An Improved Method of Securing Rails to Iron Sleepers.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Securing Rails to Iron Sleepers.
I, CAJETAN BANOVITS, of Budapesth, in the Kingdom of Hungary, Director of
the Royal Hungarian State Railways, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved method of attaching rails
to iron sleepers and affixing the supporting plates to the sleepers in such a manner
that the rails may readily be shifted so that the gauge of the line is adjustable.
The main feature of this method of attachment is that the supporting plate is
secured to the iron sleepers (in such position as to suit straight lines or curves, as
the case may be) by means of removable pieces or blocks, so that whether the line
is straight or curved, the component parts of the junction devices connecting, the
rails and the sleepers are invariably the same. Both the sleepers and the rail-
supporting plates are provided, at the parts where the blocks are inserted, with
recesses suitable for their reception. These recesses are in the same position
whether the sleepers are placed on straight sections of the line or on curves, when
the block employed is of such a shape that the necessary adjustments of gauge,
according as the line is straight or curved, are to be effected by simply turning the
block or changing its position, or by employing blocks incapable of turning, but
made adjustable either by additional pieces, or by alterations in their shape. Where
however non-rotary blocks of identical shape throughout are employed, the recesses
in the sleepers and the rail-supporting plates must vary in accordance with the
desired gauge of the line; and it should be observed that in this case it is
sufficient for the recess in the sleeper alone, or in the rail-supporting plate only,
to be variable, while the recess in the counterpart may remain the same.
The rail-supporting plates being attached in this manner to the sleepers, it only
remains to secure the rails to the iron sleepers thus fitted for their reception either
on both sides by means of special double hooked bolts and wedges or by means of
fish plates and screw bolts, or at one side only by means of hook bolts and wedges
or fish plates and screw bolts, while stationary retaining plates are placed on the
other side upon the rail-supporting plates and secured to the hook bolts rigidly
fixed to these supporting plates, that is, passing through the supporting plates and
the sleepers.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figs. 1 to 24 illustrate this improved method of connecting rails with iron
sleepers, ordinary Vignol or foot-rails being represented for the sake of
simplicity, though it will be understood that the same method of attachment
will apply to rails of any shape, so long as their foot is fit to be held down by
plates or hooks.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the supporting plate A and of the corre-
sponding portion of the sleeper B, the section being taken through the recesses
provided for the reception of the intermediate blocks. The supporting plate is
provided with suitable ribs for the reception of the rails.
Fig. 2 represents the rail-supporting plate, and Fig. 3 a portion of the sleeper,
in plan.
Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 show the whole of the connection, in a modified form, the
sections being taken at right angles to the rail, the position of the intermediate
block being different in each case.
Fia & is a plan of hia 5

page_text: Fig. 9 is a side view of the connection shown in Fig. 4.
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show a new hook bolt in front, side and top views.
Figs. 14 and 15 are respectively front and side views of the screw bolt.
Figs. 16, 17, 17 and 17B, are four modifications of the wedge to be employed in
conjunction with the hook bolt, in side elevation.
Figs. 18, 19 and 20 show intermediate blocks adapted to turn, each of the three
figures representing such blocks in elevation and in plan, Figs. 18 and 19 also
showing perspective views of such blocks.
Fig. 21 is a perspective view of a non-turning intermediate block, and
Figs. 22 to 24 illustrate the employment of such non-turning blocks in con-
junction with additional pieces which render them variable according to the
position of the rails.
It will be seen from Figs. 1 to 3 that both in the rail-supporting plate A. and
iron sleeper B under each plate A, there are provided three cuts or recesses a', a
and a and b, 63 and 63 extending throughout the thickness of these parts, the
intermediate recesses a and b being adapted to receive the intermediate block C
(Figs. 4, 5, 6, etc.). The recesses on either side a¹, a³, and 61, 63, serve for con-
necting the rails with the sleeper. The blocks C shown in Figs. 18 to 20, which
are capable of turning, consist of two plates of prismatic shape and preferably of
square horizontal section, arranged one upon the other. They may however be of
polygonal or other section, as the shape in no way affects the principle of the inven-
tion. In the case of non-rotary blocks, which may be used with or without
additional pieces, the upper part (engaging with the rail-supporting plate) may be
placed symmetrically above the lower part. The lower part 2 of the block C lies
within the centre or intermediate recess 62 of the sleeper B, while the upper
part centers the recess a² of the rail-supporting plate A, whereby the latter is
prevented from shifting longitudinally upon the sleeper, while at the same time the
rail-supporting plate A is also secured against displacement upon the sleeper B in
longitudinal and horizontal directions.
The manner of adjusting the gauge of the line by altering the position of the
intermediate block C is clearly illustrated by Figs. 4, 5 and 6, taking for example
a block such as is shown in Fig. 18. The rail-supporting plate A upon which the
rail is erected in the relatively invariable position, occupies the intermediate
position, namely that which it assumes when the direction of the displacement of
the parts and cof the block C coincides with the direction of the rails, so that the
recess a² is situated exactly over the recess of the sleeper (Figs. 1 and 5); while
if the block be turned, at an angle of 90°, the parts and c³ must be shifted either
to the left (Fig. 4) or to the right (Fig. 6), with the result that the supporting
plate A together with the rail is correspondingly shifted to the left or right. Thus
the block C in this instance admits of the rail being moved to three different
positions, and both rails together are adapted to take up five different positions,
for purposes of re-adjustment of gauge.
This adjustability of the gauge of the line is capable of a great many variations
according to the construction or shape of the removable blocks C. If a block
such as represented in Fig. 19 be used, each rail can take up four different
positions, as the displacement of the part cover the part 2 is one direction
represents one unit, while the displacement of in the opposite direction repre-
sents three units, so that the rail-supporting plate A may be shifted by one unit or
by three units of distance, either to the left or to the right, as the case may be.
The block C shown in Fig. 20 also enables the rails to take up four different
positions as the displacement of the upper part of the block in relation to the
lower part, on one side represents zero, on the second side one unit, on the third
side three units and on the fourth side two units, of distance. Where it is
desired to provide for a greater number of different adjustments, a polygonal
block may be employed, or square pivotted blocks adjustable to a variable extent
may be adopted.

