IMPROVEMENTS ON ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAYS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HENRY COLLINS, of Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirty-first day of October, in the ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Henry Collins, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Charles Henry Collins, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Charles Henry Collins, my
executors, administrators, 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
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS ON ATMOSPHERIC
RAILWAYS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me,
the said Charles Henry Collins, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Henry Collins, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of Improvements on Atmospheric Railways consists in a new
and improved method or new or improved methods of connecting the piston
belonging to the traction tube of atmospheric railways to the carriages to be
moved or propelled on the said railways.
Fig. 1, Sheet I., represents a vertical longitudinal section of part of a
traction pipe constructed on one of my improved plans. A is the main or
.traction pipe laid between the rails in the usual manner; and in place of a
continuous longitudinal groove of valve being made along the top, as is ordi-
narily the case, the traction pipe is furnished with a series of longitudinal slots
along the top (that is to say), I first make a longitudinal slot of 'a certain
length, then a part of the tube is left whole for an equal length, then I
make another slot, and so on, alternate equal portions of the pipe being
slotted and left whole. I prefer the length of such slots to be 'about twenty-
five feet, more or less, and the slotted portions of the pipe are covered by the
box B, which is placed bottom upwards, and bolted air-tight to the top of
the pipė, šuch box terminating at each end, both internally and externally,
in an incline or slope, which brings it gradually down to the inside and
outside of the pipe respectively, as shewn in the Drawing. Through the
inclined ends of the box B rectangular apertures are made in a line parallel
with the length of 'the pipe. These apertures are closed by the valves C.
D is a piston, to which is attached the stage or platform E, of a greater
length than the length of the box B, and consequently, when immediately
under the box, the 'ends of the platform extend beyond the 'termination of the
box 'or 'slot which 'it covers. 'The 'platform is supported inside the pipe, and in
a line parallel with its length, by the false piston M, 'the wheels P, and by the
piston 'or head to which the said platform is attached. H'are sockets, having
a square slot or hole made 'through them, and screwed down 'to 'the stage E,
the two 'end ones being further apart than the extreme length of 'the box B,
say 80 feet, more or less. In them forks or Y F 'slide freely. Gare friction
wheels, mounted 'on 'pins situated at the upper ends of the forks or YF, for
the purpose of preventing the said forks from 'touching 'the top of the box or

page_text: pipe. The Y F are attached at their lower end to a horizontal rod I, which
is pressed upwards by the spiral springs in the boxes acting against a stud or
button at the upper end of the short rods i, i, at the extremities of the
horizontal rod I. L is a rod or bar of iron which I call the driving rod. It
is furnished with sets of notches T, into which fit the upper ends of the Y' F,
in such way that when one fork or Y is in gear they are all opposite their
respective notches in the driving rod, and will immediately gear into the said
notches when not prevented by other parts of the apparatus. A bar O is
attached to the carriage to be propelled, and is situated exactly over the
centre of the pipe. This bar O is also furnished with forks or YF, similar
to the Y E of the platform or stage E inside the traction pipe, and notches
Tare made in the driving rod L, into which the Y F of the carriage bar O
gear, in the same way as the Y of the platform E, the distance between the
two end YF being greater than the length of the box B, say thirty feet,
more or less, so as to act in .connection with the set inside the tube. The
YF and F being pressed upwards and downwards respectively by the
springs K and K', it will be seen that in passing through the pipe one at.
loast of the Y of each set will always be in gear with the driving rod L, the
first one being always in gear before the last one quits its hold. When the
wheels G or G.of the Yarrive at the inclined mouth of the box B at C,
the springs K will be compressed, and the wheels G or G' run up or down, as
the case may be, whether they are outside or inside of the pipe, and by that
means cause the upper ends of the forks F to leave their hold of the driving
rod L, as shewn in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the
pipe A and box B, shewing the Y or fork in gear with or laying hold of the
driving rod L. Fig. 8 represents the fork.or Y F' belonging to the carriage,
in gear with or laying hold of the driving rod L, as would be the case
at the plain parts of the traction tube. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the
pipe taken through the valve. C is the valve, which is placed at the
end of a frame b, which carries the horizontal wheel.a. The frame b termi-
mates in a rod which slides in the guide C', made in the upper end of
a bracket, as shewn in the Drawing. The means by which this valve is
opened is shewn in Fig. 5, which represents a plan view of the pipe
and box. A bar R is attached to the frame 0 of the carriage, just in
advance of the driving rod, as seen at Fig. 1, and is fixed obliquely or at a
proper angle to the line, so that in its passage it will open the valve by
pressing against and forcing back the horizontal wheel.a, as shewn in Fig. 6,
and by dots in Fig. 4. A similar bar R', fixed at an angle to the oppo-
site end of the carriage behind the driving rod, as seen at Fig. 1, closes the

