Box Shaped Hollow Metal Sleepers for the Permanent Way of Railways.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Box Shaped Hollow Metal Sleepers for the Permanent Way of
Railways.
We, REINHARD MANNESMANN and MAX MANNESMANN both of Remscheid,
Bliedinghausen, in the Empire of Germany, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of metal sleepers for the
permanent way of railways, whereby these are constructed of a hollow box shape
and in some cases have chairs or seats for the rails formed in one therewith.
The metal sleepers used heretofore are produced by rolling in ordinary calibres,
and are of a trough shaped section, the open side being directed downwards and
embedded in the ballast.
The work of bedding such sleepers firmly upon the ballast, is, as is well-known
much more difficult with such sleepers, than is the case with wooden sleepers in
which the ramming can be effectually carried out from the sides, while the ramming
of trough shaped sleepers requires much time and care. If the sleeper is not
rammed in a perfect manner, those parts that are not perfectly supported by the
ballast are subject to great strains, and at the same time the passage of trains
causes vibrations producing objectionable noise. These disadvantages are obviated
by constructing sleepers according to this invention of a hollow box shape from
seamless tubes. Such sleepers are produced by the farther working of tubes
obtained by the oblique rolling process. The top and bottom of the sleeper are
preferably made flat while the sides are either also made flat or are made with
vertical or horizontal corrugations. In order to reduce the noise arising from
traffic as much as possible such sleepers can be filled with ballast or other material
having a different period of vibration than the metal.
Another essential improvement consists in forming the chairs or seats for the
rails in one piece with such sleepers.
A great number of railway accidents are caused by the rails not being permanently
secured at the required distance from each other on account of the rails only being
held directly at a few points by the fastenings whereas according to the present
invention, the rail and the sleeper are united by direct surface pressure distributed
over comparatively large contact surfaces.
The accompanying drawings show by way of example various constructions of
the said box shaped sleepers, both with and without the chairs or seats combined
therewith.
Figure 1 shows a cross section of a box shaped sleeper in which the top and
bottom a, b, as also the two sides ss are made flat, the bottom might be made of
increased width as shewn at Figure 2 in order to afford the sleeper a correspondingly
increased bearing surface in which case the sides ss would be inclined as shown.
The top a might in that case be made of decreased width as shown, so that the
total area of the section need not be greater than in the rectangular section
Figure 1.
If it be desired to increase the elasticity of the sleeper in reference to vertical
pressure the sides s may be made curved or with corrugations having longitudinal
ridges and furrows as shown at Figure 3. If on the other hand it be desired to
strengthen the sides against flexure, they may be made with corrugations having
transverse ridges and furrows as shewn in transverse, and horizontal sections at
Figures 4 and 44.
In order to prevent the necessity of bending the sleepers in a longitudinal
direction and to do away with the necessity of separate chairs, those parts of the

page_text: top a of the sleeper on which the rails are to be fixed may be indented as shown at i
in the longitudinal section at Figure 5.
Figure 6 shews a longitudinal section. Figure 7 a plan, and Figure 8 a cross
section at of a box shaped sleeper, having the chairs or seats for the rails
formed in one therewith as before described, such chairs being formed by pressing
the metal of the sleeper into suitable moulds, either from the inside or from the
outside or by both combined.
The right hand chair is shewn adapted for a double headed hollow rail while the
left hand chair is adapted for a single headed rail. The rails may be secured in
the chairs by ordinary wood keys or by hollow wedge shaped steel keys d d formed
out of seamless tubes. These keys may either be placed on the inner side of the
rail, as at the right hand side of Figure 6, or on the outer side as at the left hand
side by their elasticity they afford a certain amount of spring action between the
rail and chair.
These sleepers with combined chair may be made of any of the before described
cross-sections and with longitudinal or vertical corrugations. Owing to their box
shape they afford great security against shifting in the longitudinal direction of
the permanent way, as also against lateral shifting of the line of rails, if the cuds
of the sleeper be closed, and for the latter purpose, the ends may be made with
lateral projections or the sides or bottom or both may be made with tooth shaped
projections along part or the whole of the length.
