262 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND AnCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[August, 



of this arranjfeiTient is to propel the train of carringes for the first mile hy 

 atmosi'lieric pressure, the second mile being travelled by the momentum ac- 

 quired in travelling the first mile, — so that the train travels one mile by at- 

 mospheric ]:ressure and the next by momentum, in order to facilitate tlie in 

 gress of llie piston into the termini uf each length of pipes the same are made 

 uilli trumpet mouths. It is almost needless to add that the weight of tlie 

 train imdcr these circumstances must be limited according to the distance 

 between each length of pipes. 



Anoiher mode of piopelling a double line is shown at fig. 8, which shows 

 a section of a propelling main having two longitudinal openings covered by 

 a valve o o ; i i3 a hollow arm flattened at (he inner end so as to pass under- 

 Death the valve n, the outer end of this hollow arm terminates in a ball and 

 socket joint attached to a vessel carried by a locomotive engine of the ordi- 

 nary construction: the operation is as follows — the air in the traction pipe 

 being exhausted a portial vacuum will be formed in the aforesaid vessel and 

 the engines of the locomoiive will be worked by the pressure of atmosphere 

 in the sam? manner as the present application of steam. 



Me will just state in conclusion that the specification shows the applica- 

 tion of some of the principles hereinbefore described to propelling boats on 

 canals, also a mode of propelling a train by the application of a series of 

 endless ropes, together with the application of rotary engines for the pur- 

 poses above described. Tlic sum and substance of the claims are for the ar- 

 rangement and combination of machinery or apparatus as described with 

 respect to the several figures or draw ings and their application to the pur- 

 poses hereinbefore described. 



RAILWAY CHAIR AND SLEEPER. 



Hekrt Charles Lacv, of Kenyon House, near Manchester, and Geokge 

 ■\Vatson Buck, of Manchester, for " a New manufacture for mid method of sus- 

 taining the raits of raitimys. "—Granlei Nov. 29, 18M ; Enrolled May 29, 1845. 

 ( With Engravings, Plate XX.) 



The patentees state that the stone blocks and wooden sleepers now in use 

 for sustaining the rails of railways are subject to certain objections in prac- 

 tice which this invention is intended to obviate. The stone blocks, by reason 

 of their weight and unyielding nature, are subject to sink in the ballast more 

 than a lighter substance woulil do with the same bearing surface, and there- 

 fore constantly require to be raised, which is attended with great expense and 

 difficulty. The objection to wooden sleepers is that they are liable to decay, 

 and also to be knocked in pieces by the constant packing, and moreover when 

 the pins are driven in the sleeper is liable to crack and split. The inventors 

 in order to obviate these defects employ sleepers of wrought or malleable iron, 

 which forms the subject of this patent. 



Fig. 1 is aside elevation, and fig. 2 a plan of one of these improved sleepers 

 fig. 3 shows a transverse section thereof taken parallel with the line of rail, 

 ]n figs. 1, 2, 3, a n is the cross sleeper, the peculiar form of which is shewn in 

 section at fig. 3, i 6 are blocks of wood, c c are chairs, d d the rail, e e the 

 bolts or pins as shown by dotted lines in figs. 1 and 3, these bolls, which have 

 a cotter / at one end and a nut^ at the other, pass through tlie chair and 

 wood block and fix the same to the cross sleeper, h h are ties of iron placed 

 across the under side uf the slreper and turned over the edge thereof fur the 

 purpose of stiffening it (see fig. 3). 



Fig. 4 represents a section taken transversely, or across a railway con- 

 structed with short or half sleepers, the form of which are something like an 

 inverted tray, having the wooden blocks, chairs, and bolts with nuts and 

 cotters as before ; the two sleepers which are opposite to each other on the 

 line of railway are secured together by a wrought iron bar k, bent at each 

 end at right angles so as to pass through holes made in the sleeper. The 

 specification concludes that "we would have it understood that we do not 

 claim as our invention the exclusive use of the several parts of a railway, such 

 as the rails, chairs, and modes of fastening shown in the drawing, except 

 when tlie same are employed in connection with our invention, which con- 

 sists in the manufacture of a sleeper or bearer of malleable or wrought iron, 

 and its application to sustaining the rails of railways as above described." 



James Winter, Sen., of Wardour Street, .Soho, Middlesex, J. Winter, Jun., 

 of the same place, and William Lane, of Bedford Place, Russell Square, in 

 the said county, for " an Improved scaffold or mode of scaffolding, ap,jlicable 

 also as a fire escape for life and propcr(i/."— Granted Dec. 2, 1844; Enrolled 

 June 2, 1845. (If'ilh Engravings, Plate XX.) 



Fig. 1 shows an edge view or side elevation of this apparatus, which con- 

 sists of a double ladder A A, the lower extremity of which is made to run 

 upon iron wheels B ; C is a frame or carriage supported on travelling wheels 

 U, mounted on springs in the usual way ; E is a handle or frame for moving 

 the apparatus from place to place ; to the upper part of the ladder A A is 

 attached, by means of a pin joint, a ladder F G, the two sides of this ladder 

 are continued from F to H, the slaves of this part being dispensed with, such 



part forming as it were a lever ; at H is attached a wire rope I J, by pulling 

 at wliich the end G, of the ladder F G, will be raised so as to form a con- 

 tinuous lad ler witli A A, as shown in dotted lines ; J is a movable gallery or 

 platform capable of being raised to any required height by means of ropes or 

 chains K K ; L is another movable stage supporting a ladder M, which may 

 be of lighter construction than the others, this ladder, which is attached at 

 its lower end to the gallery L, by means of a pin joint, is provided at its 

 upper end with two rollers, the object of which is to facilitate its movement 

 when passing over the ladder F G, or when against the wall of a house. The 

 gallery L, and ladder M, and also the gallery J, may be raised by means of 

 ropes passing round a pulley and working upon the axle of the carriage 

 wheels D, motion being given to such pulleys by means of a winch or handle ; 

 //are wrought iron rods for supporting the laildor A A. 