page_text: valve, by coming into contact with and forcing back the wheel a, and leaves
the pipe air-tight, and ready for the next train. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal
vertical section, and Fig. 7 a transverse vertical section, of the piston, shewing
the manner of preventing the passage of the air through the box B during
the passage of the piston. The piston is in fact a double piston (that is to
say), two pistons are mounted on the same shaft, one behind the other, a short
distance apart, and separated by a horizontal cylinder. These single pistons
are formed of cup leathers in the usual way, adapted for the pistons of the
traction tubes of atmospheric railways. Between the two single pistons is a
hollow cylinder of nearly the diameter of the pipe, and having a slot cut out
of the same throughout its whole length, of the same width as and imme-
diately below the opening in the box B, to allow of the spring S to pass up
On
through the opening into the box B, for the purpose of closing the same.
either side of the slot so cut out of the cylinder, a slip of leather, which
reaches from one cup leather to the other, is rivetted, and prevents the passago
of any air between the side of the cylinder and the traction pipe; and the
springs, by rising up and bearing against the upper side of this box B, as seen
in Fig. 6, prevents the air from passing through the box B to the front of the
piston. On the upper side of the spring S a piece of leather is rivetted, of
the full width of the box B, for more effectually preventing the passage of any
air past the spring.
In Sheet II., Fig. 8 represents a transverse vertical section, and Fig. 9 a
plan or bird's-eye view, of a method of supporting the driving rod L indepen-
dent of the Y' or forks. e is a wheel turning on a centre fixed to the rod h,
which slides in an arm projecting from the carriage, and is pressed out by a
spring so as to be under the driving rod L, and thus support it. This method
of supporting the rod L requires a guide at the bottom of the incline of the
box B, as shewn in Fig. 9. Fig. 10 is a sectional representation, and Fig. 11
a side elevation, of another method of supporting the driving rod L, also
independent of the forks or Y. f. f, are small bars, which are pressed down by
spiral springs contained in the sockets g. These sockets are fixed at an angle
to the carriage, as shewn in Fig. 10, and the bars f being then pressed down
pass obliquely into notches made in the driving rod, and thus support it. On
coming to the commencement of the box B, the bevil wheels 1, 1, attached
to f, run up an incline placed there for that purpose, and by pressing the
springs upwards release the bars f from the notches in the driving rod L
and allow the latter to proceed onward. I prefer to have four pairs of these
supports fixed to the carriage. Fig. 12 (Sheet I.) shews the manner in which
the carriage is detached from the piston at the termination of the pipe. A

page_text: the extremity of the pipe a long piece of sheet iron m, of about two thirds of
the diameter of the pipe in width, is held parallel with the top of the pipe by
the supports n; and as the piston passes under the cover m, the Y* F,
belonging to the piston frame, are prevented from gearing into or laying hold
of the driving rod L, which is carried by the carriage over the cover m, and
passes through an aperture at p. Figs. 13, 14, 15, and 16 (Sheet I.) are
transverse sections of Fig. 12, through the dotted lines opposite to which they
are placed. Another method of detaching the carriage from the piston
consists in a prolongation of the box B beyond the pipe for about the length
of the piston and the stage to which it is connected, the box being supported
in a similar manner to the iron cover last described. The piston and driving
rod will then run into the box, and come to a stop, while the carriage, by the
momentum it has acquired, will proceed onward for some distance, and can be
readily stopped at its destination by means of breaks in the ordinary manner.
The carriage forks or y' and friction wheels G¹ may be made to run on
a ledge or rail cast on the pipe and box, as shewn in blue in Figures 12, 13,
& 14, and as the wheels G¹ are furnished with flanges they will always be
kept exactly over the driving rod L.
In Sheet III. Fig. 17 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Figures 18
and 19 transverse vertical sections, of the traction pipe, in which I have shewn
a different arrangement or construction of parts or modification of my Inven-
tion, above described. In the Plan shewn in Figures 17, 18, and 19, the
connection of the carriage outside the tube with the piston inside the tube
is effected without the aid of springs, as at K, K, in the Plan above described
at Fig. 1. A, A, Figs. 17, 18, and 19, is the traction pipe, having a narrow
longitudinal slot or groove the whole length of it. This slot is made in
a perfectly straight line along the top of the pipe, and is covered by the
box B, which is bolted air-tight to the pipe over the longitudinal slot. The
box B is placed for a certain distance, say twenty-five feet, more or less,
a little more on one side of the slot in the pipe than the other, and then for
an equal distance it projects over on the other side, and so on alternately, as
shewn in Figures 20 and 23. By referring to these Figures it will be seen,
as has been before said, that the longitudinal slot z is made quite straight
along the top or upper side of the tube, and that the box or cover B is
at every twenty-five feet (more or less) bent out of a straight line, so that the
box is first placed a little over the right side of the slot, then by being
curved towards the left it is placed a little over the left side, and after
continuing so for the same length, say twenty-five feet, it is bent or curved
back again to the right side, and so on alternately, but the longitudinal

