AN IMPROVED METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING ROADS AND WAYS; PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO POPULOUS. CITIES AND CROWDED THOROUGHFARES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Baylis, of the Poultry, in the City of London,.
Solicitor, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING
AND ARRANGING ROADS AND WAYS; PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO POPULOUS.
CITIES AND CROWDED THOROUGHFARES."
Sealed the 8th September 1857, and dated the 10th March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Baylis at the
CONAL
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th March 1857.
I, CHARLES BAYLIS, of the Poultry, in the City of London, Solicitor, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING ROADS AND WAYS, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE
TO POPULOUS CITIES AND CROWDED THOROUGHFARES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of an improved method of constructing and arranging roads
and ways has for its object so to construct and arrange certain of the roads
and ways of populous towns or cities that greatly increased accommodation
may be afforded for the traffic of crowed thoroughfares.
To this end, I combine a rail or tramway with roads or ways for ordinary
carriages and foot passengers in such a manner that the traffic on both can.
be carried on independently and without interfering with each other. Pro-
vision is also to be made for the sewers, and also for the gas and water pipes.
and telegraph wires, by excavating the ground to a suitable depth and building

page_text: three tunnels, side by side and parallel to each other. In the centre one I place
or construct the main sewer for the thoroughfare, and in the two side tunnels
I propose, to place the gas and water pipes and the telegraph wires. In
order to gain access to these tunnels, apertures covered with moveable metal
or other plates or covers are made on the top of the tunnels, and if thought
desirable strong sheets or blocks of glass may be. let into the tops of the
tunnels at intervals, so as to admit light to the interior. It will be seen
that by leaving the gas and water pipes and the telegraph wires exposed in
the tunnel, any leakage therefrom or derangement thereof can be immediately
detected and repaired with facility without interrupting the traffic or stopping
the thoroughfare. On the top of these tunnels. I propose to construct two,
three, or more lines of railway, for the use of locomotive engines and carriages;
and immediately above the railways on the side tunnels, and at about the
level of the present roads, I propose to build the road or way for the ordinary
traffic; but instead of covering over the subterraneous railway the whole
width of the street, I propose to leave an open space about six feet wide all
down the centre of the thoroughfare. This will admit light and air to the
railway beneath. In some cases, especially when the thoroughfare is restricted
in width, I propose to construct footways above the present footways, so that
the whole width of the. latter may be thrown into the carriage way and
devoted to carriage traffic. When this plan is adopted in a retail business
thoroughfare it will be necessary to convert the present first floor or story
of the houses into shops accessible from the raised footway, leaving the
present shops as they now are, accessible, from the then carriageway, so that
they may be easily converted into warehouses or. show rooms. Strong blocks
I glass may be inserted into the footways for the purpose of admitting light
to the story beneath, and where the width of the streets will admit of it, the
shops may be carried out underneath the raised footway to any convenient
distance. In some cases the whole width of the street may be covered with
a glass roof, and thus converted into an arcade. if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Baylis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
BAYLIS, of the Poultry, in the City of London, Solicitor, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven; in the twentieth year of Her reign;
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Baylis, Her special license that I; the said Charles Baylis, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said Charles
Baylis; my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time 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 "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING ROADS AND WAYS, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO'
POPULOUS CITIES AND CROWDED THOROUGHFARES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Baylis, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal; 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 I, the said Charles Baylis, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention; and in what manner the same is be per-
formed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement; reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
-:
My Invention of an improved method of constructing and arranging roads
and ways has for its object so to construct and arrange certain of the roads
and ways of populous towns or cities that greatly increased accommodation
may be afforded for the traffic of crowded thoroughfares.
To this end, I combine a rail or tramway with roads or ways for ordinary
carriages and foot passengers, in such a manner that the traffic on both
can be carried on independently and without interfering with each other:
Provision is also to be made for the sewers, and also for the gas and water'
pipes and telegraph wires, by excavating the ground to a suitable depth and
building three tunnels side by side and parallel to each other. In the centre.
one I place or construct the main sewer for the thoroughfare, and in the
two side tunnels I propose to place the gas and water pipes and the telegraph.
wires.. In order to gain access to these tunnels, apertures covered with
moveable metal or other plates or covers are made on the top of the 'tunnels;
and if thought desirable strong sheets or blocks of glass may be let into the

