IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Williamson and Alexander
Younger at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th June
1878.
THOMAS WILLIAMSON, Engineer, and ALEXANDER YOUNGER, Mill Manager, both
of Hallside, in the County of Lanark, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYS."
This Invention, which relates to improvements in the construction of tramways,
has for its object to provide rails of sections which are easily rolled, and which after
being worn on one side may be reversed. It has also for its object to provide an
efficient system of drainage for tramways, and a firm foundation for the paving
setts or other roadway on either side of the tramway.
According to the first modification the rails are formed of two portions, namely,
the rail proper and the guard rail. The rail proper is of the double-headed section,
such as is commonly used on railways, and the guard rail is of a double angle iron
section. The upright members of the guard rail are of such a width as to fit in
between the heads of the double-headed rail. The rail proper and guard rail when
so placed together are secured in chairs by wooden or other keys, and it is preferred
that the lengths of the rail proper and guard rail should break joint with each
other, so as thereby to avoid the necessity of using fish plates.
The drainage of the tramway is effected by the use of plates with a depression or
groove running along the centre, which constitutes a gutter having openings at
intervals into drain pipes; these gutter plates are secured in the under side of the
chairs by keys or wedges. The gutter plates being thus firmly secured to the chairs
also constitute a longitudinal stiffner to the rails.
According to a second modification the rail proper is also formed of a double-
headed section, and the guard rail is of a hollow section commonly known as the
bridge rail. The width of the top of the bridge is such as to fit into the hollow
between the heads of the rail proper, and when so placed together one of the flanches
constitutes the guard. In this arrangement, as in the preceding, the rail proper
and the guard rail are by preference so placed together as to break joint, and they

page_text: are secured into the chairs by wooden or other keys driven in between the chair
and the hollow or bridge space of the guard rail.
Drainage or combined gutter and stiffening plates are also used with this modifi-
cation of our improvements, and in place of being formed with a hollow depression,
as herein-before described, they may be rolled with one or more vertical webs.
Under a third modification of our improvements each length of rail is formed in
one piece, and rolled with the necessary hollow towards the outer or guard edges
of both the upper and under sides of the rail respectively.
The rails rest with the under hollow continuously bearing upon the vertical web
of an inverted bearer of a T shaped section. To this web the rails are secured. by
jaws fastened thereto by a wedge or wedges, or by bolts.
The vertical sides of the rails are rolled hollow for the purpose of bearing on the
curved sides of the jaws and for admitting wooden or other keys.
The rails of the several constructions herein-before described may at any time be
removed or reversed without disturbing the chairs or the roadway, and they, as
well as the combined stiffening and gutter plates, may be made of iron or steel.