IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF CONVEYING AND TRANSPORTING PERSONS AND GOODS FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER
Year: 1839

page_text: TU
THESE PRESE
HALL COME, I, MOSES
POOLE, of the Patent Office, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Gen-
tleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Fourth day of February, in the second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Moses Poole, Her especial licence, full power,sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Poole, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Moses Poole, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the terin of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might inake, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF CONVEYING AND TRANSPORTING
PERSONS AND GOODS FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER," communicated to me by a
Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I,the said Moses Poole, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of the said Invention, and in what inauner the same is to be performed, to be
i.rolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Moses Poole, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereuuto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
The Invention consists in a mode of transporting goods and passengers by
means of a flexible cord or way, on which the carriages run, on a series of in-
clined planes, produced as hereafter described. The way or road on which
the carriages move is composed of lengths of flexible cord or cable supported
by arms, upon which cable runs a carriage with two grooved wheels, the one
before and the other behind, to which is attached, at the underneath part
two open carriages, into which the persons and goods to be conveyed are
placed. The apparatus has applied to it a proper system of tension for each
portion of cable destined to raise the cable after the passage of the carriages,
following any determined inclined angle, according to the length of the
course which it is to surmount. What I call the lifter is used as the means
of regulating the ascension of the cable, as the support is for the regulation
of the constant curve that the line of cable presents when not in operation.
The inclination of the curve should be about one and a half to two inches,
or about two feet in one hundred, according to the speed required and the
weight to be carried. These are placed at proper distances; the carriages are
placed at the starting point on arriving at the head of the first lifter, which
making a detent hold the lifter down; it is then pushed by a weight or spring,
or any suitable means, which acts upon and raises it up again. The carriage
thus drawn upon another inclination goes on to another lifter, and so on
successively. The carriage is brought on the platform at the starting place
by means of a balance lever, and forced on the line at a sufficient inclination
for it to run on to the first lifter, when it acts as before described. To stop
the carriage when in motion I use a kind of drag, which is placed upon the
wheels, and raises the balance which precedes it. These ways or roads
may be made in two lines for the return of the carriage, and this may be
used on any ascent or declivity of the road. Each of the cables on the
road are independent of one another, so that an accident happening to any
one would not affect the others; but in case of breakage of the cable
a second one is placed beneath the other, in order that the carriage would
still be carried on. In carrying this system across rivers I have two balances
fixed on the banks of the rivers, which changes the curve of the line, and
forms the inclined plane across the river, and on which the carriage runs

page_text: drawing after it a boat; the cable has at each end a weight attached to keep
it at its proper tension.
The apparatus which I use for giving the different ascension and angle
to the line of ways or cables may be made of any form, according to the
point where they are to be applied. They may be simple supports or balances,
and they may be worked in various ways as by pumps, or with vertical arms
with weights, or with accumulative action and reaction, and also with a
proper system to keep the line in a right state of tension.
Figure 1 shows a mode of working this apparatus by means of a balanced
lever, regulated by the working of a pump. B is the lever resting on the
point P, having at one of its ends a roller to reduce the friction of the
lever upon the cable, and at the other end a weight P of a weight equal to
raise the cable when the carriage has passed over it. T is the piston rod
attached to the pump, which is placed upon a column of water within the
body of the pump. d is the groove in which the lever works, to which is
attached a cross piece, one end being affixed to the head of the lower cock.
When the carriage passes the lever descends, and moving with it the cross
piece, which opens the cock, and allows the water to run out into the
reservoir R. This so acts upon the lever as to raise it without any assistance.
A is a winch to bring back the apparatus to its original state.
Figure 2 shews another arrangement for effecting the same purpose. B
is the lever resting at the point P, having at one of its ends au upright arm 1,
to the upper part of which is affixed a hinge m, which presses on the cable C¹
by means of a screw, and at the other end of the lever there is a weight
attached. P is a sliding piece placed on the lever; on the upper part of this
piece is a roller R, and on the other end a weight. When the lever is in
a state of rest this sliding piece remains alongside the upright support M;
when the carriage passes over the lever it descends, and releases the hook g,
and the lever, forced by the weight, forms an inclined plane, and the sliding
piece falls down on the weight, and increases the force of impulsion already
produced by the cable upon the carriage. The winch A is to restore the lever
to its original position.
Figure 3 shews another arrangement for obtaining the inclined planes. B
is a lever having at one of its ends an upright rod T, and at the other
a grooved piece Z, into which the accumulating balls a fall and roll to the
end, as hereafter described. At the end there is a projecting piece which
retains the balls, whilst the weight is necessary to raise the rod T. When the
carriage has passed over the other level the balls, by being pressed against
with the projecting piece, fall out of the groove piece Z on to the lever; and

