CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF TURNING TABLES TO BE USED ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELISHA
OLDHAM, of Cricklade, in the County of Wilts, Railroad Contractor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at.
Westminster, the Eighth day of February, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Elisha Oldham, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,.
that I, the said Elisha Oldham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said Elisha Oldham, my executors, admors, or assigns,"
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all.
times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF TURNING TABLES TO BE USED ON RAILWAYS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Elisha Oldham,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe.
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her 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.
· NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Elisha Oldham, do, hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly

page_text: described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say).:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of turntables consists in
mounting the platform or table at its centre on an upright pin or pivot, the
sides of the platform or table being supported by stationary antifriction rollers
when a heavy weight is brought on to it. But in order that my Invention
may be more perfectly understood, I have shewn in the accompanying
Drawings several views of my improved turntable.
Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the apparatus complete, with the rails
affixed thereon, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse
vertical section of the apparatus, shewing the manner in which the platform is
supported. Fig. 4 is a plan or birds-eye view of the apparatus, the upper
platform being removed to shew the interior arrangement. Fig. 5 represents
a view of the under side of the platform, which consists of a cast-iron framing,
the interstices between the radial arms being filled up with wood or other
suitable material, shewn also in the top view, Fig. 1. At Figure 3 is shewn
the method of lubricating the centre bearing of the turntable. Figures 6.and 7
represent a 'modification of the above-described turning table; Fig.6-being.a
plan view of the apparatus with the platform removed, similar to Fig. 4and
Fig. 7 is a section of Fig. 6. The only difference between this construction.
and that shewn in the former Figures is, that the antifriction rollers are
brought nearer to the centre in the one than in the other; the same letters of
reference therefore may be used to denote corresponding parts throughout all.
the Figures. a, a, a, a, is the moveable platform table, or plate, as it is some-
times called; and 6, 6, 6, 6, the rail affixed thereto.". The centre pin or pivot.on
which the platform revolves is shewn at c in Fig. 3 and 4. It.is lubricated
with oil or other suitable material through the medium of the hole, aperture;
or chamber d, made in the centre of the platform and immediately above.the.
pin. This chamber, when supplied with lubricating material, is closed by
means of a screw, or in any other convenient manner. The upper platform a
as before' stated, consists of a strong cast-iron framing, the interstices of which
are filled up
with wood or other suitable material: The 'extreme edge of the
circular platform is supported by eight iron antifriction-rollers e, e, e, e, which
are mounted in stationary bearings made of either steel or brass: These
bearings are fixed to the stationary cast-iron framingf, f, ff ff; and 'as the
upper platform is turned round on its' centre, it touches the antifriction rollers
e, e, on either side, according to the situation of the superincumbent weight:
By this means the amount of 'friction generated by the revolution of the cir

page_text: cular platform on its centre is very considerably reduced, the points of contact
being fewer in number and smaller in area than in turntables of the ordinary
construction, in which the moveable platform is either supported entirely on
travelling friction rollers, or on a centre pin assisted by travelling friction
rollers; whereas in my improved turntable the whole weight (when the plat.
form is properly balanced) rests entirely on the centre pin, which is therefore
made sufficiently strong to support it; or if the weight is unevenly placed
on the platform, then one side thereof is sustained by the stationary anti-
friction rollers, which merely revolve on their own centres and allow the
platform to slide over them, and therefore cannot very easily get out of order,
or be stopped or driven out of their place, as often occurs to the travelling
friction rollers employed in the ordinary turntables when a small stone or
other.substance comes into contact with them. The lower framing of the turn-
table, or that which supports the moveable platform, should be set in a bed of
concrete; and in order to prevent it from sinking or yielding, I find it advisable
to place a block of wood immediately under the centre, as seen in the Drawing,
that being the part where the greatest strength is required.
In conclusion, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention the
arrangement of parts herein shewn as applied to the construction of turntables,
or any other arrangement in which the moveable platform is supported on a
pin or pivot at its centre, and assisted by stationary antifriction rollers at its
sides, in the manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elisha Oldham, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fifth day of August, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Elisha Oldham came before our Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also the
Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute in
that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Seventh day of August, in the year above written.