IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS, AND IN ENGINES AND CARRIAGES TO RUN THEREON
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN HENRY
GRIESBACH, of Carlton Villas, Maida Vale, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Griesbach, my exors, adñors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Henry
Griesbach, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Henry Griesbach, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS, AND IN ENGINES
AND CARRIAGES TO RUN THEREON;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso, that I, the said John Henry Griesbach, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing, under my.hand and
seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Henry Griesbach, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists, first, of a mode of arranging guide rails to the ordi-
nary rails of a railway, and combining therewith certain horizontal wheels in
such manner that railway carriages may run with more safety, and yet to be
able to pass with freedom from one pair of rails to another pair of rails
without requiring flanges on the wheels.
And secondly, my Invention consists of improvements in railway axles.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows part of a train of carriages fitted with wheels suitable for
carrying out my Invention; Figure 2 shows an end elevation, by which the
action of the horizontal wheels can be more readily traced, and the appli-
cation of the additional rails for the horizontal wheels clearly seen. The
inode of affixing the addition rails may be varied; Figure 2, showing a plan
where the ordinary rails have no direct combination, and depend on the
sleepers and diagonals d for keeping them correct to each other; Figure 3
shews an addition of diagonals for combining the rails c with the ordinary
rails; and Figure 4 shows the two ordinary rails tied together with diagonals
proceeding to the additional rails c; these arrangements may however be
varied according to the judgment of the engineer. Figure 5 shows another
end elevation, the additional rails being brought nearer to the other rails.
are the horizontal wheels; b, the framings for receiving the same; c, the
additional rail on either side of the railway against which the horizontal
wheels act; e are uprights, carrying the additional rails; and d, d, are
diagonals for giving stiffness and stability to the additional rails. I would
remark that I am aware that it has before been proposed to use additional
wheels to railway carriages for retaining the carriages on the rails, and
I mention this circumstance in order to state that I do not claim the use of
additional wheels generally, nor do I claim the use of additional rails generally;
but up to the present time no arrangement has been made whereby trains of
carriages having guide wheels and running wheels without flanches, with addi-
tional and other rails, so combined with switch apparatus and turntables that
α

page_text: trains of carriages may not only run securely on the main lines, but may be
caused to run therefrom, and be guided correctly in passing from one pair of
rails to another. And it is the arrangement of such a system of railways,
combined with the use of apparatus to carriages such as herein shewn, which
constitutes the first part of my Invention. And I would state that although
I have shown particular section of rails, other sections may be used when
carrying out my Invention.
Figure 6 shows a plan of part of a railway, shewing switch apparatus
suitable for the passage of trains from one to another of two pairs of rails.
c, c, are the additional rails, as shewn in the previous Figures; A, A, and B, B,
being the rails of two main lines, and the switch apparatus is shewn in such a
position that a train of carriages moving in the direction of the arrows on the
line A, A, would, when it comes to the switch apparatus, pass from the line
A, A, to the line B, B. Owing to the guide rails c, c, being combined with
the switch apparatus, so that when the main lines are desired to be each com-
plete, the switch apparatus will be in the position shewn by the red dotted
lines; and when the carriages are desired to pass from one line to another,
the switch apparatus will be moved across. I have not thought 't necessary
to show apparatus for moving the switch apparatus, as the same will readily
be applied.
Figure 7 shows part of a line of two pairs of rails, with a portion of a
third pair of rails acting as a siding, in which case the switch apparatus
consists of the tongue bar c*, c*, which, when the main rails are to be com-
plete, will stand in the position shown by red dotted lines; and when a train
is to pass on to the siding, the tongue will be moved over to the position
shewn at Figure 7. The Drawings show clearly the position of the rails for
supporting the running wheels when passing from one line of rails to
another.
Figure 8 shows a turntable, and the parts of four pairs of rails; and it
will be seen that the guide rails for the horizontal wheels are applied to the
turntable as well as to the rails, so that a carriage with unflanged wheels will
be retained on the rails correctly when being removed from one set of rails to
another over the turntable. I would remark that I do not confine myself to
the details herein shewn and described, so long as the peculiar character of
this part of my Invention, as herein described, be retained.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention:-Figure 9 shows an
axletree, arranged with means of lubricating the boxes of the wheels, which,
according to my Invention, are to turn on the necks or parts g, and the wheels
are to be retained on by means of the collars h and the scrow nuts i. The

page_text: axle is received into the boxes j, and are retained fast therein, the boxes j
being received between the ordinary horns, as at present. k; k, are the lubri-
cating boxes, having a communication, as shewn by dots, with the groove
formed in each of the necks or parts g; hence there will be a constant
lubrication.
I would remark in respect to this part of my Invention that I am aware
that it has before been proposed to have the wheels of railway carriages turn
on their axles; I do not therefore claim the doing so generally, but only the
arrangement shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Griesbach, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
JOHN HENRY (L.s.) GRIESBACH.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-ninth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid John Henry Griesbach
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.