IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WORKING OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Hawthorn and William Hawthorn, both
of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WORKING OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 7th January 1864, and dated the 10th July 1863,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Hawthorn, and
William Hawthorn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 10th July 1868.
We, ROBERT HAWTHORN and WILLIAM HAWTHORN, both of the Town and
County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WORKING OF RAILWAYS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a mode of working trains on railways generally,
and especially the trains on underground or other railways where the use of
the locomotive engine is objectionable or inapplicable by stationary engines.
According to this Invention, it is proposed with the ordinary construction
and gauge of railway, to place in the intermediate space between the two lines
(if a double line) a series of double grooved sheaves fixed on spindles," which
pass under and across, near to the centre of each line of rails, each of these
spindles having on opposite ends a wheel or roller. From a stationary engine
placed in a convenient part of the line, an endless wire or other rope passes
alternately over and under the grooved sheaves to the extremity of the line.
where it is taken round a large loop sheave properly fixed, and returns, then

page_text: passing over each sheave which it before passed under, and vice versa, the
double groove. providing for the rope crossing itself without contact. Having
traversed twice along the line of sheaves, the rope passes again into the large
drum of the engine, on which a sufficient number of turns are taken to ensure the
requisite friction. By this arrangement of the rope on the sheaves it will be
seen that every alternative sheave runs in the same direction, and this motion
is communicated to the traction wheels or rollers before mentioned. The
traction carriage is made of such a length that the traction bars with which
it is fitted extend over two or more alternate traction rollers, and it is furnished
with the ordinary flanged wheels for running on the rails. The traction bars,
of which there are two, are placed side by side, and worked either in connection
with or independent of each other by a suitable arrangement of levers or other
gearing, by which either of the bars can be raised or depressed, thereby
bringing the weight of the carriage upon the traction wheels or rollers, thus
giving motion to the train of carriages in either direction, or both these bars
can be relieved from contact with the traction wheels or rollers, and the train
left free from all tractive force. One of the traction bars being depressed
while the other is raised, comes into contact with a pair of alternate traction
wheels or pullies running in the same direction, the carriage and train
attached to it being driven along the line in that direction by the adhesion
between the traction bar having the weight of the carriage upon it, and the
rollers with which it is in contact. If now this bar be raised and the other
depressed, it comes into contact with another alternate set of rollers running in
the opposite direction, and the motion of the carriage and train is reversed.
The motion of the train can be quickly and certainly retarded or stopped, by
raising one bar and depressing the other in the manner of a brake, thereby
reversing the direction of the driving motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Hawthorn and William Hawthorn in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
HAWTHORN and WILLIAM HAWTHORN, both of the Town and County of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her

page_text: reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Robert Hawthorn and William Hawthorn, Her special license, that we
the said Robert Hawthorn and William Hawthorn, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Hawthorn and
William Hawthorn, our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE WORKING OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others):
that we, the said Robert Hawthorn and William Hawthorn, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of them or us, 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 we, the said Robert Hawthorn and William
Hawthorn, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to a mode of working trains on railways
generally, and especially the trains on underground or other railways where
the use of the locomotive engine 'is objectionable or inapplicable by stationary
engines.
According to our Invention, it is proposed with the ordinary or other con-
struction and guage of railway to place in the intermediate space between the
two lines (if a double line) a series of double grooved sheaves fixed on spindles
which pass under and across near to the centre of each line of rails, each of
these spindles having on opposite ends a wheel or roller acting on traction
bars, herein-after described. From a stationary engine placed in a convenient
part of the line an endless wire or other rope passes alternately over and
under the grooved sheaves to the extremity of the line, where it is taken
round a large loop sheave properly fixed, and returns, now passing over. each
sheave which it before passed under, and vice versa, the double groove pro-
viding for the rope crossing itself without contact. In cases where the
gradients are easy and the trains light, single grooved sheaves may be found

