and other Rails to Steel or other Sleepers or Supports.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 18th Nov., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 11th Jan., 1887.
and other Rails to Steel or other Sleepers or Supports.
I WILLIAM THORLEY STEWART of Glanmire in the County of Cork, Ireland, Mill
Owner and Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED
MEANS AND MECHANISM FOR SECURELY FASTENING RAILWAY AND OTHER RAILS TO
STEEL OR OTHER SLEEPERS OR SUPPORTS to be as follows:-
The portion of the surface of the sleeper upon which the flange of the rail rests is
sunk in or lower than the surface of the adjacent parts and in this recess the rail is
securely held by means of a bar of steel or iron bent into a crook or curve at each end
and placed below the sleeper's surface while the crooks are passed up through slots in
the sleeper and one of them passed over one side of the flange of the rail while between
the other crook and the other side of the flange of the rail is inserted and driven a
steel, or iron, key, or wedge which securely fastens and forces all the parts together.
In carrying out my invention the sleeper is made preferably of thin steel or iron
rolled or forged into trough or channel-iron formation the trough being turned upside
down so that the outside of its bottom forms a flat surface for the flange of the rail (or
if the rail be double-Headed then its chair) to rest upon while the sides of the trough
projects downwards and outwards into the ballast of the line. Tho bottom of the
trough which forms the sleeper is for that portion of its length and breadth at each of
its ends upon which the flange of the rail, or its chair, rests sunk or depressed into
the trough for a depth nearly equal to the thickness of the flange of the rail near its
edges so that there is at each edge of the flange of the rail a shoulder which prevents
the rail moving or slipping sideways. Near the centre line of the sleeper and
beginning at each end or shoulder of the depressed or sunk portion of it is a slot, or
rectangular hole, extending for a short distance along the sleeper from each side of
the flange of the rail, or its chair, when it is in position in the sunk portion of the
sleeper and through these slots are passed up the crooked or curved ends of the bar
before referred to.
This bar which is of steel or iron of suitable proportions to bear the stress to which
its parts are to be subjected is bent round in a curve or crook at each end so that
when these crooks are passed up through the slots in the sleeper and the bar is drawn

page_text: backwards and forwards along the sleeper the underside of each of the crooks will
alternately pass over and engage against the upper side and edge of the flange of the
rail and the underside of the sole of the sleeper that is at its respective side of the
sunk portion and shoulder of the sleeper and so jam, or press the flange of the rail and
the sleeper together.
In order to pass the crooks up past the edges of the flange of the rail the distance
between the end of one crook and that of the other must be nearly equal to the width
of the flange of the rail and consequently when the crooks are passed up through the
sleeper and the bar of which they are part is drawn towards either end of the sleeper
one of the crooks will first slip loosely over the flange of the rail at its side for a
distance until the thickness of the flange and the sole of the sleeper together becomes
more than the opening of the crook when any force applied to draw the crook further
over the flange towards the web of the rail will cause the upper and lower members of
the crook to jam or squeeze the flange of the rail to the surface of the sleeper. The
other crook at the other end of the bar will by this operation have been drawn away
from the edge of the flange of the rail nearest to it by so much as the crook at the
other end of the bar has passed over the flange of the rail at its respective side and
there is therefore a space left between the edge and upper side of the flange of the rail
and the inside of the crook at that side of the rail which is nearest to the end of the
sleeper towards which the holding down bar with its crooks has been drawn. Into
this space is driven a wedge or taper key which may be made of steel, iron, or other
suitable substance and which wedge or key is formed and shaped so that its cross
section shows its outer and upper sides to correspond in shape with the curve of the
inside of the crook while its inner and part of its under sides are curved and
shouldered to fit the upper portion and edge of the flange of the rail, the remaining
portion of the underside of the wedge being merely flat to carry the thrust of the
flange of the rail against the shoulder of the wedge to the centre of the bend of the
loop of which forms the crook into which the wedge is to be drivon. The wedge is
preferably driven at the inside of the rail so that a man walking along the line can see
the wedges of both rails at the same time. The slot or rectangular hole at one side of
the rail and preferably the inner one may be made sufficiently long to admit of the
holding down bar been drawn out or inserted through it without disturbing the
sleeper.
