IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILS FOR RAILROADS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonathan Law Booth, of Rochester, New York,
United States of America, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILS FOR RAILROADS."
Sealed the 24th May 1870, and dated the 6th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonathan Law Booth
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th December 1869.
I, JONATHAN LAW BOOTH, of Rochester, New York, United States of
America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILS FOR RAILROADS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in a compound rail for railways formed. by first
rolling the cap and base separately and then applying them together and
passing them together through a rolling or compressing machine, where-
by they are firmly united without being heated for that purpose. The
base and cap are first separately rolled, the base having a head with
wedging sides, and the cap having a plain body with depending lips

page_text: which taper or lessen in thickness toward the edges. After being thus
separately formed the cap is placed over the base and the two without
being heated for the purpose are passed together through a suitable
rolling or other compressing machine, which sets the depending lips
closely up against the wedging sides in a dovetail form, thereby
securing them firmly together by the frictional contact, and producing a
perfect rail. The form of the depending lips of the cap is such that
when pressed up to the base piece the lapping edges or points set up
first and the subsequent pressure on the thicker portion fixes the
extremities so closely in contact that the inherent reaction or spring of
the lips cannot release them. By rolling the parts together without
their being heated for the purpose there is no unusual expansion and
contraction of either portion of the rail, and therefore no undue curving
or bending which would occur if part were hot and the other cold.
Rails formed in this manner are less liable to fracture than solid steel
rails and are more enduring than either solid steel or iron rails, since
when the cap or tread piece becomes worn it can be replaced by a new
one without discarding the base.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jonathan Law Booth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JONATHAN
LAW BOOTH, of Rochester, New York, United States of America,
Gentleman, send greeting.
'WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Jonathan Law Booth, Her special
licence that I, the 'said Jonathan Law Booth, my éxecutors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jonathan Law Booth,
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

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILS FOR RAILROADS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jonathan Law Booth, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jonathan Law Booth, 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 statement, reference being had to the accom
panying Drawings, forming a part of this Specification.
My Invention consists of a compound rail for railways formed by first
rolling the cap and base separately. and then applying them together and
passing them together through a rolling or compressing machine, whereby
they are firmly united and without being heated for the purpose.
In the Drawings Fig. 1, is a cross section of the complete rail;
Fig. 2, a similar view showing the process of connecting the parts.
A indicates the base; and B, the cap. These parts are first separately
rolled, the base having a head a with wedging sides b, b, and the cap
having a plain body c with depending lips d, d, which taper or lessen in
thickness toward the edges. After being thus separately formed, the cap
is placed over the base, as shown in Fig. 2, and the two without being
heated for the purpose are passed together through a suitable rolling or
other compressing machine which sets the depending lips d, d, closely
up against the wedging sides b, b, in the dovetail form shown in
Fig. 1, thereby securing them firmly together by the frictional contact
and producing a perfect rail. The form of the depending lips of the cap
is such that when pressed up to the base piece the lapping edges or
points set
up first and the subsequent pressure on the thicker portion
fixes the extremities so closely in contact that the inherent reaction or
spring of the lips cannot release them. By the rolling of the parts
together without their being heated for the purpose there is no unusual
expansion and contraction of either portion of the rail, and therefore no
undue curving or bending, which would occur if one part were hot and
the other cold.

page_text: Rails formed in this manner are less liable to fracture than solid stcel
rails, and are more enduring than either solid steel or iron rails, since
when the cap or tread piece becomes worn, it can be replaced by a new
one without discarding the base.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, I wish it understood
that I claim, a compound rail for railroads composed of a base A and
cap B, each formed separately and united by applying one over the other
and passing the same through a rolling or compressing machine, which
will set the lips of the cap closely under the wedging sides of the base.
The said action of securing the parts together being performed without
heating the parts for the purpose substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonathan Law Booth, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
JONATHAN LAW BOOTH. (L.S.)