page_text: sufficient for the tractive force required, the ropes being returned to the
engines on small carrying sheaves. Having traversed twice along the line of
sheaves, the rope passes again on to the large drum of the engine on which a
sufficient number of turns are taken to secure the requisite friction.
We propose to work the line in sections of any convenient length, the con-
tinuity at the junction of two sectionsbeing preserved by a suitable arrangement
of the sheaves. By this arrangement of the rope on the sheaves it will be
seen that every alternate sheave runs in the same direction, and every inter-
mediate sheave in the opposite direction, and these motions are communicated
to the traction wheels or rollers before mentioned.
The traction carriage is made of such a length that the traction bars with
which it is fitted extend over two or more alternate traction rollers, and it is
furnished with the ordinary flanged wheels for running on the rails. The
traction bars, of which there are two or any suitable number, are placed side
by side at such a distance apart as to prevent either bar from running on the
wrong traction wheel or roller in going round a curve, and are worked either
in connection with or independent of each other by a suitable arrangement of
levers or other gearing by which either of the bars can be raised or depressed,
thereby bringing a portion of the weight of the carriage upon the traction
wheels or rollers, thus giving motion to the train of carriages in either
direction, or both the traction bars can be raised out of contact with the
traction wheels or rollers, and the train left free from all tractive force. The
traction bars with the working gear are provided with suitable springs to
equalize the pressure upon the traction wheels or rollers, and may either be
fitted to one carriage of a train or to each carriage when a steep incline is to
be worked. .
The main frame of the carriage, to which the traction bars may be attached,
can be made separate from the frame which carries the body of the
carriage, and both may be suspended on suitable springs. The carriage is
adapted to run either end first; one of the traction bars being depressed
while the other is raised comes into contact with two or more alternate
traction wheels or rollers running in the same direction, the carriage and train
attached to it being driven along the line in that direction by the adhesion
between the traction bar (having that portion of the weight of the carriage
necessary for traction upon it) and the traction wheels or rollers with which
it may be in contact. If now this traction bar be raised and the other
depressed the latter comes into contact with another set of wheels running in
the opposite direction, and the motion of the carriage and train is reversed.
The motion of the train can be quickly and certainly retarded or stopped by

page_text: raising one bar and depressing the other in the manner of a break, thereby
reversing the direction of the driving motion.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose we shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings is a sectional elevation of a portion of the
improved railway at one of the engine stations where two sections .join;
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, showing the arrangement of the rope, sheaves,
and traction rollers; Figure 3 is a cross section through the engine house ;
Figure 4 is a cross section of the line drawn to an enlarged scale, showing the
arrangement of the driving spindles, grooved sheaves, and traction wheels or
rollers.
A, A¹, are the winding sheaves driven by the engines, round which the rope
from each section is taken a sufficient number of times to secure the requisite
amount of friction, passing also round the second sheaves B, B, and thence
to the tension sheaves C, C, to each of which a heavy weight D is attached
for tightening the rope. The ropes of each section are distinguished by
being shown in full for one section and in dotted lines for the other, and the
directions in which they run are indicated by the arrows. E is the carriage
fitted with traction bars a, a¹, and gear or lovers for raising and lowering
then. In the enlarged cross section, Figure 4, a portion of the traction carriage
is also shown with one of the traction bars in gear with a set of the traction
wheels 6, 6', the other bar being raised and out of gear; c, c, are the grooved
pullies over and under which the endless ropes pass.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe in conclusion, that what we consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the berein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general system or mode of propelling trains or carriages on rail-
ways, and the arrangement and combination of apparatus employed therefor,
substantially as herein-before described.
Second, the peculiar combination of grooved sheaves and endless rope with
traction wheels or rollers whereby the alternate traction wheels or rollers are
caused to rotate in one direction, and the intermediate traction wheels or
rollers are caused to rotate in a contrary direction, substantially as herein-before
described.

page_text: Third, the system of mode of propelling railway carriages by the application
and use of a bar or bars attached to such carriages in frictional contact with
wheels or rollers working in fixed bearings in the line of railway, substantially
as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use of a bar or bars attached to an ordinary
railway carriage or to a carriage specially designed for the purpose in such
a manner that by a suitable arrangement of levers or other mechanical
appliances the said bar or bars can be raised or lowered, and be brought in
contact with one or the other of two sets of traction wheels rotating in opposite
directions in fixed bearings in the line of railway, and bring the whole or a
portion of the weight of the carriage on to such traction wheels, substantially
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Hawthorn and William
Hawthorn, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of
January, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four..
ROBERT HAWTHORN.
(L.B.)
WILLIAM HAWTHORN. (LS.)
ROBER HAWTHORN.
(L.B.)
WILLIAM HAWTHORN. (L.s.)