IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TURN-TABLES FOR PORTABLE RAILWAYS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Grant, of Albion Place, Maidstone, in the
County of Kent, Farmer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF TURN-TABLES FOR PORTABLE RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 30th January 1863, and dated the 4th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Grant at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th December
1862.
I, JOHN GRANT, of Albion Place, Maidstone, in the County of Kent,
Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TURN-TABLES FOR PORTABLE RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of turn-tables for portable
railways, consists in a novel mode of constructing a very light and portable
turn-table, so that it may be easily moved from place to place, and very easily
and quickly placed in position upon the surface of the ground without requiring
to be let into it, and so that four-wheeled carriages or trucks may be turned
thereon, so as to be brought at any required angle to their former track, and
in a line with any one of any number of branch lines or turn-outs that may be
radiating from the centre of the turn-table, or so as to be turned completely
round in the direct track.
In carrying out my Invention, four short pieces of the rails of the main
track of suitable thickness and strength, all of which are equally distant from
the centre of the turn-table, and upon which the wheels of the trucks or
carriages are to be brought for the purpose of being turned, are, together with

page_text: similar short pieces of the rails of all the branch lines or turn-outs at equal
distances with the corresponding pieces of the rails of the main track from the
centre of the turn-table, securely attached to the upper sides of two hoops or
rings of iron or other suitable material forming horizontal parallel circles of
different diameters, each having the centre of the turn-table for its centre, the
under sides of which rings or hoops rest in grooves or hollows formed to receive
them in the sleeper or under part of the turn-table, which grooves or hollows
are lined with iron or other suitable material, and in which grooves or hollows
the said hoops or rings may be pushed or made to slip round by the lateral
pressure of the flanges of the wheels upon the short pieces of rail upon which
the wheels are placed, the corresponding pieces of the rails of all the other
lines or turn-outs radiating from the centre of the turn-table being at the same
time carried round in the saine direction upon and with the rings or hoops, so
that if all the converging lines radiate from the centre of the turn-table at
equal angles, the gaps made in the line out of which the carriage or truck has
been turned by the pushing round of the short pieces of rail upon and with the
rings or hoops, will, when such short pieces of rail are brought in a line with
the rails of any other of the converging lines upon which it is desired to run
the carriage or truck, be filled up by the corresponding short pieces of rail of
one of the other converging lines, which again will have their places occupied
by others, and so on in such manner that no gaps will be left in any of the
converging lines. In order that the said hoops or rings may easily be pushed
or made to slip round, the grooves or hollows are made as smooth as possible,
and smeared with grease or other lubricating substance, or are fitted with small
rollers. When the grooves or hollows are too far apart to give sufficient
support to the hoops or rings intermediate blocks of wood or other suitable
material, fitted with similar grooves or hollows, are placed between to afford any
degree of further support that may be necessary; which blocks are either
detached or fastened to the non-revolving portion of the turn-table by braces
or other suitable means. The outer parts of the turn-table which are intended
to come into contact with the lines leading from it are fitted with tongues and
sockets, so that the ends of the longitudinal sleepers of such lines nearest to
the turn-table, if also fitted with corresponding tongues and sockets, and
such outer parts of the turn-table, may be fitted together and supported
reciprocally when a heavy weight passes over them. The only parts of the
turn-table that revolve are the two rings or hoops, and the short pieces of rail
attached thereto, in the manner before described, the central and outer
portions of the turn-table being non-revolving, by which arrangement great
economy in construction is secured, and a great deal of unnecessary weight:

page_text: avoided. The central part of the non-revolving portion of the turn-table is
for the sake of strength, lightness, and economy, as well as for greater facility
in working, devoid of any support for the broad parts or tires of the wheels of
the carriages or trucks, but is, instead thereof, provided with a plate of sheet
iron or other suitable material, over which the wheels of the trucks or carriages
travel upon their flanges until the broad parts or tires of the wheels again take
a bearing upon the rails beyond. In order to prevent the wheels from slipping
sideways whilst traversing the plate of sheet iron or other material, the said
plate or other material is in some cases indented in the direction of the tracks
along which the flanges ought to move.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Grant in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GRANT, formerly of Albion Place, Maidstone, but now of Wester Hill, Linton,
in the County of Kent, Farmer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Grant,. Her special licence that I, the said John Grant, my
executors, administrators, and, assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Grant, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC-
TION OF TURN-TABLES FOR PORTABLE RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Grant, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 John Grant, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement, 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 turn-tables for portable
railways consists in a novel mode of constructing a very light and portable
turn-table, so that it may be easily moved from place to place, and very easily
and quickly placed in position upon the surface of the ground without requiring
to be let into it, and so that four-wheeled carriages or trucks may be turned
thereon, so as to be brought at any required angle to their former track, and
in a line with any one of any number of branch lines or turn-outs that may be
radiating from the centre of the turn-table, or so as to be turned completely
round in the direct track.
In carrying out my Invention, four short pieces of the rails of the main
track of suitable thickness and strength, all of which are equally distant from
the centre of the turn-table, and upon which the wheels of the trucks or
carriages are to be brought for the purpose of being turned, are, together with
similar short pieces of the rails of all the branch lines or turn-outs at equal
distances with the corresponding pieces of the rails of the main track from the
centre of the turn-table, securely attached to the upper sides of two hoops or
rings of iron or other suitable material forming horizontal parallel circles of
different diameters, each having the centre of the turn-table for its centre,
the under sides of which rings or hoops rest in grooves or hollows formed to
receive them in the sleepers or under part of the turn-table, which grooves or
hollows are lined with iron or other suitable material, and in which grooves or
hollows the said hoops or rings may be pushed or made to slip down by the
lateral pressure of the flanges of the wheels upon the short pieces of rail upon
which the wheels are placed, the corresponding pieces of the rails of all the
other lines or turn-outs radiating from the centre of the turn-table being at
the same time carried round in the same direction upon and with the rings or
hoops, so that if all the converging lines radiate from the centre of the turn-
table at equal angles, the gaps made in the line out of which the carriage
or truck has been turned by the pushing round of the short pieces of rail upon
and with the rings or hoops will; when such short pieces of rail are brought in
a line with the rails of any other of the converging lines upon which it is
desired to run the carriage or truck, be filled up by the corresponding short
pieces of rail of one of the other converging lines, which again will have their
places occupied by others, and so on in such manner that no gaps will be left
in any of the converging lines. In order that the said hoops or rings may easily
be pushed or made to slip round, the grooves or hollows are made as smooth as

