AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE RAILWAY
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Draughtsman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE RAILWAY."-A communication from abroad
by James Knox Glenn, of New York City, in the United States
of America.
Sealed the 8th January 1869, and dated the 25th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 25th July 1868.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE RAILWAY," to be as follows:-

page_text: Cities or from one place to another. It is peculiarly adaptable for soft
and swampy ground, and may be used as a conveyor of motion of floating
structures and of all kinds of water craft.
The Invention is based upon the self rail-laying principle, and consists
chiefly in arranging on either side of a car, waggon, or other vehicle or
craft a continuous or endless rail or set of rails with a corresponding
arrangement of trucks adapted thereto, the trucks being connected into
endless chains fitting around the. rails. Each truck carries a set of
rollers running on the rail or rails and turning in journals on the truck;
they are kept in constant contact with the outside of the rail by means
of an additional wheel working on the inside of the same. As the
vehicle or craft is drawn forward, or as the trucks are moved on the
rails by muscular or other power, each truck as it comes to the ground
rests upon a foot formed upon it while the rail is being carried forward
over it, and is then carried up again in rear of the vehicle. On water
craft buoys instead of feet are provided, the same acting as paddles to
convey the vessel forward. The vehicle or craft is girt longitudinally
with continuous rails, either one on each side of the frame of the vehicle
or a pair on each side of the same. The endless rails are made with
horizontal parallel upper and lower sides and with rounded front and rear
ends having by preference a cross section of this form, as that will
not require flanged wheels. If the rails are used in pairs, each rail may
have one flange, but if only one rail is used on each side of the frame
such rail should have two flanges to properly support a non-flanged wheel
The truck frames carry outer and inner antifriction wheels which run
respectively on opposite sides of the rail, the one pair on the outer and
the other on the inner tread of the rails. The trucks have also each
a projecting foot for resting upon the ground, or for water crafts the
trucks are fitted with paddles. The trucks are all connected together
by coupling rods and joints. The wheels are allowed considerable lateral
motion to enable the vehicle to be turned or steered, as by throwing one
or more of the feet of the truck frames to one side or the other the
body of the vehicle may be steered or turned as desired. This steering
may in a land vehicle be accomplished by means of guide rods connected
with and worked by the draught pole. The feet of the trucks should
be modified to suit the purposes for which they are intended. Thus
for hard ground they may be narrow, for soft and swampy ground broad,

page_text: and for navigating services shaped like the paddle of a paddle wheel
or otherwise. When it is desired to use power on the vehicle or craft
so as to make the same self-propelling, such power may be applied-
by direct action on the body of the vehicle or by contrary action on the
or otherwise. When it is desired to use power on the vehicle or craft
so as to make the same self-propelling, such power may be applied-
by direct action on the body of the vehicle or by contrary action on the
trucke
When this Invention is used as a means of obtaining power from
the force of a current of water, the water acts upon the paddles, the
power of the stream carrying the trucks along.
action on the body
Yemen
trucks.
Outraty action
When this Invention is used as a means of obtaining power from
the force of a current of water, the water acts upon the paddles, the
power of the stream carrying the trucks along.
When this Invention is used as a means of obtaining power from
the force of a current of water, the water acts upon the paddles, the
power of the stream carrying the trucks along.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, 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 "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE RAILWAY," being a
communication to me from abroad by James Knox Glenn, of New York
City, in the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or ad-
ministrators, 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

page_text: 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):-
:-
This Invention relates to a new running gear for vehicles of all classes,
such as are used for transporting goods or conveying passengers through
cities or from one place to another. It is peculiarly adaptable for soft
and swampy ground, and may be used as a conveyor of motion of floating
structures and of all kinds of water craft.
The Invention is based upon the self rail-laying principle, and consists
chiefly in arranging on either side of a carriage, waggon, or other vehicle
or craft a continuous or endless rail or set of rails with a corresponding
arrangement of trucks adapted thereto, the trucks being connected into
endless chains fitting around the rails. Each truck carries a set of rollers
running on the rail or rails and turning in journals on the truck; they
are kept in constant contact with the outside of the rail by means of an
additional wheel working on the inside of the same. As the vehicle or
craft is drawn forward, or as the trucks are moved on the rails by
muscular or other power, each truck as it comes to the ground rests upon
a foot formed upon it while the rail is being carried forward over it, and
is then carried up again in rear of the vehicle. On water craft buoys
instead of feet are provided, the same acting as paddles to convey the
vessel forward
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of
a carriage provided with the improved portable railway; Fig 2 is a plan
or top view of the portable railway; Fig. 3 is a side view of the same;
and Fig. 4 is an end view on an enlarged scale of the trucks or frames
which carry the wheels, also shewing a transverse section of the fixed
rails and of the frame to which they are attached.
reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents a wooden, metallic, or other frame
body of the vehicle or craft in any suitable manner.
Similar letters of
connected with the
To the frame A

