IMPROVEMENTS IN OVER- HEAD RAILWAYS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MOVING, TURNING, AND WEIGHING GOODS, WAGONS, CARRIAGES, AND ENGINES, FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Deakin at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd June
1866.
I, THOMAS DEAKIN, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OVER-
HEAD RAILWAYS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MOVING, TURNING, AND WEIGHING GOODS,
WAGONS, CARRIAGES, AND ENGINES, FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
Hitherto overhead railways have been in parallel lines, and a turntable was
required at every intersection of the cross roads to allow the suspended weight
to be turned and then run on to the cross road. In the case of traversers being
fixed on the floors of railway stations or goods warehouses the main lines of
the rails have been interfered with and cross roads are required, the traverser
moving only across such lines of railway where the cross roads are fixed.
The object of my improvements in overhead railways is to dispense entirely
with the use or necessity for turntables by using a compound carriage, namely,
two carriages, one supporting and carrying with it the other carriage. One
is the longitudinal carriage, working along the whole length of the main line,
and the other is the transverse carriage, to which the weight is suspended,
and by which it is carried along to any of the intersections (right or left) or
cross roads, and then freely run on to it without turning, the traverser being
always in position for any line.

page_text: For moving bales of goods or heavy packages in warehouses or workshops
various lines of railway are suspended from the beams or ceiling or other
overhead support, or they are supported on pillars from the floor independently
of the roof or ceiling; these lines of railway are parallel to or at any angle or
curvature from the main or longitudinal line or lines of railway.
The compound carriage is constructed in the following manner:-To the
roof or ceiling or other support I fix cast or wrought iron brackets, bolted to
which are the main and cross lines of rails. The top or transverse rails
support the traverser to which the weight is attached. The bottom or longi-
tudinal rails support the longitudinal carriage and the traverser. In the bottoni
or main lines, at the centres of the transverse rails, spaces are left to allow the
centre pin or hook hanging from the transverser, and to which the weight to
be moved is attached, to pass through from the main to any of the cross lines.
The traverser then deposits its load and returns to the carriage ready to
receive another load.
Another arrangement consists in placing the main line rails above, and the
cross road rails underneath, so as to avoid the necessity of cutting gaps in
the main lines of rails. The traverser carriage in this case runs underneath
the main lines. The transverse lines can be worked from side to side of the
warehouse or station by means of folding rails placed to cross the gaps left
when the top carriage is away, thus affording facilities for working any of the
cross lines when the main carriage is being used in other parts of the system
of overhead railways. The main or transverse lines can be curved so as to
run one into the other, thereby commanding by intersection any part of the
covered space.
My improvements in machinery for moving and turning railway wagons
and carriages consists in moving railway carriages or wagons from one part of
a station or warehouse to any other part, and turning them, without interfering
at all with the permanent system of railways in such stations or warehouses,
and they are constructed in the following manner:-To longitudinal or trans-
verse overhead railways, or both combined, either fixed to the roof, walls,
floor, or other supports, I place a moveable carriage on any convenient number
of wheels or rollers supported in any convenient way. In the centre of the
carriage is a boss to receive the centre pin of an under carriage, to the sides
of which levers are attached; rocking shafts pass through the ends of the said
levers to secure them together, on the ends of which rocking shafts are
moveable or rocking links, to which are attached the tension rods or bars
of the swing cradle. The object of the rocking links is to allow the tipping or
lowering of the end of the swing cradle by the action of the carriage or wagon

page_text: wheels running up against the ends of the cradle points. When the carriage
is run on to the centre of the cradle it immediately adjusts itself, and the
cradle being one or more inches clear of the main lines of rails is then ready
to be moved to any other line of rails, or to be turned round to any angle on
the centre pin above, thus accomplishing in the simplest way all that turn-
tables and traversers of the present construction can do. The tipping of the
cradle may be effected by means of the levers on the under frame of the
carriage.
Another arrangement consists in making a portion of the centre pin a
screw, the nut of which is secured in the boss of the top carriage, by means of
which screw and of a worm and worm wheel, or any other equivalent, the
cradle and carriage are lifted to the requisite height and then traversed side-
ways or turned as desired; or the cradle and carriage or waggon are lifted
altogether by means of double inclined planes (both inclining up to the centre)
formed on the tops of levers supporting the cradle. The ends of the cradle
rods being attached to rollers the centres of the rollers are brought nearer
together by means of a wheel and pinion and a rope or chain wound on a
barrel, thus lifting the cradle and load clear from the permanent rails when it
is ready for turning or removal. By means of double inclined planes formed
on the top of levers the force of the carriage or waggon ascending the cradle
acting against suitable stops will by its own impetus force the cradle rollers
up the inclines, and thus lift the whole cradle and carriage clear of the main
lines of rails when it is ready for action; or the tipping of the cradle can be
effected without the use of the rocking links before described by simply
increasing the distance of the suspension rods or bars at the bottom; when
the carriage comes up against the cradle rail points they move forward till
their points bed on the main line of rails and the carriage then mounts the
cradle; when properly on the cradle adjusts itself and is then ready for turning
or moving; or instead of tipping the cradle it may rest on the main line all
its length. At the top of the centre of the under carriage is a moveable slide
carriage which is drawn up an incline by means of a worm wheel and screw
to lift the cradle clear of the main line.
My improvements in machinery for weighing waggons or any heavy goods
or carriages consists in attaching to the centre pin of the under carriage, or
to the swing cradle links above referred to, an ordinary weighing machine
lever. The lever is upheld or suspended by a screw passing through a worm
wheel, the worm wheel being supported on the top carriage where a direct
lift is required, or by a pin and joint where the swing carriage is merely
tipped. By this arrangement the fixed weighing machines in railway sidings,

page_text: or warehouses, or works, are dispensed with, and these weighing machines
have generally to support the whole mass of traffic, a tenth part of which is
not required to be weighed thereon, consequently they are subjected to constant
and unnecessary wear and tear.
The last part of my Invention consists in moving locomotive engines by
their own steam, which may be effected in the following manner:-A longi-
tudinal or transverse, or both, overhead railway is formed of girders supported
either from the roof, wall, or floor of the shed or station, the top carriage of
which can be either moveable or fixed on or in the said transverse or longi-
tudinal overhead railway. In the centre of the top carriage a large boss is
formed to receive the centre pin of the bottom or swing and revolving carriage
or cradle; strong levers are attached to the bottom carriage, to which are
attached the suspension bars or plates forming a portion of the cradle. The
engine is run upon the carriage or cradle either by loose inclined rails or rails
altached to the cradle, or, where desirable the rails of the cradle can be made
to tip to the permanent rails, or the permanent rails can be placed on the
same level as the carriage rails, thereby dispensing with the inclines. Where
the inclined points are used the heel of the point is made to go under the
cradle frame to support the cradle when the engine is going on; or levers and
cams are arranged to support the ends of the cradle, or a continuous bearing
can be applied to support the whole cradle till it is ready to be moved. When
the engine is in the centre of the cradle a flexible or other pipe is attached in
any convenient manner to the boiler, which conveys the steam to a small
engine fixed on the top of the moveable carriage or girder overhead; the said
engine, by means of gearing or straps or any other convenient arrangement
of machinery, gives the various motions to the whole framework simul-
taneously or separately, either for moving longitudinally, transversely, or
turning the cradle and locomotive engine round to any desired place or angle.
When the cradle is empty the whole framework is moved by a pulley and
endless chain or rope, or by any other mechanism actuated by hand power.