A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR FORMATION OF THE TRAMS OR RAILS OR LINES OF RAIL OR TRAM ROADS, UPON WHICH LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES SHALL OR MAY WORK OR BE EMPLOYED
Year: 1832

page_text: BADNALL the younger, formerly of Ashen Hurst Hall, near Leek, in the.
County of Stafford, but now residing in Douglas, in the Isle of Man, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Eighth day of September, in the third year of His
reign, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Badnall the younger, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Richard Badnall the younger, my exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Badnall,
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, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in
all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR FORMATION OF THE TRAMS
OR RAILS OR LINES OF RAIL OR TRAM ROADS, UPON WHICH LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
SHALL OR MAY WORK OR BE EMPLOYED;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said Richard Badnall the younger, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately

page_text: after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Badnall the younger, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner it is to be performed and carried into effect,
is particularly described and ascertained in and by the following description
thereof, reference being had to the Drawing in the margin hereof, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say) :-
"My Improvement in the Construction or Formation of the Trams or Rails,
or Lines of Rail or Tram Roads upon which Locomotive Engines shall or may
Work," will be best illustrated by reference to the oscillation of a pendulum.
If a plummet, suspended by a string, as Fig.-1, from the point.z, be drawn
away from the perpendicular line to the point a, and there let go, it will fall
by its gravity to b in the arc a, b; but in its falling it will have acquired so
much momentum as will carry it forward up to a similar altitude at the
point c. Let it be supposed that a line of rails or tramway for carriages
be so constructed from the summit of two hills, as Fig. 2, across a valley,
that the descent from one hill, as a to the valley b, shall subtend a similar
angle from the horizontal line to the ascent up the other hill from 6 to c.
Now if a train waggon, as d, be placed at the summit of the declivity a, it
will by its gravity alone run down the descending line of rails to the lowest
point b; but in so running, according to the principles of the oscillating
pendulum, it should have acquired a momentum that would carry it forward
without any additional force up the ascending line to the summit of the
hill c, being at the same altitude as the hill a. It is quite certain that this
would really take place if the force acquired by the momentum was.not
impeded by the friction of the wheels of the carriage upon their axles and
upon the rails on which they run; hence, subtracting the amount of friction
as a retarding force from the momentum which the carriage has acquired in
descending from a to b, it will be perceived that the force of momentum alone
would only impel the carriage part of the way up the ascent b, c, say as far
as z. It must now be evident that the carriage d would not only pass down
the descending line of road from a to b by its gravity, but that the momentum
required in the descent would also impel it up the second hill as far as z
unassisted by any locomotive power. In order, therefore, to raise the carriage
to the top of the second hill I have only to employ such an impelling force
as would be sufficient to drive it from z to c, the whole expence of locomotive
power for bringing the carriage from a to z being saved. If now I employ
a locomotive power to assist in impelling my carriage from a to b, I by. that

page_text: means obtain a greater momentum than would result from the descent of the
carriage by gravity alone, and am enabled by that means to surmount the
hill c, having travelled the whole distance from a to c on the undulating line
of road with the exertion of much less locomotive power than would have
been requisite to have impelled the carriage the same distance upon a perfectly
horizontal plane.
Having now set out the principles upon which my improvement in the
construction of tramroads or railways are founded, I desire it to be understood
that I claim as my Invention the forming of trams or rails or lines of rail
or tram roads in such undulating curve or curves as will enable me, in
ascending hills, to combine and apply the advantages of momentum from
gravity acquired in running down the descending curves of hills with the
propelling power of locomotive engines to be employed thereon, not confining
myself to any particular extent of line or form of curve, but varying and
adapting the curve or curves according to the surface of the country, or other
local circumstances.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Badnall the younger, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three.