An, Improved Railway System.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date, of Application, 27th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan.. 1897-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
An, Improved Railway System.
I HARRY SEBASTIAN HALFORD of 37, Nevern Square, Earl's Court
Kensington, S.W. Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to he
as follows:-
In this invention I have the rail or other permanent way laid in sections the end
portions of which can be successively elevated and depressed by hydraulic or other
means, thus causing the carriage to run down the successive gradients 80 produced.
Although I have described this invention as consisting in the way being laid in
sections, I reserve the right of having such way in one entire span which however
is subject to elevation and depression as and where required. The carriage also
can be either suspended from and run under or placed on top and run over the
said way.
I, HARRY SEBASTIAN HALFORD, of 37 Nevern Square, Earl's Court,
Kensington, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manuer the sanie is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention for an improved railway system relates more particularly to
elevated railways, or short railways for recreation purposes, or toy railways, and
consists in mounting the rails so that the ends can be raised and lowered and in
successively raising the ends as the car is passing or is about to pass ovor the rails
so that the car is impelled forward or down the successive gradients so produced.
In carrying out this invention in the case of a single overhead rail in which two
compartments are suspended from each trolley running on the rails, one on either
side, the trolley is arranged to automatically control hydraulic apparatus by which
the rails are successively elevated immediately before the trolley passes over it.
The hydraulic apparatus is supplied with power from a main running parallel to
to the rails and immediately under the rails.
In a railway lor recreation purposes, the rails are elevated by man, animal or
other suitable power apparatus and such apparatus may be controlled automatically
or by au attendant.
In a toy railway, the rails are jointed together and are successively raised as
the car is passing over the same by means of levers operated by the player.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:
Fig. 1 is a general view of a single rail overhead railway constructed according
to this invention and in which the hydraulic apparatus is controlled by the extra
weight of the car on the rail supported by a spring, the compression or extension

page_text: The spring controling the admission and exhaust of the valve of the hydraulic
raising cylinder.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the method of suspending the cars from the
rail.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detail views on an enlarged scale showing the method of
jointing together the ends of the rails.
Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing a modification of the controlling
apparatus in which the spring is replaced by a small hydraulic cylinder and in
which the weight of the rail is counterbalanced by the hydraulic pressure.
Fig. 8 shows a slight modification of the controlling apparatus shown in Fig. 7
in which the small bydraulic piston is replaced by a weighted lever.
Fig. 9 shows a further modification of Fig. 1 in which the maiu valve is
controlled by the piston of a small hydraulic cylinder that is itself controlled by
electric contacts made by the passage of the car.
Fige. 10 and 11 are end elevation and plan showing the arrangement for
suspending the cars from a double overhead railway, the two rails being raised
together.
Figs. 12 and 13 show a method of supporting the car bodies from the trolley by
means of springs.
Figs. 14 and 15 show a modification of a double rail overhead railway suitable
for long spans.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 the overhead rails are rebated or mortised at their
ends so as to form a flush joint and are secured together by a pin 2 passing through
an elongated hole in one end to allow a slight sliding motion of one end on the
other. The ends of each of the rails to be elevated are supported overhead by
means of a pillar 3 fixed at its upper end to the pin 2. The pillar 3 is divided
into two parts connected together by a spring 4 that allows of a certain independent
motion of the two parts and its lower part is connected to a piston 5 working in a
hydraulic cylinder 6 that sustains the weight of the rails. The upper part of the
pillar has a projection 22 sliding in a hole in the lower part and serving as a guide
to keep the two parts in line. The cylinder 6 is connected by the passage 9 to the
valve box 10 communicating by the passage 11 with the hydraulic main 12 and
having an exhaust ontlet 13. Within the valve box 10 is an equilibrium valve
consisting of two pistons 14 and 15 rigidly connected together and to the valve
rod 16. The valve rod 16 is provided with a pin working in a slot 17 in a link 18
jointed to the rail 1. The port of the passage 9 is arranged between the ports of
the passages 11 and 13 and is, when the rails are in their normal or level position
as shown, just covered by the lower piston 15 with the pin on the valve rod 16
bearing against the upper ond of the slot 17. The lower end of the slot 17 or an
adjustable stop in the slot, is so arranged that when tho rail is raised to its working
position it bears against the pin on the valve rod 16, the valve being in the position
shown.
The car 7 is suspended from the trolley 8, Fig. 2, which ruus on the rails 1.
The suspending bar or beam 19 is attached to the side frames 20 of the trolley 8
and carries at its extremities the suspending frames 21 to which the cars or carriers 7
are attached.
The operation is as follows:-The normal position of the rails is horizontal and
with the raising and controlling apparatus as shown in the drawing. In this
position the rail is supported by the springs 4 bearing on a collar 68 ou the lower
part of the pillar. When the car passes along the rail the extra weight of the
car 7 and its contents lowers the rail compressing the springs 4 and forcing down
the link 18 and with it the valve rod 16 and double valve. The piston 15 of the
valve then uucovers and descends below the port of the passage 9 so that the water
is free to pass from the main 12 to the cylinder 6 and force up the piston and with
it the rails. As the rails reach their elevated position, the link 18 draws up the
valve rod 16 until the port of the passage 9 is again covered by the piston 15 and
shuts off the hydraulic pressure. It will readily be seen that the weight of the.

