IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES FOR COMMON ROADS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of.
IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES FOR COMMON
ROADS." A communication from abroad by Eugène Cailloux, of
Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th June 1874.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE WHEELS OF
VEHICLES FOR COMMON ROADS," to be as follows:-
It is well known that the draft in all kinds of vehicles varies
according to the nature of the surface on which they travel, and to the
resistance it opposes to traction. This resistance is estimated, in the
case of ordinary roads, at an average of 8 per cent. of the weight of

page_text: the vehicle, and on railways at but one half per cent. of the same
weight, the surface being in each case supposed to be horizontal.
These figures suffice to show the great economy in tractive force realized
by the use of railroads. This mode of locomotion has however hitherto
only been capable of application on a large scale, requiring the invest-
ment of considerable capital, and the object of the present Invention is
to provide an arrangement of portable or travelling railroad which shall
be capable of universal application.
The travelling railroad of this Invention is composed of short sections
of rails of any suitable form or number jointed together at their ends so
as to form an endless chain, which is applied to the wheel and hangs
thereon by its own weight. The lower part of the chain hangs free
from the wheel and lays itself on the ground in front of the wheel so
that it may travel thereon as the vehicle advances.
The endless rail is preferably made of shape in cross section, the
flanges serving to keep the wheel on the rail, as well as to guide the
rail in the proper direction when the direction of the vehicle is changed.
These flanges are also utilized for making the joints between the rail
sections, these joints being necessarily situated above the level of the
bearing surface of the rails. The upper half of the wheel may work
between guides provided with friction rollers to retain the endless chain
of rail in position on the wheel, and prevent it being dislodged by any
shock or concussion. These guides may be carried on radial arms
mounted on the axle, which is stationary as usual in vehicles for common
roads. The friction rollers and guides may however be dispensed with
by making the flanges of the rail of sufficient depth to retain the latter
in position on the wheel. In this case each segment of the rail may be
provided with lugs or ears at either side to retain the endless chain in
position, and by engaging with corresponding studs on the side of the
wheel to prevent the rail being thrown off by centrifugal action.
This Invention is applicable generally to vehicles for common roads,
whether drawn by animal power or by road locomotives, the wheels of
which may also be similarly provided with an endless or travelling
railway.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of. 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,.
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville:
Clark, 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, an Invention for.
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES FOR COMMON ROADS," a
communication to me from abroad by Eugène Cailloux, of Paris,
France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, 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 Alexander Melville Clark, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say)
It is well known that the draft in all kinds of vehicles varies:
according to the nature of the surface on which they travel, and to the
resistance it opposes to traction. This resistance is estimated, in the

page_text: case of ordinary roads, at an average of 8 per cent. of the weight of
the vehicle, and on railways at but one half per cent. of the same
weight, the surface being in each case supposed to be horizontal.
These figures suffice to show the great economy in tractive force realized
by the use of railroads. This mode of locomotion has however hitherto
only been capable of application on a large scale, requiring the invest-
ment of considerable capital, and the object of the present Invention is
to provide an arrangement of portable or travelling railroad which shall
be capable of universal application.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1
of which shows a face view of a cart wheel provided with a portable
endless railroad, the vehicle being shown in red outlines; Figure 2 is a
transverse section of the same, and Figure 3 a plan of a portion of the
portable railroad detached. The same reference letters apply to all
these Figures.
The travelling railroad is composed of short sections of rails R of any
suitable form or number jointed together at their ends so as to form
an endless chain which is applied to the wheel V and hangs thereon by
its own weight. The lower part of the chain hangs free from the wheel,
and lays itself on the ground in front of the wheel so that it may travel
thereon as the vehicle advances.
:
The endless rail is preferably made of ✓ shape in cross section,
the flanges serving to keep the wheel on the rail as well as to guide the
rail in the proper direction when the direction of the vehicle is changed.
These flanges are also utilized for making the joints between the rail
sections, these joints being necessarily situated above the level of the
bearing surface of the rails. The upper half of the wheel tire may work
between guides G provided with friction rollers g to retain the endless.
chain of rails in position on the wheel, and prevent it being dislodged by
any shock or concussion. These guides may be carried on radial arms
mounted on the axle E, which is stationary, as usual in vehicles for
common roads. The friction rollers and guides G may however be
dispensed with by making the flanges of the rail R of sufficient depth to
retain the latter in position on the wheel. In this case each segment of
the rail may be provided with lugs or ears at either side, as shown in
red lines at t, Figure 1, to retain the endless chain in position, and by
engaging with corresponding studs i on the side of the wheel V.to
prevent the rail being thrown off by centrifugal action.

page_text: This Invention is applicable generally to vehicles for common roads,
whether drawn by animal power or by road locomotives, the wheels of
which latter may also be similarly provided with an endless. or
travelling railway.
The great economy in tractive force realized by such an arrangement
of endless travelling railroad will be readily understood, each section of
rail forming a shoe which levels the inequalities ordinarily met with on
roads, which impede the rotation of the wheels, and necessitate an
increased effort to overcome them.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would observe that I reserve the right of
modifying the construction of the endless railway, as well as of the
wheels of the vehicle to which it is applied, as experience may require;
but that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is the application to each of the
wheels of vehicles for common roads of an endless jointed portable railway
embracing the periphery of the wheel, substantially as shown and
described for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four.
Witness,
HY. SWALES,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)