page_text: other than one of
The upper ends of
slot is always covered over by the box, so as to prevent the admission of air,
except at proper times, and through the small valves made for that purpose.
In Fig. 20 the internal form of the box at the point where it is bent out of
a straight line is tinted red, and its exterial form at the same place is colored
blue. In Fig. 17, D, D, is the piston attached to one end of a stage E,
which is supported in and parallel with the sides of the traction pipes by
the wheels P, M, and carries brackets or supports H, H, the extreme or two
end brackets being fixed at greater distance from eäcli
the straight lengths of box B, say thirty feet, more or less.
these brackets pass up through the longitudinal slot in the traction pipe, and
are furnished with sockets in which the forks or Y F work, and allow of
the YF sliding freely in them. The Y F are furnished with friction
wheels G, which prevent them from touching or rubbing against the sides of
the box B. L is the driving rod, being similar in all respects to that
previously described, and having notches T and T, into which the ends of the
Yȧre inserted. Brackets H¹, see Figs. 18 and 19, furnished with
sockets, are firmly bolted to the under side of the carriage, and in these sockets
a bent bar X is placed in such a manner as to admit of the bent bar sliding
freely backwards and forwards. The ends of the bent bar X carry the
friction wheels G', the axis of one of which passes through and is fixed
to the YF, as shewn in the Drawing at Figs. 18 and 19, so that is the
bent bar X and its rollers G¹ are slidden to and fro in the socket H¹ the
the roller G carries the Y F with it; and in order to give greater stability to
the YF, and cause it to move with greater ease and regularity, it is
supported and slides in an arm or bracket Y attached to the carriage. The
wheels G' are furnished with a flange, and are guided in their course by a
ledge or rail cast along the top of the box B, and tinted blue in Fig. 20. In
that part of the box B which deffects or bends out of a straight line the valve
C, of a similar construction to that described préviously, is placed. The valve
has a small projecting rib made on its upper end, which, by sliding in the
guide d, see Fig. 21, keeps the valve in an upright position when it is opened
or shut, which is done by raising or lowering it in the following manner-To
the upper part of and on one side of the valve is fixed the friction wheel a,
and R is an inclined bar attached to the carriage just in advance of the driving
rod L, as seen in Fig. 17, and by this bar R coming into contact with the under
side of the roller or wheel a it raises it, and thereby opens the valve, and
allows the rod to enter or pass into the box. A similar bar 'R' inclined in the
opposite direction is attached to the end of the carriage, just behind the driving
rod L, which, by coming into contact with and pressing down the wheel

