Every circumstance relating to locomotion on railways having become of importance, nothing escapes investigation, nor attempts at amelioration. Amongst the many apparently trivial matters to which attention is necessary to enable a locomotive machine to work web, is that of the lubricating substance. The sagacity of Mr. Henry Booth, of Liverpool, has led him to effect an im provement in this respect, for which he obtained a patent on the 14th of April, 1835 ; which he has denominated " The Patent Axle Grease, and Lubricating Fluid." These, according to the specification, are chemical compounds of oil, tallow, or other grease, and water, effected by means of the admixture of soda or other alkaline substance, in such proportions, that the compounds shall not be of a caustic or corrosive nature, when applied to iron or steel, but of an unctuous greasy quality, easily fusible with heat, and suitable for greasing the axle-bearings of carriage wheels, or the axles, spindles, and bearings of machi nery in general. The proportions of the ingredients, and mode of compounding them, are stated to be as follow :— " For the axletrees of carriage wheels, a solution of the common washing soda of the shops, in the proportion of half a pound of the salt, to a gallon of pure water ; to one gallon of this solution, add three pounds of good clean tallow, and six pounds of palm oil. Or instead of the mixture of palm oil and tallow, add ten pounds of palm oil, or eight pounds of firm tallow. The tallow and palm oil, or either of them, and the solution as described, must be heated together, in some convenient vessel, to about 200c or 210° of Fahr. and then the whole mass must be web stirred or mixed together, and continually agitated, until the composition be cooled down to 60° or 70° of Fahr. and have obtained the consistency of butter, in which state it is ready for use.
The patent lubricating fluid, for rubbing the parts of machinery in general, is thus made ; to one gallon of the aforesaid solution of soda in water, add of rape oil, one gallon ; and of tallow or palm oil, one quarter of a pound. Heat them together to about 210° of Fahr., and then let the fluid composition be well stirred about. and agitated without interinission, until cooled down to or 70°, when it will be of the consistence of.cream. If it be desired thicker, a little addition of tallow or palm oil renders it so.
It has been observed that the deflection of the railway bars, by heavy carriages passing over them on the Manchester and other lines of road, absorbs a considerable portion of the tractive force ; besides producing, by their vibratory action, an earlier destruction of the stationary, as well as the loco motive mechanism. To provide a remedy for these apparent defects of the ordinary system, Mr. John Reynolds, of Neath, has proposed to give to the rails, bars, or plates, an equal support in every part of their length, so that they shall not be susceptible of depression or deflection; and this he proposes to effect by two methoda, for which he obtained a patent onthe 5th May, 1835. The first is by cast-iron bearers laid and joined end to end, and in such manner as to be incapable of vertical or lateral movement, independently of those next adjoining to them. The rails, bars, or plates, over which the carriage-wheels are
intended to run, may be either cast on and with the bearers, or they may be separate. The second method is by bearers formed by blocks of natural or artificial stone, joined end to end, and bedded in the roadway, and secured in such manner together, that they can only move in concert. A great variety of forms of rails, founded upon the basis of construction just mentioned, have been made by Mr. Reynolds : it will only be in our power to notice here two or three of them. The annexed figure shows a vertical section of one of the most approved forms, in which the ballasting that it is imbedded in, shown at a a, is of less depth than the bottom of the stone sleepers gene rally used, and of considerably leas depth than the bottom of the excavation and ballasting on the London and Birming ham railway.
The form of the bearing rail for the carriage wheels is shown at b, and that of the hollow support and lateral inclined plates at e c. They are fastened end to end by means of " songs," or projecting pieces cut to them, of such forms as that, when placed in juxta position, a key or wedge is driven into an aperture formed by their union, which hold's them firmly together. The blocks of natural or artificial stone are to be joined by the various modes known to masons, and the iron rail above, whether of wrought or cast iron, are also to be fastened by means too well understood to need explanation. The annexed section represents another cut of the numerous designs given by the patentee: so represents a wrought iron rail, resting upon and fastened to a sill of timber t, enclosed between the bearing plates g g, which, together with the lin d, are imbedded in the ballasting.
The advantages contemplated by the patentee are-1, a great saving in excavation and ballasting ; 2, a saving of the cost of materials and laying down ; 3, in maintenance of way or permanence of work; 4, saving the repairs of engines. Some rails on this construction are laid down ex perimentally on the Liverpool and Manchester line, and apparently stand the test very satisfactonly.
Mr. Thomas Parkins, of Dudley, has had a patent for a similar object to tne foregoing, which is dated the 3d of December, 1835. It consists in forming continuous sleepers of vitrified earth (burnt clay), which the patentee states are as hard and durable as granite, and impervious to the weather. The following Fig. 1 gives a cross section of Mr. Parkins's railway, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of a portion of it. The vitrified blocks or sleepers are shown at a a a; each sleeper is 13 inches at the base, five at the top, twelve deep, and nine loug, and locks into the other, thus forming a continuous mass along the whole line of road. The joining is effected by a projecting tongue b, which fits into a corre onding recess made in each block. A groove c is moulded longitudinally in the top of the sleepers, into which the rib of • wooden bearer d (four inches at the base, four deep, two wide at the top, and twelve feet or more long) is placed; and is bedded upon patent felt ; on this wooden bearer is fixed an iron bar e e, for the wheels of the carriages to run upon ; this bar or rail being also bedded upon felt.