IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SLEEPERS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas William Miller, of 6, Queen's Place, South-
sea, Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SLEEPERS."
Sealed the 21st July 1854, and dated the 16th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas William Miller at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the:
16th May 1854.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM MILLER, of 6, Queen's Place, Southsea, Hants, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
SLEEPERS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the forms of railway
sleepers when wrought iron is used, and consists of employing for such purposes
angle or trough iron rolled to the following forms:-

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas William Miller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WILLIAM MILLER, of 6, Queen's Place, Southsea, Hants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date 'the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas William Miller, Her. special licence that I, the said Thomas William
Miller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas William Miller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree, with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 SLEEPERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas William Miller, by an instrument in writing under my band 'and seal,
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 Thomas William Miller, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its object improved arrangements or constructions of
wrought-iron sleepers for railways, by employing plate iron and angle iron, and
combining the same, as herein described, and uniting the parts by rivets or
otherwise.
And in order that my Invention may be: most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and the methods of constructing sleepers according to them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a section or end view of a sleeper for a railway constructed
according to part of my improvements; Figure 2 shows a side view and plan
of Figure 1. This sleeper is composed of two pieces of L angle iron, fixed

page_text: together. by rivets; but they may, if preferred, be combined by screw bolts and
nuts. Figures 3, 4, and 5 shew three views of like sleepers applied to a part
of a permanent way of a railway, and which also represent the manner in
which the sleepers hereafter to be described may likewise be applied, as will
readily be indicated by reference to these Figures. Figure 6 shows a section
or end view of a sleeper for a railway constructed according to part of my
improvements; Figure 7 shows a side view and plan of Figure 6. This sleeper
is composed of two pieces of I double angle iron fixed together by rivets, but
they may, if preferred, be combined by screw bolts and nuts. Figure 8 shows
a section or end view of a sleeper for a railway constructed according to part of
my improvements; Figure 9 shows a side view and plan of Figure: 8. This
sleeper is composed of one piece of Tangle iron and two pieces of Langle
iron, fixed together by rivets; but they may, if preferred; be combined by screw
bolts and nuts. Figure 10 shews a section or "end view of a sleeper for a
railway constructed according to part of my improvements; Figure.11 shews
a side view and plan of Figure 10. This sleeper is composed of a plate of iron
for its upper surface, and one piece of L angle iron, fixed together by rivets;
but they may, if preferred, be combined screw bolts and nuts. Figure 12
shews a section or end view of a sleeper for a railway constructed according
to part of my improvements; Figure 13 shows a side view and plan of
Figure 12. This sleeper is composed of a plate of iron for its upper surface,
and two pieces of L angle iron, fixed together by rivets; but they may, if pre-
ferred, be combined by screw bolts and nuts. Figure 14 shows a section or end
view of a sleeper for a railway constructed according to part of my improve-
ments; Figure 15 shows a side view and plan of Figure 14. This sleeper only
differs from the preceding one, inasmuch as the top plate of iron is turned up
at the edges; in other respects the description just given in respect of Figures
12 and 13 will apply to Figures 14 and 15. All the above descriptions of
sleepers may be applied to railways in the manner represented by Figures 3, 4,
and 5, and other forms of chairs than those described may be used and similarly
fixed; or the chairs may be fixed by rivits or otherwise; and when suitable forms
of rails are used, the rails themselves may be fixed by screw bolts and nuts, or
by rivits or otherwise, directly to the sleepers. Thus far I have only spoken
of using the peculiar combinations of parts as transverse sleepers, but they may
be also applied as longitudinal sleepers, in which case the angle iron and plates
are to be made longer, and such longitudinal sleepers are either to have chairs
fixed thereon by screw bolts and nuts, or otherwise; or the rails themselves may
be, when their forms will admit of it, fixed directly to the sleepers by screw
bolts and nuts, or otherwise.

page_text: When making longitudinal sleepers of the forms shewn and described
above, I prefer that the several parts of which the same is composed should
be so combined that the ends thereof and the ends of the rails shall not come
together, but that they shall break joint, not only in respect to the parts of the
longitudinal sleepers themselves, but also in respect of the rails, by which
greater uniformity of strength will be obtained than when the ends come all
opposite the same place; and these sleepers may be kept apart at their proper
distances by ordinary stretching bolts, with collars and nuts, or otherwise.
I would remark, in respect to all the above descriptions of wrought-iron
sleepers, that they may be coated with zinc or other material to protect and
preserve them.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the details herein described; but what I claim is, the constructing of
railway sleepers by combining the forms of wrought iron, above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas William Miller, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
T. W. MILLER. (L.S.)