IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Worth, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 1st January 1869, and dated the 9th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Worth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th July 1868.
I, THOMAS WORTH, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in a method of dispensing with turn-
tables, for which purpose I propose to lay the rails in a curve leading
from one line to another; when therefore the engine is run round this
curve it becomes reversed upon the other line without the use of a
turntable.
Secondly. In a method of dispensing with chairs. For this purpose
I employ longitudinal or cross metallic sleepers, and rivet or bolt the rails
thereon. The longitudinal sleepers I form with or without vertical

page_text: flanges bolted together to form a continuous length, and I adapt cross
bars from right to left hand rail, by which means the said rails are
kept at correct distances apart, or instead of rivetting or bolting the
rails to the longitudinal sleepers I form both in one piece.
Thirdly. In providing railways with signals, which are put on by the
engine as it runs on the rails, the same engine putting the signal
down after it has run a certain distance.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I propose to connect the
signal with a lever or rod, which is so placed as to be depressed by a
wheel or other part of the engine; when this depression takes place the
signal will be hoisted to show that a train has passed, and while the
said signal remains up it is a warning that an obstruction is within a
certain distance, but when that distance is passed, then the engine of
the train by acting upon a rod or lever as above mentioned puts the
signal down and indicates that the line is clear.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Worth in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WORTH, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give.
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Worth, Her special license that I,
the said Thomas Worth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas Worth, 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, of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS,"
upon the
condition, amongst others, that I, the said Thomas Worth, by an

page_text: instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Thomas Worth, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in a method of dispensing with turn-
tables, for which purpose I propose to lay rails in a curve leading from
one line to another; when therefore the engine is run round this curve
it becomes reversed upon the other line without the use of a turntable.
Secondly. In a method of dispensing with chairs. For this purpose
I employ longitudinal metallic sleepers, and rivet or bolt the rails
thereon. The longitudinal sleepers I form with or without vertical
flanges bolted together to form a continuous length, and I adapt cross
bars from right to left hand rail, by which means the said rails are kept
at correct distances apart; or instead of bolting or rivetting the rails to
the longitudinal sleepers I form both in one piece.
An
The first part of my Invention is illustrated by the diagram Fig. 1, in
which a, a, and b, b, represent two lines of railway. From the former
(a, a,) a curved line d, d, starts and joins the other line b, b, and a similar
curved line c, c, starts from b, b, and joins the other line a, a.
engine coming in the direction of the arrow, shewn by full lines, passes
from the line b, b, along the curve c to the line a, a, on which it becomes
reversed, and in like manner an engine proceeding on the line a, a, in
the direction of the dotted arrow passes along the curve d, so as to be
reversed on the line b, b. The above example supposes that it is desired
to transfer and reverse the engine from one line to another at an inter-
mediate position on the line and where trains are running up and down,
but at a terminus it will of course be necessary to adapt one curve only
to transfer the engine from the down to the up or from the up to the
down line, as the case may bo; also on single lines the curve c for instance
starting from b, b, will terminate at the same pair of rails instead of
crossing them and leading to a, a, and it will also be understood that
one curve only may be used on double lines. The two curves are shewn
as adjoining each other, but they may of course be separated by any

page_text: desired space, and the crossing and points will be formed in the usual
manner.
My next improvement is shewn at Figs. 2 and 3, the former being a
plan view and the latter a cross section. At e are longitudinal metallic
sleepers, which may simply be placed end to end along the line, or they
may be united by vertical flanges rivetted or bolted together. Upon these
longitudinal sleepers the rails f are placed and are secured thereto by
rivets or bolts, as seen at g, or the rails and sleepers are formed in one
piece. Beneath the longitudinal sleepers are cross bars, as at h, turned
up at their ends, so as to keep the sleepers from moving outward, and
at i are other cross bars abutting against the inward edges of the
sleepers and rails, which are thus kept from moving inward, and the
rails are therefore kept at the correct distance apart.
In the Drawing I have shewn square-headed rails, but they may be of
the T-headed or other form.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it
to be understood that I claim as secured to me under the above in part
recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, and as a substitute for turntables, the use of rails laid in
curves leading from one line to another or back to the same line.
Secondly. The use of longitudinal metallic sleepers, to which the
rails are attached by bolts or rivets, or are formed in one piece therewith,
and the cross bars, as at h, i, for keeping the rails at a correct distance
apart.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Worth, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.