page_text: carriage acts on the controlling mechanism before it arrives over the main hydraulic
cylinder so as to allow time for the rail to be raisel np by the said cylinder. The
carriage has thus to run down the incline of the next rail and in so doing acquires
the impetus for its propulsion..
As the carriage passes down the next rail its weight is taken off the pin 2 and
the springs 4 cause the rail to rise and with it the link 18, valve rod 16 and valve
causing the lower piston 15 to rise abore the port of the passage 9 so that the
passage 9 is connected to the exhaust 13, the main cylinder being thus open to the
exhaust the piston and with it the rails drop to the position shown in Fig. 1 and at
the termination of this descent the upper end of the groove 17 in the link 18 comes
against the pin of the valve rod and forces the valve to its normal position as
shown, again closing the port of the passage 9.
It will readily be understood that the hydraulic valve instead of being operated
as described by the sinking and raising of the rails may be operated by the car as
it passes certain points.
In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the joints 2 of the rails 1 are connected to
the rod 23 of the piston 24 of the hydraulic cylinder 25, the piston being of such
size that it almost supports the weight of the rails to be raised, the piston being
always subjected to the hydraulic pressure through the pipe 26. The rod 3 of the
piston 5 of the raising cylinder 6 is connected directly to the rails 1 but is
considerably smaller than as shown in Fig. 1 us it has only to provide the excess
power to raise the rails and the weight of the carriage. In the lower end of the
cylinder 6, is another piston 27 that is connected to a smaller piston 28 working in
an extension 29 of the cylinder 6 and always subjected to the hydraulic pressure
admitted through the pipe 30. The space between the pistons 27 and 28 is open
to the atmosphere, and the motion of the pistons is limited in either direction by
the bottom of the cylinder 6 and by the stop 31. The piston 5 is provided with a
tail 32 against which the piston 27 is forced by the hydraulic pressure when the
piston 5 is in the position shown and supports it in that position, the piston 28
being of sufficient size as to rather more than balance the excess weight of the
rails (that is part of the rails nut balanced by the cylinder 24) but not sufficient to
balance the excess weight of the rails and also the carriage. The exact adjustment
necessary is obtained by the adjustably weighted lever 33 that tends to draw down
the pistons 27 nud 28.
The operation is as follows:-When the car passes along the rail, the extra
weight of the car and its contents depresses the piston 5 and by means of the tail 32,
the pistous 27 and 28. At the same time the valve 14, 15, is operated as described
with reference to Fig. 1 to admit the pressure to the raising cylinder and raise the
rails, the pressure being shut off again exactly as described in Fig. 1, the
pistons 27, 28 being meanwhile kept depressed by the hydraulic pressure acting on
the large area 27. When the carriage has passed the rails the weight is off the
rail, and the pressure acting on the inall piston 28 forces up the piston 27 until
the stop 31 comes against the bottom of the extension 29 and as the port of the
passage 9 is closed, the pision 5 is also forced up a sufficient amount to cause the
rod 18 to put the valve at exhaust exactly as described in reference to Fig. 1.
The rails then descend and when they reach the position shown the passage 9 is
again closed and the extension 32 rests on the piston 27 and prevents any further
sinking of the rail antil operated by the weight of the carriage. The extension 32
is only necessary in case of leakago past the valve 15 or pistons 5 and 27 between
the passage of one carriage and the next which may be hours or even days.
It will readily be seen that the cylinder 25 acts entirely as a counterbalance
and that the whole of the water used in that cylinder to contribute towards
raising the rail is returned to the hydraulic main on the descent of the rail.
In the modification shown in Fig. 8 the hydraulic pressure acting on the piston 28
in Fig. 7 is replaced by the weighted lever 34, the weight acting. exactly as the
hydraulic pressure in that figure.
When the weight of the carriage comes on the rail 1 the piston 5 is depressed

page_text: and raises the piston 27 and weighted lever 34 which is kept in this position by the
hydraulic pressure until the rail has been fully raised, the hydraulic pressure cut
off, and the carriage passed over the rail, when it descends to raise the rail slightly
higher and open the cylinder 6 to the exhaust exactly as described with reference
to Figs. 1 and 7.
The modification, Fig. 9 shows an arrangement in which the resistance to
motion of that part of the controlling apparatus coming into direct contact with
the moving car is very small. In this arrangement it is not necessary for the
woight of the car to affect the position of the rails, the rail 1 having only thus
the two positions, viz. the normal or lowered position aud the raised position. The
valve 14, 15, acts to adinit hydraulic pressure, out it off and exhaust it from the
cvlinder 6 exactly as described in Fig. 1, the time of the exhaust alone being
slightly modified; the means for actuating the valve 14. 15 are however different.
