IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF TRUCKS AND TURNTABLES FOR PORTABLE RAILWAYS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Grant, of Wester Hill, Linton, in the County
of Kent, Farmer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF TRUCKS AND TURNTABLES FOR PORTABLE RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 16th August 1864, and dated the 13th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Grant at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th June
1864.
I, JOHN GRANT, of Wester Hill, Linton, in the County of Kent, Farmer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF TRUCKS AND TURNTABLES FOR PORTABLE RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of trucks and turntables
for portable railways relates in the first place to the novel construction of a
truck for portable railways so as to adapt it for carrying either compact loads
of a heavy nature, such as carth, roots, or manure, or bulky loads of a light
nature, such as straw or the harvest crops on a farm.
My Invention relates, secondly, to the novel construction of a light and
durable turntable for portable railways adapted for frequent shifting, and
capable of being laid in position upon the surface of the ground without
requiring to be let into it, and so that two or more lines may be laid from it
in any direction, and at any required angles to each other, without the necessity
of blocking up the rails of such lines above the ground.

page_text: or manure.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention, I construct a truck for
portable railways the two ends or heads of which are firmly secured in an
upright position by suitable shores or supports, but both sides of the truck are
attached to the truck by hinges or other suitable means, so as to admit of their
being fastened up or let down as occasion may require for the purpose of
retaining or discharging the load when of a heavy nature, such as earth, roots,
Both sides may also, when required, be partly let down and held
in a horizontal position or nearly so, on a level or nearly so with the bottom
of the truck, by means of chains or other fastenings of a suitable length,
attached to the upper corners of such sides, and also to the upper corners of
the ends or heads of the truck, so as to form a wide and low truck adapted
for carrying bulky loads, such as straw or the harvest crops on a farm. In
order further to adapt the truck for carrying bulky loads, it is provided with
broad movable ladders, which may when required be attached by means of
chains or other suitable fastenings to the ends or heads of the truck, by
preference on the outside of them, so as to increase the length of the
truck.
In carrying out the second part of my Invention, I construct a light and
durable turntable for portable railways, consisting of two parts or divisions,
one of which parts or divisions revolves upon the other part or division which
is non-revolving. The non-revolving part or division consists of a circle or
ring, by preference of wrought iron, having a bar stretching across the centre,
and having a central circular hole or socket formed in it to receive the central
pin or axis of the revolving part or division of the turntable. The revolving
part or division of the turntable consists of a single pair of rails, by preference
of wrought iron, firmly braced together, and being connected across the
middle by a cross bar, to which is attached a central pin or axis, which fits
into the central circular hole or socket of the non-revolving part or division of
the turntable, and which pair of rails are fitted near the ends, by preference
on the outside of them, with four or more wheels or rollers, by preference of
cast iron, which wheels or rollers. revolve round the central axis of the turn-
table, upon the circle or ring of the non-revolving portion of the turntable,
carrying the pair of rails along with them, so that the pair of rails may be
made to point in any direction, and brought into connection alternately with
any one of two or more lines laid from the turntable, which lines may be at
any required angles to each other. The whole depth of the turntable when
fitted together and resting upon the surface of the ground, is the same or
nearly so as that of many portable rails or combined rails and sleepers in
general use, so that trucks can be run on to the turntable from such portable

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Grant in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GRANT, of Wester Hill, Linton, in the County of Kent, Farmer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, 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 me,
the said John Grant, Her special licence that I, the said John Grant, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Grant, 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 IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRUCKS AND TURNTABLES FOR PORTABLE RAILWAYS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Grant, 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 John Grant, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of Improvements in the Construction of Trucks and Turn-
tables for Portable Railways" relates in the first place to the novel con-
struction of a truck for portable railways, so as to adapt it for carrying either

