Engineers and Mechanics Encyclopedia 1839: Railways: J. G. Fisher

A suspension railway, which in some respects resembles Mr. Palmer's, described at page 426, and, in other respects that described by William Francis Snowden, was patented by J. G. Fisher, on the 2nd of April, 1825.

This gentleman, it will be observed, suspends his carriages to a double line of rail; in this respect, however, he was anticipated in idea by Mr. Palmer, who, in his little interesting book, entitled, Description of a Railway upon a New Principle, observes,-

"to elevate two lines of rail for the purpose of supporting a carriage, could not be done at a sufficiently moderate expense; I therefore endeavoured to arrange the form of a carriage in such a manner that it would travel upon a single line of rail without the possibility of overturning."

Nevertheless, if an inventor can succeed in carrying into beneficial operation, that which was thought of by another as ineligible to attempt, he is entitled to respectful consideration.

Mr. Fisher's plan is, however, not without originality, and, with some modifications, may be rendered useful in many situations. The chief object is stated to be the throwing of a railroad across rivers, swamps, &c.; and the means proposed of effecting it will be readily perceived upon inspecting the following diagrams, and referring to time subjoined explanation of them.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the proposed rail, attached by vertical rods to a chain of bars, which forms a catenarian curve.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but giving only a portion of Fig. 1 on a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is an end or sectional view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is also a sectional view, but of another form of rail, which we shall describe lastly.

The letters of reference denote similar parts in each of the figures. a is the rail, made of stout cast-iron plates, of uniform dimensions, bolted together, having a horizontal projection, or plate, b-b,. each side, for the wheels of the carriages, d-d, to run upon (seen best in Fig. 3); f-f shows the frame of the carriage: the manner of constructing the wheels on either side of the rail, in pairs, is exhibited in Fig. 3, and the mode of joining the front with the hind pair of wheels, in Fig. 3. Iron rings, g-g, pass through the centres of the lower parts of the carriage-frame, to which are suspended the boxes or receptacles for holding the goods or passengers, one of which is shown attached at h, Fig.1.

The loops or holes in the upper part of the rail a, Fig. 2, are, of course, for the convenience of bolting it to the suspension bars, as seen connected in Fig. 1. Each of the bars is to be provided with a wedge or screw adjustment, so as to regulate the uniformity of the plane when any part sinks. To give an idea of the other form of rail, the section Fig. 4 is sufficient. Here it will be seen that the rail (if we may so term it) is of the form of a square tube or hollow trunk, i-i, with an opening or slit on the lower side for the bar j (which is fixed to the axletree of the carriage) to pass through, for the purpose of being connected to a box or receptacle underneath. This square cast-iron trunk, or rail, is to be suspended, as in the previously described rail, to a chain of iron bars or wires, drawn nearly tight, so as to form a catenarian curve when stretched over the place to be crossed.

The mode of propelling the carriages is, we believe, not stated to the specification, but we understand it is to be performed, when the crossing of rivers or ravines is the object, by elevating that end in which the carriages are placed, and letting them find their way to the other end by their own gravity. By such a proposition, it is probable that the patentee does not intend it for any extensive work, as the means proposed of producing motion are applicable only to such cases as we have mentioned.

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