Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th July, 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways and Tramways.
DAVID SMITH Sandown House Hadley near Wellington Shropshire Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I make Railway Sleepers of the section of Iron shown on Sheet 1. I also increase
the depth of the two flanges B B from those shown, and from that up to 4" deep. I
punch out a piece of the web from B to D to receive the Rail and screw Key.
Sheets No. 2. and 12 Show my maleable iron chair. I roll a bar of iron of section
shown, I cut this up into 16" to 18" lengths, and treat them as above described, after,
I cut off the top corners, as shown by dotted lines. I fasten these Chairs to transverse
Sleepers in the usual way.
Sheet No. 3 Shows my new Cast iron Chair.
These I make about 17" long by 6" wide.
I use 2, 3, or 4 of these chairs at .each
joint of the rails, these rest on 2, 3 or 4 Sleepers placed 3' apart (centers).
Sheet No. 4 shows my plan of splicing Rails.
These fish plates I use with, or without the bottom plate A. The fishes are each
attached to a transverse Sleeper every yard, fixed on the top, or recessed as shown.
Sheet No. 5 Shows 4 of my metal Wedge Keys which I make from 2" to 4" long.
Those parts of these Wedges that fit against the Horn of the Chair I make to
taper ". In new Chairs I cast a recess in the Horn to receive the bearing parts of
these Wedges, which recess is bevelled and the wedges are not bevelled. I also make
the recess in the Horn of the Chair to bevel " and the Wedges to bevel ". Numbers
2, and 3 I make shorter so as to admit a "wood liner as shown.
Sheet No. 6. Shows my Screw Key (Patented 1886. No. 11055) with wood Liner.
I cast a recess in the Horn of the Chair 3" deep, and 14" wide, this holds the head of
the Key, the nut is unscrewed to bind against the Web of the Rail (no drawing).
Sheet No. 7. Shows my Compound Rail the Heads being reversable.
No cross
Bolts are required to hold the 3 parts of this Rail together, this is effected by the
Screw Key every yard.
Sheet No. 8. Shows my Compound Rail carried on wood, or iron transverse Sleepers.
The base I make 7" to 97
wide.
Sheet No. 9. Shows my Compound rail with the Head held in place by a Dovetail,
and a Bolt every yard. This Rail I use with, or without the bottom plate A. which
is 6" wide.
Sheet No. 10 Shows my Compound Rail used with my T Sleeper. The wedge
is 4" long. This Wedge I keep in place by a steel pointed Screw as Patented by me
1886 No. 11055.
Sheet No. 11 Shows my Compound Rail fixed in my T Sleeper by my Patent Key.
Sheet No. 12. Shows a side view of my maleable chair.
Sheet No. 13. Shows my plan of supporting Railway Rails. The wood board shown
is carried by a Brick which I make from 15" to 21" long, from 7" to 9" heigh, and
from 7" to 9" wide. Under these Bricks I place a bar of Iron, and bolt it every
yard to the foot of the Rail.
Instead of this Brick I use for the same purpose a cast iron hollow box of the same
outside dimensions. All round on the inside edge I cast a flange 1" wide. Before
placing these Boxes under the Rails I ram them full of Ballast, or other similar
I also
material. The inside flange will prevent the ramming material shaking loose.
use broken Stone, or Furnace Cinder and Grout composed of one part Lime, and two
parts Sand to fill the Boxes.
I maintain Railroads in their proper guage by means of iron rods passing through
hal Dale of cos 27

page_text: These Rods I make 1" or more diameter, and long enough to project 3" when the
Road is on guage. Each end of the Rod is screwed 4" and has two nuts, and I
tighten each pair of nuts against each Rail, one inside, one outside. To increase the
rigidity of these Rods I make Spikes with holes in their Heads 14" diameter, these I
drive into the middle of the wood Sleeper in such a possition as will enable the Rod to
pass through the eye, and the two holes in the Rails.
