Improvements in Draining Tramways.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 27th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Draining Tramways.
We FRANCIS HENRY LLOYD of Wood Green, Wednesbury in the County of
Stafford, Manufacturer and JOHN HEMMING of the Pleck Walsall in the County of
Stafford, Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of our invention is to provide means whereby water accumulating on
tramways may be rapidly and conveniently conveyed away.
We carry our invention into effect in the following manner.
We remove a portion of the lip of the tramway rail, that is, the inner edge of the
trough of the said rail and in its place we substitute a grid or grating. The said
grid or grating extends a short distance into the roadway between the rails and is
provided with projections at convenient distances in line with the rail so that the
shape of the trough of the rail is so far preserved that no wheel or cycle tyre can
enter to a greater depth than would be the case were the rail continuous.
Between the projections are spaces for the escape of water. Under the rail or at
the side of the rail where the grid or grating is situated is a connection with a
transverse drain or channel. Water running from the road passes through the grid
or grating into the said channel underneath the paving and from the lower end of this
channel the water passes to ordinary drainage connection of the road or street.
The grid or grating described and the bottom of the trough of the rail in which
are openings or perforations may either form an integral part of the rail itself or may
be made separate from the rail and attached to it by bolts. Or the grid or grating
and the part of the rail formed in one piece with it may be made of cast steel and
inserted between the ends of ordinary rails and connected thereto by fish joints or
other joints; and we prefer to make the cross channel of cast iron or of cast iron
with a wrought iron cover to prevent injury from excessive pressure or percussion.
The said cross channel may however be made of brick or cement or of drainage
pipes connecting the several parts. The precise character of the channels conducting
the water to the sewer must depend on the particular arrangement of the sewer or
sewers in the neighbourhood of the grids.
In fixing drain channels and in other cases necessitating the removal of the pave-
ment it is important that the pavement should be replaced and be ready for traffic
in the shortest time possible. To effect this we employ a cement consisting of sand
or grit with or without iron swarf. These ingredients are mixed with sulphur and
formed into a semi liquid paste by the addition of
gas tar: When this cement is
used warm it sets very rapidly and is well adapted for fixing draining channels
and replacing any portion of a removed pavement.
D
11
EL
1 1000
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Draining Tramways.
We FRANCIS HENRY LLOYD of Wood Green Wednesbury in the County of
Stafford Manufacturer and JOHN HEMMING of the Pleck, Walsall in the County of
Stafford Works Manager do hereby declare the nature of our invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
--
The object of our invention is to provide means whereby water accumulating on
tramways may be rapidly and conveniently conveyed away.

page_text: We carry our invention into effect in the following manner.
We remove a portion of the lip of the tramway rail, that is, the inner edge of the
trough of the said rail and in its place we substitute a grid or grating. The said
grid or grating extends a short distance into the roadway between the rails and is
provided with projections at convenient distances in line with the rail so that the
shape of the trough of the rail is so far preserved that no wheel or cycle tyre can
enter to a greater depth than would be the case were the rail continuous. Between
the projections are spaces for the escape of water. Under the rail or at the side of
the rail where the grid or grating is situated is a connection with a transverse drain
or channel. Water running from the road passes through the grid or grating into
the said channel underneath the paving and from the lower end of this channel the
water passes to the ordinary drainage connection of the road or street.
The grid or grating described and the bottom of the trough of the rail in which
are openings or perforations, may either form an integral part of the rail itself or
may be made separate from the rail and attached to it by bolts. Or the grid or
grating and the part of the rail formed in one piece with it may be made of cast
steel and inserted between the ends of ordinary rails and connected thereto by fish
joints or other joints, and we prefer to make the cross channel of cast iron or of cast
iron with
a wrought iron cover to prevent injury from excessive pressure or
percussion. The said cross channel may however be made of brick or cement or of
drainage pipes connecting the several parts. The precise character of the channels
conducting the water to the sewer must depend on the particular arrangement of the
sewer or sewers in the neighbourhood of the grids.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawing the
manner in which our invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical cross section taken through the underground drains
and their connections a part of a double line of tramway with which draining
appliances constructed according to our invention are combined. The said Figure 1
exhibits three rails only of the two pairs of rails the dotted line x, y being the
middle line of the tramway. The sectional parts of the grids or gratings of the three
rails represented in Figure 1 are not taken in the same plane but in parallel planes
so as to exhibit the construction of different parts of the said grids or gratings as
hereinafter described.
Figure 2 represents in plan a part of the tramway and exhibits the arrangement
of the grid or grating and
Figure 3 represents in longitudinal section (parallel to the line of rails) taken
through the middle grid of Figure 1 and its hopper like drain channel passing to
the main sewer of the road; and
Figure 4 represents in isometrical perspective a portion of one of the rails and
exhibits the cut away lip or flange and portion of the groove of the rail where the
grid is applied and also the cut away flange or foot of the rail to provide an escape
for the drainage water into the system of cross drain channels below the grids.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
a, a, a are the tramway rails and a¹ a² are the cut away parts of the lip or flange
and a portion of the base of the groove of the rail for receiving the level grid or
grating and a is the cut away part of the foot of the rail through which cut
away part as the drainage water passes to the cross drain channel. The grid or
grating is fixed at the cut away part a¹ a² of the rail and is situated on a level
with the top of the rail and surface of the road. Each grid or grating consists of
a vertical cheek d which is bolted to the rail by the bolts c, c the said cheek being
provided at bottom with a flange or foot and at top with the horizontal grating proper
consisting of crossing bars as represented. The bars of the grid, at right angles to
the rail a are of different lengths those marked d², d² projecting across the space below
the groove of the rail as best seen in the middle rail Figure 1 the said projecting
bars d², d by partly bridging the drain orifice or passage in the base of the groove of
the rail preventing the entrance or jamming of narrow wheels therein should the