Fig. 2 shows a front view of a porliun of the apparatus described, in which 

 similar letters denote corresponding parts. There are other modifications of 

 the apparatus above described, one of which is so constructed that the whole 

 machine can be brought in a horizontal position so as to be more readily 

 moved from place to plsce ; it is a'so constructed stronger and better adapted 

 for scafl^olding. The claim is for the mode of arrangement and combination 

 of parts, together with the principles of construction upon and accirding to 

 which such modes of arrangement and such combination of parts are made, 

 and by which the tame are carried into practical effect, and that in the man- 

 ner as we have before specified, described and set forth in this our specifica- 

 tion and drawings thereof. 



RAILWAY SPECULATIONS. 



The foUowhig letter, on account of its interest and importance, we have 

 extracted from T/ie Times. It exposes the present system of Railway jobbing 

 with great force and accuracy. Though we for the most part abstain from 

 discussing what may be termed Railway politics, and confine ourselves to 

 scientific informatiou respecting railways, still the evil alluded to in the fol- 

 lowing letter, has now arrived at such a height that v,e should consider it a 

 neglect of duty to abstain from all notice of the subject. 



Sir,— The subject of this title is, at the present moment, of the greatest importance. 

 The money-market is crowded with schemes ; most of these are railway projects. Many 

 of them have for their object the construction of railways in foreign parts. Whether the 

 transmission of capital for the benefit of other countries is politic or not, or whether it 

 should be encouraged or repressed, is not intended to be discussed in these observations. 

 What more immediately demands attention is the legal rights of those who invest in rail- 

 way shares. Let us lirst take railways which are proposed to be established in Great 

 Britain and Ireland. 



A railway scheme is advertised. Persons desirous of having shares are requested to 

 apply for them by letter in a particular form. Under this letter the person applying 

 agrees to sign the requisite deeds when they shall have been prepared. These deeds are, 

 the one called a " Parliamentary contract," and the other a " subscriber's agreement." 

 The former Is a contract authorizing the directors therein mentioned to take necessary 

 steps for obtaining an act of Parliament, and pledging the shareholders who sign it to the 

 payment of " calls," as may be directed by the act of Parliament when obtained. The 

 latter is a contract by which the shareholders engage to conform to certain rules and re- 

 gulations therein contained, pending the acquisition of Parliamentary authority. These 

 stipulations apply to the appointment of directors and officers, the powers to be exercised 

 and duties performed by them, the amount of capital to be raised, &c. 



Under the recent statute, 7 and 8 Victoria, c. 110, these companies must be registered. 

 The registration is of two sorts — " provisional" and " complete." It is not necessarj' to 

 consider what is to be done in order to obtain either ** provisional" or '* complete" regis- 

 tration. But, when procured, the '• provisional" certificate insures for a year, and may 

 be renewed for another year, but not longer. The powers conferred by it are particularly 

 stated. The company may assume their " name," open subscription lists, allot shares, 

 and receive deposits not exceeding 10s. per cent, beyond the amount required to be de- 

 posited by the standing orders of Parliament. They may also take steps to obtain their 

 act; but they are prohibited from making calls. Nor can they purchase lands, or enter 

 into contracts for works, except canditionally upon obtaining their act. Contracts for 

 surveys, and other things to be done in order to get ta and through Parliament, may, 

 however, be entered into. Penalties are inflicted if deposits are taken, aUotmeuts made, 

 or scrip issued, before *' provisional" registration has taken place. 



The certificate of " complete registration" ceases to have etfect from the moment the 

 act of Parliament has been passed. The powers conferred by the certificate are — the 

 liberty to use a common seal with their name upon it, the privilege of suing and being 

 sued In their registered name, the right to issue certificates of sh.are9, and, conditionally 

 upon obtaining their act, they may enter into contracts for works, &c. But the same pro- 

 hibition exists as under *' provisional" registration as to the purchase of lands, making of 

 calls, and otherwise; but they may hold "general" and " extraordinary" meetings from 

 time to time. Their powers extend no further. 



To the uninitiBted public this sketch may hi useful. It will show them what powers 

 may be exercised by a railway company from the time of their announcement to that of 

 their completion by legislative sanction. But it is of more importance to them to under, 

 stand what is the condition of those who ask for shares, and those who obtain them whe- 

 ther mediately or immediately, from the original holders. 



The person who writes for letters undertakes to sif^n the necessary deeds, alre.idy de- 

 scribed. The moment he receives his scrip or shares a contract has been made between 

 himself and the directors to execute a particular instrument. This contract may be en- 

 forced, either by action at law for damages, or bill in equity for specific performance. He 

 cannot escape from it. He may think to relieve himself from this responsibility by Bell- 

 ing his " scrip" in the market. No such result will follow. The company may still hold 

 him to his bargain. They cannot be com])elled to receive his assignee as their share- 

 holder or partner in the undertaking. It has been stated that under " provisional" regis- 

 tration shares may be "allotted," and under "complete" registration " certlticates of 

 shares" may be issued. The remarks just made will apply to both. 



So much for the position of the first holder. How does the second or subsequent holder 

 stand? He pays his money, probably including a premium, for a given quantity of 

 " scrip." Tlie scheme is a prosperous one ; and when the act of Parliament is obtained, 

 he expects to be registered as a shareholder. No such thing. He presents his " scrip" 

 at the oflice. desires to have them exchanged for '* shares," pursuant to the act of Parlia- 

 meut, and is ready to siga the " register of shareholders," but m.^y be refused ! He has 



