IM- PROVEMENTS IN PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morris, of South Hackney, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS,"
Sealed the 14th June 1870, and dated the 20th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th December 1869.
I, WILLIAM MORRIS, of South Hackney, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in forming double-headed rails as follows:-
The two heads or wearing surfaces are made separate and secured to the
body or web portion of the rail by means of dovetailing throughout its
whole length. Each end of the body or web portion of rail is formed with
Price 8d.1

page_text: a dovetail projection throughout its whole length, and the heads are
formed with a square groove throughout their whole length. The part
or sides of the head that fits next the body of the rail is made a little
wider than the head when finished, so that when the two heads and the
body of the rail are passed together through a pair of rolls or other
pressers it squeezes the excess of metal which extends beyond the side
of the finished head into the acute angle of the dovetail projection on
the body of the rail and so secures them to it, but for further security
to prevent lateral movement, I form the portion of the head next the
bottom part of dovetail on body of rail on a bevel, at the same time I
squeeze the head on the body of rail. I force the body part to meet
the bevel head, thus forming four dovetails, two vertical and two lateral,
by which means I can put on new heads when necessary.
My Invention also applies to flat bottom rails, or rails having only
.one wearing surface, except that the rail is formed in two pieces instead
of three as in the case of the double-headed rail.
My Invention also comprises the converting of the ordinary rails as
now made when worn out into the form above described, by which
means I can place on the body or web portion of rail new tops, whether
of iron or steel, instead of having to cut up the old rails and re-roll
them as is now generally the case. I can if required form on the under-
side of a flat bottom rail a projecting dovetail, on to which I drive a
plate having a corresponding groove in it, so that at the meeting of the
rails this plate when driven to its proper position is half on
and half on the other, and so secures the two rails like an ordinary
fish plate.
one rail
I also include an improvement on my dovetail fish plates. I adopt
the same method of fishing on the web of rail as shown in my Patent
of 21st May 1869, but I make the fishes go round the double-headed
rail and meet in the centre of the rail on the under side or bottom of
rail, these are formed with a dovetail projection, on to which I drive a
plate having a corresponding groove in it to secure the fishes on the
under side and centre of rail.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morris in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORRIS, of South Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Morris, Her special licence that I,
the said William Morris, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Morris, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, 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 PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Morris, 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 Morris, 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 thereof, with reference to the accompanying
Drawings by the figures and letters marked thereon and herein referred
to, in which Drawings,―
Fig. 1 is a cross section of a double-headed rail prepared to receive
the heads or wearing surfaces.
Fig. 2, cross section of a double-headed rail, one top or bottom
showing the method of fixing on the heads in a series of steps, and

page_text: the other top or bottom, the process more particularly herein-after
described.
Fig. 3, cross section of a double-headed rail showing the method of
putting one head on only, the other or bottom portion being formed for
a bearing surface and not to be reversed.
Fig. 4, cross section of double-headled rail showing the head in the
position ready to be squeezed on to the web portion of rail, and the
bottom part formed for a bearing surface only and not to be reversed.
Fig. 5, cross section showing method of applying the head to a flat
bottom rail.
Fig. 6, cross section of a flat bottom rail showing the method of apply-
ing dovetail fish plates to them (so as to envelope the rail) and having
a dovetail piece or fish plate with a groove in it driven on to a corre.
sponding projection formed on the under side of the vertical fish plates
under the rail.
Fig. 7, an elevation of the above showing the vertical and horizontal
fish plates in position.
Fig. 6, an elevation of a flat bottom rail showing the slot formed in
the web to receive the dovetail piece to drive the fish plates on to.
Fig. 9, an elevation of a flat bottom rail showing the dovetail projection
complete ready for fish plates to be driven on.
Fig. 10, cross section of a double-headed rail with fish plates enve-
loping same, and having a dovetail piece or fish plate with a groove in
it driven on to a corresponding projection formed on the under side of
the vertical fish plates under the rail.
Fig. 11, elevation of same showing both vertical and horizontal fish
plates in position.
Fig. 12, elevation of a double-headed rail showing position of slot
in the web to receive the dovetail piece to drive the vertical fish plates
on to.
Fig. 13, elevation of a double-headed rail showing dovetail projection
complete as produced by rolling and ready to receive fish plates.
Fig. 14, cross section of a flat bottom rail showing dovetail projection
on the under side of bottom of rail to receive a T piece or other form of
bottom fish plate hereafter particularly described.