The rod 16 of the valve 14, 15 is connected to a piston 35 working in a small
hydraulic cylinder 36. The port of the upper passage 37 of the cylinder 36 opens
into the cylinder so that it is just covered by the piston 35 when the valve 14, 15
is in the middle position with the port of the passage 9 closed. The top of the
cylinder 36 is connected to the passage 37 by a passage 38 containing a suction
valve 39 that closes upwards but which can be prevented from closing to the
desired extent by means of the adjustable screw or stop 40. The valve of the
cylinder 36 consists of the two pistons 41, 42 connected by the hollow rod 43 and
working in a cylindrical casing 44. The space between the two pistous 41, 42
is always open to the exhaust 45 whilst tho spaces at the ends of the pistons
are always open to the hydraulic pressure admitted through the pipe 46 and
passing through the hollow rod 43.
The piston is connected to the bell crank lever 47 operated by the sliding
rod 48 controlled by the two solenoids 49, 50. The circuit of the solenoid 49
which contains a source of electricity is closed by a contact. 51 operated by the
wheel of tho trolley as it passes along the rail 1. The oircuit of the solenoid 50
which also contains a source of electricity (which may be the same as that of the
solenoid 49) is controlled by another contact 52 operated by the rail as it rises to
its highest position by the extension 54. The contact 51 is so placed as to operate
the valve at the desired time as the car arrives over the joint 2 of the rails.
The parts are shown in their normal position. When the wheel passes over the
contact 51, the core of the solenoid 49 is attracted within it and the rod 48 is
moved to the right and depresses the valve 41, 42 opening the underside of the
piston 35 to the exhaust through the passage 53 and admitting the hydraulic
pressure to the top of the piston 35 through the suction valve 39 which is forced
fully open by the pressure, the port of the passage 37 being covered by the
piston 35. The piston 35 is thus forced to descend and operates the valve 15 to
admit pressure to the raising cylinder 6, the port of the passage 37 being uncovered
and the contact 51 being opened as soon as the car has passed over it. When the
rail arrives at its highest position, the contact 52 is made and causes the solenoid 50
to attract its core and draw the rod 48 to the left raising the valve, 41, 42 to its
highest position as shown. In this position, the upper side of the piston is open to
the exhaust through the passage 37 and also through the valve 39, whilst pressure
is admitted through the passage 53 to the underside of the piston 35. The pistou
is thus rapidly raised until it reaches the middle of its stroke when it closos the
port of the passage 37. In this position the valve 15 cuts off the pressure to
the main cylinder 6. The pressure still acting on the lower side of the piston 35,
the pistou is forced slowly upwards as the water is forced through the suction
valve 39 that is held slightly open by the stop 40 and so slowly opens the main
cylinder 6 to the exhaust. By adjusting the stop 40, the exhaust can be delayed
sufficiently to ensure that the car shall have passed over the raised rail before it is
lowered. When the exhaust is opened the rail lowers and breaks the contact 52.
The valve 41. 42 or the rod 48 may be actuated directly by the moving car instead
of the solenoids.

page_text: In the modification of the rails, trolley and cars shown in Figs. 10 and 11 the
two rails 1, 1 are raised and lowered by the same pillar 3 and the trolley 8 is
provided with two wheels running on each rail. This arrangement entirely
obviates any difficulties of balancing due to the uuequal weights of the cars or
their contents.
In the arrangement shown in Figs. 12 and 13 the suspending frames 21 are.
suspended from the beam 19 by means of blocks 56 that are mounted on the ends
of the beam 19 and are retained by the collar 57 and pin 58. The blocks 56 are
free to rotate on the beam 19. The rods 21 pass through holes in the ends of
the blocks 56 and are provided with the nuts 60. Springs 59 are inserted between
the nuts 60 and blocks 56.
In the modification shown in Figs. 14 and 15 suitable for long spans the double-
rails 1 are fixed on a girder 61 by brackets 62, the running wheels 8 on the trollov
being conical on the periphery and the trolley being provided with guide wheels 63.
One largo car 7 only is suspended from the trolley and runs between the rails.
The ends of the girders are supported by the pillars 3 connected to the pistons 5 24
of bydraulic cylinders 6, 25. As shown two cylinders 25 balance the weight of the.
girder and the two cylinders 6 raise the girder. As shown the raising is controlled
by the band cocks 64, 69, but any of the other arrangements shown may be
employed. The ends of the girder are guided by the frames 65, the sides of
the girder being provided with rollers 07 which run on the faces 66 of the
frames 65.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A system of railway consisting in jointed rails, of guided pillars for supporting
the rails at or near the joints, and of means for raising the pillars, substantially as
described.
2. A. system of railway consisting of jointed rails, of pillars for supporting the
rails, a cylinder and piston supporting the pillar, valves for controlling the
admission and exhaust of the motive fluid to the cylinder, and a means for
actuating automatically the valves according to the position of the car, substantially
as described.
3. The improvements in railways, substantially as described with reference to
the drawings.
Dated this 27th day of January 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.