CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE MANUFACTURE AND ARRANGEMENT OF PARTS AND APPARATUS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAYS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JACOB
SAMUDA and JOSEPH D'AGUILAR SAMUDA, of Sumner Street, in the Borough of
Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom, called
England, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four, and in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her. heirs, and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Jacob Samuda and Joseph D'Aguilar Samuda, Her especial licence that we,
the said Jacob Samuda and Joseph D'Aguilar Samuda, or exors, admors, and
-assigns, or such others as we, the said Jacob Samuda and Joseph D'Aguilar
Samuda, our exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
'expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
5. England and Wales; and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of
CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE MANUFACTURE AND ARRANGEMENT OF PARTS AND
APPARATUS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAYS;" in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging us, the said
Jacob Samuda and Joseph D'Aguilar Samuda, by an instrument in writing
D. under our hands and seals, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of

page_text: our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and
to cause the same to be inrolled in the Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six months next and immediately after the date of the said recited
.Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
:
2
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said Jacob
Samuda and Joseph D'Aguilar Samuda, do hereby declare that the nature
of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are described and ascertained by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the words
following, that is to say. :-
One part of our improvements consists of a method of obtaining a vacuum
to work atmospheric railways, by using close reservoirs filled with water
in conjunction with tanks placed at different altitudes, and allowing the water
to run out of the reservoirs into such tanks and returning the water back to
the reservoirs from such varied altitudes, whereby less power is required
to force the water back into the reservoir than if it all run out at one level;
we effect this as follows:-
A large close water vessel or tank A is placed by the side of the line of rails,
as shewn in the Drawing No. 1, and this contains two or three times as much
water as equals the capacity of one section of the main line of pipe. The water
vessel A has a pipe at its upper side connected to the main pipe to exhaust the
air through, and the vessel itself being full of water, then when it is required.
to form a vacuum, a pipe B is opened at the under side of the vessel A, and
the water descends by its gravity in the pipe. B, and by. its velocity passes the
'curved lower end of the pipe, and ascends in' a jet as high as the partial
vacuum in the vessel allows it; and at different heights are placed troughs,
Nos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, which catch. the water. and conduct it into
reservoirs, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 71, and 81, whence it is pumped back again
by a small engine into the vessel A, being also assisted' by the partial vacuum
remaining in the vessel when the train has passed, the branch pipes. con-
necting the vessel with the main pipe having valves, which are shut just before
the train pistón in the main pipe reaches the branch; and: the water in the
upper one or two 'vessels, when the vacuum is high enough, may be forced
back again into the vessel A through a'pipe by the pressure of the atmosphère
acting on the surface 'of the water, and the valves in these pipes being then
closed no air will "follow them, and the remainder of the water will-be
pumped up by the small engine ready to form the vacuum for'drawing the
next train. Another water vessel. E is provided' at. the top of the vessel A,
which vessel Eis to be used in case of an express 'train' being required

page_text: immediately after an ordinary train has passed, and before sufficient time
has elapsed for the small steam engine to fill the vessel A. In that case the
deficiency of water in the lower vessel A is made up from the upper vessel E
until the vessel A is full; the communication between the two is then cut off,
and the water run out of the lower vessel, and the vacuum formed as before.
In this case the water will be returned first into the lower vessel A to be ready
for the next train, and the surplus water afterwards into the upper reservoir Ei;
or a water wheel, or water ram, or any other power may be applied, when more
convenient, than the steam engine.
:
Another mode, of arranging the descent of the water is shewn in Figure 2 of
the Drawing No. 1. When the vacuum requires to be formed in the main, the
top valve 1 is opened, and the water descends by its gravity into the reservoir
1, till the pressure of the water in the reservoir combined with the atmosphere
closes the valve 1, and then the float F, having, 'by this time descended low
enough, a tappet G on the float rod disengages a catch, and allows the valve'2
to open, and the water to flow into the reservoir 21, and so on; the object of
filling separate reservoirs with the water being to prevent the water descending
lower than is absolutely necessary, and thus avoid the cost of pumping it back
into the vessel A or the vessel E from a lower level than is requisite.
-
Another part of these improvements consists of the mode of arranging the
separating valves'entirely within side a continuous pipe (instead of in separate
lengths,, as heretofore,) so as to concentrate upon one train the entire power
usually employed for two or more sections of railway, and this arrangement
also enables us to draw the trains in either direction by the tractive force of
the vacuum in the same line of pipe, and is as follows' (see Drawing No. 2):-
To prepare the vacuum at starting, the engines or apparatus for exhausting at
each end of the first section of the pipe, and also the engine at the most
distant end of the second section of pipe, are all started at once, so that three
engines are at work exhausting the first and second sections of pipe, which are
connected to them by branch pipes and valves. When the train starts, No. 1
engine is, stopped, No. 2 and 3 are at work drawing the train along No. 1
section of pipe, and No. 4 engine is started to exhaust No. 8 section of pipe.
When the train passes the branch pipe leading to No. 2 engine the latter is
stopped, and No: 5 engine is started to exhaust No. 4 section of pipe; while
No: 3 and 4 engines draw the train along No. 2 section of pipe; on the train
passing the branch leading to No. 3 engine, that engine is stopped and No. 6
engine started; No. 4 and 5 engines drawing the train along No. 8 section of
pipe, and so on. In like manner any number of engines may be concentrated
according to the speed required. To effect this, the pipe is divided into

