The mechanical power of an inclined plane, having 450 of elevation, reduces the weight of two tons to that of 28.284 cwt.; to which is to be added for friction, the power required to move it along a hurizental plane. The above Fig. 1, shows an acclivity cut into four inclined planes B C 1) and E, in the manner proposed ; the dotted line A E represents the original line of the face, and the line E F the perpendicular height gained by the four inclined planes. A B C D in Fig. 2, is a section of one of these inclined planes, showing one of the side walls built with hewn stones ; the dotted figure a b c, one of the platform carriages at the top F G of the inclined plane, where the waggon de in dotted' lines, has entered upon it ; f g is another platform carriage at the bottom of the plane, with a waggon is i upon it, the fore-wheels of which are fixed with a piece of chain to prevent its running off the platform-carriage when in the act of ascending or descending. The wheels of this waggon are upon a level with the lower line of railway H I. The wheels of the platform carriage are represented as travelling upon the pavement K L, and upon the top of the side walls M N ; while k !represents a side view of part of the frame work of the coiling cylinders, and m an end view of one of the cylinders ; n represents one of the ropes, and the dotted figure at o one of the stayed iron draught-bars for fastening the ropes by which the carriages are drawn up or let down. The preceding Fg. 3 is partly a cross section, but chiefly an elevation of one of these inclined planes; pppp, the rails in the bottom of the plane ; q q q g the rails that are upon the top of one of the side walls, and r r the waggon upon it. The following Fig. 4 is an elevation of the frame-work and machinery to be placed at the top. The coiling cylinder A A is to be placed to suit the ascending plane, and the cylinder B B to suit the descending plane. At M a coupling-box is introduced, by which the axis of the coiling-cylinder A A can be disengaged from that of B B at pleasure. Upon the axis of the cylinders C D a screw-wheel E is to be fixed, and wrought by a double-threaded endless screw S, that is upon the axis F F. On the lower end of this axis another screw-wheel G is fixed, to be wrought by another two-threaded endless screw H, on whose axis are two winch-handles, as represented in Fig. 5. The one end of the ropes that are upon the coiling cylinders A A and B, is to be fastened to the stayed iron draught-bars, already described. Upon the same axis, C ll, the cylinder I is to be fixed ; one end of its rope is to pass over a pulley-wheel K, placed over a deep pit t t, suitable to the length of the inclined planes, and to have a heavy counterbalancing weight L fixed to it, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. G. At M the same may be effected by means of wheel and pinion apparatus.
In situations where a stream of water can be brought forward to the top of a single inclined plane, an oblong pit may be sunk of a depth answerable to the length of the inclined plane, and a level mine cut to its bottom, to free it of water.
Oder this pit is to be placed a long coiling cylinder, having a range of buckets suspended from it by ropes; the buckets are to have valves to open upwards, when necessary, by means of small cords. The ropes that are to pull up the waggons are to pass over pulley-wheels placed in a proper position, and at a proper height, the one end of the ropes being fixed to the waggons, and the other end to the pit cylinder. The weight of water that each bucket holds being known, will enable the engine man to know what number to fill for the weight of the waggon to be drawn up ; on the necessary number being filled, they will then descend, and pull up the waggon : a brake-wheel is to be fixed on the axis of the pit-cylinder to regulate its motion. When the buckets are at the bottom of the pit, should it be required to let down a loaded waggon, the counter-weight is to be adjusted to the weight to be let down, by pulling a necessary number of the valve-cords, to permit the water to escape from the requisite number of buckets ; the ascent of the buckets and descent of the waggon to be regulated as before, by the brake-wheel. Should all the buckets be at the bottom of the pit, at a time when they are wanted to pull up another waggon, the ropes of all the valves are to be pulled, that the buckets may be all emptied ; and for this purpose there is to be, besides the range of buckets already mentioned, a large bucket, with a valve in its bottom, that opens on reaching the bottom of the pit, having its rope coiled the contrary way round the pit-cylinder, to that of the range of buckets ; this bucket is to be so sus pended from the pit-cylinder, that, when all the other buckets are at the bottom of the pit, this shall be at the top. By filling this large bucket with water
when at the top of the pit, it will descend, and occasion all the empty ones to ascend to the same place; and, when refilled, they will again be in readiness to pull up another waggon. By thus having a range of buckets, the counter weight can be so regulated as to answer the weight of different carriages, whether loaded or unloaded. It is unnecessary to point out the simple manner in which the water can be directed into the different buckets, and stopped when not wanted. The perpendicular height of canal-locks is very generally about - eight feet. This appears also to be a suitable height, for the greater that the height is the greater will be the disproportion of cutting and mason work, between a high and low inclined plane; for, by calculation, it will be found, that, in the formation, one of sixteen feet high will contain four times the number of cubic yards of solid cutting compared with one of eight feet, and require four times more face buildings, and these of much greater strength. At these short inclined planes the whole ropes and machinery may be roofed in, and kept dry in all kinds of weather ; and, under the same roof, the engine man and his boy may have a cabin. It is with a view to reduce the number of horses kept, that these short inclined planes are so much recommended, as also to find employment for industrious labourers." Mr. Thompson's plan of working inclined planes by fixed engines, has, we understand, been very successfully carried into effect in many places; and so have some of Mr. Scott's propositions, in a modified form. We must now, however, leave this part of the subject, to introduce to the reader an entirely different description of railway conveyance, invented by Mr. H. R. Palmer, at present the engineer to. the London Dock Company, and which was.patented by him on the 22d of November, 1821. Instead of two lines of rail laid upon the ground, as heretofore, Mr. Palmer's railway consists of only one, which is elevated upon pillars, and carried in a straight line across the country, however undulating and rugged, over hills, valleys, brooks, and rivers, the pillars being longer or shorter, to suit the height of the rail above the surface of the ground, so as to preserve the line of the rail always straight, whether the plane be horizontal or inclined. The waggons, or receptacles for the goods, travel in pairs, one of a pair being suspended on one aide of the rail, and the other on the opposite side, like panniers from the back of a horse. By this arrangement only two wheels are employed, instead of eight, to convey a pair of waggons; these two wheels are placed one before the other on the rail, and the axle-trees upon which they revolve are made of sufficient length and strength to form extended arms of support, to which are suspended the waggons or receptacles on each side of the rail, the centre of gravity being always below, the surface of the rail. The rods by which the waggons are suspended are iniexible; hence, although the weights on each side be not equal, they will, nevertheless, be in equilibrio; as may be observed in a ship, which, being unequally loaded, assumes such an angle with the surface as pre serves the equilibrium. Although an equal distribution of the load on both sides is desirable, it is not necessary. A number of carriages are linked together, and towed along the rail by a horse, as barges on a canal. Owing to the undulation of the country, the horse will sometimes be much below the rail, in consequence of which he is provided with a sufficient length of rope to pre serve a proper angle of draught.