page_text: in position.
Fig. 16, section of dovetail piece as made before being inserted in the
slot in the web of rail and hammered or pressed down on one side
between templates to the requisite dovetail form after the manner of
ordinary rivetting,
My Invention consists in forming and securing in position double-
headed or other rails in manner following, that is to say :-One or both
heads of rails or wearing surfaces, as the case may be, are made separate
and secured to the web portion of the rail by means of dovetailing
throughout its whole length. On the top, bottom, or both top and
bottom of the body or web portion of rail a vertical dovetail projection
is formed throughout its whole length, as shown at a, a, Fig. 1. The
remaining portion of rail not occupied by the aforesaid vertical pro-
jection is made at an angle inclining upwards to meet as it were the
vertical projection, as shown at b, b, Fig. 1, so that the angle formed by
one side of vertical projection and the bevel line is less than a right
angle. The heads are formed with a square groove, as shown at f,
in Fig. 4, throughout their whole length, the parts or bottom sides of the
head that fit next the body or web portion of rail when laid on ready
for fixing will project a little beyond the sides of the rail as shown at e, e,
Fig. 4, so that when one or both heads and the body of the rail are
passed together through a pair of rolls or other pressures it squeezes the
excess of metal e, e, Fig. 4 which extends beyond the sides of the
finished head into the acute angle of the dovetail projection on the body
or web portion of rail, and is thus secured to it, or the necessary
angles can be formed in the heads a trifle larger than the corresponding
parts of the rail, and driven on from one end and then shrunk to the
rail in the way that shrinking is usually performed; but for further
security to prevent lateral movement the part of the body of rail next
the bottom of vertical projection is made on a bevel or inclination
upwards as before mentioned; this is one very essential feature
in my Invention, the forming of these two lateral dovetails b, b, Fig. 1,
whereby it is impossible for the head and body of the rail to separate
from each other as they do now, where only the two vertical projections
are made. If necessary I can from the vertical and lateral dovetail
projections in a series of steps, as shown at c, c, Fig. 2, with grooves in
the head to fit.

page_text: My Invention comprises the forming of these two lateral dovetails
when securing the head of rail by the adoption of the process of welding
and rolling. The heads when made separate are put on to the rail either
when hot or cold; I prefer putting them on when heated sufficiently to
squeeze the projecting parts e, e, Fig. 4, of the heads in to the acute
angle of the dovetails and then shrinking the head to the rail.
My Invention applies to flat bottom rails, bridge rails, and all kinds of
rails baving one or more wearing surfaces.
My Invention also comprises the converting the various kinds of rails
as now made when worn out into a form having both the vertical and
lateral dovetails as described above and shown in the Drawings at
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, for the purpose of receiving a new head, whether of
iron, steel, or any other suitable material, instead of cutting up the rails
and re-rolling them, as is now generally the case. The necessary angles
on the body or web portion of rail to secure the heads to the rails are
formed in the usual way of making or rolling such angles; they can
be made by using bevel rolls to suit the required angles. If required
I can form on the under side of a flat bottom rail a projecting dovetail,
as shown at g, Figs. 14 and 15, on to which I drive a plate or T iron k,
having a corresponding groove in it, so that at the meeting of the rails
this plate or T iron when driven to its proper position is halt on one
rail and half on the other, see Fig. 15, and so secures the two rails like
an ordinary fish plate. The projection on bottom of rail may be formed
the whole length of rail or at intermediate distances; it may also be
made by bolting or screwing on with countersunk bolts or screws.
My Invention likewise comprises a fish joint for rails based on a
similar principle of construction to that described in the Specification
of my Patent of 21st May 1869, No. 1581. In this case I construct the
fish plates to surround the double-headed or flat bottom rail, as shown
in Figs. 6, 7, 10, and 11, and meeting in the centre of the rail on the
under side or bottom of rail. These fish plates are formed with dovetail
projections, as shown at m, m, in Figs. 6, 7, 10, and 11, on to which I
drive a plate n, n, Figs. 6, 7, 10, and 11, having a corresponding groove
in it to embrace the half dovetails on each fish plate on the under side
and centre of rail.
The dovetail projections Q on web of rail may be formed either by
rolling or by rivetting as follows:-A slot is ont in the web of the

page_text: rail, as shown more particularly in
the fish plate or thereabouts, and
the rail or a small distance from it.
formed of the shape shown in Fig. 18, but of several inches in length;
this is inserted in the slot when in a hot state, and the excess of metal,
as shown at p in Fig. 10 to form the dovetail on one side is hammered
or pressed down between templates or otherwise to the required dovetail
form, after the manner of ordinary rivetting. The slot in web of rail
can be formed at small intermediate distances instead of in one length,
as shown in the Drawings, with dovetail pieces to correspond.
Figs. S and 12, of the length of half
may extend from the extreme end of
The dovetail projection Q is first
These methods of forming the requisite dovetail projection on the web
of rails can be adopted with advantage for those forms of rails and fish
plates shown and described in the aforesaid Specification of my Patent
dated 21st May 1869, No. 1581.
I purpose also to make dovetail projections in web of rail as follows :-
Having cut the slot from the extreme end of rail, the projection being
previously formed of the required shape is driven into the slot when
hot and allowed to cool, or may be put in cold.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my Invention, and in what manner the same may be performed
or carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim, the "Improve-
ments in Permanent Way of Railways and Tramways" as herein-before
described, it being understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details and the method of formation illustrated by the Drawings and
described with reference thereto, as it will be obvious that the same
may be varied without substantial departure from the nature and
character of my said Invention, peculiar and important features whereof
are,-
(1.) The making of new rails and putting on the head or wearing
surface separate.
And (2). The converting of old rails when worn out into a form to

page_text: Also (3). Dovetail fish plates for joining the ends of rails together,
and the means of making the dovetail projections on the webs of rails.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morris, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
WILLIAM MORRIS. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOMAS MORGAN,
Secretary to the
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
Charing Cross.