page_text: tops of the tunnels at intervals, so as to admit light to the interior. It will
be seen that by leaving the gas and water pipes and the telegraph wires
exposed in the tunnel, any leakage therefrom or derangement thereof can be
immediately detected and repaired with facility without interrupting the
traffic or stopping the thoroughfare.
On the top of these tunnels I. propose to construct two, three, or more.
lines of railway, for the use of locomotive engines and carriages; and imme-
diately above the railways on the side tunnels, and at about the level of the
present roads, I propose to build the road or way for the ordinary traffic;
but instead of covering over the subterraneous railway the whole width of
the street, I propose to leave an open space about six feet, wide all down the
centre of the thoroughfare. This will admit light and air to the railway
beneath. In some cases, especially when the thoroughfare is restricted in
width, I propose to construct footways above the present footways, so that,
the whole width of the latter may be thrown into the carriageway and
devoted to carriage traffic. When this plan is adopted in a retail business.
thoroughfare it will be necessary to convert the present first floor or story of
the houses into shops accessible from the raised footway, leaving the present.
shops as they now are accessible from the then carriageway, so that they
may be easily converted into warehouses or show rooms. Strong blocks of
glass may be inserted into the footways for the purpose of admitting light
to the story beneath, and where the width of the streets will admit of it, the
shops may be carried out underneath the raised footway to any convenient
distance. In some cases the whole width of the street may be covered with
a glass roof, and thus converted into an arcade if desired.
•
In order,, however, that my Invention may be clearly understood, I have.
in the accompanying Drawing given a Diagram, shewing the way in
which I propose to arrange the several parts. A is a large central tunnel,.
constructed of masonry, and running down the centre line of the street
or thoroughfare, and intended to be used as a main sewer for the street
and the houses on both sides thereof. Communication between the house,
drains and this main sewer is made down the hollow iron girders B, B,
on both sides. These girders also serve to ventilate the sewer. C, C, are
two other tunnels, running parallel with the central tunnel A, and are
intended to act as chambers to receive the water and gas pipes, and also
the telegraph wires, when required. Openings are made or tubes are let
into the sides of these tunnels, as seen at D, D, for the purpose of forming
outlets or passages for the branch pipes from the gas and water mains to
the houses on each side of the street. The roofs of the three tunnels or

page_text: chambers A and C, C, are constructed of iron girders E, E, E, covered in
with metal plates, some of which must be permanently fixed in any convenient
manner, while others of them should be capable of being removed with
facility when it is required to obtain access to either the main sewer A or
any of the pipes or wires contained in either of the side chambers C, C. If
desired strong slabs or thick plates of glass may be let into the roof of the
side tunnels at convenient distances, for the purpose of admitting light to
the interior. F, F, is the roadway to accommodate the ordinary traffic, and
is supported by strong iron girders, which rest upon the side walls G, G, and
the columns or pillars H, H. By this means three longitudinal spaces I, I, I,
are made all along the thoroughfare, and in these spaces I propose to con-
struct railways, the transverse level of which is indicated by the dotted line
J, J. It will be seen that a longitudinal opening of six or seven feet wide
is left between the two roadways F, F, for the admission of light and air
to the spaces I, I, beneath. This space is not more than is usually occupied
by a cab stand, but it must be filled in at all points where streets or ways
intersect one another, or where it may be considered advisable to have some
convenience for crossing from one side of the street to the other.
Having now described my Invention of "an improved method of con-
structing and arranging roads and ways in populous cities and crowded
thoroughfares," and having explained the method of carrying the same into
effect, I claim, as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,
constructing and arranging roads and ways for ordinary traffic and roads
and ways for railway traffic, one above the other, spaces, tunnels, chambers,
or ways being provided beneath to receive the water, gas, and other pipes
and telegraph wires, and for surface and house drainage, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Baylis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
CHAS BAYLIS. (L.S.)