IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF TRANSMITTING POWER ON RAILWAYS WORKED BY VACUUM OR THE PRESSURE OF AIR, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Rogers Harding, of Wandsworth, in the
County of Surrey, Clerk, Vicar of Saint Anne's, Wandsworth, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF TRANSMITTING POWER
ON RAILWAYS WORKED BY VACUUM OR THE PRESSURE OF AIR, AND IN THE
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE."
Sealed the 10th November 1863, and dated the 21st May 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Rogers Harding
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st May 1863.
I, GEORGE ROGERS HARDING, of Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey,
Clerk, Vicar of Saint Anne's, Wandsworth, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF TRANSMITTING POWER
ON RAILWAYS WORKED BY VACUUM OR THE PRESSURE OF AIR, AND IN THE APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a novel arrangement of longitudinal slot, and the
valve or covering or means of affording communication between the piston in
the interior of the tube and the carriage or carriages exterior thereto, and of
opening and closing such longitudinal slot for the purpose of taking advantage
of the pressure acting upon the piston contained within the tube, and closing
the tube, and leaving it in a condition ready to be again employed after the
passage of the piston in either direction. Upon the oxterior of the tube, and

page_text: on each side of the longitudinal slot, I cast or fix a bovilled flange, by which
meaus a V-shaped gutter or channel is formed over and along the longi-
tudinal slot, and which should be planed true from end to end for the purpose
of receiving V-shaped stoppers, which, when hinged or connected together by
a belt, strap, or web, form a continuous but flexible bar, by which the longi-
tudinal V-shaped trough and the slot are closed air-tight by the external
pressure of the atmosphere against the internal vacuum.
The flexible bar or chain-like arrangement of pieces consists of a series of
metallic or other blocks, having a transverse section corresponding with the
V-shaped section of the trough or channel, whilst they are bevilled in the
direction of the length of the tube, say, to some angle between the angles of
90° and 45 degrees, as may be found most convenient, these two bovilled faces
being parallel to each other. Each piece is hinged to the next adjoining
pieces either by a link, bar, or equivalent means, to admit of free motion
upward or out of the groove, and they are attached on their under face to ap
elastic band or web, by which the resilient and re-sealing action upon the lon-
gitudinal groove or slot is effected, and in like manner there may be a band
or web extending longitudinally along the top of the hinged pieces which
form the continuous flexible valve. Upon the piston carriage is mounted a
curved lifting piece or means of raising the flexible bar or valve out of the
V-shaped groove, so as to admit the atmospheric pressure behind the piston, at
the same time affording means of connecting the railway carriage or train with
the piston or piston carriage, or of communicating forward motion. By
means of rollers attached to the carriage the pressing down or re-sealing is
effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Rogers Harding in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ROGERS HARDING, of Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey, Clerk, Vicar of s
Saint Anne's, Wandsworth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by IIer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant S
unto me, the said George Rogers Harding, Her special license that I, the

page_text: said George Rogers Harding, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Rogers Harding, my executors,
administrators, or 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, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF TRANS-
MITTING POWER ON RAILWAYS WORKED BY VACUUM OR THE PRESSURE OF AIR, AND IN
THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Rogers Harding, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my band and seal, or under the
hand and seal of one of them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
forined, 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 George Rogers Harding, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention consists of a novel arrangement of longitudinal slot and
the valve or covering, or means of affording communication between tho
piston in the interior of the tube and the carriage or carriages exterior thereto,
and in the mode or method of opening and closing such longitudinal slot for
the purpose of taking advantage of the pressure acting upon the piston con-
tained within the tube, and also in closing the tube, and leaving it in a condi-
tion ready to be again employed after the passage of the piston in either direc-
tion. Upon the exterior of the tube, and on cach side of the longitudinal
slot, I cast or fix a bevilled flange, by which means a V-shaped gutter or
channel is formed over and along the longitudinal slot, and which should be
plaued true from end to end for the purpose of receiving V-shaped stoppers;
which, when hinged or connected together by a belt, strap, web, or equivalent
therefor, form a continuous but flexible bar, by which the longitudinal V-shaped
trough and the slot are closed air-tight by the external pressure of the atmo-
sphere against the internal vacuum.
The flexible bar or chain-like arrangement of pieces consists of a series of
metallic or other blocks, having a transverse section corresponding with the
V-shaped section of the trough or channel, whilst they are bevilled in the direc-

