ILWAY; AND TRAMWAY LINE
Year: 1885

page_text: We HENRY EMERY of 3 Westrop Villas Canonbury. Street Islington in the
County of Middlesex Fancy Goods Manufacturer and SIDNEY WHITE of 47 Lime
Street in the City of London Solicitor do hereby declare the nature of our inven-
tion for RAILWAY; AND TRAMWAY LINES to be as follows:-
Each line of rails consists of an upper line or rail upon which the engines cars
carriages trucks or other vehicles will run which line or rail is hereinafter called
the "Running Rail" and an under or lower line or rail for the support of the
running rail hereinafter called the "Permanent or sleeping Rail."
The permanent or sleeping rail being intended for the support of the running
rail is so constructed as to be capable of supporting a heavy weight without sinking
into the ground and for this purpose is preferably constructed with a broad base
and laid on or in concrete or other solid foundation. The uppermost surface of the
permanent or sleeping rail bears throughout its length a deep longitudinal groove
or slot with vertical or sloping sides which for greater strength may be fitted or
furnished with transverse ties or stretchers across the groove or slot to prevent
bulging or collapse. The permanent or sleeping rail may be constructed of wood
steel iron stone granite or other suitable material or partly of one and partly of
another of those materials and may be painted galvanised or otherwise protected
against the influence of damp or other similar injury and its lower portion beneath
the level of the bottom of the groove or slot may be either solid or if its shape
permit hollow.
The running rail is made of steel or iron or partly of steel and partly of iron and
is constructed with a downward projection or flange running longitudinally along
the whole length of its lower surface in such manner and of such shape as to
correspond with and fit closely into the groove or slot of the permanent or sleeping
rail. We prefer to construct the said groove or slot of the permanent or sleeping
rail and the flange of the running rail with straight or vertical sides in which case
a transverse section of the running rail approximates more or less closely to the
form of the letter T. The flange which corresponds with the stem of the T fits
closely into and exactly corresponds with the groove or slot in the upper surface
of the permanent or sleeping rail being broken or interrupted in places rendered
necessary by the ties or stretchers if any of the groove or slot and the upper
portion of the running rail which corresponds with the top or crosspiece of the T
and presents the running surface for the engines cars carriages trucks and other
vehicles may be shaped in one or other of the manners now in use. The running
rail may be kept in its place in or upon the permanent or sleeping rail either by
its own weight or by bolts screws or pins or may be keyed or dovetailed or be
secured by any other ways or means.

page_text: In constructing the road the permanent or sleeping rail is first laid and the
granite stone wood asphalte concrete Macadam gravel or other material with which
the road is or is to be paved or covered may be laid close up to and flush with the
rail the granite stone or wood if used being shaped as may be necessary to correspond
with and fit closely to the permanent or sleeping rail. By this means moisture may
be in a very large degree excluded and the vibration oscillation and jerking of the
rails is greatly diminished. To further exclude moisture and prevent the consequent
sinking in the earth of the permanent way washers or disks of leather indiarubber
oakum or other suitable material may be placed between each two consecutive rails
a cavity being if thought desirable made for that purpose.
Preferably we lay the running rail upon the permanent or sleeping rail so that
the junction between each two consecutive running rails is vertically over the
middle point or thereabouts of one of the permanent or sleeping rails and the
junction between each two consecutive permanent or sleeping rails is vertically
beneath the middle point or thereabouts of one of the running rails.
The upper surface of the material with which the road is paved should be shaped
to receive and fit approximately closely around the running rail And for this
purpose we propose where granite stone or wood blocks or cubes are used to cut
out and remove if necessary a portion of each block or cube to be laid on the
surface of the road next to the line or rail so as to leave just sufficient space to
receive the top of the running rail.
The road thus constructed affords a permanent way which it will be unnecessary
to remove or disturb for the purpose of the repair or renewal of the running rail.
The running rail is placed in position by the insertion of the projection or flange
in the groove or slot of the permanent or sleeping rail where it may be fixed in any
of the manners before described but from which it is easily removable for the
purpose of renewal or repair without the necessity of breaking up the roads or
impeding or interfering with the traffic of the line or in the case of tramways with
the ordinary road traffic.
We HENRY EMERY of 3 Westrop Villas Canonbury Street Islington in the
County of Middlesex Fancy Goods Manufacturer and SIDNEY WHITE of 47 Lime
Street in the City of London Solicitor do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY LINES and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object which we have in view and to which we seek to give effect by our
invention is the construction of a permanent way for Railways and Tramways
which shall be capable of quick easy and comparatively inexpensive repair and

