IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Haworth, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 7th February 1873, and dated the 1st November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Haworth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st November 1872.
I, JOHN HAWORTH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYS," to be as follows:-
My improved tramway consists of two grooved flat rails resting upon
longitudinal wood sleepers, a tongue at the under side of the rail fitting
in a groove
in the sleeper. Each rail has two small longitudinal
grooves on the surface, which are large enough to make the surfacc
sufficiently safe for the horses to step upon, as they will be free from
slipping, and not so deep as to catch the corkings of the horse shoes.
Midway between the tram rails is a joint or centre line in the pavement
compoved of pea gravel and asphalte, by which the driver sights the
pole or the head of the centre horse, and is thus enabled to keep the
track.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Haworth in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HAWORTH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Haworth, Her special license
that I, the said John Haworth, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Haworth, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, 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 CONSTRUCTION OF TRAMWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Haworth, 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 John Haworth, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
:-
My improved tramway consists of two grooved flat rails resting upon
longitudinal wood sleepers. Midway between the tram rails is a joint
or centre line in the pavement, by which the driver sights the pole or
the head of the horse to keep the track.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet
of drawings.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 a section of part of my improved tramway,
which consists of the two grooved flat rails a, a, one of which is shewn
in section in Fig. 3; each rail is provided with two or more small
longitudinal grooves a¹ on the surface, the object of which is to make
the surface of the rails perfectly safe for the horses to step upon without
slipping, but which grooves are not large enough to catch the corkings.
of the horse shoes. Each rail a has a tongue a² at the under side fitting
in a groove in the longitudinal wood sleeper b, and the rails are secured
to the sleepers by the spikes b¹, the heads of which fit in the grooves a¹.
Midway between the tram rails a, a, is the joint or centre line c,.
which is made in the pavement by means of pea gravel and asphalte
placed between the setts, or otherwise, and I wish to remark that this
centre line may either be continuous or intermittent, but I prefer the
latter;
this centre line serves as a guide for the driver, who by sighting
the end of the pole or the head of the centre horse along the line c is.
enabled to keep the track.
The space between and at each side of the rails and sleepers is paved
with sharp grit setts, and the interstices between the setts and on each
side of the sleepers, which are creosoted, are filled with pea gravel,
and then run with asphalte, thereby binding the whole together.
As the rails a are level with the pavement, and as there are no
flanges on the rails nor on the wheels, it is evident that the omnibus
or other carriage running on the rails may be turned off the rails and ou
again without trouble.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First. The tram rails of the improved section shewn.
And, secondly. The centre line, either continuous or intermittent,
made in the pavement in the manner and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Haworth, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three.