IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY RAILS."
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
-
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY RAILS." - A commu-
nication from abroad by George Washington Newton Yost, of

page_text: sleepers or cross ties; in combining a metallic saddle over such wooden
rail and within such metallic rail with a coupling stirrup under such
combined rails, and at each joint of such metallic rail; in extending the
sides of such saddle downward till they touch and rest on such coupling
stirrup; and in combining a bevelled bottom surface of such wooden
rail extended a little below the flanges or feet of such metallic rail with
a correspondingly bevelled inner top surface of such coupling stirrup so
that tightening the bolt joints of the stirrup will compress the wooden
rail within the metallic rail. The said wooden rail may be of any sound
wood, but is better of oak, hickory, maple, or other hard wood, and the
timber if seasoned may be in its otherwise natural state, but it is better
if "ironized or otherwise prepared to prevent swelling, shrinking, or
rotting. The top is rounded, and the top and sides dressed and smoothed
so as to fit closely within the hollow arched metallic rail. The hollow
arched metallic rail may be of iron or steel, and in consequence of the
support of the wooden rail within it may be very thin and light, and
therefore very cheap. The metallic saddle is set into a recess in the
wooden rail fitted to receive it, and prevents the ends of the hollow
arched metallic rail at the joint from " 'brooming" the wooden rail
under and within, and by extending down and resting on the coupling
stirrup beneath the joint it makes a firm unyielding fish plate, thus the
joint of the wooden rail being under and within a solid part of the
metallic rail the combined rail is as firm and continuous as if made
without joints. The coupling stirrup is composed of two stirrup blocks
and a coupling bolt, the combined length of which stirrup blocks is a
little less than the width of the bottom of the metallic rail, so that
when drawn tightly together by the coupling bolt the stirrup blocks will
press the sides of the metallic rail closely and hard against the wooden
rail, and the bevelled surfaces of the wooden rail and stirrup blocks
meeting conversely make the coupling stirrup act as a wedge, and force
the wooden rail tightly and solidly up into the hollow of the metallic
rail.
The wooden rail of itself is designed to be stout enough to support
41 int
L
loth Halto

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special license
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY RAILS," a communication to me from abroad by George
Washington Newton Yost, of Corry, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robert Lake, 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 Robert Lake, 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 accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
The nature of this Invention consists in combining a continuous
wooden rail with, and within, and nearly inclosed by a hollow arched.
metallic rail whose flanges or feet are spiked directly to a series of

page_text: sleepers or cross ties; in combining a metallic saddle over such wooden
rail, and within such metallic rail with a coupling stirrup under such
combined rails, and at each joint of such metallic rail; in extending the
sides of such saddle downward till they touch and rest on such coupling
stirrup; and in combining a bevelled bottom surface of such wooden rail
extended a little below the flanges or feet of such metallic rail with a
correspondingly bevelled inner top surface of such coupling stirrup, so
that tightening the bolt joints of the stirrup will compress the wooden
il
the metalli
rail
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sand
longitudinal vertical section of the same; Figure 3 is a transverse
vertical section on the line x, y, Figure 2; Figure 4 is an end view; and
Figure 5, a transverse section of the said Invention drawn to an enlarged
scale. Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A indicates a hollow arched metallic rail; B, a continuous wooden
rail; C, a metallic saddle; D, a series of clamps or stirrup blocks; E, a
series of coupling screw bolts; and F, a series of sleepers or cross ties.
a indicates a horizontal longitudinal flange or foot on the bottom of each
fork or leg of the hollow arched metallic rail A; b indicates a bevelled
surface projecting outwardly and upwardly from near the middle on
each side of the bottom of the wooden rail B; c indicates a bevelled
surface corresponding with the bevelled surface 6 of the wooden rail B
on the top of the inner part of each clamp or stirrup block D ; d indicates
a lip, catch, or hook projecting upwardly, over, and inwardly on the outer
end of each stirrup block D; d¹ indicates a sleeve or a hole through the
bottom part of each stirrup block D; e indicates a screw nut on the
screw end of each coupling bolt E; and findicates a spike lapping on
to each flange of the hollow arched metallic rail A, and driven into each
sleeper or cross tie F. The wooden rail B may be of any sound wood,
but it is preferably made of oak, hickory, maple, or other hard wood;
the timber if seasoned may be in its otherwise natural state, but is pre-
ferably "ironized" or otherwise prepared to prevent swelling, shrinking,
or rotting. The top is rounded, and the top and sides are dressed and
smoothed to fit closely within the hollow arched metallic rail A. The
said hollow arched metallic rail A may be of iron or steel, and in con-
sequence of the support of the wooden rail B within it may be very

page_text: thin and light, and is, therefore very cheap. The metallic saddle C is set
into a recess in the wooden rail B fitted to receive it, and keeps the ends
of the hollow arched metallic rail A at the joint from." brooming " the
wooden rail under and within, and by extending down and resting on
the coupling stirrup D, E, beneath the joint it makes a firm unyielding
fish plate. And thus the joint of the wooden rail being under and
within a solid part of the metallic rail the combined rail A, B, C, D, E,
is as firm and continuous as if made without joints. The coupling
stirrup D, E, is composed of two stirrup blocks Dand a coupling bolt E;
the length of these stirrup blocks combined is a little. less than the
width of the bottom of the metallic rail A, so that when drawn tightly.
together by the coupling bolt the stirrup blocks will press the sides of
the metallic rail closely and forcibly against the wooden rail, and the
bevelled surfaces .b, c, of the wooden rail B, and stirrup blocks meeting
conversely make the coupling stirrup act as a wedge, and force the
wooden rail tightly and solidly up into the hollow of the metallic rail.
The wooden rail B of itself is designed to be stout enough to support.
the heaviest locomotive engine, but the combined rail is both lighter and
stouter than any other railway rail in use, and not only is it lighter and
stouter, but it is also cheaper than any other in use.
Wood is more elastic than any other substance of the same strength
and stiffness, and the middle of the bottom of the wooden rail B extends
a little below the metallic rail A, and rests on the wooden sleepers F, so
that the metallic rail bears on the wooden rail, and the metallic rail is so
light that the combined rail is almost as elastic as an entirely wooden.
rail, a great advantage and saving in the lamination of wheels, axles,
and general rolling stock, and in the ease and stillness of riding.
Another advantage of this Invention is its safety. The hollow U
shape of the metallic rail A gives the greatest bearing strength to any
given weight of rail, and the stout, stiff, elastic wooden rail cushion or
packing B under and within it, added to its own strength, renders the
combined rail A, B, so stout as not to break with any fair usage; but if
the hollow metallic part should break it cannot get displaced, its shape
and nature will keep it over and on the wooden part, or if a piece should
so break as to be thrown off, the stiff, stout wooden part still remains
to keep the line intact and the trains in place till the damage is
repaired.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The arrangement of a continuous wooden rail with and within
and nearly enclosed by a hollow arched metallic rail provided with
flanges or feet adapted to be spiked directly to the sleepers or cross ties,
substantially as described.
Second. The combination of a hollow metallic saddle with a wooden
rail, and within a hollow arched metallic rail with a coupling stirrup,
substantially as described.
Third. The combination of a coupling stirrup with a hollow arched
metallic rail, and with a continuous wooden rail within and nearly
enclosed by such metallic rail, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination of a bevelled bottom surface of a wooden
rail with a hollow arched metallic rail with a bevelled top surface of a 1
coupling stirrup, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
CHAS. J. GOOCH.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)