page_text: renewal and without the necessity in the case of Tramways of breaking or
disturbing the road or street and which yet shall possess strength and durability
equal to or greater than those possessed by any system now in use.
Our mode of construction is as follows-
Each line of rails consists of two separable parts vizt (1) An upper line' or rail
upon which the engines carriages trucks cars and other vehicles run which line or
rail is hereinafter called the running rail and (2) An under or lower line or rail
which carries and supports the running rail and is hereinafter called the permanent
rail.
The permanent rail being intended to support the running rail is so constructed.
as to be capable of supporting heavy weights and for this purpose is preferably
constructed with a broad base and is preferably laid on or in concrete or other
solid foundation.
The form which we prefer. for the permanent rail is shewn in Figure 1 in the
accompanying drawings but except as hereinafter particularly described we do not
limit ourselves to the particular form there shewn.
The uppermost surface of the permanent rail bears throughout its length a deep
longitudinal groove the sides of which are either vertical so that the groove is of
uniform width throughout or sloping or curved inwards and downwards so that
the bottom of the groove is not wider than any other part. For greater strength
the groove may be fitted or furnished at intervals with transverse ties or stretchers
across the groove to prevent possible bulging or collapse. The permanent rail may
be of iron steel wood stone or other suitable material and its lower portion beneath
the level of the bottom of the groove may be either solid or hollow.
The running rail is constructed with a downward projection running longitu-
dinally along the whole length of its under surface in such manner and of such
shape as to correspond with and fit closely into the groove of the permanent
rail. We prefer to construct the groove of the permanent rail and the projection
of the running rail each with straight or vertical sides in which case a transverse
section of the running rail approximates more or less closely to the form of the
letter T. The downward projection (which corresponds with the stem of the T)
fits closely into and exactly corresponds with the groove in the upper surface
of the permanent rail being broken or interrupted in places rendered necessary by
the ties or stretchers if any of the groove. The upper portion of the running rail
(which corresponds with the top or crosspiece of the T and presents the running
surface for the vehicles) may be plain or grooved or shaped in any other manner
found suitable The form which we prefer for the running rail is shewn in
Figure 2.
The running rail may be kept in its place in or upon the permanent rail either
by its own weight or by bolts screws or pins (placed either horizontally or vertically)
or may be keyed or dovetailed or secured in any other way.
In constructing a permanent way for the purpose of tram traffic the permanent
rail is first laid upon a secure foundation at such a depth that when the running
rail is laid on or in the permanent rail the top surface of the running rail will be
flush or level with the surface of the road upon which the permanent way is to be
constructed. The granite stone wood asphalte concrete Macadam gravel or other
material with which the road is to be paved or covered may then be laid close up
to or flush with the permanent rail leaving above the latter only sufficient space to
admit the head of the running rail-the granite stone or wood if used being shaped
as may be necessary to correspond with and fit closely under and up to the head of
the running rail and for this purpose where blocks or cubes are used we propose
to cut out and remove if necessary a portion of each block or cube to be laid on
the surface of the road next to the line or rail A block or cube so dealt with is
shewn in Figure 6.
So far as possible to exclude moisture we propose to place between each two
consecutive rails a washer or disk of leather india rubber oakum or other suitable
material.

page_text: Preferably we lay the running rails upon the permanent rails so as to break
joint in other words so that the junction of every two consecutive running rails
is vertically over the middle or thereabouts of one of the permanent rails and con-
sequently that the junction of every two consecutive permanent rails is vertically
under the middle or thereabouts of a running rail. See Figure 3.
The running rail is placed in position by the insertion of its projection in the
groove of the permanent rail where it. may. be fixed in any of the manners before
referred to but from which it is easily removable for the purpose of renewal or
repair without the necessity of breaking up the roads or impeding or interfering
with the traffic of the line or in the case of tramways with the ordinary road
traffic.
For the purposes of railway traffic the way may be constructed in a manner
similar to that described in the case of tramways except that neither the running
rail nor the permanent rail. need be laid beneath the level of the surface of the
ground. The permanent rail may if desired be placed upon and secured to
sleepers in the manner now in use on railways on the present system and when
this is done we prefer the form of permanent rail shewn in Figure 4 which renders
unnecessary the use of chairs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that our
claim is
1. The construction of a railway or tramway line of two easily separable parts
whereof the lower bears a deep longitudinal groove along its upper surface with or
without transverse ties or stretchers and the upper carries a longitudinal projection
on its under surface with or without transverse interruptions or breaks and of such
conformation that the projection fits closely into and corresponds with the groove.
2. The construction or manipulation of cubes or blocks used in the paving of
roads in such manner as already described and as to admit the insertion of and to
fit closely around the head or running surface of a tramway line.