page_text: wheel of a vehicle accidentally travel in the groove of the tramrail. The other shorter
bars, some of which are marked d³ d³, extend so far into the cut away part of the
rail that they are in line with the inner side of the lip of the groove of the said rail
as seen in the left hand rail of Figure 1 and also in Figure 2, spaces being thus left
between the groove and grid for the passage of water from the rail groove into the
cross drain. The end bars or cheeks d', d₁ of the grid are shorter than the bars d³, d³
and abut against the outside of the rail beyond the cut away part a, a² the said end
bars or cheeks d*, d having such figures that they fit closely upon the outside and
foot of the rail as best seen in the right hand rail of Figure 1. Underneath each
grid placed a hopper like casting b. 63, 6 each casting constituting a cross drain
channel the shape of which will be understood by referring to the central drain
channel represented in Figure 3. The said hopper like drain channels are open
at top and, are provided with horizontal flanges for bolting them to the feet of the
rails and grids as seen in Figure 1. One of the hopper like drain channels
marked b² is connected by the pipe with the main sewer and the other hopper
like channels b b are connected by the inclined pipes 63, 63 with the said channel 62
the connecting pipes 63, 63 having such a fall or inclination given to them as will
prevent them getting choked with road detritus and other matters washed into them.
As the outlet is in line with the grid above it a rod may be thrust down from
the street between the bars of the said grid for the purpose of clearing away any
obstruction when necessary.
When a single line of tramway is employed the hopper like drain channel 62 has
only one side opening or if it be provided with two side openings one of them is
closed.
Instead of using the drain connections b 62 63 made of cast iron they may be
replaced by drain connections made of brick or cement or drain pipes.
The grid or grating may be formed as a separate casting or lid instead of making
the grid or grating in one piece with the upright d. In this case the separate grid
or grating may be fixed in its place by screw bolts and nuts; or it may be hinged or
latched to the upright d. In either case it may be removed for the purpose of
cleaning the drain over which it is situated.
Although we have described and represented the water passage between the groove
in the rail and the grid or grating as formed by removing a continuous portion of
the lip of the rail yet the same result may be obtained by not removing the lip but
treating it in the following manner.
We make in the solid or uncut away lip of the rail by punching or drilling a series
of holes opposite all or some of the openings in the grid or grating. Through these
holes in the lip the water passes from the rail groove to the grid. The ends of the
cross bars of the grid abut against the unperforated parts of the lip. Or holes may
be drilled or punched in the bottom of the rail groove to permit the water to flow into
the drain channel below instead of removing the lip or punching or drilling holes in
the lip. Or the holes in the bottom of the rail groove and in the lip of the groove
may be used in combination. The grid or grating may be used without reinoving
the lip or flange of the rail as described. In this case the side of the grid adjacent
to the rail may be so inclined as to give sufficient clearance between it and the rail for
the water to pass freely to the drain.
By the use of the appliances and combinations of parts described and represented
the water accumulating on the tramway is rapidly and readily carried away the water
accumulating on the roadway passing into the channels and drain through the cut away
parts perforations or openings in the groove of the rail and grid.
Besides girder rails as represented in the drawing our invention may be applied
to rails of various sectional figures by modifying the form of the surface grid or
grating.
Instead of making the grid or grating separate from and fixed to the rail as
described and represented the grid or grating and the portion of the rail carrying it
may be made in one piece of cast steel, the combined grid or grating and rail being

page_text: inserted between the ends of the ordinary tramway rails and connected thereto by fish
joints or other joints.
In fixing drain channels and in other cases necessitating the removal of the pave-
ment it is important that the pavement should be replaced and be ready for traffic
in the shortest time possible. To effect this we employ a cement consisting of sand
or grit with or without iron swarf. These ingredients are mixed with sulphur and
formed into a semi-liquid paste by the addition of gas tar or pitch.
The proportions we prefer to use for this cercent are in 100 parts by weight as
follows:-
75 parts by weight of sand or grit,
22 parts by weight of melted pitch,
2 parts by weight of raw sulphur.
The method of making the cement which we have found most convenient is to
heat the sand or grit to a temperature at which pitch will melt easily and mix it
with the powdered pitch and sulphur in the proportions before given, which pro-
portions may be varied to some extent without impairing the efficiency of the
resulting cement.
When the cement is used warm it sets very rapidly and is well adapted for fixing
draining channels and replacing any portion of a removed pavement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we
claim as our invention of "Improvements in draining tramways":-
:
First Constructing surface drains for tramways by cutting away a portion of the
lip or flange of the groove of the rail and a portion of the base of the groove adjacent
to the cut away lip part and if necessary removing a portion of the bottom flange of
the rail and fitting in or to the cut away lip part and against the rail a grid or
grating having projections at convenient distances so that the shape of the trough
of the rail is so far preserved that no wheel or cycle tyre can enter to a greater
depth than would be the case were the rail continuous substantially as described
and illustrated and the combination with each of the draining grids or gratings of a
water outlet below communicating with the drain, the several parts being con-
structed and combined and used substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing; also the modifications hereinbefore described in which
the continuous cutting away of a portion of the lip and bottom of the groove of the
rail is rendered unnecessary.
Secondly-The modification hereinbefore described in which the surface grid or
grating of the tramway and a portion of the rail are made in one piece and inserted
between the ends of the ordinary rails and fished or otherwise jointed thereto.
Thirdly A rapid setting cement having the composition substantially as herein
described for fixing draining channels and replacing any portion of removed
pavement.
Dated the 91st day of Novemba 1900
FRANCIS HENRY LLOYD.
JOHN HEMMING.