IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS AND IN ROLLING " STOCK FOR SAME
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS AND IN ROLLING
"
STOCK FOR SAME Communicated to him from abroad by Frederick Hahn
Danchell of Paris France, Civil Engineer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Jensen at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th January 1883.
"
PETER JENSEN of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAYS AND IN ROLLING STOCK FOR SAME (A Communication to
me from abroad by Frederick Hahn Danchell of Paris France, Civil Engineer)
The main object of this invention is to construct railways for the conveyance of
parcels, letter bags, newspapers and other light goods at a very great speed and so
as in many cases to form an auxiliary to ordinary railways. For this purpose lines
are employed consisting of one or two upper rails and one or two lower rails and
the carriage or locomotive is constructed with corresponding wheels running on or
against the said rails, the object of the upper rail being to steady the carriage and
prevent it from jumping off the lower rail The upper or guide rail may be
arranged for a guide wheel or wheels to run on or the said wheel or wheels may by
springs or other suitable means be held up against it. The rails are fixed in fraines
which rest on concrete blocks or on sleepers, columns or other supports on concrete
or other foundations; the lower rail or rails may have intermediate supports from
which may also be carried up diagonal tie bars to the aforesaid frames. The
frames are all exactly alike and the bearings for the rails therein are made to gauge
to ensure absolute accuracy without packing or fitting.
On the carriage or on one of them, one or more electro motor engines are
placed which act directly on the lower wheels or their axles and which are made
to revolve at a very high speed by means of electricity which may be conveyed
through an upper and a lower rail or through other conductor such as a line of
wire rod which can then conveniently be placed in a hollow formed in the base of
the rails.

page_text: In constructing a railway for the purpose stated and especially when the line is
to run along side of an existing ordinary railway provision must be made for
passing curves with ease and certainty and therefore at such places fence rails are
provided which are fixed to the same frame as the rail proper and the carriage is
provided with wheels that bear against the fence rails. To prevent the possibility
of "binding" when the carriage or train enters or leaves a gradient, very hard
rubber or buffer springs may advantageously be placed against the wheel bearings,
but if the rails at these places are properly and carefully laid there is little need
for such provision. All the revolving parts are fitted with efficient known self
acting lubricating appliances which exclude dust and grit and which contain
lubricating material quite sufficient at least for a whole journey. For shunting the
carriage or train in and out of branch lines "points" are provided which by
preference are worked automatically and electrically from the carriage or train itself
by contact points on the latter making or breaking contact with appliances in
electrical connection with the points.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Peter Jensen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th July 1883.
PETER JENSEN of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAYS AND IN ROLLING STOCK FOR SAME (A communication to ine
from abroad by Frederick Hahn Danchell of Paris France, Civil Engineer)
The main object of this invention is to construct railways for the conveyance of
parcels, letter-bags, newspapers and other light goods at a very great speed, and so
as in many cases to form an auxiliary to ordinary railways. For this purpose lines
are employed consisting of one or two upper rails and one lower rail; and the
carriage or locomotive is constructed with corresponding wheels running on or
against the said rails; the object of the upper rail being to steady the carriage and
prevent it from jumping off the lower rail. The upper or guide rail may be
arranged for a guide wheel or wheels to run on, or the said wheel or wheels may
by springs or other suitable means be held up against it. The rails are fixed in
frames which rest on concrete blocks or on sleepers, columns or other supports on
concrete or other foundations.
The lower rail may have intermediate supports from which may also be carried
up diagonal tie bars to the aforesaid frames. The frames are all exactly alike, and
the bearings for the rails therein are made to guage to ensure absolute accuracy
without packing or fitting. On the carriage or on one of them, one or more
electro-motor engines are placed which act directly or indirectly on the lower
wheels or their axles and which are made to revolve at a very high speed by
means of electricity which is conveyed through an upper rail.
