IMPROVEMENTS IN CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS.
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Irlam, of the Gibraltar Iron Works, Newton
Heath, near the City of Manchester, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS.".
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Irlam at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
November 1855.
I, WILLIAM IRLAM, of the Gibraltar Iron Works, Newton Heath, near the
City of Manchester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS, to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to render railway crossings more durable and
to facilitate repairs. In constructing my improved crossings, I attach the
point to a foundation plate, as in some other crossings. To this foundation
plate are cast flanges, to which are attached steel or iron pieces, forming pro-
longations of the wing rails, and the flanges are continued to form the ends.of
the wing rails that guide the wheels to the crossing. These steel or iron pieces,
when injured, can be removed with facility and 'others put in their places;
consequently, the requisite repairs can be made without removing the entire
wing rail as at present. In order to diminish the wearing away of the crossing,

page_text: I place steel or iron filling-up pieces on the foundation plate, so that the
wheels in passing over the crossing are partly supported on their flanges by the
said filling-up pieces. I also propose to cast the point and portions of the wing
rails with the foundation plate, and to chill those parts that are liable to be
worn by the action of the wheels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Irlam in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
IRLAM, of the Gibraltar Iron Works, Newton Heath, near the City of
Manchester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Irlam, Her special license that I, the said William Irlam,
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Irlam, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Irlam, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Irlam, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following Specification
thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is
to say):-
The nature of, my Invention consists, first, in casting the point and portions

page_text: of the wing rails with the foundation plate, and in chilling those parts that
are liable to be worn by the action of the wheels of the carriages passing over
the crossing.
Secondly, in attaching the point to the foundation plate, as in some other
crossings, and in casting flanges with the foundation plate, to which flanges
steel or iron pieces are attached to forin prolongations of the wing rails.
Thirdly, in placing steel or iron filling-up pieces on the foundation plate, so
that the flanges of the wheels in passing over the crossing are supported by
the said filling-up picces.
And, lastly, in an improved arrangement of compound chairs or plates for
supporting the rails and points of crossings.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the said Sheet of Drawings, in the
several views of which similar letters of reference are put upon corresponding
parts.
Figure 1 is a plan of one of my improved crossings; Figure 2 is a longi-
tudinal section, and Figure 3 a side elevation of the same; Figure 4 is a
section through the line A, B; Figure 5 is a section through the line C, D;
and Figure 6 is a section through the lino E, F, on Figure 1. In Figures
1 and 4, a, b, c, and d are the ends of four bridge rails, which are bolted to the
foundation plate e. This plate is supported upon sleepers of the ordinary con-
struction. is the point, which in this instance is represented as attached to
the foundation plate by bolts, but which may be cast therewith; and 9, 9, are
flanges or rails cast with the foundation plate. These flanges or rails form the
continuations of the wing rails a and b, and they are chilled, in the manner well
known to. ironfounders, at the parts marked on the Drawing, in order to
increase their durability; when the point f is cast with the foundation plate
I also propose to chill the upper surface thereof for the same purpose.
Figure 7 is a plan of another of my improved crossings; Figure 8 is a
sectional elevation, and Figure 9 a side elevation of the same; Figure 10 is n
section through the line G, H; Figure 11 is a section through the line I, K;
and Figure 12 is a section through the line L, M, on Figure 7. In these views
a, b, c, d, are the ends of four double-headed rails connected to the foundation
plate e, as shewn in Figure 11. The point f is attached to the foundation plate
as in Figure 1, and the flanges or rails 9, 9, are cast with the foundation
plate. h, h, are steeled wrought iron plates, bolted. to the foundation plate, and
bearing against the flanges or rails g, g, which are continued to formn the ends
of the wing rails for guiding the wheels to the crossing. When the plates
h, h, are worn out or injured, they can be removed with facility and others put

page_text: •
in their places; consèquently, the requisite repairs can be made without
renewing the entire wing rail, as in crossings of the ordinary construction:
i is a filling-up piece, or plate of iron or steel, shewn best in Figures 10 and
12, lying on the foundation plate, and fitting between the plates h, h. The
distance between the top of the plate i and the top of the wing rails is equal 5
to the height of the flange on the wheel; consequently, the wheel in passing
the crossing is partly supported by the said plate i, thereby relieving the wing
rails and the point of a portion of the load, and diminishing the wearing away
of the crossing. The plate i is bevelled off from the place marked ****to the
place marked i*. In some cases it may be preferable to cast the filling-up
piece with the foundation plate.
:
Figure 13 is a plan of my improved double crossing; Figure 14 is a section
through the linė N, O; Figure 15 is a section through the line P, Q; and
Figure 16 is a section through the line R, S. The parts marked a, b, c, d, and e
are similar to those above described. In this instance the wing rail b and the
rail d are prolonged by the steel wrought-iron pieces j, j, which are bolted to
the foundation plate. The steeled wrought-iron piece k is also bolted to the
foundation plate, and bears against the flango 1. The flange or rail m, which
forms the check rail, is also cast with the foundation plate.
.
Figure 17 is a plan of another modification of my improved crossing; and
Figure 18, a section through the line T, U, of Figure 17. In this arrange-
ment the rails n, n, form part of the permanent way. o is the foundation
plate for supporting the ends of the rails c, d, one end of the point f, and the
ends of the wing rails q, q. The plate p supports the ends of the rails a, b,
the end of the point f, and the ends of the wing rails q, q, which are bent in
the middle of their length to the same angle as the check rails r,r. By thus
constructing railway crossings, short wing rails which are easily removed and
repaired are obtained, and the space between the wing rails and the point is
reduced, thereby affording better support for the wheels in passing over the
crossing.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
.forming the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
details herein set forth, as the same may be varied without departing from the
peculiar character of my Invention; and that what I claim is,
First, casting the point and wing rails, or either of them, with the foundation
plate, and in chilling the surfaces thereof to increase their durability, as shewn
and described in reference to Figures 1 to 6.
Secondly, the improvements shewn and described in reference to Figures 7
to 12, and particularly the flanges or rails 7 and pieces h.
I

page_text: Thirdly, the improvements shewn and described in reference to Figures 13
to 16, and particularly the pieces marked j and k.
Fourthly, supporting the wheels of railway carriages on their flanges by
means of filling-up pieces, as shewn and described in Figures 7, 8, 10, and 12,
or by any other suitable means.
And, lastly, the improvements in crossings, shewn and described in reference
to Figures 17 and 18.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Irlam, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
W¾. IDI AM
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
WM. TDI AM