IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET RAILWAYS AND IN THE WHEELS TO RUN THEREON
Year: 1860

page_text: Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, but now of Liverpool,
. in the County of Lancaster, Engineer and Contractor, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET RAILWAYS AND IN THE
WHEELS TO RUN THEREON."
.
Sealed the 23rd April 1861, and dated the 27th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Hathaway at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th October 1860.
I, CHARLES HATHAWAY, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania,
one of the United States of America, but now of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer and Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET RAILWAYS.
AND IN THE WHEELS TO RUN THEREON," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction of street railways and in
the wheels to run thereon, relates, first, to the construction of the rails and
the mode of constructing the road, one of the objects of this improvement
being to cause the carriages to turn out of the main line at the proper
places.
The second part of the Invention relates to a novel mode of constructing the
flanges of the running wheels. I propose to construct the rails or tramways
[Price 8d.]

page_text: either of cast or wrought iron, and the working surfaces of the rails are made
with double treads at different levels, one being intended for the flanged
wheels of the street railway cars. and the other for the wheels of ordinary
carriages. This compound rail when made of cast iron is cast in one piece,
and has sockets and projections cast in or on the ends for the purpose of fitting
into one another, and thereby preventing the rails from moving in a vertical
direction. Sockets to receive keys or cottars are also cast on the sides of the
rails to act as a further security. When this rail is made in wrought iron, it
will be found convenient to roll it in two parts, which are afterwards to be
united laterally by means of bolts, rivets, or otherwise, so as to form the
compound rail. The part of the rail intended to receive the tread of the
flanged wheels is rolled in one piece, and the other part to receive the tread of
the ordinary carriage wheels in another piece, but they are so formed in their
section by overlapping shoulders that they will afford each other mutual
support. These rails may be double headed, so that when one surface has
been worn out, the rails may be turned over and present a fresh working
surface. The working surfaces of the cast iron rail may be chilled in order to
harden the same, and render them more durable. In joining the two parts of
the rail together they should be made to break joint, and it is important also
to notice that the flanges of the cars are made less than half an inch in depth,
and that the difference in level of the two lines of tread in the compound rail
is little more than one quarter of an inch; consequently ordinary carriages
when obliged to cross the track will not be subjected to a severe shock as at
present. When a single track only is to be laid in a street, provision must be
made to enable carriages to pass cach other. to which end I construct at con-
venient and suitable distances turn-outs of such length as may be considered
desirable. These turn-outs are provided with fixed points so arranged, by one
being placed a little in advance of the other, that they will always turn
the carriage into the right-hand track at these points when going forward,
but when the carriage is coming in the opposite direction it will be allowed
to pass from the left-hand turn-out into the main line by passing over
the points. These fixed points are made to act in this manner by being
laid a little back from the straight line and in line with the turn-out track,
which at these points are formed of curves of any convenient radius.
Another method of causing the carriages to turn off the track is by
making the wheels of some of the carriages with thick flanges, and others
with thin flanges, the track and turn-out being made with grooves, gutters,
or rails to correspond.

page_text: SPECIFICATION
in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Hathaway in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HATHAWAY, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, one of the United
States of America, but now of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer
and Contractor, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Hathaway, Her special license that I, the said Charles
Hathaway, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles Hathaway, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET BAILWAYS AND IN THE WHEELS TO RUN
THEREON," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Hathaway, 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 Scal 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 Hathaway, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, 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 "Improvements in the Construction of Street Railways,
and in the Wheels to run thereon," relates, first, to the construction of the rails
and also to the mode of constructing the road. The objects of one part of
these improvements is to cause the carriages to turn out of the line or track
at the proper places, either to enable another carriage to pass or for the
purpose of diverging into another track or line of road.
The second part of the Invention relates to a novel mode of constructing the
flanges of the running wheels, and of adapting thereto contrivances, whereby

page_text: the cars may be turned out or diverted from the track when required. I pro-
pose to construct the rails or tramways either of cast or wrought iron, and the
working surfaces of the rails are made with double treads at different levels,
one being intended for the flanged wheels of the street railway cars, and the
other for the wheels of ordinary carriages.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. is a side elevation representing the
ends of two cast-iron rails constructed according to my Invention, and shewing
the mode of connection; Fig. 2 is a cross section of the rail and chair; and
Fig. 3 is another section, shewing the end socket whereby the rails are
connected together.
This compound rail when made of cast iron is cast in one piece, as shewn at
a, a, and has a socket b cast in one end, and a projection or tongue c cast in or
'on the other end. The projection or tongue c of one rail fits into the socket b
of the adjoining rail, and so on throughout the line, so that the rails when
properly secured in their chairs or to the sleepers, will be prevented from
moving in a vertical direction. Other sockets are also cast on the sides of the
rails, to receive keys or cotters d, which, by passing through the sockets b and
tongues c, will act as a further security.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view, and Fig. 5 a side view, of another form of cast-
iron rail with a double tread. In this instance no supporting chair is required,
but the foot of the rail may be bedded on the ground or on a longitudinal
sleeper. The rails are made at one end with a socket, and at the other with
a projection or tongue, as in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and the tongue of one rail
fits into the corresponding socket of the next, as in the former instance. The
'ends of the rails are also provided with a dovetail groove g, into which fits a
key or cotter h, whereby all vertical or transverse motion is effectually pre-
vented. When the double tread rail is made of wrought iron (as shewn in
Figures 6 and 7, which are plan and sectional views of a wrought-iron
compound rail), it will be found convenient to roll the rail in two parts e and e¹,
which are afterwards to be united laterally, by means of bolts f, or by rivets or
otherwise, so as to form the compound rail. The part e of the rail intended to
receive the tread of the flanged wheels is rolled in one piece, and the other
part e to receive the tread of the ordinary carriage wheels in another piece, but
they are so formed in their section by overlapping shoulders, as seen in the
sectional view, that they will afford each other mutual support.
These rails may be double-headed, as shewn in the Drawing, so that when
one surface has been worn out the rails may been turned over, and thus made to
present a fresh working surface. The rails to form the two sides of the track
are kept in gauge by means of tie rods or 'bars i, i, which, 'by means of a screw

