IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS AND RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Moir, of Vine Villa, Parker Street, Stretford,
Dear Manchester, Gentleman, and Charles Eldon Serjeant, of St. Benet's
Monastery, Lanivet, near Bodmin, in the County of Cornwall, Esquire,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Moir and Charles
Eldon. Serjeant at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th March 1864,...
Wė, WILLIAM MOIR, of. Vine. Villa, Parker Street; Stretford, near Man-
chester, Gentleman, and CHARLES ELDON SERJEANT, of. St. Benet's Monastery,
Lanivet, near Bodmin; in the County. of Cornwall, Esquire; do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS AND RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," to be as follows:
Our Invention consists in placing a continuous line or way parallel to and
on the outside of either side of the rails, or permanent way of railways as at
present constructed, and at such a distance as not to interfere with the chairs
upon which the rails rest: Upon the upper surface of the continuous outer
line or way we place at intervals wheels, sheaves, or pulleys revolving on their.
axes, and adapted for, sustaining carriages propelled by an engine or other
power travelling on. the rails or permanent way of railways; as at present con-:
structed. The-carriages intended to travel on the wheels, sheaves, or pulleys
of this continuous outer line or way are constructed with grooves or channels

page_text: on either side, the part of such grooves or channels bearing or travelling on
the said wheels, sheaves, or pulleys being concave, and the side of such
grooves or channels having friction rollers. To the carriages and outer rail
or way so constructed and arranged brakes are adapted, to be brought into
action against such outer rail or way as occasion may require. The relative
levels of the upper surface of the said continuous outer line or way and of the
rails or permanent way of railways as at present constructed may be adapted
to each other so as to admit of the latter being below the surface of the
ground.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Moir and Charles Eldon Serjeant in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAN
MOIR, of Vine Vila, Parker Street, Stretford, near Manchester, Gentleman,
and CHARLES ELDON SERJEANT, of St. Benet's Monastery, Lanivet, near
Bodmin, in the County of Cornwall, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Moir and Charles Eldon Serjeant, Her special licence
that we, the said William Moir and Charles Eldon Serjeant, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Moir and
Charles Eldon Serjeant, our 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, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS AND RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Moir and Charles Eldon Serjeant,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them,
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Eldon Serjeant, on behalf of
myself and the said William Moir, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say:-
Our Invention consists in placing a continuous line or way parallel to and
on the outside of either side of the rails or permanent way of railways as at
present constructed, and at such a distance as not to interfere with the chairs
upon which the rails rest. Upon the upper surface of the continuous outer
line or way we place at intervals wheels, sheaves, or pulleys revolving on their
axes, and adapted for sustaining carriages propelled by an engine or other
power travelling on the rails or permanent way of railways as at present con-
structed. The carriages intended to travel on the wheels, sheaves, or pulleys
of this continuous outer line or way are constructed with grooves or channels
on either side, the part of such grooves or channels bearing or travelling on
the said wheels, sheaves, or pulleys being concave, and the side of such grooves
or channels having friction rollers. To the carriages and outer rail or way so
constructed and arranged breaks are adapted, to be brought into action against
such outer rail or way as occasion may require. The relative levels of the
upper surface of the said continuous outer line or way and of the rails or
permanent way of railways as at present constructed may be adapted to
each other so as to admit of the latter being below the surface of the ground.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, we will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Sheet 1 shows a transverse section of an ordinary railway having parallel
rails combined therewith according to our Invention; Sheets 2 and 2* show a
side elevation of one of the external rails and carriage thereon; Sheets 3
and 3x show some details of the mode of construction preferred, but others
may be resorted to when desired; Sheet 4 shows details of construction when
using longitudinal bearers of wood for the outer rails; Sheet 5 shows parts of
the break apparatus; Sheet 6 shows the additional break apparatus when
applied to several carriages of a train'; Sheet 7 shows couplings for connecting
trains to locomotives; Sheet 8 shows a plan of lines where switches are used
to the outer rails.
In constructing railways and railway carriages according to this Invention,
the ordinary permanent way is used only for the locomotive engine, whilst the
passenger and other carriages composing a train do not, as heretofore, have

page_text: wheels and axles, or springs, but the carriages are constructed in such manner
as to be supported by and to run on wheels carried by the side rails applied to
the ordinary permanent way. These wheels are placed on turned axles resting
on brass steps placed in cavities made to receive them, but placed so low in
-the frame that only a few inches of the periphery appear above the rail, as
will be understood by reference to the Drawings. These wheels or pulleys
will be but a few inches wide, and slightly rounded on their surfaces. On
either side of each runner fixed to the carriage is placed a safety flange or
guard, which cover the wheels without touching any portion of the side rails,
and which form a portion of the base of the carriage. The carriages will, by
preference, be composed chiefly, with the exception of the framework, which
is metallic, of corrugated iron. The whole of the framework will, by
preference, be made of T and angle iron, as best suited for lightness, ease of
construction, and strength. The framework forming the seats of the carriages
will be, by preference, also composed of T and angle iron braced over by steel
or iron bands, upon which the stuffed seats will be placed. The coupling of
the carriages will include in their construction a buffer spring so arranged as
to do away with the present buffers in use (vide A, Sheet 2 & 2*); the draw
rods having springs acting upon a central thrust will cause the carriages to
advance without any perceptible jerk while in the act of stopping, the other
spring being placed on the opposite side of the thrust will again counteract
any forward motion by the impetus of the carriages behind, no coupling
chains being necessary. The mode preferred for coupling the ends of the
draw rods together is represented in Sheet 2. Attached below each of the
carriages (see Sheet 1) we place two pulleys or wheels, the peripheries of
which come near to the inside of the rails when at rest, but in the action of
the carriages over a curve these pulleys when coming in contact with the
exterior circle of the curve will be pressed upon until the bearing is thrust
home to the shoulder. These pulleys are intended by their action to check
any lateral motion which the carriages may take, and particularly to guide
them on their passage over a curve.
Sheet 4 represents a mode of continuous rails where the pulleys are placed
on longitudinal sleepers of wood braced together by transverse rods passing
under the permanent way, or upon transverse sleepers if necessary; this
mode may be applied in conjunction with the first plan, but intended more
particularly for diversions of trains over the points of the ordinary permanent
way, and where no points are used with the parallel outer rails which bear the
train, in which arrangement the side rails which carry the wheels would be
cut away to allow of the passage of the wheels of the locomotive.

page_text: Sheet 5 shows a sectional view of break van with the position of the break
on the side rails. This break works at the same time a continuous break,
Sheet 6, applied to several carriages of the train when necessary.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the details shown in the Drawings, as they may be greatly varied,
so long as the peculiar nature of our Invention be retained, which consists in
combining with ordinary permanent ways of railways on which locomotive
engines run, side rails with wheels at intervals to support trains of carriages,
as explained, the carriages being constructed suitably for moving thereon, as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Eldon Serjeant, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
CHARLES ELDON SERJEANT. (L.S.)