IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1870

page_text: 1
LETTERS PATENT to John, Wakefield, of the City of Dublin, Engineer,
and Daniel McDowell, of Waterford, Ireland, Engineer, for the
"
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS,
ealed the 11th January 1871, and dated the 15th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left, by the said John Wakefield and
Daniel McDowell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, -
with their Petition, on the 15th July 1870.
We, JOHN WAKEFIELD, of the City of Dublin, Engineer, and DANIEL
MCDOWELL, of Waterford, Ireland, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS
AND TRAMWAYS, AND IN WHEEL TYRES FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS," to be as
follows:-
This 'Invention consists, firstly, in providing railway and tramway
rails with flat tops and bevilling the edges off at any desired angle, and
in applying this improved form to either single or double headed rails..
The object of this is principally to secure a greater wearing surface and

page_text: consequently a longer duration and a correspondingly increased bearing
surface so that there will not be that liability of the wheels to slip when
it is wished to start or suddenly increase the speed.
.
The Invention consists, secondly, in correspondingly shaping wheel
tyres whether of railway carriages and locomotives or of tramway cars
or carriages. The circumference of the wheel tyre instead of being
curved as hitherto (as a cross section of the same would exhibit) is made
flat, and at its outer edge a flange is formed, the inner edge of which is
bevilled to an angle corresponding to that of the rails on which it is
desired to run.
The advantages of thus-correspondingly shaping the rails and wheel
tyres will be readily perceived, and consist as herein-before partly stated
in securing to the rails and wheel tyres an increased wearing surface and
thereby a greater durability and also an increased bearing surface, thus
preventing the liability of the wheels to slip and allowing a greater speed
to be obtained with a given power. The rails may be laid with the flat
top or bearing surface perfectly horizontal or in a slightly inclined
direction, in which latter case the surface of the tyre of the wheel would
be similarly inclined so that the tyre would be of a conical or taper
shape.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Wakefield and Daniel McDowell in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th January 1871.
· TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
WAKEFIELD, of the City of Dublin, Engineer, and DANIEL M°DOWELL,
of Waterford, Ireland; Engineer, send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,-give and
grant unto us, the said John Wakefield and Daniel McDowell, Her
special licence that we, the said John Wakefield and Daniel McDowell,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said John Wakefield and Daniel McDowell, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time:

page_text: to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS AND
TRAMWAYS, AND IN WHEEL TYRES FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Wakefield and
Daniel McDowell, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or one of our or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to
the same to be filed in the Great Seal
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
be performed, and cause
Patent Office within six
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Wakefield and Daniel
M*Dowell, 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 in writing, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention consists, firstly, in providing railway and tramway rails
with flat tops and bevilling the edges off at any desired angle, and in
applying this improved form of head to either single or double-headed
rails. In some cases, however, we prefer that the top of the rail should
be rounded or curved instead of flat, but this is not material. The object
of thus bevilling the edges is principally to secure a greater wearing
surface and consequently a longer duration, and a correspondingly
increased bearing surface so that there will not be that liability of
the wheels to slip when it is wished to stop or suddendly to increase
the speed.
The Invention consists, secondly, in correspondingly shaping wheel
tyres whether of railway carriages and locomotives or of tramway cars
or carriages. The circumference of the wheel tyre instead of being
curved as hitherto (as a cross section of the same would exhibit) is made
flat and at its inner edge a flange is formed, the outer edge of which is
bevilled to an angle corresponding to that of the rails on which it is
intended to be run. In our Provisional Specification these words
"inner" and "outer were (entirely "per incuriam ") transposed; and
it will be evident to any practical man that the correct meaning was not
thereby conveyed.
"

page_text: The advantages of thus correspondingly shaping the rails and wheel
tyres will be readily perceived, and consist as herein-before partly stated
in securing to the rails and wheel tyres an increased wearing surface,
and thereby a greater durability, and also a correspondingly increased
bearing surface, thus preventing the liability of the wheels to slip, and
allowing a greater speed to be obtained with any given power. The rails
may be laid with the flat (or rounded) top or bearing surface perfectly
horizontal or in a slightly inclined direction, in which latter case the
surface of the tyre of the wheel would be similarly inclined so that the
tyre would be of a conical or taper shape.
On referring to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings our Invention
will be more readily understood, as the Figures thereon illustrate
different modes or methods of effectually applying the same.
Figure 1 represents a section of a flat wide-bottomed rail with the
head constructed according to our Invention, a, a, representing the
angular sides of the head. The top of the rail can be either curved or
flat, but it is not material which form is used.
Figure 2 represents a section of a double-headed rail showing the
angular sides B, B, and a curved contour or top to the same.
Figure 3 represents a section of the double-headed rail with the
angular sides and a flat top.
Figure 4 represents a section of a wheel tyre constructed according to
our Invention; a¹ being the angular flange of the same.
Figure 5 represents a section of another form of wheel tyre, with the
angular shaped flange and bearing surface however as in Figure 4.
Figure 6 represents a front view of the improved wheel tyre and a
section of one of the forms of the improved double-headed rail fixed in a
chair. This Figure also shows the bearing surface of the wheel tyre and
of the rail as they work together.
$6
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention for
'Improvements in Rails for Railways and Tramways, and in Wheel
Tyres for Railways and Tramways," together with the manner in which
the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
we would have it understood that it is not our intention to confine
ourselves to any particular section of rail or wheel tyre or any particular
angle for the edge of the rail head or the flange of the wheel tyre or apply-
ing the rail and wheel tyre combined as the same may work separately,

page_text: neither do we claim any of the well-known parts to which it has been
necessary to refer in describing our Invention; but what we do claim as
our Invention is, the application of bevilled or angular edges to the
heads of either single or double headed rails and with or without flat
tops to the same.
And we also claim correspondingly shaping the wheel tyre and
applying thereto the angular flange, all substantially as herein-before
described and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, or
any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wakefield, have hereunto
set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.