For reducing the tendency to rust the sleepers may be galvanised or otherwise
coated, or they may be provided in the well-known manner with a coating of black
oxide.
As before stated the above described box shaped sleepers can be filled with
materials such as ballast, sand, slag, that have a period of vibration, different from
that of the metal sleeper, and that thus prevents the vibrations of the latter from
causing objectionable noise, such vibrations being made to generate heat instead.
Such filling would in addition have the effect of increasing the weight and inertia
of the sleepers.
Or these may be filled with glass, granite or other suitable solid bodies that
liquify or become plastic at the temperature to which the sleepers are heated for
the rolling operation, and are thus more or less incorporated with the internal
surfaces of the sleepers by such rolling whereby, in addition to the before mentioned
greater or less prevention of noise and increase of weight the strength of the
sleepers to resist transverse strain will also be considerably increased. The
adhesion of such filling to the metal surface may advantageously be assisted by
first applying to the inner metal surfaces a thin coating of materials such as water
glass, salts, enamels or oxides, that readily liquify at the heat to which the sleepers
are subjected and that have a greater tendency to adhere to the metal than the
material constituting the filling, and which consequently serves as an effectual
cementing medium between the two, and causes the strains to which the rail is
subjected to be readily transmitted to the filling. During the process of rolling,
the latter is confined within the sleeper either by a suitable stopper inserted at
each end or by closing the ends by welding in.
Although we have described the said box sleepers more particularly in their
application as transverse sleepers, yet they may be equally well used as longitudinal
sleepers.
Instead of constructing the entire box sleeper of one piece as above described it
may be built up of two or more separate parts. In this case it is generally
preferable to make the bottom or base separate from the sides and top as shewn in
the cross-section at Figure 9 and longitudinal section at Figure 10. The lower
ends of the sides have flanges s¹ formed thereon, to which the base plate is
secured by rivetting or otherwise. After filling the sleeper'with ballast &c. (if
required) the ends are closed by means of plates secured to the top base and
sides. The base can be made either flat or corrugated, as shewn. By corrugating
the base, the rigidity of the sleeper can be increased and at the same time a firmer

page_text: bedding of the sleeper upon the ballast be obtained. By the flanged connection
also a greater width of base is afforded.
The jointing of the parts of which the sleeper is composed, may also be effected
at any other points than at the base, such as between the top and sides.
In order to prevent the box sleeper from being too flexible in the direction of
its length, while at the same time affording a certain amount of flexibility at the
points where the rails are situated, the sleeper may be constructed as shown in side.
view and cross-section at Figures 11 and 12, where the parts y of the sleeper that
are beneath the-rails S are formed with corrugations having horizontal ridges and
furrows, so as to yield somewhat to vertical pressure the length of such corrugations
being by preference made equal to about twice the width of the rail base for
affording the requisite elasticity. The part of the sleeper between the rails is
either made with flat sides, or the rigidity thereof may be increased by forming the
sides s with vertical ridges and furrows, as shown.
The above described arrangement can also be employed with the before described
box sleepers made of one piece.
Dated this 18th day of February 1891
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Box Shaped Hollow Metal Sleepers for the Permanent Way of
Railways.
We, REINHARD MANNESMANN, and MAX MANNESMANN, both of Remscheid,
Bliedinghausen, in the Empire of Germany, Engineers, do hereby declar 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:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of metal sleepers for the
permanent way of railways, whereby these are constructed of a hollow box shape
and in some cases have chairs or seats for the rails formed in one therewith.
The metal sleepers used heretofore are produced by rolling in ordinary calibres,
and are of a trough-shaped section, the open side being directed downwards and
embedded in the ballast.