In constructing a railway for the purpose stated and especially when the line is
to run alongside of an existing ordinary railway provision must be made for
passing curves with ease and certainty, and therefore at such places fence rails are
provided which are fixed to the same frame as the rails proper and the carriage is
provided with wheels that bear against the fence rails. To prevent the possibility
of binding when the carriage or train enters or leaves a gradient very hard rubber
or buffer springs may advantageously be placed against the wheel bearings, but if
the rails at these places are properly and carefully laid there is little need for such
provision, especially if as is already stated the locomotive is provided with special
guide wheels which bear against underside of top rail while passing a gradient All
the revolving parts are fitted with efficient known self acting lubricating appliances,
which exclude dust and grit, and which contain lubricating material quite sufficient
at least for a whole journey.
For shunting the carriage or train in and out of branch lines "points" are
provided which may be worked in any ordinary well known manner or auto-
matically and electrically from the carriage or train itself by contact points on the
latter making or breaking contact with appliances in electrical connection with the
points but so that the latter are acted on a little before the train arrives at such
points
And in order that this invention may be more fully understood I will describe
modes and means of carrying the same into effect reference being had to the
accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one construction of railway with electrical
locomotive carriage and Figure 2 vertical cross section through same Figure 3 is
separate end view of the wheels which guide the carriage against the sides and
bottom of the upper rail. Figure 4 a vertical section through the axle box of one
of the wheels that run on the bottom rail. Figure 5 a vertical cross section
through the axle box. Figure 6 a part sectional end elevation of the contact
wheels which convey the electric current from the upper rail to the motor on the
carriage, and Figure 7 an end view of an elastic contact wheel

page_text: The permanent way consists of the bottom rail A for the two wheels H to run
on and which takes the whole weight of the locomotive and carriages, and of the
top rail B which serves the two-fold purpose of guiding or steadying the train and
of conveying the current to the motor, the return current passing through the
earth. Both rails are held and fixed in frames C which entirely surround the
whole of the permanent way and train. These frames are all alike and have their
rail bearings made to guage so as to do away entirely with all packing or fitting
and so as to ensure that the centre line of the upper and lower rail is exactly at
right angles to the bottom flange of frame. The wedges for fastening the bottom
rails in position are also made with the same slight amount of taper and to guage.
Or the wedges may be omitted. The frames C are shown supported on cross
sleepers D in which case the distance between the sleepers or the depths of the
rail A should be such as to ensure sufficient stiffness of the latter between the
frames, the rails at such places being moreover well supported by gravel worked
under it, or by concrete The frames C may be of cast iron as shown, or they may
be of wrought iron, struck or pressed' in a mould by hydraulic or other pressure, or
made of cast steel but so as to be perfectly alike and true
When longitudinal sleepers are used, one in the middle, and one on each side
are used. The top rail B is bedded on a block B¹ of well seasoned hard wood, or
of other suitable cheap insulating substance; this rail is moreover protected against
rain or snow by a roof B' of roofing felt or other suitable material.
The frame of the carriage consists mainly of four outer longitudinal corner
bars E, and four upright inner connecting bars F, all bolted together This
skeleton frame is pannelled or lined with wood boarding G, which is continued at
each end to an apex of a triangle of about 30 degrees so as to minimise the air
resistance. The carriage or engine is guided laterally at top by means of two pairs
of wheels I see Figure 3; these wheels have their spindles working in bearings or
sockets K which are fixed on square rods K¹. These latter also serve to connect
the frame bars E from which however they are insulated by suitable bushes K*
and washers K³. On the rods K¹ are also mounted the wheels L; these latter
only come into action when the train ascends or descends an incline The wheels I
are provided with lubricators I which may be "Stauffer's" Patent or other
suitable lubricator that will act automatically for at least one journey of say 100
or 200 miles
The axle boxes for the axles H' of the main wheels H and which are shown
separately at figures 4 and 5 are of usual form the lubricant being conveyed to the
journal by means of wooden rollers H² floating in the lubricant
The contact rollers M figure 6, are two in number, one on each side of the upper
rail B, and have their spindle running in brackets M which can slide on the square
bar M which also serves to connect the frame bars E and on which are mountǝd
the springs M³ which can be adjusted by shifting the collars M and which serve to
keep the wheels M up against the sides of the rail B
The wheels M should be elastic, say of coppered steel, or of phosphor bronze so
as to ensure a good surface contact with the rail. But bushes might also if desired
be used.