If so desired for cross sleepers, or if the sleepers be placed longitudinally along the
lines of rails it may be considered more advantageous, or convenient to have the flat
part of the sleeper upon which the flange of the rail, or its chair, rests raised up or
bossed instead of being sunk and the holding-down-bar with its crooked ends passed
through from one side to the other underneath the sole of the sleeper and the rail
secured to and tightened up to its upper surface by the wedge, or key above described.

page_text: Figure 1 indicates a side view of a double headed rail the chair of which is
supported by and secured to a metallic sleeper, according to one form of my
improvements.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a sectional view thereof, a liner or packing piece being applied beneath
the chair and between it and the sleeper both the liner and the bottom of the chair
being located in a recess in the sleeper.
Figure shows a somewhat similar view but minus the packing piece or liner, the
recess in the sleeper forming a shoulder at one end of the chair only.
Figure 5 shews a similar view of another modification of details of arrangement in
which a liner is interposed between chair and sleeper but the retention relatively in
place of the chair, liner and sleeper is attained with the aid of a projection beneath the
chair passing into holes in the underlying parts.
Figures 6 and 13 shew respectively sectional and plan views of an arrangement of
my invention adapted to a flange rail and Figures 7 and 14 corresponding views of a
modification in the form of sleeper.
Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 and 15 show other modified forms of arrangement of like parts.
Figure 16 shews separately in plan the crooked bar and wedge.
Throughout the various modifications herein before referred to the same principle
of construction is embodied; that is to say, a rail firmly secured with or without the
interposition of a chair to a metallic sleeper by means of a double hooked or crooked
part applicable and removeable, without necessary disturbance of rail or sleeper, and
locked into position by means of a wedge, the whole of the parts being adapted to be
constructed of steel or other suitable metal or mixture of metal or alloys.
The like letters of reference throughout the parts indicate corresponding parts.
A. B. C indicates the crooked bar, which form the connecting means and is
removeable.

page_text: DDD is the sleeper of steel or other metal. E E' indicates the rail chair.
G is a filling piece, sole plate or liner.
HH' are holes in the sleeper for inserting or removing the crook-bar A B ('.
K is a locking wedge to lock the crooked bar in its holding position.
I is the ordinary key locking rail and chair together.
Lis a lug or projection from the chair base to enter holes in the sole plate and
sleeper.
The bar C of crooked form at each end A B is according to my invention made
from a bar of steel, or iron of suitable form and proportions to bear with safety the
stress to which it may be subjected and bent formed or stamped into a crook at each
of its ends, the centre portion of the bar being straight as shown.
The opening B of the crook at one end of the bar is just sufficient to admit and grip
tightly within it the three thicknesses together, 1st, of the top or floor of the sleeper
marked D, 2nd, the end of the chair E and 3rd, any sole plate, or liner. G, that may
be placed between them; or those of, 1st, the top of the sleeper D, 2nd, the flange of
the rail F and 3rd any liner placed between them G when it is for a flanged rail that
the fastening is required as shown in Figure 11. The opening of the crook A at the
other end of the bar is greater than the opening of the crook B so that when the chair
or the flange of the rail is in its proper position on the sleeper with a liner under it,
if so desired, this larger crook A can be drawn over the end of the chair E Figure 3,
or over the flange of the rail F1, Figure 11, as the case may be without gripping it.
This crook A is also larger at one side than at the other, so that it has a tapered
formation. The distance between the points of the two crooks is preferably nearly
equal to the length of the chair when intended for use with a chair as shown in
Figures 1 to 5, or to the width of the flange when for use with a flanged rail as shown
in figures 6 to 1.5.
The sleeper D, which may be made of steel or other suitable material, of the trough,
box, or other formation, has holes or slots H, H¹ Figures 2, 13 and 14 formed in its
upper part or floor close to, or near where each end of each chair or each edge of the
flange of each rail rests when the chairs or the rails as the case may be are in gauge
position on the sleeper.
