IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: -LETTERS PATENT to William Mackison, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Burgh Surveyor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 17th January 1879, and dated the 20th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Mackison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th July 1878.
WILLIAM MACKISON, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, Burgh
Surveyor. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS."
This Invention has for its object the construction of tramways in an
economical, and convenient manner.
improved,
In carrying out the Invention according to one inodification, cast iron parallel
bed plates or foundations are united at intervals to each other and to a continuous
rail bed, for receiving and supporting the tram rails by uprights or supports. The
bed plates are formed with fillets or ribs along their under sides or with perforations
formed through them, or with both ribs and perforations. The ribs upon or per-
forations through the bed plates cause their being more firmly fixed and held in
the concrete or other foundation, and thus ensures the better maintenance of the
street formation adjoining the tram rails and also the greater rigidity of the
latter.
It is intended to use the bed plates and connections in continuous series, but
they may be otherwise placed if found preferable or convenient. In the upper
surface of the rail bed afore-inentioned there is formed a groove, which is wider at
or near its lower than at its upper part, and at one side is formed with small
angular recesses for facilitating the keying and fixing of the tram rail. Or the rail
bed may instead of the groove have rebates or channels, one of which at least will
be of a dovetailed form, and is formed likewise with angular recesses. for keying and
fixing; or the rail bed may be in section of form.
According to another modification, the cast-iron foundations consists of bed plate
formed with an upward extension, which rises from the centre or nearer one side
31

page_text: of the bed plate, and has a rail bed for carrying the tram rail. This rail bed may
be of any of the kinds already described. For giving additional support to the
rail beds side brackets are formed at intervals upon the upward extension, con-
necting the bed plate and rail bed, and at convenient intervals small blocks with
holes or recesses are cast upon the rail bed or upon the upward extension of the
bed plate. The bed plate may be formed with fillets, or ribs, or perforations, as
in the first-described modification. The upright extension of the bed plate may be
perforated at intervals.
In one modification of tram rail suitable for use with the improved foundations,
herein-before described, the tram rail is formed with an oblique or dovetail tenon
or tongue along its under side, and when the rail bed is formed with a groove this
oblique or dovetail tenon or tongue enters easily into it and fits exactly into one
side thereof when placed in position, but a small space is left upon the other side.
When the rail bed is formed with rebates or channels the tram rail has side flanges,
one of which is of dovetailed form, and when placed in position leaves a space
between its inner side and the side of the rebate or channel. The tram rail is
formed at intervals with small holes or slots through it, and in the case of a grooved
rail these slots or holes will be formed through the groove for the insertion, fixing,
and withdrawal of keys for securing firmly the tram rails in position. The key is
of wedge or taper form, with or without an enlargement upon it for convenience
in use, and is inserted through the tram rail slots or holes into the rail bed groove
at the angular recesses, and driven into the space left between the tram rail tenon
or tongue and the side of the groove. When the rail has side flanges the key is
driven into the space between the dovetail flange and the side of the rebate or
channel, and thus secures the tram rail in position.
Where it is found convenient or is preferred, double keys or wedges, driven in
opposite directions to and along side of each other, may be used instead of a single
key, in which case the angular recesses in the rail bed groove or rebates may be
dispensed with.
A modification of tram rail suitable for use with the rail bed of Z form consists
of an iron or steel rail of angle section. Both of the two large outside faces are
available for the travel of the carriage wheel, and when one face is worn the rail
may be conveniently reversed and the side face brought uppermost and utilised.
The edges or smaller faces and the inner faces of the tram rail may be either plane
and rectangular, or they may be otherwise shaped to suit the mode of fixing
adoped. The inner faces of the reversible tram rail rest wholly or in part upon
the Z form rail bed. The rails are fixed in position by screw bolts of gun metal
or other suitable material, passed through countersunk holes in the groove of the
exposed or upper face of the reversible tram rail and screwed into suitable nuts.
These nuts are of wrought iron or other suitable material, and are of dovetail form
with taper let into the holes made of corresponding form to receive them in the
small blocks of the rail bed or upward extension of the bed plate; these holes are
made sufficiently large to admit of the nuts being capable of sliding if required.
Or the nuts may be of staple form and the rail bed blocks formed with suitable
recesses to receive them, and sufficiently large to admit of the nuts sliding either way,
so as to bring the nut hole under the hole in the rail and when screwed up to be
thoroughly secure.
The different nuts may be used either separately or together, or alternating, and
may be placed in the blocks in such positions as may be most convenient for
fixing securely; or the rails may be fixed in any other suitable and convenient
manner.
