IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS FOR TRANSPORTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS ACROSS NAVIGABLE CHANNELS, RIVERS, OR LAKES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bradford Leslie, of Surbiton, in the County
of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VESSELS FOR TRANSPORTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS ACROSS
NAVIGABLE CHANNELS, RIVERS, OR LAKES."
Sealed the 20th February 1872,. and dated the 4th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bradford Leslie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th September 1871.
I, BRADFORD LESLIE, of Surbiton, in the County of Surrey, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN VESSELS FOR TRANSPORTING BAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS
ACROSS NAVIGABLE CHANNELS, RIVERS, OR LAKES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the construction of a vessel or vessels
having or containing in themselves the adjustment necessary on account

page_text: of the periodical fluctuations of the water level to enable them to
receive the carriages and wagons from the one landing place, transport
them at the fixed level of the railways, and deliver them at the other
landing place, or to receive the carriages and wagons at the level of
the railway from which they are to be despatched, and if such level is
higher than the deck of the vessel to enable the carriages and wagons
so received whether loaded or unloaded to be lowered to the level of the
deck during the passage, and on or before the termination of the same
to be again raised, should it be necessary to do so, to bring them to the
level of the railway to which they are to be transferred.
For this purpose the vessel is provided with a main longitudinal
adjustable platform broad enough to receive one or more lines of rails,
which are to be secured thereto and extending throughout the length of
the vessel, or the platform may be longer or shorter than the vessel.
This platform is suspended from or supported by upright pillars or
standards placed at equal distances apart in two parallel rows, one on
either side of the platform, and provision is made by the application of
suitable gearing or by hydraulic machinery of sufficient power to raise
or lower the platform, or if necessary the platform with its load to
whatever extent may be necessary to suit the periodical variations of the
water level and bring the rails of the platform to a level with those on
shore.
The main platform may during the loading and unloading of the
vessel be connected with the railway on shore by a locking arrangement
sufficiently strong to sustain the downward or upward pressure to which
it may be subjected, consequent on the effort of the vessel to sink on
the reception of the load or to rise on the removal of the load. If
theso strains cannot be conveniently provided for a secondary adjustment
will be necessary to compensate for the varying immersion of the vessel
and consequent variation of the level and inclination of the rails on
the main platform caused by the transfer of the load from the shore to
the vessel and from the vessel to the shore. For this purpose a drawbridgo
or gangway must be provided to connect the rails on shore with the rails
on the main platform of the vessel, and the length of such drawbridge
or gangway must be so proportioned to the maximum depression or
elevation of the end of the main platform caused by the transfer of the
load, that the greatest rate of inclination during this operation shall not

page_text: be more than is convenient or safe. Such drawbridge or gangway may
form a continuation of and be attached to the railway on shore, in
which case one must be provided at each landing place, or the gangway
may be hinged to the end of the main platform, or if on account of the
length of the vessel or for any other reason it is inconvenient to turn
her during the passage the vessel may be so constructed as to go.
indifferently in either direction, and in this case one such gangway may
be hinged to cach end of the main platform. The gangway may be of
the same width as the main platform, or if the main platform has more
than one line of rails, the inner end of the gangway adjoining the main
platform may correspond with it in width, and the lines of rails upon
the drawbridge may converge into a single line at its outer end, which
may be proportionately reduced in breadth. This would generally be
the preferable arrangement. The outer end of such gangway in most.
cases would project considerably beyond the end of the vessel; if so,
the outer end of such gangway may be suspended by chain tackles,
adjusting screws, wire ropes, or other means admitting of adjustment to
the end pillars supporting the main platform, which may be higher
than the others, and guyed to enable them to sustain the strain, or it.
may be suspended from or supported by cantilevers or corbilling girders
projecting beyond the end of the vessel for the purpose, or in some
cases the gangway may not project beyond the end of the vessel, in
in which cases it may be suspended from or supported by pillars or

page_text: The advantage of this Invention is that the adjustment for difference
of water level is made on board the vessel during the passage, requiring
only one set of appliances, whereas if tho adjustment is made on shore
complete appliances are required at each landing place and some time is
lost in making the adjustment.