The work of bedding such sleepers firmly upon the ballast is, as is well known,
much more difficult with such sleepers, than is the case with wooden sleepers in
which the ramming can be effectually carried out from the sides, while the ramming
of trough shaped sleepers requires much time and care. If the sleeper is not
rammed in a perfect manner, those parts that are not perfectly supported by the
ballast are subject to great strains, and at the same time the passage of trains
causes vibrations producing objectionable noise. These disadvantages are obviated
by constructing sleepers according to this invention of a hollow box shape from
seamless tubes. Such sleepers are by preference produced by the farther working
of tubes obtained by the oblique rolling process. The top and bottom of the
sleeper are preferably made flat while the sides are either also made flat or are
made with vertical or horizontal corrugations. In order to reduce the noise arising
from traffic as much as possible, such sleepers can be filled with ballast or other
material having a different period of vibration than the metal.
Another essential improvement consists in forming the chairs or seats for the
rails in one piece with such sleepers.
A great number of railway accidents are caused by the rails not being
permanently secured at the required distance from each other, on account of the
rails only being held directly at a few points by the fastenings whereas, according
to the present invention, the rail and the sleeper are united by direct surface
pressure distributed over comparatively large contact.surfaces.

page_text: The accompanying drawings shew by way of example various constructions of
the said box shaped sleepers, both with and without the chairs or seats combined
therewith.
Fig. 1 shews a cross section of a box shaped sleeper in which the top and
bottoin a bas also the two sides ss are made flat; the bottom might be made of
increased width as shown at Fig. 2. in order to afford the sleeper a correspondingly
increased hearing surface, in which case the sides ss would be inclined as shown.
The top a might in that case be made of decreased width as shewn, so that the
total area of the section need not be greater than in the rectangular section Fig. 1.
If it be desired to increase the elasticity of the sleeper in reference to vertical
pressure, the sides s may be made curved or with corrugations having longitudinal
ridges and furrows as shewn at Fig. 3. If on the other hand it be desired to
strengthen the sides against flexure, they may be made with corrugations having
transverse ridges and furrows as shewn in transverse and horizontal sections at
Figs. 4 and 44.
In order to prevent the necessity of bending the sleepers in a longitudinal
direction and to do away with the necessity of separate chairs, those parts of the
top a of the sleeper on which the rails are to be fixed may be indented as shewn
at in the longitudinal section at Fig. 5.
By preference we limit the horizontal corrugations to the parts Z Z of the sleeper
immediately below the rail seats, as shewn at Fig. 7, the intermediate and end
parts being either formed with vertical corrugations as at , or left plain as at yo
By this means the sleeper is afforded a certain amount of flexibility under the
rails, while at the other parts are rendered as rigid as possible. The above
described corrugations may be produced as set forth in the Specification to our
Patent No. 2991 of 1891.
The bottom plate may also be made either plain or with longitudinal corruga-
tions, as shewn in the cross section at Fig. 6, or with transverse corrugations as
shewn in the longitudinal section at Fig. 9, and in cross section at Fig. 8. The bottom
plate may either be formed in one with the other part of the sleeper as shewn at
the left hand side of Figs. 6 and 8 or it may he formed separate and bolted or
rivetted to flanges on the sides, as shewn at the right hand sides of those figures
and of Fig. 7.
Or the bottom may be formed in one with the sleeper and the top to be formed
separate, and rivetted or bolted to Hanges on the sides.
Figure 10 shews a longitudinal section, Figure 11, a plan, and Figure 12 a cross
section at of a box shaped sleeper, having the chairs or seats for the rails
formed in one therewith as before described, such chairs being formed by pressing
the metal of the sleeper into suitable moulds, either from the inside or from the
outside, or by both combined.
For this purpose the sleeper may in the first place be pinched in by suitable
pressure at the sides in the places where the chairs are to be formed, as shewn at
Fig. 11, thereby bulging the metal to a correspondingly increased height.
Folding internal dies having the requisite configuration are then introduced into
the sleeper at these points and are expanded upwards by wedging so as to bulge out
the metal still further while at the same time the outer surfaces of the bulged
parts are subject to the pressure of external dies having the requisite configuration
for forming the chair, after which the internal dies are contracted again and
removed.
In some cases we form openings in the under surface of the sleeper at the points
where the chairs have to be formed, so that the bulging can be effected by dies
introduced through such openings.
