Improvements in or Connected with the Rails of Tramways and the Level Crossings of Railways.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with the Rails of Tramways and the
Level Crossings of Railways.
I, ISAAC FUZZEY, of Morrab Place, Penzance, in the County of Cornwall, Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention relates to certain improvements in or connected with the rails of
tramways and the level crossings of railways being applicable to such rails as are laid
on a level with the road or permanent way.
As ordinarily constructed and laid the sides of such rails present smooth or
unbroken surfaces which, when the adjacent part of the roadway is out of repair due
to the sinking or wearing of the adjacent stone sets or wooden blocks or other like
cause, prevent the wheels of vehicles travelling at an acute angle relatively to the
direction of the rails from easily crossing, the rail having a tendency to deflect and
keep the same in the adjacent depression in the roadway while the draught animals
are pulling in a different direction, by which the wheels, axles and springs are at
times very much strained or broken, and the vehicle is very liable to be overturned
due to the sudden swerving thereof when the wheels are caused to suddenly mount on
to the rails and permit of the vehicle travelling in the direction of the pull of the
draught animals; this being a frequent source of expense to the proprietors of
vehicles and a source of danger to the drivers, passengers and others. The repetition
of this action also speedily causes the adjacent parts of the roadway to wear the more
quickly into ruts which effectively increase the evil, and as a consequence the roadway
is frequently under repair and unnecessary expense is thus also caused.
The especial object of this Invention is to avoid these disadvantages, and to this end
the Invention consists essentially in constructing such rails in such manner substan-
tially as hereinafter described as to cause the same to present broken or irregular
side surfaces with laterally projecting parts on a level with the top face of the rail to
the tyres of wheels of vehicles travelling as aforesaid, and against which such tyres
will necessarily catch facilitating the crossing of the rail thereby.
The application of the Invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings in
Figs. 1, and, 2, whereon it is shown in isometrical projection as applied to an ordinary
grooved tramway rail; a further modification of the Invention being represented in
Fig. 3.

page_text: On the accompanying drawings, 4, represents an ordinary grooved tramway-rail,
and, 5, a longitudinal sleeper on which it is supported in a usual manner. I, however,
desire it to be understood that the application of my Invention is not limited to
rails of the particular section shown, as the Invention may be applied with equal
advantage to rails of other usual sections.
In accordance with the present Invention, the rail, 4, is constructed with laterally
projecting parts, 6, which may be made of any required or suitable dimensions and
forms, the Invention also not being limited to the dimensions and forms of such
parts, 6, illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
I prefer, however, that such projecting parts should be of about the depth of the
rail or otherwise so as to afford a sufficiency of strength to avoid liability of their
being broken off; and that they should be of about the width of ordinary paving
stones or wooden paving blocks as usually laid, so as not to require any special
preparation of the stone sets or paving blocks; and that they should project from the
sides of the rail sufficiently far to enable the adjacent edge of the tyre of the wheel
of a vehicle travelling as aforesaid catching thereagainst and being thereby enabled
to cross the rail with facility. The said projections, 6, may also be set apart so that
the alternate courses of the stone sets or paving blocks, 7, will butt against the ends
thereof, the other alternate courses of such stone sets fitting in the spaces, 8, between
the adjacent projections, 6, as represented on the right hand side of Fig. 1, or such
projections may be set at greater intervals apart as represented at the left hand side of
Fig. 1. Such projections may also be arranged opposite each other as represented
at, a, Fig. 1, or alternately on the opposite sides thereof as represented in Fig. 2.
The upper surfaces of such projecting parts, 6, may be left plain as represented in
Fig. 2, or may be roughened in any suitable manner as represented at, c, Fig. 1.
In the modification of the Invention represented in Fig. 3, the Invention is
represented as applied to a hollowed or bed rail, 9, in which the rail, 4, of ordinary
construction can be placed and secured in a usual way.
The rails may be made of steel, iron or other suitable metal, and the said pro-
jecting parts, 6, may be made by rolls of suitable construction or in any other suitable
manner.
Among other advantages attendant upon the adoption of the present improvements
may be mentioned that, vehicles of all kinds will be enabled to cross the rails with
facility at any angle; considerable expense will be saved to the owners of waggons,
vans, carriages, carts, tricycles, bicycles, and other vehicles by avoiding the great
strain on the axles, wheels, and springs thereof in trying to cross the rails as at
present. The paving stones or wooden blocks adjacent to the sides of the rails will
not be liable to wear into ruts, thus saving large expenditure by avoiding the necessity
of constant repairing. Drivers will have much more control over their vehicles and
hence accidents at present common will be avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is
The hereinbefore described improvements in
tramways and the level crossings of railways.
Deted this 8th day of Santambar 1080
or connected with the rails of
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.