page_text: different sections without any break or interruption, as follows (see Drawing
No. 2) At each station or place where the pipe requires dividing into
sections it has enlarged plates cast in it to receive two valves A and B, as
shewn in the Drawing, one of which opens in one direction and the other in
'the reverse direction, that is, always opening in the same direction as the train
is travelling at the time, the other valve being put down out of the way. The
branch pipes C and D both lead to the same-air pump, and are furnished with
stop valves, so that the branch pipe C is used to connect the main pipe to the
air pump when the train is travelling in the direction shewn by the arrow,
and the branch D is used when the train is travelling in the other direction,
and where, from the steepness of the gradient, a larger pipe is required. In
'order to avoid breaking the continuity of it we adopt the following plan:-The
*main pipe is made of a gradually increasing diameter (see Drawing No. 3) until
the required size is obtained, when the rest of the pipe is made parallel, the
the top of the pipe always remaining at the same relative height above the
rails, the encrease being all below, and the piston is so arranged as to be
capable of expanding to fill up the pipe where it is of an enlarged diameter,
and again contracting-when-the pipe is diminished again to its usual diameter.
A mode of effecting this is shewn at Drawing No. 3, where A is a piston,
*having two cup leathers B, B; of the ordinary construction, with the end
prolonged, forming a socket, and a box D is fitted to slide on the piston
rod E inside the socket C. Figure 1 shews the expanding piston in its
closed position, and Figure 2-shews it expanded, as when in action in the
pipe of enlarged diameter. The expanding piston is formed of a bag of leather
or other flexible material F, attached to iron arms G, which move upon joints
fixed to the box D. When it is required to bring the expanding piston into
action, the lever H, which is attached to the framework of the train carriage,
is moved by the conductor of the train, and by means of the connecting rod
J pulls the box D partly out from the socket C up to a collar on the piston
rod, and leaves the bag of leather F at liberty to expand. The lever H passes
out of the pipe through the opening made for the passage of the arm, which
⚫ connects the piston to the train.
Another part of our improvements consists in opening and closing the valves
⚫ of the main air pump, used for exhausting the mains of atmospheric railways, by
mechanical means, and thereby avoiding the shock which usually takes place
' at the time of opening and shutting the pump valves. In each stroke of the
"pump the following is one of the arrangements for so doing (see Drawing
No. 4)-A bevel wheel B is fixed on the fly wheel shaft A of the engine, and
by means of a bevel wheel C the upright axis D is caused to revolve with