The right hand chair is shewn adapted for a double headed hollow rail while the
left hand chair is alapted for a single headed rail. The rails may be secured in
the chairs by ordinary wood keys or by hollow wedge shaped steel keys dd
formed out of seamless tubes. These keys may either he placed on the inner side

page_text: of the rail, as at the right hand side of Fig. 10, or on the outer side as at the left
hand side by their elasticity they afford a certain amount of spring action between
the rail and chair.
These sleepers with combined chair may be made of any of the before described
cross-sections and with longitudinal or vertical corrugations. Owing to their
box shape they afford great security against shifting in the longitudinal
direction of the permanent way, as also against lateral shifting of the line of rails,
if the ends of the sleeper be closed, and for the latter purpose the ends may be
made with lateral projections or the sides or bottom or both may be made with
tooth shaped projections along part or the whole of the length.
For reducing the tendency to rust, the sleepers may be galvanised or otherwise
coated, or they may be provided in the well known manner with a coating of black
oxide.
As before stated, the above described box-shaped sleepers can be filled with
materials such as ballast, sand, slag, that have a period of vibration, different from
that of the metal sleeper, and that thus prevents the vibrations of the latter from
causing objectionable noise, such vibrations being made to generate heat instead.
Such filling would in addition have the effect of increasing the weight and inertia
of the sleepers.
Or these may be filled with glass, granite or other suitable solid bodies that
liquify or become plastic at the temperature to which the sleepers are heated for
the rolling operation, and are thus more or less incorporated with the internal
surfaces of the sleepers by such rolling whereby, in addition to the before mentioned
greater or less prevention of noise and increase of weight, the strength of the
sleepers to resist transverse strain will also be considerably increased by the
rigidity of the filling when cold. The adhesion of such filling to the metal surface
may advantageously be assisted by first applying to. the inner metal surfaces a
thin coating of materials such as water-glass, salts, enamels or oxides, that readily
liquify at the heat to which the sleepers are subjected and that have a greater
tendency to adhere to the metal than the material constituting the filling, and
which consequently serve as an effectual cementing medium between the two and
cause the strains to which the rail is subjected to be readily transmitted to the
filling. During the process of rolling the latter is confined within the sleeper
either by a suitable stopper inserted at each end or by closing the ends by welding
in. The consolidation of the filling can also be effected by re-heating the sleeper,
after rolling, to the requisite degree to render the filling plastic, and then allowing
it to harden on cooling.
Although we have described the said box sleepers more particularly in their
application as transverse sleepers, yet they may be equally well used as longitudinal
sleepers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :--
1. The herein described construction of box-shaped metal sleepers formed of
seamless tubes the sides of which sleepers are either flat, curved or corrugated.
2. A box shaped metal sleeper forined out of a seamless tube, having chairs or
seats for the rails formed in one therewith, substantially as described.
3. A box shaped metal sleeper formed out of a seamless tube having indented
parts of its upper side serving as bearing surfaces for the rails substantially as
described.
4. The method of constructing box shaped metal sleepers out of seamless tubes
with chairs or seats for the rails formed in one therewith, by subjecting the metal
of the sleeper at the required points to pressure within suitable moulds, substantially
as described.
5. A box shaped metal sleeper the sides of which are formed with horizontal
ridges and furrows at those parts on which the rails bear, while the parts of the

page_text: sides between the rails are formed either flat or with vertical corrugations substan-
tially as described.
6. Constructing box shaped metal sleepers such as are referred to in the
preceding claim with the bottom or the top plate formed separate from the other
part.
7. In box shaped sleepers such as are referred to in the preceding claims, the
method of filling the sleepers with granite, glass, or other suitable bodies that will
liquify or become plastic at the temperature to which the sleepers are heated for
the rolling operation, or when they are specially heated after the rolling, so that
on cooling, such filling will become solid and will at the same time adhere to the
metal and will thus both strengthen the sleeper and prevent noise from vibration,
substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of November 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.