page_text: are secured continuous rails B, B, either one on each side of the frame,
or a pair on each side of the same as in the Drawing. These rails may
be strengthened by means of cross bars C, C, shewn in Fig. 3. The
endless rails B are made of metal or such other material as may be best
adapted for the purpose.
They are made with horizontal parallel upper
and lower sides and with rounded front and rear ends as shewn in Fig. 3.
The cross section preferred for the rails is that shewn in Fig. 4, as that
will not require flanged wheels. If the rails are used in pairs as in Fig. 4,
each rail may have one flange as shewn, but if only one rail is used on
each side of the frame such rail should have two flanges to properly
D, D, are the truck frames carrying the
support a non-flanged wheel.
truck wheels E, E, and the inner wheels F; G is the projecting foot of
the truck for resting upon the ground, or for water crafts it is the paddle.
A pin H is arranged transversely through or on each foot near the
outer end of the same. I, I, are connecting rods attached to the pins H
of two adjacent trucks. These rods are all of equal length and
consequently keep the truck frames at equal distances apart.
It will be noticed in Fig. 4 that a considerable space is left between
the ends of journals a, b, in the truck frames and the wheels; this is to
provide for lateral motion which is required to enable the vehicle to be
turned or steered, for by throwing one or more of the feet of the truck
frames to one side or the other the direction of the body of the vehicle
while in motion may be changed at pleasure. This steering may in a
land vehicle be accomplished by means of guide rods K, K, working on
a fulcrum L, which is fixed in the frame A. The guide rods play in a
recess M formed in the cap of the journal of the keeper wheels. Each
of the guide rods extends to the front of the vehicle, passing around the
curve of the front end, and is secured to a transverse bar N, which is
secured to the tongue P by a pin O. The tongue P is fastened by and
turns on the ring bolt R, and as it is moved to the right or left it commu-
nicates its lateral movement to the guide rods K; when the guide rods
are thus moved their ends S which project beyond the pins I throw the
truck frames in the desired direction as they successively pass the
points S. The ends of the feet & should be shaped for the purpose for
which they are intended, so that for hard ground they may be narrow,
for soft and swampy ground broad, and for navigating services shaped
like the paddle of a paddle wheel or otherwise. When it is desired to

page_text: use power on the vehicle or craft so as to make the same self-propelling
such power may be applied by direct action on the body of the vehicle
or by contrary action on the trucks.
When this Invention is used as a
means of obtaining power from
the force of a current of water the water acts upon the paddles formed
on the feet G, the power of the stream carrying the trucks along. The
power so transmitted may be conveyed by suitable mechanism.
The operation of the apparatus on shore is as follows:-When motive
power is applied directly to the frame the rails move in the chains formed
by the trucks and rods I, and as the weight of the whole device holds
the lower feet on the ground the chain will be set in motion, placing a
new section in front of the vehicle upon the ground and taking up the
last one in rear. Thus a track or set of shoes is continually placed upon
the ground under the vehicle and supports the same without rubbing or
occasioning friction on the surface of the ground, all the friction
being between the smooth rails and wheels. When motion is applied
to the chain one foot after another will be laid down upon the ground,
and the rail will have to follow such motion of the chain.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved
Construction of Portable Railway" as communicated to me from abroad
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish
it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim,―
First. A running gear arranged substantially as herein set forth and
described.
Secondly. The endless rails B, B, applied to each side of the frame so
that each side of the craft or vehicle may carry independently its own
endless chain, as set forth.
Thirdly. The endless chain consisting of the trucks which are con-
nected by rods or chains, and which carry the rollers E, E, and F,
substantially as described, 80 as to fit the rails on both sides, as
specified.
Fourthly. The device herein set forth for steering or turning the

page_text: Fitniy.
au
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane,
A. V. NEWTON. (Ls.)