CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEEPERS OR BEARERS APPLICABLE TO RAILROADS
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PARKIN, of Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of December, in the sixth year of His reign,
did give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Parkin, my exors, adiñors,
and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Thomas Parkin, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said Thomas Parkin, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
hereafter, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
SLEEPERS OR BEARERS APPLICABLE TO RAILROADS;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso that I, the said Thomas Parkin, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to be enrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chan-
cery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said in part recited Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, may more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Parkin, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
According to the ordinary means of constructing railroads, the rails are
supported by means of blocks of stone at certain intervals; and in some
instances it has been proposed to make such blocks support the rails con-
tinuouly throughout the length of the rails or bars on which the carriages run,
and in other cases wooden sleepers or bearers have been employed.
Now, the object of my Invention consists, first, in constructing or moulding
sleepers or bearers applicable to railroads, of clays and other materials, and
by burning the same produce hard blocks, as hereafter described, to be used
as substitutes for the ordinary stone sleepers or bearers now in use.
And, secondly, an improved construction of sleepers or bearers for rails
from wood.
Thirdly, in preparing the surface of the earth for continuous sleepers,
whether of stone or other materials.
And, Fourthly, in constructing hollow sleepers or bearers, and filling them
with concrete or cement.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a rail mounted on three continuous sleepers d, d, d, each
locking into the other, and bedded on patent felt e, e, e, with iron bolts f,f,f,f,
which gripe the rail at each end, holding it firmly down to the sleepers;
Figure 2 represents the end of one of the sleepers with rail g mounted upon it,
and a half circle g, g, at the bottom to form a drain; Figure 3 represents a
section of the rail and the middle sleeper h, h, with a long screw i in the middle,
which goes through a hole in the sleeper and enters a piece of wood d, which
fills up the hollow of the sleeper b, as shewn at Figure 5, and holds the rail
in the middle firmly down to the sleeper. This section also represents a
notch c, c, at each end of the rail into which the arm of the bolt shewn at
Figure 6 enters and holds the end of the rail down to the sleepers, while the
means for expansion is afforded by the arm of the bolt not being quite so
Jong as the notch in the rail, nor the end of the rail quite touching the body
of the bolt. Figure 4 shews the top of a sleeper with the groove k in it, in
which the rail is fixed, and also the sides of the sleeper in its pyramidial
form with its projecting tongue m, m, which enters the diagonal groove / in
the end of the sleeper placed next to it, as shewn in Figure 1. Figure 5
represents the bottom of a sleeper with a hollow b, in which is fixed a piece

page_text: of wood, into which the screw i, shewn at Figure 3, enters and draws the
rail in the middle tightly down upon the sleeper. Figure 5 also represents
the projecting tongue m, m, with grooves n, n, at each end, which enclose the
bolt, Figure 6, and notches o, o, for the bottom arm of the bolt to slide into
flush with the bottom of the sleepers. Figure 6 represents the bolt which
secures the ends of the rail to the sleepers.
Explanation of Figures 7 to 22.-The sleepers may be made without any
tongues or projections, and be dowelled together diagonally and longitudinally;
diagonally by a groove being made at each end (shewn at 6 in Figure 7),
wood or other hard substance being fitted in, as shewn at c, and longitudinally
by a kind of triangular hole a, Figure 9, in which is fitted wood b, or any
other hard substance, the wood being about five inches long and fixed half in
each sleeper, being first steeped in pitch or tar, to prevent swelling by water
or damp. The rail is laid in the groove, Figure 7, the same as at Figure 1,
but secured down upon patent felt d to the sleepers by screws e, at Figure 7,
entering the wooden dowells c at that Figure, and the wooden dowells 6 at
Figure 9. The rail to be one or two yards long, and 4 sleepers to the yard,
so that the joints in the rails and sleepers will always correspond, and the
screws go down the perpendicular grooves a at the top of the sleepers, as
shewn at Figure 10. To facilitate drying and burning, the sleepers will have
holes made all through them from end to end, as shewn at Figures 8 and 9.
Wood, &c., may be fitted in the perpendicular grooves to prevent the sleepers
moving out of a straight line by any lateral pressure, the same as the
diagonal tongues on the dowells preventing one sleeper sinking below another
in the ground, if the foundation at any particular spot yield or give way.
Although I have shewn at Figures 1 and 7 how the rails may be screwed or.
fastened down to the sleepers, such screwing or fastening is not necessary. if
the rails, whether made of malleable or cast iron, are made to dowell into each
other by tongues a, and grooves b, as shewn in the section, Figure 18, and by
the end of the rail a, at Figure 12. The weight of the rails will keep them
down, and though a very little space is left between each rail for expansion,
no one rail can ever get out of its place, as the whole line will be thus united
or dowelled together; but any one may easily be removed and replaced by
raising the rails up, when the tenon will slip out of the mortice.
Figure 11 represents the tops of the rails with the countersunk holes a, for
the screws to secure the rails to the sleepers if. deemed necessary, the said
holes being somewhat larger than the screw both in its body and head, so as
to afford space for expansion and contraction. Cast-iron rails may be made
with compartments on each side c, at Fig. 18, and thereby save at least one

