IMPROVE .MENTS IN RAILS FOR STREETS AND ROADS, AND IN WHEELS AND AXLES TO BE USED THEREON
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Samuel, of Great George Street, in the City
of Westminster, Civil Engineer, and George Francis Train, of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
.MENTS IN RAILS FOR STREETS AND ROADS, AND IN WHEELS AND AXLES TO BE
USED THEREON."
Sealed the 12th February 1861, and dated the 15th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Samuel and George
Francis Train at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 15th August 1860.
We, JAMES SAMUEL, of Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, and GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR STREETS AND ROADS, AND IN WHEELS AND AXLES TO
BE USED THEREON," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in rails for streets and common roads consist in con-
structing them in such forms as will allow of their being reversed and used
on the opposite side to that rendered unserviceable by wear..
In the annexed Drawing Figures 1 and 2 are cross sections of the forms of
our reversible rails.
Our improvements in wheels consist in constructing them with tyres, about

page_text: one-half of the breadth of which is of a different diameter to that of the re-
maining portion; wheels thus fitted will be capable of running (bearing upon
one-half or nearly so of the breadth of the tyres) upon the raised part of our
rails, while they can bear upon the other half or thereabout of the breadth of
the tyres and travel upon ordinary roads.
Our improvement in axles consists in the employment of two separate axles
superposed, or one behind the other, one end of each axle having a wheel on it,
while the opposite end carries no wheel. Our objects in this improvement are
to enable carriages to travel round sharp curves without straining the axles,
and to reduce friction in rolling round curves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Samuel.and George Francis Train, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th February 1861.
TO ALL. TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
SAMUEL, of Great George Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer,
and GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
send greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letter
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day, of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Jaines Samuel and George Francis Train, Her special licence that we, the said
James Samuel and George Francis Train,.our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Samuel and George Francis
Train, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein. expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend; within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS' IN RAILS
FOR STREETS AND ROADS AND IN WHEELS AND AXLES TO BE USED THEREON," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Samuel and George
Francis Train, or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or one of our or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Samuel and George Francis
Train, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
Our improvements in rails for streets and common roads consist in con-
structing them in such forms as will allow of their being reversed and used on
the opposite side to that rendered unserviceable by wear.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a cross section of one form of
reversible rail made according to the foregoing description. a, a, are the
raised portions for flanged wheels to travel on. When one side is worn the
rail is turned over or reversed, and a new working surface is thereby obtained:
Figure 2 is another form of 'reversible rail; and Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 aré
cross sections of modifications of the forms of our reversible rails. Similar
letters refer to similar parts in all the Figures.
Our improvements in wheels consist in constructing them with tyrės about
one-half of the breadth of which is.of.a different diameter to that of the remain-
ing portion. Wheels thus fitted will be capable of running (bearing..upon
one-half or nearly so of the breadth of the tyres) upon the raised part of our
rails, while they can bear upon the other half or thereabout of the breadth of
the tyres and travel upon ordinary roads. Figure 7 shows in section so much
of a wheel and tyre, made as before described, as will be necessary to illustrate
the manner in which we carry this part of our Invention into effect. c is that
part of the tyre which runs on the raised part a of the rail, and is of less
diameter than the remaining portion of the tyre d, which bears the carriage
when travelling on flat surface roads. The rail, Figure 7, is shown bolted to
a wooden sleeper.
Our improvement in axles consists in the employment of two separate axles
superposed, or one behind the other, one end of each axle having a wheel on
it, while the opposite end carries no wheel. Our objects in this improvement
are to enable carriages to travel round sharp curves without straining the
axles, and to reduce friction in rolling round curves. Figure 8 is a plan, and
Figure 9, an inside view of part of the frame of a carriage fitted with separate
axles for each wheel, and one in advance of the other. The wheel A is mounted
on the axle B. which extends nearly across the frame and is supported and
works in bearings carried by a stirrup C bolted to the frame. The wheel D
on the opposite side of the carriage is mounted on the axle E, the inner end of
which is supported in a similar manner to that of the axle B on the opposite
side of the carriage. The axles taper towards the inner end, or they may. be
:

page_text: made of the same diameter, throughout their; length. The wheels are shown
fitted with our improved tyres, but this part, of our Invention for mounting
wheels on separate axles is applicable to all; kinds of wheels and carriages.
Figure 10 shows in vertical section two wheels fitted with our improved
tyres mounted on the same axle, one fast and the other loose thereon. By
this arrangement sharp- curves are passed with comparative ease and with
less friction than when both wheels are fast on and revolve with the axle.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,--
First, the construction of rails for streets and roads in such forms as to
allow of their being reversed and used on the opposite side to that rendered
unserviceable by wear, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated at
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, of the accompanying Drawings.
: Second, the construction of wheels with tyres partly of one and partly of
another diameter, in manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
Third, the employment of a separate, and distinct axle for each wheel of a
carriage, the said axles-being superposed or placed, one behind the other sub-
stantially in manner and for the purposes herein-before described..
In witness whereof, I, the said James Samuel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.