Improvements in Metallic Railway Ties or Sleepers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallic Railway Ties or Sleepers.
1, THEODORE RENSALER DUNNING, of Middletown, in the County of Orange and
State of New York, United States of America, gentleman do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improvement in metallic railway-ties and it consists
in the peculiar construction and combinations of devices that will be more fully set
forth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the preferred construction of my improved railway-tie.
Fig. 2 a side elevation thereof.
Figs. 3 and 3 are detail perspective views of the means for securing the rails
in place.
Fig. 4 a like view of a portion of the tie, showing slightly different means for
securing the rails to the tie."
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified construction of my tie.
Fig. 6 a cross sectional view of the same on line x-x of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 a section taken on a plane at right angles to Fig. 6.
Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged detailed perspective views of the studs to secure the
rails to the ties.
Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional views of another modification of my invention.
I will first describe the preferred construction of my device illustrated in Figs. 1
to 4 of the drawings and in these figures, A indicates a hollow tie made of a single
piece of wrought iron or steel and comprising the bottom B and vertical sides C,
thus forming a tie which is rectangular in shape. It may, however, be made of a
U shape or any other desired shape if preferred.
The sides of the tie have their corners beveled or cut away and turned inward as
at b whereby to stiffen the ends of the tie beyond the points where the rails cross.
Within the tie at each end thereof at the points where the rails will cross, is placed
a block C¹ of cast or wrought iron the purposes of which blocks, C₁ are to afford a
firm support for the rails and sustain the weight of passing trains and thereby relieve
the tie of a considerable portion of the strain to which it would be otherwise
subjected, thus enabling the tie to be made much lighter and consequently to be
produced more cheaply.
The upper edges of the sides of the tie are provided with dovetailed recesses cat
each end, into which fit plates D of wrought metal, arranged transversely of the tie,
the edges of the plates being correspondingly beveled to adapt them to fit snugly in
the recesses c.
The plates D are placed in position by slightly bowing them at their centres and
springing them into place.
The ends of the plates which project slightly beyond the sides of the tie are
turned upward to form vertical flanges d about one-and-one-half inches in height
and are provided with laterally projecting ears e which embrace the sides of the tie
and thus prevent any spreading of the tie.
The flanges d are provided with notches or recesses of a length equal to the
width of the base of a rail the latter when in place lying within the recesses and
resting upon the plates as shown and are thus prevented from springing outward or
inward.
Each of the plates are provided at a point intermediate of its ends with an opening
into which projects a stud or tenon on the upper face of the blocks C¹ whereby
the latter are held securely in place within the tie. If desired, the bottom of the

page_text: tie may be provided with openings into which may fit studs on the lower face of the
blocks.
For locking the rails to the tie and the top plates, I employ the following means:-
In each plate near the ends thereof, at points just beyond the edges of the rail
flange, and diagonally opposite to each other are pierced holes E, and in each side
of the tie at points beneath the plates are angular or L-shaped slots F. A locking
bolt or pin G having its upper end bent to form a head overlapping the flange of the
rail passes through each of the openings E and its lower end is slightly reduced in
diameter and provided with a hook h' which forms a kerfi between it and the
reduced portion into which fits the angular edge k of the slot when the bolt is in
position.
For preventing accidental displacement of the bolt when in place, I employ
spring-keys H which are forced partly through the slots F immediately in rear of
the bolts G.
By removing the spring-keys and pushing rearward the bolts to cause them to
disengage the slots and then turning the bolts to cause their heads to release the
rail flanges, the rails can be readily removed.
Where fish joints are used, the openings E in the plates may be located nearer the
ends thereof.
In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification in the means for locking the rails in position.
In this instance the L-shaped slots are dispensed with and angular openings made
in the bottom of the tie on opposite sides of the blocks C, through which openings
pass the lower ends of the bolts, the bent portions m of which lap over the bottom of
the tie. Each bolt is held in place by means of a wedge shaped nosen on one end
of a bar L bolted at its other end to the plate the nose of the bar being forced into
the opening in the plate in rear of the bolt.