The sleeper having been laid and the chair or the flanged rail having heon placed
in proper position for fastening down the crooked bar is held by its larger
crook A while its smaller crook B is passed down through the slot or hole in the
sleeper at one end of the chair, or at one side of the flange of the rail, and
then up through the slot or hole 11 at the other end, or side, so that the straight
part of the bar C between its two crooks lies flat along the underside of the
upper part of the sleeper while its two crooks project upwards through the slots
above the upper part of the sleeper, at either end of the chair, or side of the
rail. The larger crook A is then drawn along the slot away from the rail, which
causes the smaller crook B at the other end of the bar to pass over the end of the
chair or the flange of the rail at its side of the rail until it grips tightly whichever of
them is under it and clamps it and any liner that may be between it and the sleeper
and the upper part of the sleeper together. At the other side of the rail between the
larger crook A and the end and upper side of the end portion of the chair E' or
between it and the edge and upper side of the flange of the rail F as the case may be,
is driven a welge or key K made of steel or other suitable material - formel and
shaped that as its cross section shows, its outer and upper sides correspond in shape
with the curve and taper of the inside of the crook while its inner and part of its
under sides are curved and shouldered so as to fit the edge and upper side of the end
portion of the chair; or the edge and upper portion of the flange if it be for use with
a flanged rail, the remaining portion of the underside of the wedge being merely flat.
The wedge thus formed on being driven into the larger crook A completes the
fastening which securely holds the chair, or the flange of the rail, to the sleeper. The
point of the wedge K may be split and after having been driven opened out to prevent
its working backwards, or loose.
The larger crook into which the wedge is driven may be at whichever side of the

page_text: rail may be found more convenient. The chairs, or the rails, as the case may be, are
prevented from moving along the sleeper out of gauge by having the portions of the
upper part or floor of the sleeper upon which they rest and also the part between the
two chairs, or rails, sunk in, or lower than the surface of the adjacent parts which are
nearer to the ends of the sleeper so that the portions of the upper part of the sleeper
which are outside the chairs, or the flanges of the rails, are higher than those portions
upon which the chairs or the flanges rest and so form shoulders for the ends of the
chairs or the flanges of the rails to butt against, as shown in Figures 4 and 6; but if
so desired this sunk in portion of the sleeper may extend along the sleeper for a
distance only equal to the length of the chair, or to the width of the flange of the rail,
under each chair, or each rail, so that there will be a shoulder at both ends of cach
chair as shown in Figure 3, or at both sides of the flange of each rail, as shown in
Figures 7, 8 and 11.
Another arrangement by which chairs may be retained in gauge position on the
sleeper and the necessity for having the portions of the upper part of the sleeper upon
which they rest lower than the adjacent parts, avoided if so desired is shown in
Figure 5 and consists of having one, or more rectangular, or other shaped, lug, or
lugs L projecting from the bottom of each chair and having slots or holes of
corresponding shape in the upper part of the sleeper for the lug or lugs on the chair
to fit into. Any liner that may be under the chair is also perforated for the lug or
lugs to pass through it.
In all these arrangements for determining the position of the chair on the sleeper
the chair and liner are held down to the sleeper by the crooked bar and wedge K as
before described while the rail may be held in the chair by an ordinary timber wedge I.
When sleepers are placed longitudinally along the lines of rails the whole of the top
of the sleeper may be flat; but if preferred, that part of it upon which the chairs or
the flange of the rail, rest, or rests may be bossed up instead of being sunk in and the
crooked bar passed from one side to the other underneath the flat top, or the bossed
up part of it, as the case may be, and the chair or the flanged rail secured and
tightened up to its upper surface by the wedge or key above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
The combinations or arrangements and use of parts forming means and mechanism for
securely fastening railway and other rails to steel or other sleepers or supports
applicable and removable without disturbance of the rails sleepers, or chairs when
such are employed, and avoiding the use of bolts screws or rivets constructed and
operated substantially as set forth.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agent for the Applicant.