velocity in opposite directions without
loss of motion or power. Finally, by gearing the driving wheels N, N,
to revolve in opposite directions in combination with the endless
track T, T, connecting bar R, with rolling gear W, W, and the inde-
pendent platforms or carriers enables the same (endless railroad) to
overcome the heaviest grades with the same power as required upon
levels, from the fact that one division counterbalances the same in
descending the same grade at the same time the other shall be
ascending..
Dial plates with index and telegraphic signals regulate the movements
11 1
11

page_text: platforms at equal distances apart, and dividing said trains into an
equal number of series, in and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two..
EDW³. GRIFFITH BREWER. (L.S.)