IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILROAD RAILS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILROAD RAILS."-A communication from
abroad by James Boorman Johnston, of the City, County, and State
of New York, in the United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Peter Jensen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 7th August 1873, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
JENSEN, of 89, Ohancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer
and Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: is made somewhat thicker than that portion nearer the edges in order to
render the rail when completed sufficiently strong to prevent liability.
to a fracture of the cap by the car wheels passing over it. The cap is
applied so as to break joints both with the part a and the part a', and
thus constitute with said parts as completely continuous a railroad rail
as can well be devised. Both sides of the rail thus constructed are
concave at the "web" or thinnest vertical portion, and at suitable points
along the rail, equidistant between the joints as far as practicable, said
web is provided with elongated horizontal slots a, the length of which
is sufficient to allow for the contraction and expansion of the rails.
Bolts B, B, provided with an elongated head at each end are then heated
and introduced into the slots, so that their heads will project on each
side of the rail when they are turned at right angles, bringing their
heads across the line of the slots, as shown in Figure 1, where they are
allowed to shrink and bind the parts a, a¹, O, together in the most solid
and substantial manner; they may also in addition to the shrinkage
be swaged up against the rails. The proximate faces of the bolt heads
are rounded to fit the concave sides of the web, as shown in Figure 3,
so as to prevent the possibility of their turning when once secured in
place. All screws, screw nuts, nut locks, and other parts expensive or
complicated in construction or liable to get out of order or work out of
place are thus completely avoided.
The method of fastening the parts of the rail together, as herein
described, may be applied to railroad rails constructed differently from
that which I have described and shown, but as here applied in com-
bination with the two inner parts and the outer steel cap, the whole rail
thus constructed is believed to possess practical advantages superior to
any other heretofore introduced.
Having thus described my Invention, and means by which the same
may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact details shown and described as the same may
vary without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention,
but what I do claim is,—
Firstly. The railroad rail composed of the parts a, a³, c, connected

page_text: Secondly. The double headed bolts B when constructed as described
and applied to fasten the parts of a railroad rail together, in the manner
substantially as herein set forth.
In witness. whereof, I, the said Peter Jensen, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.