IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND IN THE METHOD OF TRANSFERRING THE METHOD OF TRANSFERRING ROLLING STOCK FROM MAIN LINES TO SIDINGS IN THE VICINITY OF STATIONS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Jordan, of Newport, in the County of
Monmouth, Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND IN THE METHOD OF TRANSFERRING
Scaled the 1st May 1874, and dated the 6th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Jordan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th November 1873.
I, CHARLES JORDAN, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth,
Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for:
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND IN THE METHOD OF
TRANSFERRING ROLLING STOCK FROM MAIN LINES TO SIDINGS IN THE VICINITY OF
STATIONS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to dispense with all switches, crossings,
and points on the main line at or near such sidings, stations, and
turnouts, and I accomplish this by transferring from the main line to

page_text: In place of cranes platforms actuated by hydraulic or other power
may be employed in accordance with my Invention for raising and
transferring engines and carriages from one line of rails to another.
med by the said Unaries Jordan in the Great Seal Patent ♥шco
on the 6th May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
JORDAN, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, Ironfounder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Jordan, Her
special license that I, the said Charles Jordan, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Jordan, my 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 THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND IN THE METHOD
OF TRANSFERRING ROLLING STOCK FROM MAIN LINES TO SIDINGS IN THE VICINITY
OF STATIONS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Jordan, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Jordan, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:
The object of this Invention is to dispense with all switches, crossings,
and points on the main line at or near sidings, stations, and turnouts,
and I accomplish this by transferring from the main line to adjacent
sidings trucks, carriages, and engines by hydraulic cranes, traversers, or
other suitable machinery. For this purpose in accordance with one
method of carrying out my Invention, as represented in Sheet 1 of the
Drawings hereunto annexed, hydraulic cranes as represented at A, B, C,
D, and E are employed for transferring the engines and carriages from
the main to siding or branch lines.
The main lines are laid without points or crossings or any connection
or communication with the other lines or with each other, and for the
purpose of transferring any engine, carriage, or truck from the main
lines to the sidings or branch line, or from the sidings and branch to the
main lines, or from one main line to the other, the hydraulic cranes are
suitably arranged and fixed in the positions required.
The cranes are erected in the centre of the spaces between the two
lines, and the lifting arm of each crane has arranged upon it suitable
framework and slings for laying hold of the engines, carriages, or trucks,
and each crane has suitable apparatus and cocks by which the attendant
can raise the engines, carriages, or trucks an inch or two for the wheel
flanges to clear the rail, and by turning the crane bringing the load over
the centre of the line to which it is intended to transfer it, and on which
it can be immediately lowered.
The cranes A are arranged for lifting the engines from off the main
line to the sidings or vice versa. The engine after being placed on the
siding can by means of points run on to the branch line.
The cranes B are arranged for transferring a carriage from the branch
to the main line, or from the main line to the branch; and the cranes Ca
for transferring to and from the siding to the main line.
The cranes D and E are also arranged for transferring from one main
line to the other. These cranes can be arranged and fixed in any
suitable manner and in any number that the traffic or local circumstances
may require, one or more cranes being laid down so that the required a

page_text: number of carriages may be transferred at once from or to the main
lines or from one to the other of the main lines.
The elevation, Figure 1, shows the arrangement of cranes A and O
over the engine and carriage, and also the cranes D and E in part.
It is calculated that a train may be transferred by the above described
means from the main line to a siding or back again in from 3 to 5
minutes.
In place of cranes platforms actuated by hydraulic or other power
may be employed in accordance with my Invention for raising and
transferring engines and carriages from one line of rails to another.
Sheet 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed represents another method
of raising and transferring railway engines and carriages from one line
of rails to another in accordance with my Invention. For this purpose
lengths of rails are mounted upon platforms F and G. The platform F
is supported and carried by a series of hydraulic rams H, the platform G
being supported upon a series of standards H¹. The rails on the
platform G when at its lowest position form a continuation of the
permanent way, and when a locomotive or a train of carriages is at rest
thereon the rams H, H, are caused to raise the platform G with its load
thereon up to a sufficient height for the rails on the platform F to take
the place previously occupied by the rails and platform G, so that the
main line is again made up and clear, ready for the passage of the
carriages constituting the train, the space between the rams H and
standards H being sufficient to admit of the passage of the train of
carriages between them. The series of hydraulic rams are connected by
pipes as shown in the Drawings or otherwise so as to act simultaneously.
The carriages when raised by the platform G are moved therefrom on to
rails and inclines in any desired direction.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is carried into effect, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein
described, but what I claim is, the improved arrangement of the
permanent way of railways so as to dispense with points and crossings,
together with the methods of transferring the locomotives and rolling
stock from one line of rails to another, substantially in the manner

page_text: herein-before described and represented in the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Jordan, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
CHA³. JORDAN. (L.S.)