IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Willis, of Swannington, in the County
of Leicester, Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
CHAIES." A communication from abroad by Frederick Nicklin and
Rueben Willis, of Troy, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 18th February 1870, and dated the 2nd September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Willis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd September 1869.
I, STEPHEN WILLIS, of Swannington, in the County of Leicester,
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention refers to the construction of double and single headed
railway chairs for the purpose of uniting or securing the ends of the
rails, the objects of the Invention being greater facility in the said
operation of uniting the rails with increased security and a ready means
of disconnection when required. The chair is cast or otherwise formed
in two parts or halves divided longitudinally in the direction of the
[Price 8d.1

page_text: rail, and peculiarly formed to slide and fit in each other with a bevilled
groove and wedge-shaped counterpart to each half, the upper part or
head of each half of the chair being formed to impinge against the
sides of the rail having a similar contour thereto in section. To secure
the ends of the rails the two halves of the chair are slid within each
other on each side of the rail in opposite directions in such manner
that the wedge-shaped part of each half slides into the counterpart
bevilled groove in each half, thereby locking the parts together and pro-
ducing great strength beneath the rail. To tighten up and properly
secure the parts the two halves are "driven home," and become the
more rigidly secured as the wedge or slide parts engage with each other.
To disconnect the parts one of the halves must be tapped until the wedge
parts become loose or partially freed, when the halves of the chair may
be readily slid out of place. The chair as described may also be formed
without the wedge if preferred.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Stephen Willis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
WILLIS, of Swannington, in the County of Leicester, Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, 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 Stephen Willis, Her special licence
that I, the said Stephen Willis, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Stephen Willis, 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
RAILWAY CHAIRS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Stephen Willis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in

page_text: writing under my, or their, or one of the 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 Stephen Willis, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 Drawings hereunto
annexed and the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention refers to the construction of double and single headed
railway chairs for the purpose of uniting or securing the ends of the
rails, the objects of the improvements being greater facility in the said
operation of uniting the rails, with increased security and a ready
means of disconnection when required. The chair is cast or otherwise
formed in two parts or halves divided longitudinally in the direction
of the rail, and peculiarly formed to slide and fit in each other with a
bevilled groove and fast or loose wedge-shaped counterpart to each
half, the upper part or head of each half of the chair being formed to
impinge against the sides of the rail, having a similar contour thereto in
section.
The precise nature of these improvements will be better understood
by referring to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is an end elevation, Figure 2 a side elevation, and Figure 3
a plan of an improved double headed hanging railway chair shewn as
fitted to and uniting the ends of two rails.
(a) and (b) are the two parts or halves of the chair, shewn more
clearly in detached plan, Figure 4, divided longitudinally, and peculiarly
formed to slide and fit in each other with bevilled grooves (c) and (c)
and wedge-shaped counterparts (d) and (e) to each half, the upper part
or head (a) and (b) of each half of the chair being suitably formed
as shewn in Figure 1, to impinge against the sides of the rail, having a
similar contour thereto in section. To secure the ends of the rails the
two halves (a) and (b) are slid within each other on each side of the
rail in opposite directions, so that the wedge-shaped part (e) of the
half (a) shall slide into the counterpart bevilled groove (c) of the half
(b) and the wedge-shaped part (d) of the half (b) will slide into the
counterpart groove (c) of the half (a). The two halves (a) and (b) of

page_text: the chair are thus locked together, producing great strength beneath
the rails. To tighten up and secure the parts the two halves (a) and (b)
are driven home, for which purpose the wedge-shaped parts may be
formed to project as shewn from the ends of the chair, which will
become the more rigidly secured as the wedge or slide parts engage
with each other. To disconnect or free the parts one of the halves (a)
or (b) must be tapped until the wedge parts (d) and (e) become loose or
partially freed, when the halves (a) and (b) may be readily slid out of
place.
Figures 5 and 6 are sections, and Figure 7 a plan shewing the im-
provements described as applied to single headed rails of a form
suitable for attachment to sleepers. In the chair, as shewn in Figure 5,
the two parts (a) and (b) slide within each other in bevilled and wedge
shaped grooves, the upper part of the chair being formed to clip upon
the bottom flange of the rail.
A similar form of chair is represented in Figures 6 and 7 with the
exception that loose wedges (c, c,) are provided instead of. the wedge-
shaped parts being formed solid with the parts (a) and (b) of the
chair, the loose wedges (c, c,) when driven home answering a similar
purpose. The rigidity, of the solid or loose wedge-shaped parts may
be more effectually secured by the employment of small pins (d),
Figure 7, passing through guide holes formed at the meeting edges of
the projecting ends of the solid or loose wedge-shaped parts.
"
Having thus described the object and nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, I claim
without limiting myself to these precise details, the several Improve-
ments in Railway Chairs," substantially in manner as herein more fully
set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Willis, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 24th day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
STEPHEN WILLIS. (L.S.)