page_text: tion of the length of the tube, say, to some angle between the angles of 90° and 45
degrees, as may be found most convenient, the two bevilled faces being parallel
to each other. Each piece is hinged to the next adjoining pieces either by
a link, bar, or equivalent means to admit of free motion upward or out of the
groove, and these pieces are attached on their under face to an elastic or other
band, web, or equivalent therefor, by which the resilient and re-sealing action
upon the longitudinal groove or slot is effected, and in like manner there may
be a band or web extending longitudinally along the top of the hinged pieces
which form the continuous flexible valve. Upon the piston carriage is
mounted a curved lifting piece or means of raising the flexible bar or valve
out of the V-shaped groove, so as to admit the atmospheric pressure behind
the piston, at the same time affording means of connecting the railway car-
riage or train with the piston or piston carriage, or of communicating forward
motion. By means of rollers attached to the carriage the pressing down or
re-scaling is effected. The piston may be of any suitable form and construc-
tion, and be mounted upon a shaft or spindle forming part of a carriage or
means of supporting and guiding the piston within the tube, and one or more
wheels or rollers may be attached to the piston carriage or frame.
The curved lifting piece or means of raising the flexible bar or valve may
have one or several small friction rollers mounted upon its upper face for the
purpose of reducing the friction of contact between it and the under side of the
flexible bar or valvo.
The flexible bar or chain-like arrangements of pieces forming the valve
constructed according to this Invention for the purpose of alternately opening
and closing the longitudinal V-shaped trough, by which communication is
alternately made and closed between the atmosphere and the interior of the
tube may be on its under side of such an extra thickness as to project below the
bottom of the trough, and fit on to or come into direct contact with the upper
surface of the piston, so as to ensure perfect contact therewith, or, where it is
found to be of advantage to make the distance between the lower edge of the
V-shaped trough and the interior surface or edge of the tube of some depth
instead of being brought to a line of junction or contact, a suitable projection
may be made upon the upper side of the piston, or instead thereof a band of
sufficiently increased thickness or depth can be attached to the under side of
the flexible bar or valve.
The angular blocks or pieces of which the flexible bar or chain-like arrange-
ment is composed may be cast hollow or solid in metal, or be made of wood
or other suitable material, and string hinged or connected together as herein-
before described, so as to ensure the requisite amount of flexibility through the

page_text: articulated combination described, and by reason of the V-like shape of the
transverse section thereof, as well as the angular arrangement of bearing and
fitting surfaces between the blocks or pieces, greater perfection of working
condition is ensured, and the good fitting or perfect closing between the valve
and trough increases in a ratio corresponding with the condition of the ex-
hausting machinery or means of producing the vacuum within the tube.
As there are several modes which in practice may be adopted for forming
and combining together the blocks or pieces composing the flexible bar or
valve, I have limited the illustrations given in the accompanying Drawings to
some of those which suggest themselves as being readily available in practice,
and I now propose to describe some and illustrate other methods of putting my
present Invention into practice; but inasmuch as I do not confine myself to the
modes herein described or illustrated in the accompanying Drawing of jointing
or connecting together the angular blocks or pieces of which the flexible bar or
valve is formed according to this Invention, but have only described and
shewn them as amongst those methods which are available for putting my
Invention into practice, I shall proceed to describe the Figures in the accom-
panying Drawing, and the several parts thereof, and will then state anl set
forth what I claim.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the tube of an atmospheric railway
fitted with the piston, flexible bar, or valve, and curved lifting piece in accord-
ance with my Invention as herein-before described; Figure 2 is a cross section
of Figure 1, taken on the dotted line a, b, shewing the tube part of the flexible
bar or valve fitting in the V-shaped trough, the piston carriage, and the curved
lifting piece.
In Figures 3 and 4, 5 and 6, as well as in Figure 7, the flexible bar or
valve is shown separately and of various shapes. In Figures 3 and 4 the
blocks a, composing the valve, are hinged together by means of fixed pins b
and slotted links c, so as to counteract nuy strain, as by this plan the blocks
slide upwards and downwards as the case might be, and the links allow the
blocks free play. On the upper and lower surfaces of these blocks a band of
india-rubber is laid, next to those are bands of leather, and on the outer
upper surfaco is laid a metallic band or any other suitable material to protect
the valve from rain or damp, and on the lower surface a thin band of steel is
placed so as to allow it to rido easily upon the curved lifting piece F. Figure 4
is a cross section of Figure 3, in which a part of the slotted link c is shown.
If it is thought advisable a band of india-rubber or equivalent may be placed
on the bevilled sides of the pieces composing the valve, so as to ensure a more
perfect vacuum. Figures 5 and 6 respectively are longitudinal and cross

