IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR TRAMWAYS AND STREET RAILWAYS
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Matthew Augustus Soul and Charles
John Perceval at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd
December 1879.
MATTHEW AUGUSTUS SOUL and CHARLES JOHN PERCEVAL, both of No. 11, Bridge
Strect, in the City of Westminster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR TRAMWAYS
AND STREET RAILWAYS."
This Invention has for its object the construction of rails for tram ways and
street railways in such manner that it shall not be necessary to break up the road
for the purpose of replacing the wearing surface for the cars, but that such wearing
surface shall be renewable by removing it from the bearing part and substituting a
new wearing surface as may from time to time be required.
This Invention consists in so constructing the rail that it shall be in two, three,
or more parts, instead of one mounted or carried on chairs as heretofore, that is to
say, the wearing part of the rail is separate and distinct from the bearing part or
parts.
The latter or bearing parts are continuous and carried by preference on longi-
tudinal sleepers, and so constructed that the wearing part enters into a recess in the
same or that it has one, two, or more descending webs or ribs which may be bolted
or otherwise secured (if necessary) to or envelope a rib, web, or ribs and webs, on
the bearing part of rail, or that part secured to sleeper.
It will be understood therefore that the bearing part of the rail may be in one,
two, or more pieces, but it is preferred to make it in two pieces, of somewhat of an
L shape which may be bolted down to sleeper perpendicularly, and be bolted
together horizontally reversed or back to back with or without a distance piece;
when used without a distance piece the wearing part of the rail is so made and
recessed beneath that it can be entered on to the top of the two united bearing
pieces, purposely enlarged externally, so as to hold the same, and slid thereon to
its place, the enlargements hereinbefore just referred to holding the rail securely.
When the distance pieces are used so as to leave a space between the two upright
reversed L pieces an inverted L, thus 7, or T shaped wearing part of rail is used in
some cases, having the requisite groove for the flange of wheel
In some cases one of the L shaped bearing pieces is so formed that the lower part
of the L is continued backwards behind the vertical part (see Figure 1 in the
accompanying Drawing), and the part thus carried back has a rib or projecting

page_text: piece (a, Fig. 2). The two L pieces are then placed as in Fig. 3, and a square
solid wearing part of rail or bar may then be used having the requisite grooves
on each of its sides for the flange of the wheel so that the rail may be turned
and used four times.
Instead thereof the wearing part of rail may be made three sided (Fig. 4), or two
sided reversible, or it made in two pieces of an L shape with grooves for
flange of wheel on each arm of L and the corners mitred so as to fit together, as in
Fig. 5. If necessary to give elasticity when the wearing part is made thus or with
three or two sides, wood or other material may be placed within the recess thereby
formed.