CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS AND TRAMS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HOPKINS, of Brand Street, Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Surveyor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of July, in the ninth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Hopkins, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I; the said John Hopkins, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said John Hopkins,
my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England
and Wales and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS
AND TRAMS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said John Hopkins, shall particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an Instrument in writing under my hand and seal,

page_text: and cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next immediately after the date of the said now
reciting Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Hopkins, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the present Instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, in the words herein-after written, and with reference to the
Drawings and Figures annexed hereto.
Before, however, I proceed to describe the particulars of my said Invention
it may be proper to state, that the object of it is to apply wood in such a
manner as to constitute a rail or tram or continuous wooden surface on which
the peripheries of the wheels of engines and carriages may travel, as on the
present rails or trams of iron now used on railways and tramways. The
peculiar shape of the rail when formed as shewn in Figures 2, 4, and 6, are
intended to prevent the wheels of the carriages travelling thereon from
running off the same. The advantages arising from such an application are,
increased tractional power and greater ease to travellers. The Drawings
hereunto annexed shew the mode of working out this Invention, in which the
same letters denote similar parts in all the Drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional end view taken according to the line A, B, of
Figure 3. C is a block of wood inserted grain downwards or otherwise,
which blocks may or may not be previously prepared by any of the known
processes for the prevention of dry rot or decay in wood. d, d, is a frame
made of iron or other suitable metal, in which is inserted the block C. e is
an iron bolt or pin, one end of which is countersunk, as shewn in the
Drawing, and on the other end is placed the thread of a screw carrying a nut.
9, 9, iron bolts or pins passing through the frame d, d, into the longitudinal
sleeper F, thereby securing such frame in the proper position. H is a section
of part of the wheel of an ordinary railway carriage wheel in its relative
position to the improved rail.
Figure 2 is a sectional end view of a modification of the improved rail in
which the supporting rail or frame of iron is made of two angular pieces of
iron d, d, one of which pieces of iron is higher than the other to prevent the
wheels of carriages running off the rails, and which are fastened by screw bolts
to the longitudinal sleepers F, and having blocks of wood inserted between
them, either grain downwards or otherwise, which blocks of wood are also
fastened by iron bolts or pins e to the said angular pieces of iron d, d. The

page_text: blocks of wood so inserted as aforesaid rest and bear upon the longitudinal
sleepers F.
Figure 3 shews a longitudinal side view of the improved rail.
Figure 4 is a sectional end view of a modification of the improved rail, which
can be used either as a rail or a tram, as required.
Figure 5 is another modification of the improved rail, in which the shape of
the block of wood and frame of iron obviates the necessity of the fastening
pin or bolt e in Figure 1. The frames d, d, being smaller at the top than at
the bottom prevent the blocks of wood from rising or pressing up on the
passing of the wheels. In this description of rail the blocks of wood are
introduced at the end of the iron frame, and driven up one by one until the
frame is full. I would observe, that this Invention can be applied as a rail or
a tram to form a railway or tramway at one and the same time. Thus, if it
is laid down as shewn at Figures 2, 4, and 6, it forms either one or the other.
Figure 6 is a modification of the last aforesaid, by which the said Invention
can be applied either as a rail or tram, as required. The blocks of wood can
be fastened in or to the frames of iron or other suitable metal with the grain
of the wood downwards or otherwise, but I consider the grain of the wood
downwards the best, either as shewn in the Drawings above, or they may be
additionally fastened thereto, if required, by an adhesive composition or
cement suitable for the purpose, such as pitch, asphalte, marine glue (com-
monly called Jefferies' marine glue), or any other suitable composition; but I
prefer and consider most useful for such purpose asphalte or Jefferies' marine
glue. The blocks or pieces of wood may be of any suitable size, and they
may be of any description of timber or wood, but I prefer Scotch fir, English
or American elm, American red pine or America pitch pine; and I consider
these I have named best and most suitable for the purpose. The frames may
be of iron, either wrought or cast, but I prefer wrought iron.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is used, I would have it understood that what I claim as of
this my Invention is, the application of blocks or surfaces of wood placed and
fastened in frames of iron, either with the grain of such wood downwards or
otherwise, in the manner shewn in the Drawings hereunto annexed, for the
purposes of forming or constituting rails or trams, or continuous wooden
surfaces for railroads and tramways, and on which rails or trams the peripheries
of the wheels of the carriages or other vehicles travelling or running shall
travel or run on blocks or surfaces of wood in the manner shewn in such
Drawing as aforesaid. But I do not confine myself to any particular form or
size of blocks or surfaces of wood or to any particular form or size of such

page_text: frames of iron, if such blocks of wood are placed or fastened in iron frames,
and if such frames of iron are so placed and formed that the peripheries of the
wheels of the carriages and other vehicles travelling or running on such rails
or trams shall travel or run on the tops of such blocks or surfaces of wood in
the manner shewn in the Drawings annexed hereto. And, lastly, I do not
confine myself to the precise details shewn, provided the peculiar character of
my said Invention be used, retained, or brought into operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hopkins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.