Improvements in or connected with Gravity Railways.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Gravity Railways.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM POTTS, of 30 Burnaby Street, Chelsea, Engineer, and
Captain PAUL BOYTON, of Warwick House, Warwick Road, Kensington, both in
the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with gravity railways,
the object being to provide means whereby such railways may be adapted for use in
connection with water galas, aquatic festivals, regattas and the like in the manner
hereinafter more particularly described.
In carrying out the invention the inclined track or way of well known
construction is set up adjacent to a sheet of water and upon it is placed the car or
carriage in the form of a boat which is adapted to descend by gravity in the
manner common to "switch-back" railways and enter and float upon the water
when it reaches the end of the downward track.
We advantageously employ four tracks, provided with boats having curved ends
so as to glide easily and safely into the water. The space between the boat tracks
form chutes down which a volume of water rushes to be used by bathers or for the
passage of toboggans which may be either open or of boat form.
The cars or carriages are provided with suitable runners or wheels and may have
guide-rails to prevent them leaving the track and splash-boards to prevent water
entering the boat.
In some cases water is forced above the upper part of the track and caused to
fall onto the track like a waterfall. This may be advantageously effected by
means of a curved pipe closed at each end and provided with openings through
which the water is projected onto an incline carrying perforated plates which split
up or divide the water which then passes over the lipped edge of the incline to the
upper part of the track and has the appearance of a horse-shoe water-fall.
water then passes beneath a platform to the inclined planes down which it rushes
and the cars when passing down the tracks resemble boats descending the rapids of
a river. The water also acts as a lubricant for the runners.
Dated the 8th day of April 1893
The
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Gravity Railways.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM POTTS, of 30, Burnaby Street, Chelsea, Engineer, and
Captain PAUL BOYTON, of Warwick House, Warwick Road, Kensington, both in
the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with gravity railways,
the object being to provide means whereby such railways may be adapted for use in
connection with water galas, aquatic festivals, regattas and the like in the manner
hereinafter more particularly described.

page_text: In order to enable the invention to be fully understood we will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a water chute constructed according to our
invention:
Figure 2 is an end elevation; and, -
Figure 3 is a plan.
a represents an inclined way or chute provided with tracks b, the spaces c
between the sides of the chute and the tracks and between the tracks themselves
being adapted to receive a body of water from above to be used by bathers or for
the passage of boats d.
The boats d have curved ends so as to glide easily and safely into the water
and are provided with suitable runners or wheels and may have guide-rails to
prevent them leaving the track and splash-boards to prevent water entering
the boat.
In the drawing the track or way is shewn supported upon a framing of uprights
and struts but no claim is made to this arrangement as it forms a part of further
improvements for which a Patent has been applied for by one of us No. 18321
dated the 29th September 1893.
In some cases water is forced above the upper part of the track and caused to
fall onto the track like a waterfall. This may be advantageously effected by
means of a curved pipe closed at each end and provided with openings through
which the water is projected onto an incline carrying perforated plates which split
up or divide the water which then passes over the lipped edge of the incline to the
upper part of the track and has the appearance of a horse-shoe waterfall. The
water then passes beneath a platform to the inclined way down which it rushes and
the boats when passing down the tracks appear to be descending the rapids of a
river. The water also acts as a lubricant for the runners.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
An inclined way or chute having tracks for boats, the spaces between the sides of
the chute and the tracks and between the tracks themselves being adapted to receive
a body of water from above in combination with boats provided with runners or
wheels and adapted to run on the said tracks, all substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 5th day of January 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.