3S0 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



f November. 



seciirilv of tlie rail, lessening tlie attrition, and being constructed willi 

 us little or less metal than the supports generally used. It will be 

 admitted according to tlieory and practice, by a perfect cylinder 

 rolling on a perfectly horizontal plane, the weight of the cylinder is 

 received in vertical pressure on the surface of the plane. But as the 

 wheels used on railways are not portions of cylinders but are portions 

 or frustra of two cones with their bases opposite, formed by an axle 

 (whose centre is the axis of the cones) at the distance of the gauge of 

 the rails; allliough the surface of the rails should be perfect planes, 

 the pressure or weight and force of the •vehicles, and their contents 

 transmitted from the surface of the wheels on to the rails, will not be 

 vertical but at right angles to the head or surface of the wheels (which 

 are portions of two cones), consequently the resistance to the force 

 from the wheels ought to be in the direction the force is received from 

 the surface of the wheels, and the strength and support for the wheels 

 of railway carriages ought to be laterally as well as vertically. In the 

 common intermediately supported rail, this is endeavoured to be 

 obtained laterally by the flange of the rail, and vertically by the depth 

 of the rail, assisted a little by placing the chairs declining a little in- 

 wards, but which is entirely at the mercy of the workmen employed 

 to lay the rails. 



Fig. 5. 



Fig. I. 



ri!,' 2. 



Fig- 3. ) 



Fi^'. 4. 



From the preceding axion s. 1 v.ill ende.nour to sIk.w, that my 

 design is praclic.dlv on the right principle for intermediately sup- 

 |ic rted rails, in as clear and concise a manner as I possibly can, by 

 reference to the diagrams. 



' Fios. 1, and 2, arc elevations of two chairs, with portions of wheels 

 there"on, and section of rails. Figs. 3, an.1 -1, are two chairs cut oil' at 

 the line A B in Pg. 1, shewing the juncture of two rails in the wide 

 chair, tig. 3. Fig, 5, is a perspective elevation of the rail, shewing 

 the tongue joint. Figs. G, and 7, are diagrams of two barrels, the 

 rji!war"wheels are supjiosed to be portions thereof. The one tig. IJ, 

 sippoitcd bv two half-inch boards four inches wide, jdaced at right 

 a gles to lie tearing surface of the barrels. The other, tig. 7, sup- 



ported by one-tenth more wood in the shape and 

 common rail ; this is suggested as a cheap and easy p 

 inent to test the principle of the rail. 



position of tlie 

 ractioal experi- 



Fig. 6. 



Fig. 



With regard to the rail being equal in strength with one-tenth less 

 metal, arises from its being placed so as to receive the direction of 

 the force or weight from the surface of the wheels in the direction of 

 tlie greatest strength of the rail, and from its impracticability to bend 

 outwards without rising upwards, so long as the weight or force is not 

 more than the rail will bear without flexure, and the tendency of the 

 wheels to thrust outwards, will of course prevent its bending inwards. 

 In the rolling metal in the several forms they are now used on rail- 

 ways, the force or power required is in the proportion of the several 

 angles that are to be formed, and the departure of the form from the 

 previous section of the m^tal, and the forming of internal angles, is 

 not only the cause of the rails being fractureil by the greater force 

 required for internal angles, but from the sudden difference in bulk of 

 metal on its cooling, cinsi'quently a rail that has no internal angles, 

 and the form, but the slightest departure from the section of the metal 

 converted will require less power or force to roll it, and there will be 

 less liability to fracture. 



The security of fixing the rail in the ch.dr consists in avoiding the 

 attrition of two liard surfaces of equal density, by introducing a piece 

 of metal mere malleable than the rail or chair between them, and by 

 securing the rail with a wood wedge, prevented from coming out by 

 means of an iron key being driven into the centre of it, causing the 

 wood to fill the ratchets in the chair as shown in figs. 3 & 4, and the 

 wood having the greatest pressure downwards on the rails, as shewn 

 in figs. 1 and 2, keeps the rail securely from rising, ard the wood re- 

 ceives but little or no pressure fom any Weight transmitted from the 

 surface of the wheels as shewn in figs. 1 and 2, and is therefore not 

 liable to failure. The security at the juncture of two rails consists in 

 their being kept firmly down in the cli.drs by the manner of their 

 jointure by a tor gue joint, as shown in fig. 5, are preventeil from rising 

 one above the other, and the noise is prevented by introducing a 

 |dcce of thin casi lead between the meeting of the two rails, and by the 

 chair being made of greater width as shewn in fig. 3. The chairs are 

 w ithout anv internal angles, and consequently are not weakened, nor 

 do t!:ey require additional metal to counterpoise against it, and their 

 being no outward pressure by the rail, the chair does not require to 

 be cast so heavy as those used to resist the outward pressure of the 

 vertical rail. In conclusion, on this design 1 have only to add, 1 have 

 full sized models of the aliove rail and chairs, and should it meet with 

 the ajiproval of the profession, I shall be happy to undertake the lay- 

 ing of the permanent way on any line of railway. 

 And am, Sir, 



With much respect, 



Your obedient servant, 



\V. B. 



i 