Figure 7 shows a contact wheel formed with a number of curved elastic vanes
which as the wheel revolves successively are pressed up against the rail and
flattened, thus ensuring good contact
N represents the motor, which for instance may be of the "Siemen's" form It
drives one of the carriage wheel axles H' by endless band, which may advan-
tageously be of steel such as used in the so called "Otto" bicycle and either with
or without gripping teeth on the pulleys, and corresponding holes in the band.
In order to stop the train or engine at the desired point or terminus the electrical
continuity of the upper rail B is interrupted at such place by an absolute break in
the rail or by a piece of insulating material inserted in such brake, so that the
dynamo machine does not supply current to such insulated upper rail continuation.
But in order to stop the train more quickly the railway is made with a suitable

page_text: ascending slope at such part, and a brake such as shown at figure 8 may be placed
on the engine. H³ represents one of the carriage axles and N a brake strap on a
brake wheel fixed thereon. N' is a lever which forms the armature of an electro
magnet or solenoid N° fixed on the carriage frame. N³ is a spring which
counteracts the influence of the electro magnet and serves to apply the brake
strap N. The magnet N2 is active and supplied with current directly or indirectly
from the contact wheels and becomes inactive when the contact wheels become
inactive, that is as soon as they enter upon the insulated non-magnetised end part
of the upper rail, and the spring N³ will then put the brake on and stop the
impetus of the carriage and train.
Figure 9 is a side view and figure 10 end view of a carriage and part of the
line. In this case the motor is applied direct to the wheel axle H' and instead of
two large wheels H, one such only is used, and two smaller ones H³, one in front
and one behind
The electro magnets O are in two sets fixed all round on the framing of the
locomotive, and the armature P is fixed on the wheel H or wheel axle H¹ between
the two circular sets of electro magnets. In other respects the locomotive and the
permanent way may be similar to those already described. In this and other
constructions of electric railway where the line has curves a special lateral fence
rail is fixed in the frames to take the lateral thrust produced by the centrifugal
force, and the locomotive is fitted with two or more guide wheels that bear against
it. Q.Q. are such wheels, and R: R. shown in dotted lines are fence rails whereon
they run the wheels are here shown on the same square rod K' as the ordinary
lateral guide wheels I. The "wheel base being so comparatively short there
will be no tendency for the small wheels H³ to bind when passing curves of any
reasonable radius
"
Figure 11-is a side view, and figure 12 an end view of another arrangement of
locomotive in which the magnets O are fixed to the top and bottom of the framing
two and two on each side of the wheel H, and the armatures P is fixed on the
axle H', one on each side of the wheel. In these views are also shown lateral
guide wheels S which bear against the sides of the bottom rail as may be advisable
in some cases
The current is supplied to the upper rail from a dynamo machine.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
the manner of carrying the same into effect as communicated to me, I declare that
I claim
First An electric railway consisting of a bottom rail which takes the load, a
top rail which serves as lateral guide and also as a current conductor, the said rails
being fixed in and enclosed by frames so as to form one combined self contained
structure substantially as described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings
Second-An electric railway carriage or locomotive having two or more wheels
for running on a lower or main rail, and guide wheels for running against an upper
guide rail, and bushes or elastic contact wheels, or other means of contact for
conducting the current from the guide rail to an electric motor on the carriage,
substantially as described, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Peter Jensen have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty third day of July in the year of Our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.