page_text: the weight gl, placed at the foot of the rod T, brings back the lever to its
former position on the top of the upright support. M is a frame for the
balls, placed one after the other, as shewn in the Drawing.
shews the
means of regulating the distribution of the balls. When the carriage passes
over the top of the lever it raises the apparatus b to the point g2; the cross
lever a¹ allows the ball 1 to move on, and the cross lever a retains the
ball 2; the ball 1 runs to the end of the grooved piece Z. L is a lever to
preserve the tension of the cable, having its axis in the cross piece t. The
cable passes over the pulley R, and round r¹ on to the pulley 2, and is
jointed to the lever L, as shewn in the Drawings, and the tension is regulated
by the weight as required. O, O, are friction rollers; c, the weight on the
lever L. On the upper part of the rod T is a bent rod, for retaining the
wheels for the cables c¹ and 2 to run over.
Figure 4 shews a mode of regulating the tension of the cable. Mis the
upright support, to which are attached the levers L, having weights thereon,
marked c, and to the end of the cable is joined a piece of iron or other
material, which is joined to the lever by pins. m is an iron plate or other
metal, which carries the wheels on which the cable runs; and R, R, are the
wheels on which the cable c¹, c², pass, to be kept at a proper tension by the
levers L.
Figure 6 shews another mode of regulating the inclined plane. T is an
upright rod, having at the upper part two wheels X, X, over which the
cord passes to the screw R, and the cords c² to the staple p. B is the lever
on which the piece M slides. When the carriage passes over the head of
the support T it releases the hook d, and this lever falls as shewn by dotted
lines, and the sliding piece M slides to the end and by its weight acts as a
balance. is a roller on the piece M, to reduce the friction. O, O, are
friction rollers.
Figure 7 is another arrangement for the same object. T is a rod affixed
to the lever B, which rod is raised by the weight c, when the hook dis
released by the passage of the carriage. 0, 0, are friction rollers. Lis
the weighted lever, which regulates the tension of the cable, as herein-before
described.
Figure 8 shews the application of a spring for the same purpose. T is
the rod affixed to the balance B, having the same instruments Rand P affixed
thereto for receiving the ends of the cables C1 or 02. S is a spiral spring,
one end fixed to the part F, and the other held by the hook d, which falls
as the carriage passes, which raises the rod and produces the desired effect.
O, O, are friction rollers for reducing the friction of the upright rod T.

page_text: Figure 9 shews a plan of performing the same operation by the use of
water. 1 is a small injection pump, which forces the water from the
reservoir V into the vessel C. This water raises up the piston, and it is
retained there until the carriage passes over by the hook d. After the carriage
has passed over the valve r is opened (by means of the weighted lever c and
the rod t), which allows the water to escape from the reservoir. P is the
weight on the piston rod, which draws down the lever L, and raises the
upright lever T2.
Figure 10 shews another arrangement of apparatus. A is the frame of
the apparatus, moving on its axis at P, having attached to its upper part a
plate of metal L. V is a bolt at the end of the plate L, which presses the.
cord c; this bolt passes through the staple P. D', D2, are levers, and are
joined to one another by four cords or chains. When the carriage passes
over the cable upon the metallic plate arrives at the lever D2, and on the
contrary at the lever I', the lever D₁ is raised by this action, and retains the
carriage; at the same time the small bolt is withdrawn, and allows the plate
to be removed from the cable, when the apparatus turns upon its axis. R, R,
are friction rollers.
Figure 11 shews another plan. Mare the supports to the metallic plate.
C1 and C2 are wheels placed at each end of this plate for the cable to run
over, as described before in the former Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CARRIAGE.
Figure 1 shews three views of the carriage which I prefer to use. $ is
the framing of the carriage, to which is fixed the wheels R, by means of the
bolts b. E is a square piece of wood or other suitable material placed
between the wheels R.
C is a basket or box fixed to the frame S. c, e,
are projections fixed to the frame to prevent the cable sliding out of its
proper position. Fis an apparatus to act as a brake on the wheel; it is
joined to the rod t by the arm b; the rod t is fixed within the interior of
the box C, and may be used as required; each box is divided in two
parts.
Figure 3 shews the mode in which the cable works over the rollers. The
material that I use for the line or way may be ordinary cable ropes, or it may
be formed of metal in any suitable manner.
Figure 15 shews a view of a line laid down according to my plan. Eis
the platform from whence the carriage is started; T the apparatus for
obtaining the inclination or angle required; D is the balance support to the
line, which will rise up again to its proper level as soon as the carriage has

page_text: passed over. R shews the duble line for the passage of the carriage from
one high place to another.
Figure 16 shews a mo le of passing over a river. B shows the means of
raising the carriage from the platform E, on which it is placed in the first
instance, and raising it to the required height to produce a sufficient inclination
for the carriage to run to the point P; from thence it passes over to the other
side of the river. C is the weight to regulate the apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Poole, have hereunto set my hand
of our Lord 1832, the aforesaid Moses l'oole came before our said Lady the
Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute made for that purpose.