Both forms of nuts are also applicable for use in fixing tram rails upon wooden
sleepers, and the mode of grooving, rebating, or channelling the rail bed and of
keying and fixing the tram rail in position may also be adapted to wooden
sleepers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Mackison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
January 1879.
WILLIAM MACKISON, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, Burgh
Surveyor. " IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS."
My said Invention has for its object the construction of tramways in an improved,
economical, and convenient manner, and in carrying it out the system in which
wrought iron or steel tram rails are supported and held by cast-iron foundations is
adopted, but with various modifications and improvements in detail.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be most readily understood, I will at once proceed to particularly describe my
various arrangements, with the aid of explanatory Drawings, of which I hereunto
append two Sheets, premising that in these Drawings the same reference numerals
are used to mark the same or like parts, wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, is a side elevation,, showing
one length of cast-iron foundation, with portions of the adjoining lengths, and with
the rail in its place, or rather with the adjoining portions of two rail lengths.
Figure 2 is a plan of the foundation piece without the rail, and Figure 3 is an
inverted plan or view of a portion of its under side.
Figure 4-is a sectional plan, showing part of tlie base plate of the foundation
piece, as modified.
Figure 5 is a partial plan, showing two adjoining rail lengths as fixed in the
foundation piece.
Figure 6 is a side elevation, showing modifications of the foundation pieces.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal vertical section as through the rail and foundation
piece, and showing an arrangement for inserting fixing wedges or keys; Figures 8
to 12 are transverse vertical sections, and Figures 13 to 17 are views of the fixing
wedges or keys.
One modification of my improved construction and arrangements is shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8. Each foundation piece or casting consists of a base 1,
a rail bed 2, and intermediate connecting and supporting posts or pedestals 3. The
base 1 is formed by two parallel plates united to each other at intervals, or, in other
words, of one broad horizontal plate having openings 5 along the middle of it.
The posts or supports rise from the parts of the base which unite its sides, and
have their broader sides transverse, whilst the rail bed 2 is of a shape to suit the kind
of rail 4 which may be employed. In the modification now being described the
rail bed 2 and the base 1 are continuous, or, in other words, they extend the entire
length of the foundation piece, which is designed to be placed with its ends as close
as conveniently may be to those of the foundation pieces next to it. The supports
are placed at regular intervals, with half spaces at the ends of each foundation
piece. In some cases the rail bed 2 may, as shown in Figure 6, be made to
terminate at the outermost supports 3 of each foundation piece, the base 1 being
either continued, as indicated by dotted lines, or also terminated at the outermost
supports. Or again, the rail bed 2 may extend between two supports 3 only, and
be discontinued over the next interval, and so on alternately, so that in the case of
a foundation piece with four supports 3, the rail bed 2 would be discontinued over
the middle space and over the two half spaces at the ends. The openings 5 in the
base 1 and the spaces between the supports 3 will allow of concrete or other
cementatory materials, with which they may be filled, thoroughly supporting the
rail bed 2, and uniting together the paving setts, or other materials used to form
the street or road on both sides of the tram ráil, as well as the concrete or other
materials on which the base 1 is laid, and with which it is covered over. The base 1
is formed with fillets or ribs, or projecting surfaces 6 on its under side, as shown
in Figures 3 and 8, or with openings 7, as shown in Figure 4; or it may be made

page_text: with both projecting surfaces 6 and openings 7, such projecting surfaces or openings
.causing the foundation piece to be more firmly fixed and held in the concrete or
other foundation, and thereby ensuring the better maintenance of the street
formation adjoining the tram rails, and also the greater rigidity of the latter.
When thought desirable, cast-iron joint plates may be placed beneath the adjoining
⚫ends of the foundation pieces to preserve the continuity and proper relative positions
of the several foundation pieces of a series or line. Examples of such joint plates
are shown on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings, and are herein-after described.
The foundation pieces may be cast of any convenient lengths it being however
desirable that the length should be such submultiple of the length of rail used with
them as that the ends of the rail lengths may have on foundation pieces, in each
case, a bearing of. at least one third of the length of the foundation piece.
Along the upper side of the rail bed 2 there is formed a groove 8 of a dovetailed
or equivalent cross section, or which is wider at or near its lower part than at its
upper part; the dovetail configuration being given to one side of the groove is
shaped so as, whilst of sufficient stability, to give facility in inserting and taking
out the vertical web or tongue 9 of the rail 4 employed. When single keys or
wedges 10 are used for fixing the rail, the side of the groove 8, opposite the dove-
tailed. side, is made with inclined rebates or seats 11 for the keys, which seats may
be vertical, or inclined in transverse vertical section, as well as in plan, so as to
receive a key of a dovetailed form in cross section.