page_text: sections shewing the blocks fitting and bearing alternately; these blocks are
made to fit into each other, and therefore require no other joining than the
straps above and below. Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of a metallic valve.
The bands as shown in the other views are here replaced by a metallic band
and leather strap on its under side, screwed on to each of the blocks. The
pieces of metal composing the blocks are shown solid in this Figure, but in
practico they may be made hollow. In the detached cross sectional view,
Figure 8, the tube is shewn as having a shoulder between the V-shaped trough
and the piston, and the piston may be formed with a suitable projection on
the top thereof so as to fit into the longitudinal and parallel sided slot thus
formed in the tube, or the under side of the valve may be formed of sufficient
thickness to fit into the space thus left between the V-shaped trough and tho
top of the piston. In the detached view, Figure 9, no shoulder is shown, and
the under side of the flexible bar or valve is curved or formed so as to fit
directly on to and bear upon the top of the piston. In the several Figures
herein-before referred to the same letters of reference are used thereon to
designate like or corresponding parts.
A is the tube; B, the piston; C, piston rod; D, the V-shaped trough;
D', the longitudinal slot formed by the shoulder pieces; E, the flexible bar
or valve; F is the curved lifting piece. a are the blocks or pieces forming
part of the flexible bar or chain-like arrangement of valve; b and c (Figures 3
and 4), the fixed pins and links for connecting together the series of blocks
or pieces forming the valve; d, a band of india-rubber on upper surface of
blocks; d', a band of india-rubber on lower surface of blocks; e, upper
lenther band; e, lower leather band; f, metallic band on upper outer sur-
face;, a thin steel band on lower outer surface.
Having now described my said Invention of "Improvements in the Means
of Transmitting Power on Railways worked by Vacuum or the Pressure of
Air, and in the Apparatus to be employed for such Purpose," and illustrated
the same in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, what I claim is,―
First, the improvements herein set forth in the valve or means of trans-
mitting power on railways worked by vacuum, and in the form and mode of
connecting the parts of the apparatus employed for such purpose as herein set
forth.
Second, the use or employment of blocks or pieces of material having sides
angular or converging towards each other for the purpose of fitting into a
-shaped trough, and having also in relation to the longitudinal axis of the
tube and the trough in which the blocks are fitted angular faces or fitting
and bearing surfaces, by which the greater the atmospheric pressure, or the

page_text: better the vacuum, the more perfect contact is ensured between the working
parts of the apparatus.
Third, the construction of flexible bars or valves as herein described for
closing the communication between the external atmosphere and the interior
of the tube of an atmospheric railway as herein set forth and illustrated in
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, 1, the said George Rogers Harding, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, on the Twentieth day of November, One thou-
sand eight hundred and sixty-three.
D
Witness,
JAMES STEVENSON,
19, Salisbury Street,
Strand, W.C.
GEO. ROGERS HARDING. (L.S.)