page_text: bolts and nuts j, j. may be screwed up to a nicely. so as to ensure perfect
accuracy in the gauge of the track. In joining the two parts of the wrought-
iron rail together they should be made to break joint, and it is important also
to notice that the flanges of the cars are made less than half an inch in depth.
and that the difference in level of the two lines of tread in the compound rail
is little more than one quarter of an inch; consequently ordinary carriages
when obliged to cross the track will not be subjected to a severe shock or jar,
as at present.
I would here remark, that the working surfaces of the cast-iron rails may
be chilled, if desired, in order to harden and render them more durable. When
a single track only is to be laid in a street, or when a branch line is made to
run into a single track, provision must be made to enable carriages to pass
each other, or to turn out of the main line into the branch linc: In order to
enable carriages on a single line to pass each other, turn-outs of such length
as may be considered desirable are constructed at convenient and suitable
distances. These turn-outs are provided with fixed points so arranged. by one
being placed a little in advance of the other, that they will always turn the
carriage into the right-hand track at these points when going forward. but
when the carriage is coming in the opposite direction it will be allowed to pass
from the left-hand turn-out into the main line by passing over the points.
These fixed points are made to act in this manner by being laid a little back
from the straight line and in line with the turn-out track, which at these points
is formed of curves of any convenient radius. It will of course be understood
that whether the carriages are to be turned out to the right or left in going
forward must. depend upon the custom of the country, and the points or turn-
out must be arranged accordingly.
Fig. 8 is a plan of a track made in a straight line, and with a turn-out or
siding on one side; and Fig. 9 is another track, in which a turn-out or siding
is produced by doubling the line at a certain part, both parts of the double
track being bent out of the right line. It will be seen that at the points k, l,
the main track is bowed slightly out of a direct line, the point on that side
being set in a line with the main rail, while the points on the opposite side of
the track are set a little out, so as to catch the flange of the wheel of a carriage
advancing in the direction of the arrow. The points should be made of steel
to prevent them from wearing away too quickly, and if desired, they may be
made to spring a little towards the rail, and thereby prevent a carriage
advancing in the wrong direction. from continuing on the direct main track.
It should be understood that the flanges of the wheels intended to run on these
rails are made in the ordinary manner, and of the usual width or thickness, 'the

page_text: turn-out being effected by the peculiar mode of constructing and arranging the
rails. Another method of causing the carriages to turn off the track is by
making the flanges of some of the wheels of an extra thickness, leaving the
others with thin flanges or flanges of the ordinary thickness, the track and
turn-out being made with grooves, cutters, or rails to correspond.
Fig. 10 represents a street car or railway wheel, with flanges of the ordinary
width; Fig. 1 represents, in elevation, a pair of wheels with flanges of extra
thickness; Fig. 12 is a plan view of part of a track, with a turn-out con-
structed to suit the flange wheels shewn at Fig. 10. m is the rail of the main
track; m is the fixed point or side rail, which keeps the flange of the wheel
up against the projecting part n of the rail; m² is a continuation of the main
track in a direct line; and m³ is a curved rail for diverging from the main line.
Now, supposing a wheel with a thin flange, such as is shewn at Fig. 10, were
running on the rail m, the flange of such a wheel would run straight on in the
direction of the dotted arrow on the part m², as such flange could not enter
between the side rail m¹ and the point o; but if a wheel with a wide or thick
flange, such as is shewn at Fig. 11, were running on the track, it could not
enter between m and o. and must. therefore, be diverted out of the track, and
be carried along the rail m³ in the direction of the black arrow. This arrange-
ment will be found exceedingly convenient when it is desired to run on the
same track some carriages that will be required to turn out or diverge at a
certain point, while other carriages will continue straight on. It may be
occasionally required for the narrow flanged wheels to run on the diverging
track m, and to compensate for the thinness of the ordinary flange adapt a
side shoe or diverging point to the wheel, so as to compensate for the extra
thickness of flange required, and thereby prevent the wheel from continuing
on in a direct line, which it otherwise would do. This arrangement is shewn
in elevation at Fig. 13, and in plan at Fig. 14. A shoe or point p is formed
or fixed on the end of a lever p*. which is suspended from the axle of the
running wheel, and is capable of being raised or lowered when required by
means of a bell-crank hand lever g and link r. The horizontal part of the
rail m is hollowed out to receive the shoc p. as shewn at Fig. 13, and the
bottom of the shoe p, by rubbing against the bottom of the rail, will be raised
up when it passes the point o. If desired the shoe p may be pointed as
indicated by dots in Fig. 13, so that any stones, dirt, or other matters that
may accidentally get between the points, and the rails may be removed as the
carriage passes along.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Construction
of Street Railways and in Wheels to run thereon," and having explained the
1

page_text: manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent, the mode or modes herein set forth of constructing the
rails of street railways; I further claim the mode or modes herein set forth of
constructing and arranging the points or turn-outs of street railways, and also
the mode of constructing the wheels and other appliances for causing the
carriages to turn out of the track at fixed points.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Hathaway, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
CHARLES HATHAWAY. (L.S.)