page_text: a, forces down and shuts the valve C, after the rod has passed through.
As it may be necessary sometimes to stop the train of carriages by vitiating
or destroying the vacuum in front of the piston, I for this purpose fix a valve-.
opening apparatus; shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 17, to the carriage, in such
way as to open the valve ahead of the piston, and thus admit the air. r is a
bar turning on a centre fixed to the arm X attached to the carriage, and
capable of being raised or depressed by turning the handle v, which is mounted
on the upper end of the rod t, which, by being screwed and worked in a
female screw in the ball, is raised or depressed, according as the handle v is
turned. A similar contrivance to this may be applied to the first-described
arrangement of Invention.
my
1
The operation of the apparatus shewn in Fig. 17 and the following Figures
is as follows:-The boxes B being fixed to the pipe, and the piston and car-
riages Y arranged as herein described, it will be seen that the driving rod
L will be always in gear or connected with the piston and carriage, and that it
passes alternately within and without the box B, as in my first method.
The rod L is supported by the wheel G within the pipe, and by a plate, which
is bolted to the under side of the Y F' without the pipe, as shewn in Fig. 20.
The distance between the two end carriage Y F¹, must be greater than the
length of box on one side of the pipe, say thirty feet, more or less, as in
the former instance. The piston is formed of two cup leathers in the usual
manner, and the piston for working in the box B consists of a frame S
(Figures 17, 20, and 22), formed of a curved shape, so as to pass the turns or
curved parts of the box B with facility. To the sides and top of the frame S
leather is rivetted in such manner as to make it fit the box B, but still to
allow it to move freely therein. Across the frame S are fixed horizontal
ruds g, which slide in the upper ends of the upright carrying pieces or arms
w, w, which latter pass through the pipe slot, and are bolted to the piston D,
as seen in Fig. 17. By this arrangement and construction of parts the box
piston S is thus enabled to follow the course of curves of the box B with
facility.
Fig. 23 represents the extremity of the traction pipe at the terminus of a
railway, and the manner in which the piston and carriage will be detached
froin one another. We have seen in the foregoing description that at every
curve of the box the friction wheels G' belonging to the 'carriage Y' are,
by following the course of the curved rail on the box, forced into or out of
gear with the driving rod L; it will therefore be perfectly evident, that if at
the end of the pipe the box B is made straight for a greater distance than the
length of the driving rod L, that the Y' of either the carriage or the piston

page_text: will be prevented from laying hold of the rod, and the carriage must therefore
stop. Figures 24 and 25 (Sheet II.) represent different modes of forming
the driving rod L and forks or Ys F. B, Fig. 24, is a square or round rod
flattened at the notch, which is cut as shewn in the Drawing. A is a fork or
Y, to correspond to the driving rod B in Fig. 25. The driving rod B is
formed by rivetting transverse bars to two longitudinal, one like a ladder,
by which means a light but strong and rigid rod will be formed: The fork or
Y will then merely consist of a square peg or pin fitting into one of the spaces,
and rounded so as to enter more freely. I prefer to have the driving rod
pointed likewise at the commencement. Figures 26 and 27, Sheet II.,
represent different modes of constructing the slide valve. In Fig. 26 the
valve C is a plate of metal, having a square hole D, of the size of the internal
area of the box. Over this I prefer to solder or otherwise fix a plate of lead d,
as in the event of the valves by any mischance not opening at the proper
time the driving rod will pass harmlessly through the lead, which may
be easily renewed. A piece of leather (tinted green in the Figure) is strained
round the valve C, so as to make it fit air-tight to the seat on which it slides,
but so as to allow it to move freely. The leather is rivetted as shewn in the
Drawing. In Fig. 27 the valve C is a plate of metal similar to the last, but
having the hole open, and small springs c at the corners of the plate. C is a
similar plate, having a squaro hole fitted with lead, as before described, and
being truly ground. Two pins projecting from it fit into corresponding holes in
the other plate C. The two plates being then placed together, as shown, the
plate C will be pressed by the springs against the side of the valve seat,
which should be likewise ground perfectly true. An air-tight valve will thus
be formed without the aid of packing.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion that,
although I have in the foregoing description explained the best means with
which I am acquainted for carrying out my Invention, I do not intend to con-
fine myself rigidly to the precise arrangement of parts herein shewn, as many
parts may be varied in arrangement or construction without departing from
the peculiar character of my Invention. For instance, in some cases I propose
to use a griping instrument or pincer in place of the forks or Ys above
described, which, by laying hold of the rod, will-answer the same purpose as the
forks or Y; but I have not thought it necessary to enter into a detailed descrip-
tion of the means I adopt for applying such instruments or apparatus in place
.of those above described, as any intelligent mechanic will, after carefully reading
the above description, be enabled to effect any minor alteration of this kind.

page_text: But that which I consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim as the
Invention secured to me under the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,
The method or methods herein described and set forth of connecting the
piston of the traction tube of atmospheric railways to the carriage outside.
I claim particularly the use of forks Y', pins, studs, grips, pincers, or other
equivalent parts, attached to or connected with the piston and carriage, and
causing the same to lay hold of a driving rod, or take into notches or holes, or
on to studs or projections formed in or on the same, for the purpose of
establishing a connection between the piston inside the tube and the carriage
outside.
I also claim the application of slide valves, as shewn, to close the apertures
of the box on the tubes of atmospheric railways.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Henry Collins, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.