The seats 11 may be all formed for the keys to be driven in the same direction,
or for the alternate keys to be driven in opposite directions, or otherwise. Double
keys or pairs may however be used, the ends of the two keys of each pair being
reversed, and in this case separate key seats are not required, but the groove 8 is by
preference of a dovetailed form on both sides.
Figures 8 and 10 show sections of rail 4 and rail bed 2, with which single
keys 10 are to be used, such as are shown in Figure 1 (in dotted lines), and in
Figures 5, 7, and 16.
Figure 9 shows a section with which double keys are to be used, such as are
shown in Figures 13, 14, and 15. These keys 10 are formed with heads, to which
the striking tool is to be applied, and each may be made with two or more such
heads, as shown in Figure 17. The keys 10 are introduced into their places after
the rail 4 is placed in position in the rail bed 2, through slots 12, formed by punch-
ing or otherwise through the metal of the rail at the bottom of its groove, and the
keys are driven home by means of tools applied to them through the slots 12. The
slots 12 are afterwards filled up with any suitable cement or substance, which will
not present very great difficulty to its removal in the event of its being necessary
.to lift a rail.
It is an important feature and advantage of the arrangements for fixing the rail,
which I have herein-before described, that the rail can at any time be removed
without in the least disturbing the foundation pieces, or the paving setts or road
surface even close to the rail.
The tram rail to be used with my improved foundation pieces may be formed with
a groove in the centre, or nearer to one or other of the sides in its upper surface, and
with a web 9 along its underside of a tongue-like or tenon-like section, with a
dovetailed or equivalent form, the side of this dovetailed web 9 and the dovetailed
side of the groove 8 in the rail bed 2 being shaped to fit each other as exactly as
possible. The groove 8 is however wide enough to easily admit the web 9 of the
rail, whilst after the rail is placed and the keys 10 introduced and driven home, the
web 9 is by these keys kept in close contact with the dovetailed side of the
groove.
Figures 8, 9, and 10 show sections of rails 4 and rail beds 2, which are examples
of the general form and fixing arrangements last herein-before described.
According to another modification, of which an example is shown in transverse
vertical section in Figure 12, the rail bed 2 is made without the central top groove,

page_text: but instead thereof, with rebates or channels along the upper parts of the sides, and
the rail 4 is made with vertical webs 13, 14, along each side of it, these webs being
dovetailed or equivalently formed in cross section. The rebate on one side is shaped
to closely fit the web '13 on that side, but the rebate on the other side is made as
much deeper than what would fit the other web 14 as will allow the rail to be got
easily into position on the rail bed, and the latter rebate is made with seats for keys
or wedges like those 11 of the first modification. The rail is fixed by means of keys
or wedges driven between the web 14 and the side of the deeper rebate, the keys
being inserted through slots in the rail, as in the other modifications herein-before
described.
Another form of rail bed 2 is shown in transverse vertical section in Figure 11,
and is in that Figure represented as having fixed on it a novel kind of reversible
tram rail, which is herein-after described, but it is also suitable for other forms of
rail.
A second modification of my improved foundation pieces is shown (together with
other details), on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 18 is an elevation of one side of one foundation piece and a portion of the
next, and Figure 19 is an elevation of the other side of a slightly modified founda-
tion piece, the rail 18 being shown in position in both Figures.
Figure 20 is an inverted plan, and Figures 21 and 22 (ordinary) plans, the last
showing a slight modification.
-Figure 23 is a transverse vertical section, corresponding to Figure -18, and
Figures 24, 25, and 26 show modifications of form and fastening, whilst Figure 27
is a back view, corresponding to Figure 26.
Figures 28 to 32 are herein-after described.
The foundation piece or casting shown in Figures 18, 20, 21, 23, consists of a
broad horizontal base plate 1 and a rail bed 2, connected by a vertical extension or
web 15, which runs along the middle of the piece, and is strengthened by vertical
ribs or brackets 16 at intervals on one or both sides of it. The base 1 of the foun-
dation piece may be formed with fillets or projecting surfaces 6 on its underside, as
shown in Figure 20, or with openings 7, as shown in Figure 22, or with both pro-
jecting surfaces 6 and openings 7, for the same purposes as in the case of the other
modification, herein-before described, and openings 17 may also be formed through
the vertical longitudinal web 15, as shown in Figure 19, for similar purposes.
