IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAVITY RAILWAYS FOR PURPOSES OF RECREATION to be as follows :-
Year: 1884

page_text: We, EDWARD TOWNSEND GREGORY, of 4 Hayter Road, in the County of
Surrey, Secretary to a Public Company, and ASTON KISSAM, of 31 Charlwood
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Commission Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAVITY RAILWAYS FOR
PURPOSES OF RECREATION to be as follows :-
"
Our invention relates to that class of railways in which the motion is produced
by the gravitation of the travelling car and its load down an inclined plane or
planes.
Our invention consists in the construction of the roadway or railway track
preferably elevated above the ground and in the form of a continuous circle, or
other curved figure approximately to the shape of a circle, but which is in all
cases with a continuous track and without angular bends.
The said track or roadway is guarded by parapets, and an outside netting if
required, and descends with a considerable incline from the point of departure, to
enable the travelling car to acquire considerable velocity by its descent, and
thereafter to travel along the track over any desired series of ascending or
descending gradients, returning eventually by the circular or curved track to.its
point of departure.
As the momentum of the car will be exhausted before it can reach the height of
the point from which it started, the track is completed by a short length of
steep gradient, up which the car is pushed by hand or raised by other mechanical
means.
Or the said connecting piece of track between the points of departure and
arrival may be hinged at its upper end, and may be raised by any suitable
mechanical means when the car has arrived upon it, so as to restart the car over
the track, thus maintaining the movement of the car around the circular or curved
track as long as may be desired.
To prevent the car from slipping backwards, should it come to rest upon an
ascending gradient, we fit thereto an automatic scotch or brake, such for instance
as an inclined tail lever which will bite upon the flooring and prevent any

page_text: .
rearward movement-Or a slipper upon the rail, behind one or more wheels, may
be attached to the car so as to trail behind it. Or a wedge may be trailed upon
the tread of one or more wheels, which will jam between the wheel and the frame
on reversal of movement.
We apply to the track also a safety locking bar before the cars when standing
ready to start, so as to prevent them starting before the passengers are seated.-
This is conveniently in the form of a transverse rocking bar on bearings below the
track with a locking arm projecting upwards therefrom to hold the car stationary,
and provided with a band lever working in a quadrant outside the track by which
an attendant raises or lowers the locking bar to release the car..
1001

page_text: We, EDWARD TOWNSEND GREGORY, of 4 Hayter Road, in the County of
Surrey, Secretary to a Public Company, and ASTOR KISSAM, of 31 Charlwood
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Commission Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAVITY RAILWAYS FOR
PURPOSES OF RECREATION and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following Statement :-
Our Invention relates to that class of Railways in which the motion is produced
by gravitation of the Car and its load down an inclined plane or planes.
Figures 1 and 2 show in plan and elevation respectively the structure of our
improved "Gravity Railroad."
Figure. 3. shows transverse section of the same.
Figure. 4 shows detail of alternative hinged track.
Figures 5 and 6 are an end and side elevation of the "Coaster" with automatic
tail grip.
Figure 7. shows detail of locking bar.
Figures 8. 9. 10 and 11 show various forms of a safety device to prevent the Car
leaving the rails.
The Roadway or Railway track (Figures 1 and 2) is preferably lifted above
the ground, and is in the form of a continuous circle or other curved figure
approximating to the shape of the circle, in all cases made with a continuous track
and without angular bends. The same track or roadway A, is guarded by
parapets B (Fig. 3) and an outside netting C, if required, and descends with a
considerable incline from the point of departure, to engole the travelling car to
acquire considerable velocity by its descent, and thereafter to travel along the
track over any desired series of ascending or descending gradients, and returning
eventually by the circular or curved track to its point of departure.
As the momentum of the car will be exhausted before it can reach the height of
the point from which it started, the track is completed by a short length D of
steep gradient, up which the Car is pushed by hand or raised by other mechanical
means, or the said connecting piece of track D between the points of departure and
arrival may be hinged at its upper end F (Fig: 4) and may be raised by a chain F
and balance weight G by the man or men in charge, when the Car has arrived on
this portion of the track. When this hinged track D is thus raised above the
horizontal position, the Car is restarted by gravity over the track, thus maintaining
the movement of the Car continuously along the circular or curved track, so long
as may be desired.
To prevent the Car going backwards should it come to rest upon an ascending
gradient, we fit thereto an automatic scotch or break, such for instance as an
inclined tail lever H (Fig 6) which will bite upon the flooring, and prevent a
rearward movement, or a slipper upon the rails upon one or more wheels may be
attached to the car so as to trail behind it.
Or a wedge may be trailed upon the tread of one or more wheels which will jam
between the wheel and the frame on reversal of the movement.
We apply to the track also a safety locking bar (Fig: 7) before the Cars, when
standing ready to start, so as to prevent them starting before the Passengers are
seated, this is conveniently in the form of a rocking bar P on bearings between the
tracks with a locking arm projecting back wards therefrom to hold the Car
stationary. This rocking bar is connected with a rod R to a hand lever M.
working in a quadrant N. outside the track by which the Attendant raises or
lowers the locking bar to release the Car.

page_text: In order to obviate any risk of our Car leaving the rails, we employ a safety
device shown in Figs: S. 9. 10 and 11. This consists of a hanging piece or
pieces K which overlap or are overlapped by a central rail L, so that upon any
tendency of the Car to jump from the rails, the overlaps engage and prevent it
doing so.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
.
1st The construction of .a gravity railroad in the form of a continuous circle or
-in that of a closed curve, closely approximating to the form of a circle, on which a
car is caused to travel by gravity, over a series of descending and ascending
gradients, substantially as described.
2nd. The combination with such a Circular or curved continuous track, of
parapets and side nettings for the safety of the Passengers, substantially as
described.
3rd The construction of the hinged lifting track for automatically, re-starting
the Car substantially as described in reference to Fig: 4.
4th. The combination with the travelling Car of a tail lever, or trailing shoe, or
wedge, to prevent automatically any rearward movement of the Car---Substantially
as described.
5th The combination with such a circular gravity railroad of a locking bar and
hand lever to prevent the Car from starting until desired, Substantially as
described in reference to figure 7.
Dated 15th day of Santanha 1881
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicants.