Novel Combination or Arrangement of Inclined Roadways for Vehicles Used Recreatively.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1887.
Complete Left, 4th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1887..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Novel Combination or Arrangement of Inclined Roadways for
Vehicles Used Recreatively.
I EUGÉNIE VICTORIA BELLEW, of 32. Westmoreland Road, Bayswater Middlesex,
Lady, do hereby declare the nature of iny said invention to be as follows:
The object of this invention is, to construct a roadway from a combination of two
inclined surfaces with an intermediate level or nearly level, yet radially inclined
surface connecting the two, to enable vehicles, sleighs, or the like, turning or of being
turned on arriving at the bottom of one incline in order to travel down the other
incline so that the vehicles or sleighs, stop at, or near to, the point from which they
started, but at a lower level, from which they can be lifted vertically to the higher
level for a restart-by any suitable means or by hand.
The two inclined roadways with the intermediate surface, on which the vehicles
turn, are highly polished, waxed or greased, or the inclined roadways or one of them
only may have rollers slightly projecting above the surface for the vehicles to run on,
the impetus given to the vehicles in moving down one incline being sufficient to
carry them round the intermediate portion and on to the return incline for the home
journey.
The two inclines may be in straight lines or be curved and any desired amount of
dip may be provided in either of the inclines to check the impetus of the vehicles and
the lower or return incline may be so shaped that the vehicles shall pass partly under
the upper incline so that the actual arrival station or terminus is directly under the
departure station.
12 1
1007

page_text: A Novel Combination or Arrangement of Inclined Roadways for
Vehicles Used Recreatively.
1 EUGENIE VICTORIA BELLEW of 32, Westmoreland Road, Bayswater, Middlesex
Lady, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of this invention is to construct a roadway from a combination of two
inclined surfaces with an intermediate level or nearly level, which may be wholly or
in part a radially inclined surface connecting the two, to enable vehicles, sleighs or
the like to turn or of being turned on arriving at the bottom of one incline in order to
travel down the other incline. so that the vehicles or sleighs stop at or near to the
point from which they started but at a lower level, from which they can be lifted
vertically or nearly vertically to the higher level for a restart, by any suitable means
or by hand.
The two inclined roadways with the intermediate surfaces on which the vehicles
turn are highly polished, waxed or greased, or the inclined roadways and the level or
one of them only may have rollers slightly projecting above the surface, for the
vehicles to run on, the impetus given to the vehicles in moving down one incline being
sufficient to carry them round the intermediate portion and on to the return incline
for the home journey.
The two inclines may be in straight lines or be curved and any desired amount of
dip may be provided in either of the inclines to check the impetus of the vehicles and
the lower or return incline may be so shaped that the vehicles shall pass partly under
the upper incline so that the actual arrival station or terminus is directly under the
departure station.
My invention will be understood by the annexed drawings in which at Figure 1
I show in elevation a kind of lattice structure preferably of wood in which A is the
starting point or upper level of the top incline B which is composed of boards or
planks as a flooring C which may be laid close or open at a little distance apart as
indicated in the plan view Figure 2.
E is the lower part of said incline B forming a bend F connecting said upper incline
with a lower incline G (but preferably of somewhat sharper angle) as seen more
particularly at Figure 1 for giving sufficient impetus to the sleighs or other vehicles,
running or sliding along the bottom level part H near to the terminus or station A
but at a lower level from which the sleighs or vehicles can be lifted mechanically or
carried by hand to the upper level A for a restart.

page_text: It will be understood that persons using the sleighs or vehicles might have to get
out at the end of the journey for the sleighs or vehicles to be removed to the higher
level and to enable visitors or persons desiring of enjoying the sport I provide a
circular or spiral staircase, but other means may be adopted by which persons can
reach the higher level or starting station A.
At Figure 3 I show the upper incline B with a curve about intermediate of its
length at I by which the sleighs or vehicles can be deflected and caused to travel
over the lower part of said incline before going round the bend E. F. to pass along
the lower incline G and then curve again directly under the upper level B so that the
arrival station is directly under the departure station A.
At Figure 4 the upper incline B is straight and with a bend as described for
Figures 1 and 2 but the lower incline G is of curved form to bring the lower level H
directly next to but at a lower level than the starting station A the two i.e. the
departure station and the arrival station being both under the same roofing.
If the sleighs or vehicles are provided with runners somewhat similar to those on a
sleigh, the flooring boards may be close together to produce an unbroken surface for
said sleighs to run on the sleighs being under the control of the occupants by any
suitable appliance operated by the hand such as checking blocks or brakes either
attached to the vehicles or worked separately, which would not only regulate the
speed at which said sleighs could travel but in the case of two or three vehicles
sliding down at the same time they could be guided in their descent by the
occupants.
I prefer to cant the bend in whole or in each separate run which connects the
two inclines that is to say, the outer portion of the bend is of greater height
than the inner portion or so arrange the rollers in each run so that the vehicles
would in themselves have a tendency to slide towards the smaller diameter and pass
round the bend to travel over the lower incline, which is as before stated, set much
sharper than that of the upper incline.
The sleighs or vehicles may have perfectly smooth under surfaces and the flooring C
may be polished, greased or otherwise prepared for a rapid movement of the vehicles
over it or the flooring boards may be arranged with rollers between them as indicated
at Figure 5, said rollers being fitted all along the roadway or at intervals only in
patches, as found desirable, said rollers projecting slightly above the level, so that a
flat bottomed vehicle would glide over them down the inclines. The rollers would be
arranged at such a distance apart that a vehicle would always be at least on three of
them.
I prefer to fit the rollers as indicated at Figure 6 by simply dropping them between
the boards their axles resting in forks of socket plates screwed to the boards, or any
other system of fitting rollers to inclined surfaces over which the vehicles or sleighs
can travel for the purpose before explained.
The roadway may be divided into any number of separate roadways or runs and
each run may be provided with a distinct starting place or shoot.
I am aware that inclined roadways have been used for recreative purposes but they
have terminated at a distance from the departure station, consequently the vehicles
had to be carried the full length corresponding to the roadway, back to the starting
station and the riders were left at a long distance from the starting point. Now by
my invention not only are the sleighs or vehicles returned to the starting point
but the riders also and in close proximity to the starting point.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The construction and employment of a combination of two inclined roadways B. G.
having an intermediate bend F connecting them, said inclines being at different
angles and of different lengths for the down travel and return travel of the vehicles
with the occupants on to a lower level H in proximity to the starting point A as and
for the purpose described and substantially as represented at Figures 1 and 2 of the
annexed drawings.

page_text: 2. In a double inclined roadway used recreatively and when connected by a bend
curving the upper incline B between the starting point A and the bend F and then
curving the lower incline G to run under the starting point, or next to same as
described with reference to Figure 3 of the annexed drawings.
3. Making a double inclined roadway to be used recreatively with one incline
straight and the other curved as described with reference to Figure 4 of the annexed
drawings.
4. In double inclined roadways used recreatively fitting said roadways or part of
same with rollers as and for the purposes described with reference to Figures 5 and 6
of the annexed drawings.
The 4th day of July 1887.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said E. V. Bellew.