IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TRAMWAYS." A communication from abroad by Count Delamarre, of Paris,
in the Republic of France, Managing Director of the Compagnie des Tramways
de Paris.
Sealed the 24th February 1880, and dated the 28th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th August 1879.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS." A communication from abroad by
Count Delamarre, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Managing Director of the
Compagnie des Tramways de Paris."
"
This Invention relating to improvements in tramways consists in the use, in
substitution for the ordinary grooved tramway rail of two rails (approximating to
the shape of flat bottomed railway rails) arranged side by side at a short distance
apart, and connected together by U shaped distance pieces and horizontal bolts
and nuts or rivets, in combination with chairs and intermediate clips which embrace
the bottoms of the rails, and to which the rails and distance pieces are secured by
vertical bolts passing through the distance pieces and through the chairs and clips
respectively.
The chairs may be constructed of an inverted U or T shape, or of a H section,
made in two parts bolted together, or of any other suitable form, and of dimensions
adapted to the paving blocks to be used with them, notches or recesses being pro-
vided in the body of the chairs when desirable for the reception of the nuts of the
bolts connecting the distance pieces to the chairs. The chairs may be supported.
upon transverse sleepers, in which case the bolts may pass through the distance.
pieces, chairs, and sleepers; or longitudinal sleepers may be used, or the way may be
laid upon sand or concrete, in which cases the clip pieces may extend the whole
length, or the feet of the rails may be joined or caused to abut against each
other.
At the points of junction of the ends of the rails the distance pieces serve as
fishes.
The section of rails employed in carrying out this Invention may be varied, for
example, rails made of such a form that the fishwedges shall be self tightening
without bolts are particularly suitable for the purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
February 1880.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Iun Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS." A communication from abroad by
Count Delamarre, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Managing Director of the
Compagnie des Tramways de Paris.
The said Invention relating to improvements in tramways consists in the use in
substitution for the ordinary grooved tramway rail of two rails (approximating to
the shape of flat bottomed railway rails) arranged side by side at a short distance
apart, and connected together by U shaped distance pieces and horizontal bolts and
nuts or rivets, in combination with chairs and intermediate clips which embrace
the bottoms of the rails, and to which the rails and distance-pieces are secured by
vertical bolts passing through the distance pieces and through the chairs and clips
respectively. The chairs may be constructed of an inverted U or T shape, or of a
H section, made in two parts bolted together, or of any other suitable form, and of
dimensions adapted to the paving blocks to be used with them, notches.or recesses
being provided in the body of the chairs when desirable for the reception of the
nuts of the bolts connecting the distance pieces to the chairs. The chairs may be
supported upon transverse sleepers, in which case the bolts may pass through the
distance pieces, chairs, and sleepers, or longitudinal sleepers may be used, or the
way may be laid upon sand or concrete, in which cases the clip pieces may extend
the whole length, or the feet of the rails may be joined or caused to abut against
.each other.
At the points of junction of the ends of the rails the distance pieces serve as
fishes.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a transverse section of a train-
way rail, constructed according to one modification of the said Invention, supported
upon a chair shewn in elevation; Figure 2 is a similar view of the same rail, shewing
the clip employed to connect the feet of the rails in the intervals between the chairs.
Figure 3, Figures 4 and 5, and Figure 6 illustrate other modifications of the
construction, as hereinafter described. _
The improved tramway rails are composed of a main rail A and a guard rail B
connected together by distance pieces Ċ and bolts D. The distance pieces C may
be of wrought or cast iron or steel, and are formed so as to fit exactly against the
profile of the two rails, sufficient space being provided between the vertical parts of
the distance piece to allow room for the head of a bolt E, which serves to connect,
the rails to chairs G (Figure 1), or a bolt E which serves to connect the rails at
intervals between the chairs to clip pieces L (Figure 2). The distance pieces are made,
of two different lengths, those situate at the points intermediate between the joints
of the rails being constructed of sufficient length to admit of the employment of a
single horizontal bolt D only, whilst those at the joints are prolonged to from eight
to twelve inches, and act as an internal fish plate, being connected by three or four
bolts to an ordinary fish plate arranged outside the rails. The clip pieces L,, to
which the distance pieces intermediate between the chairs are connected are com-
posed of wrought or cast iron or steel, and so constructed as to receive the feet of
the rails in the same manner as the chairs G.
When the main rail A and guard rail B have been connected together by means
of the distance pieces C and bolts D they are secured to the sleepers H by means of

page_text: a chair G of wrought or cast iron or steel, the height of which will vary according
to the depth of the pavement.
The chairs may be constructed in the form of an inverted U, as shewn in Figure 3,
or in the form of a T, as in the modification illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. In the
last mentioned modification the feet of the rails are made sufficiently wide to enable
them to abut against each other, and the central web of the chair is notched or
recessed to admit of the introduction of the nut on the end of the bolt E, as shewn
more clearly in the side elevation, Figure 5.
According to the modification illustrated in Figure 6 the chair is constructed of
an H section, made in two parts, connected together by bolts K, and the feet of the
rails abut against each other, as in the arrangement shewn in Figures 4 and 5.
The bolt E also passes through the sleeper and is secured by a nut on the underside
of the late.
The section of rails employed in carrying out the said Invention may be other-
wise modified, for example, rails made of such a form that the distance pieces are
secured without, bolts and without holes in the rails are suitable for the purpose.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
Constructing tramways substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty third day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)