IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIXING AND SECURING THE RAILS IN CAST IRON OR OTHER CHAIRS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Gatwood, of Holmer, near Hereford, in the
County of Hereford, Carriage Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIXING AND SECURING THE RAILS IN CAST IRON OR OTHER CHAIRS AT
Scaled the 17th October 1860, and dated the 24th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Gatwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
April 1860.
I, EDWARD GATWOOD, of Holmer, near Hereford, in the County of Hereford,
Carriage Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FIXING AND SECURING THE RAILS IN CAST IRON OR OTHER CHAIRS
AT JOINTS AND INTERMEDIATE PLACES IN PERMANENT WAYS," to be as follows:-
The nature of the said Invention for improvements in permanent way,
applicable to the fixing and securing the rails in cast iron or other chairs at
joints and intermediate places, to be as follows, videlicet, in securing the
rails at the joints, my Invention is to have a plate of cast or wrought iron of
sufficient length to take the ends of both rails, this plate of cast or wrought
iron to be so made as to fit any section of rail on one side, the other side of the
plate to have one or more recesses; I then place a wood or any other key
with a projection to fit in this recess or recesses, this key on the opposite side

page_text: to have a groove or notch to take the projecting part of an iron, or any other
wedge driven in between the wood key and the jaw of the chair, this iron
wedge or plate to be so made that when driven into its place, it will prevent
the cast or wrought iron plate and wood key from working out or getting.
loose, and to accomplish this when the iron wedge is driven in sufficiently tight,
the-end to be bent back against the side of the chair, and fixed with a screw, or
in any other way. The joints of nails may also be secured by using iron
plates and iron wedges, without wood or anything liable to shrink.
In securing the rails in the intermediate chairs the aforesaid plan may be
adopted, or by only using a wood key pressed or otherwise with a thin plate of
iron on that side of the key coming in contact with the jaw of the chair,
this iron plate of parallel or wedge shape to be kept in its place by a
projection on the side next to the wood and bending tho ends against the side
of the chair, or by putting in screws or nails through the plate into the wood
kev.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Gatwood, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd October 1860.-
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
GATWOOD, of Holmer, near Hereford, in the County of Hereford, Carriage
Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Gatwood, Her special license that I, the said Edward
Gatwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Gatwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and, at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN FIXING AND SECURING THE RAILS IN CAST IRON OR OTHER CHAIRS AT.
JOINTS AND INTERMEDIATE PLACES IN PERMANENT WAYS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Gatwood by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain

page_text: the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to.be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Gatwood, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The nature of the said Invention for improvements in permanent ways;
applicable to the fixing and securing the rails in cast iron or other chairs, at
joints and intermediate places, is as follows, namely, in securing the rails
at the joints, my Invention is to have a plate of cast or wrought iron of
sufficient length to take the ends of both rails, this plate of cast or wrought
iron is to be so made as to fit any section of rail on one side, the other side of
the plate to have one or more recesses. I then place a wood or any other key
with a projection to fit in this recess or these recesses, this key on the opposite
side must have a groove or notch to take the projecting part of an iron or any
other wedge driven in between the wood key, and the jaw of the chair. This
iron wedge or plate is to be so made that when driven into its place, it will
prevent the cast or wrought iron plate and wood key from working out or
getting loose, and to accomplish this when the iron wedge is driven in
sufficiently tight, the end must be bent back against the side of the chair, and
fixed with a screw, or in any other way. The joints of rails may also be secured
by using iron plates and iron wedges without wood or anything liable to shrink.
In securing the rails in the intermediate chairs the aforesaid plan may be
adopted, or by only using a wood key pressed or otherwise with a thin plate
of iron on that side of the key coming in contact with the jaw of the chair.
This iron plate of parallel or wedge shape will be kept in its place by a
projection on the side next to the wood and bending the ends against the side
of the chair or by putting in screws or nails through the plate into the wood

page_text: the intermediate parts of the rail; Figures 7 and 8 detached views of the
thin plate, and Figures 9 and 10, detached views of the wood key...
It will be seen by reference to Figures 1 and 2, that the inner surface of the
jaw (a) of the chair (b) is made to fit one side of the rails (c.). and the inner
surface of the other jaw (d) is made in the ordinary way, or they may be both
made with a horizontal groove. Between the surfaces of the inner jaw d
and the rail (c) a plate (e) is inserted having on its outer side a projection or
projections (f) suitable to enter the recess in the chair (6), or this plate can
be made of a kind of angle iron with a piece cut out of the centre, so as to
form a projection on each side of the chair, which projection will act as a stop
and prevent this plate from sliding whilst the key (h) is being driven in.
This plate may also be used with the ordinary chair. In using either or.
both of those plates I employ a wood key (h) of suitable size and form either
taper or not, compressed or not, according to the requirements of the case,'
with a thin plate (i) upon one side, a projection on which fits into a
recess in the wood key, preventing the wood key from being cut or injured
by the jaw of the chair, whilst it is being driven home, and consequently
causing tho wood key to drive much tighter, and thereby the better securing
the ends of the two rails in the chair. The other side of this wood key is
perfectly plain. The plate (E) having been inserted, and the wood key (h)
driven home, the ends of the thin plate (i) are turned or bent back from
the wood key, or a nail or screw may be put through this plate (i) into the
wood key (h) either of which modes is to prevent the wood key from working
out of its place by shrinkage.) The rail by these means is securely fastened
and held in the chair. The plate (E) as used in securing the ends
of rails may be made taper on one side, or wedge shaped, and the wood key
may be driven in at the point or thin end of this plate, and by using a thin
plate on that side of the wood key working against the plato (E) similarly
made to the thin plate (i) but longer than the plate i so that the ends of
this plate may be bent over the plate (e) and thus prevent the plate E from
working out if made without a projection or projections on the bottom edge.
Although I have described my Invention as applied to a joint chair, it will
bo evident from Figures 5 and 6 that the same, or nearly the same apparatus
may be employed to an intermediate chair by omitting the plate (E) as seen in
Figures 1 and 2.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to these precise details, but that which I claim and desire to have
secured to me by the hereinbefore in part.recited Letters Patent is the com-

page_text: bination of the several parts herein described constituting improvements in
fixing and securing the rails in cast iron or other chairs at joints and inter-
mediate places on permanent ways.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Gatwood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
EDWARD GATWOOD. (L.S.)