For the purpose of lightening the tie and yet preventing the same being weakened
too much, I provide openings M in the sides C, of the tie.
One elongated longitudinal opening might be made in each side of the tie, though
I have found that such an opening, would weaken the tie too much, and I therefore
prefer the series of openings M for the purposes stated.
For allowing any water that may accumulate in the tie to drain off, I provide the
bottom B with a number of openings N.
I will now describe that construction of my device shown in Figs. 5 to 11.
The tie A is here also made of a single piece of wrought or cast iron, and is
rectangular in shape and comprises the bottom B and the vertical sides C, the latter
being provided at the upper edges with outwardly extending flanges D. A cover
or top-plate E is provided which is arranged on the upper side of the tie, is adapted
to close the same and has its edges curved downward to form depending flanges F
which extend over the flanges D. In said flanges D and in the top plate are longi-
tudinal openings G adapted to register with each other when the top plate is in
position on the tie.
Under the openings G of the tie and in alignment therewith are openings H
made in the sides of the tie. The top-plate may be made of steel, iron or other
suitable metal.
The supporting blocks I are placed in the tie at suitable distances from the ends
thereof, and between the openings G, and K are studs projecting from the upper and
lower sides of the blocks and extending through openings in the top plate and bottom
of the tie, to retain the blocks in position.
To secure the rails on the tie I provide T-headed studs M which have the lower
portions of their shanks reduced to form narrow necks N, and having right-angled
arms at their upper end adapted to bear on the base flanges of the rails while the
T-heads of the studs pass through the openings G and are arranged transversely
under the flanges D when the studs are turned in such position as to cause their arms
to bear on the rail flanges. Wedge shaped split spring-keys P are inserted point
downward through the openings G, bear against the outer sides of the stud and
clamp the latter firmly in place against the sides of the rails and the lower ends of the

page_text: spring-keys are bent outward as shown in Fig. 6, and caused to engage the flanges D
and thereby retain them in place.
In this manner the rails are fastened securely to the tie and to the top-plate and
the latter is secured firmly in position on the tie.
If preferred, bolts R may be inserted in aligned openings S at points in the top-
plate and in the flanges D between the rails.
It is evident that instead of employing one top plate running the full length of
the tie, two plates may be used, one under each rail leaving the tie open for the
major portion of its length, precisely as in the preferred construction before described,
without altering the spirit of my invention.
I do not desire to limit myself to the precise arrangement of devices hereinbefore
described, as modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of
my invention.
In Figs. 9 10 and 11 I illustrate a modified form of studs to secure the rails, in
which I provide said studs with eyes M₁ at their lower ends in lieu of the T-heads
and employ bolts M2 to pass through said eyes and through the sides of the tie to
pivotally receive the studs in place.
The hooks or arms at the upper ends of the studs engage the base flanges of
the rails and the spring keys are employed, as before, to keep the studs in place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The tie made of metal and having its upper side open, in combination with the
top plate or plates on the upper side of the tie and the supporting blocks arranged
transversely in the tie and bearing on the plate or plates at points below the track-
rails, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the hollow metallic tie and the top plate or plates, of
the supporting-blocks arranged in the tie and having the studs engaging openings in
the tie and top plate or plates substantially as described.
3. The combination with the hollow metallic tie the sides of which are provided
with recesses, of the plates fitting within said recesses, the end flanges on said plates,
provided with recesses, the laterally projecting lips embracing the sides of the tie,
and the supporting blocks arranged within the tie beneath the plates, as described.
4. The combination with the hollow metallic tie, the upper edges of the sides of
which are provided with recesses, of the plates fitting within said recesses the rails
supported upon said plates, and means for securing the rails to the latter, consisting
of the locking bolts G having the bent upper ends engaging the rail flanges, and
passing through openings in the plates and having the lower hooked ends engaging
slots in the sides of the tie, and spring keys, inserted in said slots in rear of the
locking bolts, substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of August 1880
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.