IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS AND GOODS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexandre Balan, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS
AND GOODS."
Sealed the 19th October 1855, and dated the 23rd April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexandre Balan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
April 1855.
I, ALEXANDRE BALAN, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer, <lo
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANS-
PORTING PASSENGERS AND GOODS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing and connecting two inclined planes in
such manner, that on the arrival of a waggon or load at the bottom of the
second incline and on its being unloaded, the arrival of a loaded waggon at
the foot of the first incline shall raise up the unloaded waggon to the highest
level from which it first started. My inclined planes consist of ropes or cables
which are stretched from post to post. At one post they are both fixed on the
same level, or nearly so, while at the other post they are fitted to a balance
lever. This lever is fitted to a post or upright in such manner that one end
shall be above the level of the point at which the ropes are fitted to the
opposite post or upright, while the other end is below its level. On the loaded
waggons starting from the highest point, which will be from that part of the
cable connected to the upper arm of the lever, they will by their own gravity

page_text: descend the inclined plane till they reach the lowest part of the incline at the
opposite upright; they will then start again and descend the lower inclined
plane until they reach the lower arm of the lever. Supposing them to be
unloaded, and loaded waggons to be reaching the bottom of the first incline,
they by their superior gravity will cause the two inclines to change places,
and will thus raise the unloaded waggons to the highest point from which they
first started. For a continuous line in the same direction, as soon as a waggon.
has reached the bottom of one incline, I raise it to the top of the next inclined
plane in succession, and so on.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexandro Balan, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDRE
BALAN, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alexandre Balan, Her special licence that I, the said Alexandre Balan,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alexandre Balan, 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
TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS AND GOOD3," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Alexandre Balan, by an instrument in writing under my band
and seal, 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 Alexandre Balan, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-

page_text: My Invention consists in constructing and connecting two inclined planes
in such manner, that on the arrival of a wagon or load at the bottom of the
second incline and on its being unloaded, the arrival of a loaded wagon at
the foot of the first incline shall raise up the unloaded wagon to the highest
level from which it first started. My inclined planes consist of ropes or cables
which are stretched from post to post. At one post they are both fixed on the
same level, or nearly so, while at the other post they are fitted to a balanco
lever. This lever is fitted to a post or upright in such manner that one end.
shall be above the level of the point at which the ropes are fitted to the
opposite post or upright, while the other end is below its level. On a loaded
wagon starting from the highest point, which will be from that part of the
cable connected to the upper arm of the lever, by its own gravity it will
descend the inclined plane till it reaches the lowest part of the incline, at
the opposite upright; it will then start again and descend the lower inclined
plane until it reaches the lower arm of the lever. Supposing it then to be
unloaded, and a loaded wagon to arrive at the bottom of the first incline, by
its superior gravity the loaded wagon will cause the two inclines to change
places, and will thus raise the unloaded wagon to the highest point from
which it first started. For a continuous line in the same direction, as soon
as a wagon has reached the bottom of an incline, I raise it to the top of the
next inclined plane in succession, and so on.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have represented the manner in which
I carry my Invention into effect.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a single line of way in which the
two ropes are on a level, and the wagons at each end stationary; Figure 2
is a similar view, with the ways inclined, and representing the wagons or loads
at the bottom of their respective inclines; Figure 3 is a plan. A and B are
two uprights or posts sunk firmly in the ground; C, C, are two ropes or ways
which converge at the post B, over the top of which they are passed and
securely fixed to the blocks D; E is a lever centred at 6 in the post A. To
the ends of this lever the diverging ends of the ropes or ways are securely
attached, from which they again converge, and are passed over the upright F
and fastened to the block G. The lever E being centred at bis capable of
being reversed, so that the lower inclined plane can be raised to the position of
the upper incline, and vice versâ; consequently, when the empty wagons arrive
at the bottom of the lower incline, by shifting the position of the lever the.
wagons are raised together with their rope or way to the position of the upper
incline, when upon being loaded and started off they will by their own gravity
proceed down the incline until they arrive at the bottom. Wagons may be

page_text: employed on each rope or incline, so that while one set of wagons are travers-
ing the upper incline in one direction, another set of wagons shall be passing
along the lower incline in the reverse direction. For earth works, such as
cuttings, embankments, quarries, &c., this Invention will be found very advan-
tageous; or in crossing rivers, canals, &c., where bridges would interfere with
navigation. The wagons may, if desired, be employed for transporting passen-
gers or live stock as well as goods. When the distance to be travelled over
becomes too long for a single length of rope or way, I make use of supports,
placed at intervals, and also according to the undulations of the ground. It is,
however; necessary that the intervening supports should be so arranged, that
upon a wagon arriving at the support the rope or way should be raised, so as
to carry on the incline, and not interfere with the onward progress of the
wagon. This I accomplish by the following arrangement:-Figure 4 repre-
sents a side elevation of a double length of ropes or ways, supported in the
centre by a moveable support. This support consists of a vertical frame A,
Figures 5 and 6, to which is hinged near the ground line a moveable frame B.
This frame is maintained in a position near the ground by means of a trigger C.
It therefore follows, that when the car or wagon arrives near the bottom of
the incline it touches the trigger, and thereby liberates the frame B, which,
being provided with counterbalanco weights D, is caused to swing over to
the position shewn by the red lines, thereby elevating the rope from a to b,
and thus forms a second incline, down which the wagon travels by its own
gravity until it reaches the terminus at the bottom, or strikes a second
trigger in connection with a second moveable support, when the wagon is
again caused to travel forward. The frame B is restored to its first position by
means of a pinion gearing into teeth upon the face of the frame, or by any
other suitable means.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is, the
transporting passengers and goods by means of inclined planes, constructed
and operating in the manner herein-before described, and represented in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexandre Balan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
A. BALAN. (L.S.)