IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Perrett, of 8, Victoria Chambers, Victoria Street,
in the City of Westminster, for the Invention of
TRAMWAYS.
"
IMPROVEMENTS IN
Sealed the 27th April 1880, and dated the 2nd December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Perrett at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd December 1879.
EDWARD PERRETT, of 8, Victoria Chambers, Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS.”
This Invention has for its object improvements in tramways.
In constructing tramways I employ rails held in and supported by chairs, and
both the rails and the chairs are peculiar. The chairs are of the same depth as the
paving blocks, they are of hollow cast iron with chilled upper surfaces, and with a
groove in the top surface to receive the rail, and the rail when in its place fills the
groove forming a level surface with the checks of the chair on either side.
These cheeks are flat on the top excepting only roughening grooves which are
formed in them to give better foot hold for horses. And the cheeks extend on
each side of the rail to about one half of the length of the paving blocks employed
for paving between the rails and on the outer sides of them. The fastening
between the chair and the rail is by a bolt on the under side of the rail, and it is
so contrived as is hereinafter explained that the chair may be applied and fixed in
any position along the length of the rail.
In laying the tramway the paving may be carried on simultaneously with the
setting of the chairs, and the chairs are then slidden along the rails to the positions
in which they work in conveniently with the paving blocks, and the fastening to
the rail is made secure.
The chairs may be set either on the same bottom as the paving, or upon timber,
or other suitable firm foundation, and sometimes I lay them upon iron supports
cast with a central dovetail ridge, and the bottom of the chair blocks are recessed
to fit quite loosely over this ridge, and as they are set in place with the paving
and with the rail in gauge the chairs are rendered fast to the foundation place by
keys driven in along side of the ridge which the foundation plate has upon it.
The rail is rolled with two flanges projecting from the under side of the face, one.
37

page_text: on either side, and these flanges are inclined inwards so as partially to enclose a
space beneath the face of the rail, but leaving an opening all along the under side
of the rail wide enough to admit the stems of the bolts by which the rails are
fastened to the chairs. These bolts are T or mushroom headed and the head is
received into the cavity beneath the face of the rail, whilst the stem of the bolt
projects downwards through the longitudinal opening beneath the rail and through
a hole in the bottom of the rail channel formed in the chair. The stem of the
bolt has in each case a key way cut in it near its lower end and the rail is finally
made fast in the chair by driving the key home. The hollow chair block is formed
with openings at the ends to allow of easy access to the keys whilst the pavement
is being laid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Perrett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd June
1880.
EDWARD PERRETT, of 8, Victoria Chambers, Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAYS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in tramways.
In constructing tramways I employ rails held in and supported by chairs, and
both the rails and the chairs are peculiar. The chairs are of the same depth as the
paving blocks, they are hollow of cast iron with chilled upper surfaces and with a
groove in the top surface to receive the rail, and the rail when in its place fills the
groove forming a level surface with the checks of the chair on either side.
These cheeks are flat on the top excepting only roughening grooves which are
formed in them to give better foot hold for horses, and the cheeks extend on each
side of the rail to about one half of the length of the paving blocks employed for
paving between the rails and on the outer sides of them. The fastening between
the chair and the rail is by a bolt on the under side of the rail, and it is so con-
trived as is bereinafter explained that the chair may be applied and fixed in any
position along the length of the rail.
In laying the tramway the paving may be carried on simultaneously with the
setting of the chairs, and the chairs are then slidden along the rails to the positions
in which they work in conveniently with the paving blocks and the fastening to
the rail is made secure. The chairs may be set either on the same bottom as the
paving, or upon timber, or other suitable firm foundation, and sometimes I lay
them upon iron supports cast with a central dovetail ridge, and the bottom of the
chair blocks are recessed to fit quite loosely over this ridge, and as they are set in
place with the paving and with the rail in gauge the chairs are rendered fast to
the foundation place by keys driven in alongside of the ridge which the foundation
plate has upon it. The rail is rolled with two flanges projecting from the under
side of the face, one on either side, and these flanges are inclined inwards so as
partially to enclose a space beneath the face of the rail, but leaving an opening all

