IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS AND IN THE MODE OF TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS AND GOODS THEREON
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Cave Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th October 1873.
I, WILLIAM CAVE THOMAS, of 19, Salisbury Street, Strand, London,
W.C., Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS AND IN THE MODE OF TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS
AND GOODS THEREON," to be as follows:-
Instead of constructing the permanent way of railways in the ordinary
manner with two rails upon which the flanched wheels of the engine and
carriages run, and instead of employing a third central rail in addition
to the other two rails through which central rail the power is transmitted
partially or wholly for the traction of the train (as in the "Fell" railway),
or by means of a central toothed rail or rack as in the "Rigi" and
other similar descriptions of railway; instead also of a single or double
rail mounted or set up on a longitudinal framework or wall-like

page_text: structure, on and along the top face of which the wheels of the carriages
run, whilst the carriages themselves depend therefrom on cach side like
"panniers;” and instead also of such an arrangement of materials where
a central grove is employed as in some kinds of tramways merely for
guiding the engines and trains, whilst the adhesion necessary for
transmitting the locomotive power is secured by the weight of the
engine, and the power is transmitted through the driving wheels
running upon tram plates. I by my Invention employ only a single or
central rail for supporting the train whilst running, and for receiving
the adhesion from the driving wheels, and in manner utilize for railway
travelling the principle by which the bicycle rider is enable to progress
steadily and with great speed, and I at the same time reduce the cost of
construction, working, and maintaining railway lines, and greatly
increase the safety of passengers and general traffic at high speed.
I place the driving wheels of the engine in centre line longitudinally, 1
and I either flange them so as to saddle and grip the top rail, or
I combine horizontal driving or guiding wheels with vertical driving or
bearing wheels, so as to take full advantage of the frictional contact of
the rotatory surfaces upon or upon and by the sides of the central rail. In
like manner the carriages are fitted with their wheels in single file one a
behind the other along the longitudinal axis of the train, and the floor
line of the carriages may be only a few inches above the line of the road,
so that when coming up to, arriving at, and leaving a station they may
rest upon slightly raised rails or lines of platform within and at each
end of the station, so as to give the engine and train the necessary 2
stability whilst slowing down, remaining stationary, and whilst getting
up the speed on leaving the station.
The under side of the engine frame may on each side of the central
line be fitted with friction wheels or rollers, and the carriages, trucks,
and other vehicles forming the train may be similarly fitted. These a
friction wheels or rollers may be carried on a light under frame capable
of being raised clear out of the way and lowered where and when
necessary by any of the well-known mechanical means; a small amount
only of clearance between the level of the road, and the under side of
the engine frame and carriages is thus needed to insure limitation.
of transverse motion or "canting over " of the train when the train

page_text: has been nearly or entirely brought to a stand, thus either by the
use at stations or elsewhere of lengths of bearing rails on each side of
the central rail, or of the under frames with the small rollers or wheels,
the whole train, may be maintained transversely level and in a secure
condition.