IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Herbert Montague Smith of 9 Fenchurch Street
in the City of London for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS"
Communicated to him from Andrew Smith Hallidie a person resident at
San Francisco California United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Herbert Montague
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th November
1882.
HENRY HERBERT MONTAGUE SMITH of 9 Fenchurch Street in the City of
London "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS" a Communication to me from Abroad
by Andrew Smith Hallidie of San Francisco California United States of America
This Invention relates to the rails of Tramways and has for its object to provide
a rail which can be readily removed for renewal or reversal and which is especially
adapted for use in rope Tramway Systems but which may also be used for other
systems of tramway According to the said Invention I form the rails of two longi-
tudinal parts which are supported between and rest upon a chair-like casting which
may be cast with or formed on the same casting as the frame of the tube or its
connections when the rails are used with that system this Chair-like part supports
the parts of the rails both above and below the upper bends resting at their sides
against the said Chair-like part-In order to secure the parts of the rail together
when in place wedges are dropped down between the parts so that the said wedges
press the parts of the rail outwards and they are thereby securely confined between
the said wedges and the chair-like parts at a suitable distance to form the groove
in the rail-The wedges preferably extend at their lower ends to beneath the
lower part of the rails so that they can when necessary be readily raised and when
the said wedges are removed the parts of the rails can be taken from their seats
and renewed or reversed as desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Herbert Montague Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th May 1883.
"
HENRY HERBERT MONTAGUE SMITH of 9 Fenchurch Street in the City of
London "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS a communication to me from abroad
by Andrew Smith Hallidie a person resident at San Francisco California United
States of America
This Invention relates to the rails of Tramways and it provides a rail which can
be readily removed for renewal or reversal and which is especially adapted for use
in rope Tramways.
According to the said Invention the rails are formed of two longitudinal parts
A and B as shewn in section and elevation in Figures 1 and 2 respectively of the
accompanying drawing the said longitudinal parts being supported between and
resting upon a chair like casting C which may be a part of or formed on, the same
casting as the frame or yoke of the rope or cable tube or its connections when the
rails are used with rope or cable tramways. This chair like part C supports the parts
of the rails both above and below the upper heads a b resting at their sides against
said chair-like part at c. In order to secure the portions of the rail together when
in place wedges D are dropped or force down between them so that the said
wedges press the parts of the rail outwards and they are thereby securely confined
between the said wedges and the chair-like part at a suitable distance to form the
groove e in the rail. The wedges preferably extend at their lower ends to beneath
the lower part of the rails so that they can when necessary to readily raised and
when the said wedges are removed the parts of the rails can be taken from their
seats and renewed or reversed as desired.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Invention
and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect what I
claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent is
The Improvements in tramways consisting in forming supporting and securing
the rails thereof substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Herbert Montague Smith have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal this Fifth day of April One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
HENRY HERBERT MONTAGUE SMITH (L.S.)