page_text: of the weight of metal. But a still further saving in metal may be
cffected by having oak or other hard wood for rails, as shewn at c, Fig. 9.
The wood to be about 4 inches wide at its bearing on the sleepers, with a
tongue or rib of about 1 inch square at the bottom, to enter the groove in
the sleepers, and about 4 inches high, of the shape shewn at c, Fig. 9, being
covered with a bar of malliable iron d, about a quarter of an inch thick, and 2
inches wide, which is to have countersunk holes, and be secured down to the
wood by screws, as shewn at a, Fig. 11, when the means will be afforded for
expansion and contraction. The materials of which the sleepers are made is
so hard and durable that it may be used for railways without any iron at all.
To effect this object I make what I call clinkers, each 4 inches long or more,
about 2 wide, and 9 or 10 deep; each locks by tongues and grooves longi-
tudinally into the other, two being abreast, as shewn at Fig. 14, or each may
have a groove only, and the two abreast be dowelled together by wood being
fitted into the grooves. As at the joints the clinkers would be liable to chip off
and wear moro than at other parts, I cross them like brickwork, as shewn at
Fig. 14; and as the wheels of the carriages will be wider than one clinker,
the solid or middle of one clinker will bear the wheel off the joints of the
others, and so prevent the consequence spoken of. I lay them down on a
concrete foundation, the same as the other sleepers, and bury them in the
cement, except about 1 inch which rises above the line of the ground, and
forms the rail.
Fig. 15 represents the end of one of the clinkers with the tongue a; Fig. 16,
the end of one with the groove a; and Fig. 17, a, a section of a number of
clinkers in a line. This species of railway is particularly adapted to all existing
roads, and can be laid down at a very trifling expence. I also make of the
vitrified earth solid blocks, see Fig. 21, of any size to substitute stone
isolated sleepers, and make two holes about nine inches apart for bolts to
secure the cast-iron chair to the blocks a, at Fig. 22. I also of the same
material make cases of about two inches in thickness, either square or round,
with a rib in the middle for strength, as shown at a, Fig. 18, and a, at
Fig. 20. In the top are 2 holes for bolts to screw the chair to, as shewn
at a, Fig. 19. The bolts are seen at b, Fig. 18. The cases are fitted with
concrete or other cement, after the bolts are put in their holes, and the case
then becomes a solid mass. I also make similar cases also to be filled with
concrete or cement of iron, wood, and any other suitable substance, but I
prefer the materials above described for making vitrified blocks for sleepers or
I carers. I make sleepers for railways from vitrified earth by moulding the same
of fire clay and clay, in which an iron ore, called at Dudley "fire clay balls"

page_text: and in places adjacent "balls," is found in equal quantities mixed with about
a fifth weight of sand, the same when moulded and quite dry being hard.
burnt in a close oven or kiln, similarly to stone pottery ware; but other clay
such as is used for making stoneware, will do, if mixed with sand or stone.
grit, in the proportion above mentioned; but I prefer using the two former
clays. There are two kinds of sleepers :-sleepers to form a continuous line,
which I make about 9 inches long each, 5 at the top and 13 base; and isolated
sleepers each about one foot thick and 2 feet square at the top and bottom;
but I reserve to myself the right of making any alterations in size, form, and
shape, in both descriptions of sleepers, as experience and circumstances may.
dictate. The continuous sleepers are. laid down in trenches, the top standing
about an inch above the ground on a foundation of concrete or any other
cement, of such thickness as circumstances may require. And when laid
down the sides of the trenches are filled up with concrete or other cement,
and thus the sleepers are perfectly secure in the ground; but the more easily
to acquire a level I cover the concrete foundation with sand or ashes, which are
important as non-conductors of vibration. And to facilitate aying the sleepers
down and the better to drain the road, I place on sand or ashes thin sheets
of iron or other metal, or thin planks of wood, all steeped in pitch or tar.
What I claim as my Invention :-
First, I claim first generally the use of railway supports called sleepers or
bearers, of whatever size, form, or shape, when moulded or formed of clay
or other materials, and burned in hard blocks, as above described, whether the
same are used for railways with iron bars, or constituting a railway of such
sleepers.
Secondly, I claim the right of making continuous wooden sleepers or
bearers, when the same are secured in grooves in other sleepers for the rails
to rest or bear on, as above described. And further I claim the making
grooves in continuous wooden sleepers or bearers for receiving the rails or
bars of iron, whether such continuous longitudinal sleepers of wood are affixed
in grooves or other sleepers or not.
Thirdly, I claim the right of making a concrete or cement foundation for
continuous sleepers, whether of stone or other materials, but not for isolated
sleepers, the sleepers locking into each other or being dowelled together is of
less consequence.
Fourthly, I claim the right of making cases to be filled with concrete or
other cement for sleepers, whether such cases be made of vitrified earth, iron,
wood, or other suitable materials.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1836, the aforesaid Thomas Parkin came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
cight hundred, and thirty-six.