IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Newall Molesworth-
Hepworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th November
1882.
EDWARD NEWALL MOLESWORTH-HEPWORTH, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS."
K
The object of this invention is to enable a railway to cross a navigable river or
canal without the necessity for raising the level of the permanent way above the
height of an ordinary bridge, and without interfering with the passage of ships or
vessels of a large size, at the same time that the permanent way is always open for
traffic and the danger and other evils attendant upon ordinary swing-bridges or
draw-bridges are remedied.
In carrying out these objects according to my Invention I propose that at a
certain distance on each side of the river or canal the railway shall be caused to
diverge to the right and left so as to form (as it were) two loop lines which shall
cross the river or canal at such a distance apart from each other as to leave a basin
or section of the river or canal between them of sufficient dimensions to admit of
one or more ships or vessels of the largest size. After having crossed the river or
canal the two loop lines will then be caused to converge again until they unite in
a continuation of the main lines.
The two loop lines are each provided, at the point where they cross the river or
canal with a swing-bridge or draw-bridge, and at the points where they diverge
and converge again from and to the main line they are provided with switching
points for directing the trains onto either the upper or lower loop line.
Supposing now (for example) that a vessel were descending the river and that au
up or down train or both even were due at about the same time the pointsmen
at the diverging points would switch all trains, whether up or down the line, onto
the lower loop line and signal to the man at the swing or drawbridge on the upper
loop line that they had done so.
The bridge man over the upper loop line could then be at liberty to open his swing
or draw bridge and allow the vessel or vessels to pass into the section or basin
between the two loop lines and having done so he closes his swing or draw-bridge
and signals to the pointsmen that he has done so.

page_text: The latter then switch all trains onto the upper loop line, and the bridge man at
the lower loop line having received the signal can then open his bridge and
allow the vessel or vessels to pass through to the lower part of the river, and thus
the traffic upon the railway and the river can be carried on simultaneously without
interfering with each other and without danger of accident.
The handles under the control of the pointsman and the bridge-men will be
provided with locking levers so arranged that the pointsmen cannot signal to the
bridgemen until after they have both worked their switches; the bridges being
double locked and that the bridgeman cannot open their respective bridges until
they have received the signals from both pointemen that the switches are in the
right position, or until the pointsmen unlock the levers of the bridge to be opened.
Thus it will be evident that one or other of the loop. lines will always be open
for through traffic on the railway, whilst at the same time any vessel or vessels may
pass the two swing or draw bridges, one after the other in either direction without
interfering with the traffic on the railway.
And by the use of the locking levers and the system of signalling as above
described all danger of a train being passed onto one of the loop lines whilst its
respective bridge is open, is avoided.
The distance from the river or canal where the loop lines diverge and their
distance apart where they cross the river or canal will depend upon the exigencies
of each particular case but they must in all cases be such that the resulting curve
shall be gradual and not too sudden.