page_text: compact loads of a heavy nature, such as earth, roots, or manure, or bulky
loads of a light nature, such as straw or the barvest crops on a farm.
My Invention relates, secondly, to the novel construction of a light and
durable turntable for portable railways, adapted for frequent shifting, and
capable of being laid in position upon the surface of the ground without
requiring to be let into it, and so that two or more lines may be laid from it
in any directions, and at any required angles to each other, without the
necessity of blocking up the rails of such lines above the ground.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention I construct a truck for
portable railways, the two ends or heads of which are fixtures, and firmly
secured in an upright position by suitable shores or supports, but both sides of
the truck are made to let up and down as occasion may require for the
purposes of retaining or discharging the load when of a heavy nature, such
as earth, roots, or manure, and which sides may also, when required, be partly
let down and held in a horizontal position, or nearly so, by means of chains,
ropes, or other fastenings of a suitable length attached to the upper corners
of such sides, and also to the upper corners of the ends or beads of the truck,
so as to form a wide and low truck adapted for carrying bulky loads, such as
straw and the harvest crops on a farm. In order further to adapt the truck
for carrying bulky loads, it is provided with broad moveable ladders, which
may, when required, be attached by means of chains or other suitable fastenings
to the ends or heads of the truck, by preference on the outside of them, so as
to increase the length of the truck.
In carrying out the second part of my Invention I construct a light and
durable turntable for portable railways, consisting of two parts or divisions,
one of which parts or divisions revolves upon the other part or division which
is non-revolving. The non-revolving part or division consists of a circle or
ring, by preference of wrought iron, having a bar stretching across the centre,
and having by preference a central circular hole or socket formed in it to
receive the central pin or axis of the revolving part or division of the turn-
table, or the bar may be fitted with a central pin to receive a central hole or
socket. The revolving part or division of the turntable consists of a single
pair of rails, by preference of wrought iron, firmly braced together, and being
connected across the middle by a cross bar, to which is attached by preference
a central pin or axis, which fits into the central circular hole or socket of the
non-revolving part or division of the turntable, or the cross bar may have a
central circular hole to fit over a pin, and which pair of rails are fitted near
the ends, by preference on the outside of them, with four or more wheels or

page_text: rollers, by preference of cast iron, which wheels or rollers revolve round the
central axis of the turntable upon the circle or ring of the non-revolving
portion of the turntable, carrying the pair of rails along with them, so that the
pair of rails may be made to point in any direction and brought into connexion
alternately with any one of two or more lines laid from the turntable, which
lines may be at any required angles to each other. The whole depth of the
turntable when fitted together and resting upon the surface of the ground
is the same or nearly so as that of many portable rails or combined rails and
sleepers in general use, so that trucks can be run on to the turntable from
such portable rails upon the same level or nearly so, without the necessity
either of letting the turntable into the ground or blocking up the rails above
the ground.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the
truck, to which the first head of my Invention relates, in which the sides A, A,
are fastened up by the pins F, F; Figure 2 is a side elevation, and Figure 3
is an end view of the truck, with the moveable ladders D, D, held in position
by the chains E, E, and with the sides A, A, let down to a position nearly
level with the bottom of the truck, and there securely beld by the chains C, C.
Figure 4 is a plan of the non-revolving part or division of the turntable to
which the second head of my Invention relates, in which the circle of wrought
iron G, G, is shown with the bar H stretching across the centre, and having
a central hole or socket I; Figure 5 is a plan of the revolving part or division
of the turntable, in which the pair of rails K, K, are shown connected and
braced together across the middle by the cross bar L, which has attached to it.
on the underside a central pin or axis M, pointing downwards, as shown in
Figure 7. The rails K, K, also rest upon and are braced together at the ends
by the cross bars N, N, which carry the rollers 0, 0, 0, 0; Figure 6 is a plan
of the complete turntable, in which the revolving part or division Figure 5 is
shewn in position upon the non-revolving part or division Figure 4, the pin M
being held in the socket I, as shown in Figure 7, and the rolloers 0, 0, 0, 0,
resting upon the circle' G, G; Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of the turn-
table when in the position shown in Figure 6, in which elevation the line of
section passess through the centre of the turntable between the points A, A.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Construction
of Trucks and Turntables for Portable Railways," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,―
First, the construction of a truck for portable railways with moveable

page_text: ladders and sides to let down to a position level or nearly so with the bottom
of the truck, for the purpose of carrying straw, the harvest crops of a farm, or
other bulky loads.
Second, the construction of a turntable for portable railways in the manner
herein set forth, adapted for laying on the surface of the ground.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Grant, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JOHN GRANT. (L.B.)