The rail bed 2, as shown in Figures 11, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27, is of a
form adapted for a novel and improved reversible tram rail 18, made with two
wearing surfaces, which are not back to back, but at right angles, or nearly so, to
each other, and the surface that is not in use is not in contact with the rail bed, but
forms the outer surface at one side, and is therefore not liable to be injured by con-
cussive action. This angled reversible rail 18 may be varied as regards its form or
section, and the position of the groove in each of its wearing surfaces, and also as
regards the mode of fastening it, as is indicated in Figures 18 to 27.
The fastenings shown in Figures 18 to 23 consist of screw bolts 19, made with
countersunk heads, and passed down through holes in the part of the rail at the
bottom of the groove into nuts 20, placed in pockets or boxes 21 cast for them on
the under side of the rail bed 2. The nuts 20 and pockets 21 may be of a dove-
tailed wedge-like form, as shown at 22, or the nuts may be made in the upper parts
of staple-shaped or clip-shaped pieces 23, which fit upon the bottoms of the
pockets 21.
In the modifications of rail 18 and rail bed 2, shown in Figures 24 to 27, thé
rail is fastened by key or cotter bolts 23, entered obliquely or horizontally through
the lateral part of the rail, and held by wedge keys or cotters on the opposite side
of the rail bed 2. The bolt holes may be slightly elongated longitudinally to allow
for differences of expansion or contraction due to changes of temperature. The
bolts are by preference made of gun metal or other metal not liable to become
difficult of removal by rusting.

page_text: Foundation pieces made generally as herein before described with reference to
Figures 18 to 23, may have the rail bed 2 shaped to suit other forms of rail besides
that shown combined therewith in those Figures, and by way of example a trans-
verse vertical section is given in Figure 28 showing the foundation piece as having
its rail bed 2 adapted for the kind of rail 4, made with a central longitudinal
tongue-like web 9 on its under side, and such as is herein-before described with
reference to the Figures (excepting 11 and 12) on Sheet 1 of the accompanying
Drawings, and in like manner foundation pieces made generally as herein-before
described with reference to Figures 1 to 8, may have their rail beds 2 shaped to
suit rails 18 of such forms as are shown in Figures 11 and 18 to 27, or of other
forms.
Figure 29 (Sheet 2) is a plan of a form of joint plate 24 suitable for being placed
under the ends of the bases 1 of two adjoining foundation pieces for the purpose of
keeping such pieces in line with each other. This joint plate 24 is made with
ribs 25 projecting upwards at its lateral edges to engage with the lateral edges of
the foundation bases 1.
Figure 30 is a transverse vertical section of the joint plate 24 applied in connec-
tion with the base 1 of a foundation piece of the kind shown in Figures 18 to 23;
but it is also applicable with foundation pieces of the kind shown in Figures 1
to 8; or in the case of such foundation pieces the joint plate 24 may be made as
shown in Figures 31 and 32, without the lateral ribs 25 but with a projecting part
26 shaped to enter the openings (5) in the bases 1. Any other suitable form of
projections on the joint plate to interlock with the foundation piece bases or vice
vers may be employed.
Both the dovetail and staple form of nuts herein-before described are applicable
for fixing tram rails upon wooden sleepers, and the modes herein-before described of
forming the rail bed by grooving, or rebating, or channelling, and of keying and
fixing the tram rail in position can also be adapted to wooden sleepers.
The tram rails shown on the accompanying Drawings are each of the kind having
a groove in the upper surface, or in other words they have a projecting rib along
the inner side of the indented or depressed part where the flanges of the tram car
wheels run.
My improved arrangements herein-before described may however also
be used with tram rails in which the said inner projecting rib is absent.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The construction of cast-iron foundation pieces for tramways in any of the
improved modes herein-before described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 of the
accompanying Drawings.
2. The fastening of tram rails in rail beds on cast-iron foundation pieces by means
of dovetailed webs on the rails, held in dovetail grooves in the rail beds by keys or
wedges entered through slots in the rails as herein-before described.
3. The fastening of tram rails on rail beds on cast-iron foundation pieces by means
of pairs of webs on the rails, one or both of each pair of webs being dovetailed, and
keys or wedges being driven in on the inside of one of the webs as herein-before
described.
4. The construction of cast-iron foundation pieces for tramways in any of the
improved modes herein-before described with reference to Figures 18 to 23 of the
accompanying Drawings.
5. The making of reversible tram rails of any of the sections shown in Figures
11, 23, 24, 25, and 26 of the accompanying Drawings, and herein-before
described.
6. The making of a reversible tram rail with the surfaces in and out of use at
right angles, or nearly so, to each other, and so that the surface out of use is not in

page_text: contact with the supports or subject to concussion, as herein-before described with
reference to Figures 11, 23, 24, 25, and 26 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Mackison, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
WM. MACKISON. (L.S.)