I also keep Railroads in Guage by means of Tubeing. I take a length of
Tubeing of 1" internal diameter I cut this into lengths to fit in between the Webs
of the Rails when they are in exact guage. I tap each inside end of this Tube
say 6" down. I make two Bolts which I tap to screw into the ends of the Tube. I
place the Tube between the Rails, and enter the Bolts from the outside of the Rails
and these Bolts screwed up tight will keep the Road in Guage. To increase the
width of the Guage (where it is necessary round curves) I use a Tube as before, and
on each end I tap it on the outside 4", and on these ends I screw on a thimble, or
ferrule. To encrease the Guage 1 screw back the two bolts to the required distance,
and follow up the Rails with unscrewing the two thimbles until they press the
inside of the Rails. To encrease the stiffness of the Tubes I use the same plan as
described for distance Rods.
Dated this 11th day of October 1888.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways and Tramways.
DAVID SMITH Sundown Hadley near Wellington Shropshire Engineer 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 :-
I make Railway Sleepers of the section shown on Sheet No. 1. When necessary I
give increased strength to this Sleeper by making the two flanges deeper up to 4"
each. I punch out a piece of the web from B to D to receive the Rail and my Patent
Screw Key (see 1886 No. 11055).
Sheets 2 and 12. show my maleable iron chairs.
I roll a bar of iron of section shown, I cut this up into lengths of about 18" and
punch out of each a hole to receive the Rail as above described for Sleepers. These
chairs I fasten to transverse sleepers in the usual way.
Sheet 3 shows my Cast iron Chair. These I make 17" long by 6″ wide. I use 2,
3 or 4 of these chairs at each joint of the Rails. These chairs rest on 2, 3, or 4
Sleepers placed 3 ft. apart (centres);
Sheet 4 shows another of my new New Chairs with my new Fish plates. These Fish
plates I make long enough to rest on 2, 3 or 4 Sleepers, and when fixed with my
Screw Key hold the Rails firmly in place, and punching or drilling holes in Rails and
Fish plates is avoided.
Sheet 5 shows 4 of my metal Wedge Keys shown in section full size they are
from 2" to 4" long. The parts of these wedges that fit against the "Horns" H of
the chairs I make with a bevel on one side so as to be more readily introduced,
and also to admit of tightening up when necessary. From to 3" is bevel enough
for these purposes.
I cast a bevelled recess not shown in drawing in the Horn of the Chair, and
bevel one side of my Wedges, so that the two bevels will equal 16. No. 2, and 3 I
make less in width to admit of a "liner" this liner not shown in drawing next the
Rail of cardboard, Canvas, Wood, or other elastic material.
The drawing shows only half the Rail, and part of the Horn of Cast iron Chair.
Sheet 6 shows my Screw Key Patented 1886 No. 11055 with Wood Liner between
the Head and the Rail.
I cast a recess in the Horn of the Chair to admit the Head of my Screw Key and
when in place the nut is unscrewed so as to bind firmly against the Web of the Rail,
(no drawing).

page_text: Sheets 7 and 7 A shows my Compound Rails the Heads being reversable and con-
sequently doubling the "Life" of the centre or wearing part of the Compound Rail.
Sheet 8. shows my Compound Rail carried on Wood or metal transverse Sleepers.
The Base of the Rail I make 8" wide. In case of drawing No. 7 A. I pack the
Rails between the Sleepers to give greater support to the Rails.
Sheet 9 shows my Compound Rail with the Head held in place by a continuous dove-
tail, and a Bolt every yard I use this Rail with or without the bottom plate which
is 6" wide.
Sheet 10. shows my Compound Rail used with my T Sleeper. The Wedge is 4"
long which I keep in place by a steel pointed Screw, as Patented by me in 1886
No. 11055.
Sheet 11 shows my Compound Rail fixed in my T Sleeper by my Patent Screw
Key 31st August 1886 No. 11055.
Sheet 12 shows a side view of my maleable iron Chair.
Sheet 13 shows my plan of supporting Railway Rails.
by Bricks 15" to 21" long 7" to 9" high, and 7" to 9" wide.
The wood board is carried
Under these Bricks 1 place continuous bars of iron, and I bolt these to the feet of
the Rails every yard.
I desire to adopt the Drawings left with my Provisional Specification with except
to No. 4 and to which I add a new No. 4, and also a No. 7 A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tions and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
All these several improvement herein described and further explained in Drawings
No. 1 to 13 except that I do not claim to have invented a Compound Rail, but I claim
only such improvement as are herein shown by description and drawings.
Dated this 10th day of July 1889.
DAVID SMITH.