page_text: the engine. On the axis D are fixed several camms, whose action is as
follows: The cam E has a projection on it, which as it revolves acts alter-
nately upon two teeth on the rod F, and by its connection with the levers G
alternately opens and shuts the lower inlet valve H. 'A similar camm I, rod. J,
and levers K open and shut the upper inlet valve L; a camm M, a tooth.N,
and lever O'close the lower outlet valve P. The outlet valves require opening
at various places, according to the degree of vacuum in the main pipe or vessel
to be exhausted, which is effected as follows:-A cylinder Q, open at top, and
fitted with a piston, is connected at bottom with the main pipe, so that as the
vacuum is formed, the pressure of the air forces the piston down and lifts
the balance weight R, and at the same time the pin S lifts the socket T, which
is connected by a rod U in the hollow axis D to two stud pins V, which can be
moved up and down in grooves parallel to the hollow axis D, and, being raised
and lowered by the force of the vacuum, move in the curved groove of the
toothed camm W, and turn it round on the axis D, and so bring the tooth on
the camm W into contact with a second tooth on the rod N earlier or later
according to the position of the piston in the cylinder Q, and consequently to
"the rarity of the air to be discharged from the main pipe. A similar set of
camms, rod, and lever, marked m, n, o, w, move the upper outlet valve p; the
camms E, M, m, I, are-fixed on the axis D; the cams W, w, cannot rise or
fall, but can be turned round on the axis by the studs V. The valves are so
arranged, that in case of any derangement they will open and shut like ordinary
lifting valves, and they are made of two rings in one piece for the valve itself,
the seats being arranged in a corresponding manner, so as to get a greater
discharging surface for the air, and thus require less height for the lift of the
valve, and the same mode of working may be applied to any other description
of valve.
Another part of our improvements consists in a mode of arranging level
crossings for the atmospheric railway, and is as follows (see Drawing No. 5) :—
A cylinder A fitted with a piston B is fixed at each level crossing, and has its
lower end connected to the main pipe C, so that when a vacuum is formed in
the main pipe C the piston B will descend by the pressure of the atmosphere
which is admitted above the piston, and the piston, acting by means of its rod
D and the lever E, turns the long axis F on its centre, and thereby raises the
cover G of the main pipe, and allows the arm of the train piston to pass.
When the train has passed and the vacuum is destroyed, the weight of the
cover G causes it to shut down, and allow carts or carriages to. pass over it,
until the vacuum is again formed, when it will rise, as before.
Another part of our improvements consists of the following arragement for

page_text: a break for holding back a railway train in cases required to do so (see
Drawing No. 6). At the back of the piston rod is a disc valve A, which in
ordinary circumstances is in a line with the axis of the pipe, but when
necessary, as in descending a/steep incline, or in any case where it may be
desired, this disc valve is made to turn on its axis, so. as to stand at right angles
to the axis of the pipe behind the place where the long valve has closed, so
that a partial vacuum is formed behind the disc valve, which will retard the
speed of the train or stop it altogether; and that this partial vacuum may be
made available in a short space of time, the train is made to close a valve in
the main pipe; by running over the edge of a lever and depressing it, which,
releasing a balance weight, or by other means, causes the valves in the main
pipe to shut at the summit of an incline or station, or any place where it is
desirable to counteract the propelling force.
Another part of our. improvements (see. Drawing No. 7) consists in the
method of completing the joint of one main pipe with another, by the insertion
of a thin plate of metal into the body of the metal of the pipe at the joints of
each pipe with the next, as shewn in the Drawing, where P is the plate as let
into its place in the pipes, to one of which it is made fast, thereby covering the
space which is left to allow for the ordinary expansion and contraction of
the main line of pipes, according to the heat of the atmosphere...
.. Another part or these improvements consists of an apparatus for fixing the
pipes in the plaming machines, as is shewn in the Drawing No. 8. A standard
A is fixed to the travelling bed of the planing machine, and on one face of this
standard is bolted a cone B, the small end of which is rather smaller than the
bore of the pipe and the large end rather larger. Another standard C at the
other end of the travelling bed of the machine is placed in a sliding bed D like
a slide rest, and to the face of the standard C is bolted a corresponding cone E,
which last is intended to receive the other end of the pipe to be planed, and
when they are both entered into the pipe the cone E on the sliding standard C,
is advanced towards the other one, until the pipe is steadily fixed on the two
cones in a true position for planing; wedges F are then inserted between the
ends of the pipe and the faces of the standard to prevent the pipes jambing on
the cones, or becoming loose when cut through, and to receive the strain
of the cut...
In witness whereof, we, the said Jacob Samuda and Joseph D'Aguilar
Sainuda, have. hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-ninth
day of October One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
JACOB. (LS) SAMUDA.
JOSEPH. (L.s.) D'AGUILAR SAMUDA.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid Jacob Samuda, Esquire, 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.
Enrolled the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.