page_text: The stem of the bolt has in each case a key way cut in it near its lower end, and
the rail is finally made fast in the chair by driving the key home. The hollow
chair block is formed with openings at the ends to allow of easy access to the
keys whilst the pavement is being laid.
There are other ways in which the head of the bolt may conveniently be made
to engage with the rail.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of one of the rails of a line of tramway
with its supporting chairs and fastenings but without the pavement on either side;
Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 is a transverse section of the same. The road is
here represented as laid upon longitudinal sleepers of wood, and this is a method
of construction which may be resorted to, but the chairs may also be supported
directly upon concrete or other sound foundation. a, a, is the rail of wrought
iron or steel, it has two flanges on its under side, and these are bent inwards so as
to partially enclose a space into which the head of the fastening bolt is received
and retained; but in such manner that it can be slidden along the rail from ond to
end to any position where it may be required. In the top or face of the rail is the
groove to receive the flanges of the wheel tyres, and the outer side of this groove
(or the part of the rail face over which the wheels do not run) is notched or
indented to give a better foot hold to horses; b, b, are the chairs, they are hollow
castings of iron flat at the bottom and grooved across the top to receive the rail;
c, c, are the wooden sleepers, but as already mentioned it is not necessary that
sleepers should be employed for the chairs may stand directly upon any suitable
firm foundation. The surfaces of the chairs b, b, which come flush with the top of
the rail and with the roadway are grooved as the Drawing indicates to give better
foothold; d, d, are the holding down bolts, they have mushroom heads and their
stems pass down through holes in the chairs for:ned at the bottom of the recess
which receives the rail. In laying the tramway, the paving between the rails and
on their outer sides is carried on simultaneously with the setting of the chairs to
their places. Each chair is slidden up along the rail to take its place with the
pavement blocks, and when it is thus set the chair is made fast with the rail by
driving up a metal key or wedge e which is inserted through a slotted hole formed
to receive it in the stem of the bolt d.
There are openings at the ends of the chair castings b, b, to permit of easy
access to the keys or wedges e. The ends of the rails may be received into joint
chairs made each to receive two holding down bolts d, d, or the ends of the rails
inay be fished between the chairs by means of a fish plate or plug, one entering
within the cavities of the two rails and suitably secured to prevent endway
movement.
Figure 4 is a transverse section representing the chairs supported upon a cast
sleeper having a central dovetail flange, and the chair is fastened exactly in its
place upon the sleeper by metal wedges driven in between the flange on the
sleeper and the sides of the groove in the bottom of the chair.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 represent a modification in the arrangement of the holding
down bolt and the lower part of the rail. Figure 5 is a transverse section;
Figure 6 is an horizontal section through the flange of the rail and through the
chair at the same level; and Figure 7 shows the rail in elevation and the chair in
section.

page_text: The rail is rolled with a T formed projection on its under side, and the bolt has
a hook like head which engages with this projection at any point along the length
of the rail to which the bolt may be brought. A key or wedge is inserted through
the stem of the bolt as already described. The chair shown in these Figures is
made to receive the holding down bolt on either side.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
perforining the same, I would have it understood that I claim as my improvements
in tramways,-
First. The construction of tramways, substantially as herein described and
illustrated by the annexed Drawings.
Second. The tramway chair consisting of a cast iron pavement block grooved
across the face to fit the tram rail, so that the face of the rail comes level with the
top of the block, with a locking appliance by which the block can be locked fust
with the rail in any position along it.
Third. The tram-rail with inwardly bent flanges on the underside adapted to
engage anywhere along the length of the rail with the head of a bolt or fastening
for holding the rail down in its place.
Fourth. The vertical bolt or fastening having a head engaging with the rail and
passing down into a cavity in the chair or support beneath the rail where it is
keyed or locked.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Perrett, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty.
E. PERRETT. (L.S.)