Improvements in Railways or Tramways, and in the Wheels of Carriages therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 31st May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railways or Tramways, and in the Wheels of
Carriages therefor.
I, REUBEN CORSHAM, of 20 Warwick Road, Stoke Newington, in the County
of Middlesex, Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide means or appliances whereby passengers
or goods may be readily transmitted from place to place and for this purpose I
construct a permanent way consisting of one, two or more grooves or channels
of U, V, semi-cylindrical, semi-elliptical, segmental or other similar shape, in which
the wheels of the carriages or other vehicles are adapted to run. The said wheels
are made of a section to suit the shape of the channel or groove employed in the
permanent way, and I prefer to provide them with indiarubber tires of suitable section
to enable them to roll along in such grooves or channels with a minimum of
resistance.
The grooved or channelled permanent way may be laid on the ground or may be
mounted on suitable supports, and the carriages or other vehicles may be mounted
on the wheels in the ordinary way, or, in cases where the grooved or channelled
permanent way is raised above the ground, they may be suspended or slung
therefrom.
or
The carriages or other vehicles may be propelled by means of hand-power,
pedals, steam, electric, or other motive power engines, or may in some cases be
allowed to run by gravity, the grooved or channelled way being laid at suitable
inclinations for this purpose.
The grooved or channelled way may be made of iron or other metal, stone (artificial
or otherwise) wood, glass, or any other suitable material which will afford a hard,
smooth surface for the wheels to roll on.
01-4
T..L 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railways or Tramways, and in the Wheels of
Carriages therefor.
I, REUBEN CORSHAM, of 20 Warwick Road, Stoke Newington, in the County
of Middlesex, Stationer, 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, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of
drawings, and to the letters and Figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of this invention is to provide improved means or appliances whereby
passengers or goods may be readily transmitted from place to place, and for this
purpose I construct a permanent way consisting of one, two, or more grooved or
channelled rails of U, V, semi-cylindrical, semi-elliptical, segmental, or other similar
shape, in which the wheels of the carriages or other vehicles are adapted to run.
The said wheels are made of a section to suit the shape of the channel or groove
employed employed in the rails, and in some cases I prefer to provide them with
indiarubber tyres of suitable section to enable them to roll along in such grooves or
channols with a minimum of resistance.
In the drawings Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 show transverse sections of grooved

page_text: or channelled ways or rails made in accordance with my invention. Those shown
in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are of shapes suitable for the wheels of the carriages or
other vehicles to run in without further preparation; but in cases where I desire to
utilize ordinary channel or H iron, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 for example, I obtain
the desired form of groove or channel by filling in with cement, wood, or other
material A.
The grooved or channelled ways or rails may be laid on the ground or imbedded
therein, as shown in Figure 7 for example, being by preference supported on
longitudinal sleepers B of wood or other suitable material. Or they may be mounted
on suitable supports as shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 for example, appropriate
chairs C being employed to receive the grooved or channelled ways or rails
when the section is such that it cannot be conveniently fixed without sotne such
appliance.
The carriages or other vehicles may be mounted on the wheels in the ordinary
way as shown in Figures 7 and 10; or, in cases where the grooved or channelled
way is raised above the ground, they may be suspended or slung, therefrom as shown
in Figures 8 and 9. And they may be propelled by means of hand power, or pedals,
steam, electric or other motive power engines, or may, in some cases, be allowed to
run by gravity, the grooved or channelled ways or rails being laid at suitable
inclinations for this purpose, as in the well known switchback railways for
example.
The grooved or channelled way or rail may be made of iron or other metal, stone
(artificial or otherwise) wood, glass, or any other material which will afford a hard,
smooth surface for the wheels to roll on ; and is suited to the particular circumstances
under which it is to he employed.
In
The wheels intended to run in the above described grooved or channelled ways
or rails may have their tyres or treads shaped approximately to the internal form
of the said grooved or channelled ways or rails as illustrated at D in Figure 11, but
preferably with a certain amount of side play to give freedom of movement.
some cases I prefer to furnish the wheels with tyres made of indiarubber, after the
manner of bicycle wheels, but they may also be made of iron or other material
according to the nature of the traffic they are intended to carry.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is
First The use, in railways or tramways, of grooved or channelled ways or rails
constructed and applied substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in
the drawings hereto annexed.
Second-The use, in combination with the grooved or channelled ways or rails
forming the subject of the first claiming clause hereof, of wheels the tyres or treads
of which are made to correspond approximately to the internal shape of the grooved
or channelled way or rail substantially as herein before described, and illustrated in
Figure 11 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Third The use, in combination with the grooved or channelled ways or rails
forming the subject of the first claiming clause hereof, of wheels furnished with
indiarubber tyres after the manner of bicycle wheels for example, as herein before
described.
111000