page_text: possible, and smeared with grease or other lubricating substance, or are fitted
with small rollers. When the grooves or hollows are too far apart to give
sufficient support to the hoops or rings, intermediate blocks of wood or other
suitable material fitted with similar grooves or hollows are placed between to
afford any degree of further support that may be necessary, which blocks
are either detached or fastened to the now revolving portion of the turn-table
braces or other suitable means. The outer parts of the turn-table which
are intended to come in contact with the lines leading from it are fitted with
tongues and sockets, so that the ends of the longitudinal sleepers of such lines
nearest to the turn-table, if so fitted with corresponding tongues and sockets,
and such outer parts of the turn-table may be fitted together and supported
reciprocally when a heavy weight passes over them. The only parts of the
turn-table that revolve are the two rings or hoops, and the short pieces of rail
attached thereto in the manner before described, the central and outer portions
of the turn-table being non-revolving, by which arrangement great economy
in construction is secured, and a great deal of unnecessary weight avoided.
When the guage is narrow the central part of the non-revolving portion of the
turn-table is for the sake of strength, lightness, and economy, as well as for
greater facility in working, devoid of any support for the broad parts or tires of
the wheels of the carriages or trucks, but is, instead thereof, provided with a
plate of sheet iron or other suitable material, over which the wheels of the
trucks or carriages travel upon their flanges until the broad parts or tires of
the wheels again take a bearing upon the rails beyond. In order to prevent
the wheels from slipping sideways whilst traversing the plate of sheet iron or
other material, the said plate or other material is in some cases indented in
the direction of the tracts along which the flanges ought to move.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are plans of a
turn-table for a portable railway.
A, A', are 8 pair of combined rails and sleepers forming eight converging
ways, and intersecting each other beneath the central plate B, and braced
together by such central plate on their upper, and by the iron rings or braces c, c,
on their lower sides, the converging ends of the rails do not extend over the
central plate B, but terminate at the eight points d, the wheels of the carriages
or trucks being supported upon their flanges over the central plate B, which is
of sheet iron, and is let into the wood to the depth of such flanges below the
surface level of the rails; E, E, are revolving rings or hoops of iron or other
suitable material, which rest in grooves or hollows formed to receive them in
the combined rails and sleepers A, A', sufficiently low to admit of the free
passage of the flanges of the wheels of the trucks or carriages over or above

page_text: them upon the short pieces of rail f, f, which are securely attached to the
rings or hoops E, E', and rise above them to the level of the rails, of which,
when in the position shown in Figure 1, they form connecting portions bridging
over the grooves or hollows formed to receive the rings or hoops E, E', and
serving to support the wheels of the trucks or carriages over such grooves or
hollows, and also over such rings or hoops. G, G¹, are eight pair of iron
bearings which form a lining for the grooves or hollows in which rest the
rings or hoops E, E¹, and upon which bearings, when smeared with grease
or other lubricating substance, or when fitted with rollers, the rings or hoops
E, E, may be pushed or made to slip round by the lateral pressure of the
flanges of the wheels upon the short pieces of rail f,f, upon which the
wheels are placed, such short pieces, together with the truck or carriage
resting upon them, and also all the other short pieces of rail f.f, being at
the same time carried round upon and with them.
Figure 2 is a modification, showing an interruption of the connection
between the rails in consequence of the short pieces of rail f, f, having been
partly pushed round upon and with the rings or hoops E, E¹.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, showing the position of the rings E, E,
and one of the short pieces of rail f. in one of the grooves or hollows when
bridged over by such short piece of rail, so as to form a connection between
the rails on either side of such groove or hollow.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the construction of
turn-tables for portable railways, and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent
as aforesaid.
First, constructing turn-tables for portable railways, with rings or hoops
revolving in grooves or hollows upon greased bearings or rollers, and connected
together by short pieces of rail, as herein set forth.
And, second, I claim the use of a plate of sheet iron or other suitable
material in the central part of a turn-table as a means of supporting the wheels
of trucks or carriages upon their flanges.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Grant, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN GRANT. (L.S.)