page_text: When the block such as shown in Fig. 1 is employed, adjustment may he pro-
vided for by additional pieces or plates of varying thickness c, which by being
placed against the upper part of C, as shown in Figs. 22 to 24, provide a ready
and simple means of adjustment of gauge.
The rail is secured to the sleeper B by means of hooked bolts D and wedges or
keys D'.
These bolts, as shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13, have two heads d', d', in the shape
of double hooks, set at an angle of 90° to each other. The lower head d³, with its
sides, takes up its position against the lower surface of the sleeper B, the hook or
projection of the head & being by means of a wedge or key (Figs. 16, 17, 17*
and 17) forced upwards, whereby the second projection d" is pressed against the
foot of the rail.
The recesses a¹ and a³ of the rail-supporting plate A and the recesses b¹ and 6³ of
the iron sleepers B are so shaped that the lower head d of the hook bolt D
may be inserted in the direction of the length of the recesses in the supporting
plates and sleepers, passing through these recesses, then be turned at an angle of 90°
and finally brought to the position represented in Figs. 4 to 9.
The recesses and 63 of the iron sleepers B are of such a length that the lower
head of the hooked bolt may be passed through them, whatever the gauge of the
line. Further the hooks of bolts D and the recesses a' and a³ in the plate A enable
the hook bolts D to be secured against turning when in the position shown in
Figs. 4 to 9. The parallel sides of the hooked bolts therefore extend into the
supporting plate and are there kept from turning by the parallel sides of the
recesses a and a³. When the hooked bolts D have taken up the position shown in
Figs. 4 to 9, the keys or wedges D' are driven in and the attachment of the rails
to the sleepers is thereby completed.
The frictional contact of these wedges with the rail-supporting plates and with
the hooked bolts is alone sufficient to make the attachment secure; but further, the
wedges when driven in may be fixed in position by any desired additional means,
for example, by means of a plate placed over the wedge D¹ and connected there-
with (Figs. 16, 17 and 9), or the plate may be of sufficient length to admit of its
being turned down in the shape of a loop; or again the plate attached to the wedge
may lie underneath the wedge and be bent downwardly; or the attachment may
be completed by means of a screw d connecting the upright portion of the wedge
with the hooked bolt, which screw will also enable the wedge to be tightened if
required (Fig. 17B); or any other suitable means of attachment may be adopted.
It is sufficient for the wedges D' to be really wedge-shaped only in the vertical
plane, though they may be wedge-shaped either in the horizontal plane or both in
the vertical and horizontal planes. Where the rail-supporting plate has parallel
upper and lower surfaces, and where therefore it is necessary to bend the sleepers B
in order to incline the rails, the hooked bolts D are of equal length.
The method of attaching rails by means of fish plates and screw bolts is
illustrated in Fig. 10. The adjustment of the gauge of the line is here effected in
the same manner as it is where hooked bolts are used. The shape of the rail-
5 supporting plate A, and the arrangement, size and shape of the recesses b¹ and 63 of
the sleeper B are also similar to those described above. The recesses a¹ and a³ in
The fish plates M
the rail-supporting plate A may be rectangular in this case.
and screw bolts N (shown in Figs. 10, 14 and 15) are suitable both for straight
lines and curves.
0
5
Where the rail-supporting plate A presents an inclined surface for the foot of
the rail to rest upon, the screw bolts N may be of unequal length; but where the
supporting plate has parallel surfaces and where consequently the rails can only be
inclined by correspondingly bending the metal sleepers, the length of the screw
bolts should be equal.
To prevent screw bolts N from turning, the lower part which enters the iron
sleeper is of square or rectangular section. The screw bolts N to which the fish
plates M and the nuts may be secured beforehand, are passed through the plate A

page_text: and through sleeper B in such a manner that the lower head n of the bolt extends
in the direction of the length of the recesses a, b, and a, b; the bolts are then
turned at an angle of 90° and then fixed in this position by pulling up
square
the
or rectangular portion. By tightening the nuts the attachment is completed.
Instead of the ordinary screws, screw nuts, for which I obtained a Patent in
Great Britain in 1891, No. 9818, and which are provided with a clamp or pro-
jection, may be employed; and it may be here mentioned that the clamping effect
which in the Specification of that Patent is attributed only to the split clamp,
between the screw thread of that clamp and the screw thread of the screw spindle,
may be obtained also by means of screw nuts with undivided clamping projections,
if the material be suitable; for which purpose, by tightly screwing the nut, the
undivided projection is compressed within an opening, provided for its reception, to
the minimum section, so that the screw thread of such projection is firmly. pressed
or wedged against the thread of the screw spindle. It will be understood that the
said clamping projection and the perforation adapted to receive it may be of
any suitable shape so long as the compressing and clamping effect is obtained as
stated.
In Fig. 7 a method of attachment is shown in which the rail is on one side
secured by means of a "holding down" plate K and a bolt L, while on the other
side its attachment is effected by means of a hooked bolt D and the wedge D' or
by a fish plate M and a screw bolt N.
connected with the rail-supporting plate A by the bolt L, this bolt L, provided
As the "holding down" plate K is rigidly
with the head I at its lower end, may only be passed through the iron sleeper when
the whole of the rail-supporting plate is in such a position as to be at an angle
of 90° to its position as shown in Fig. 7. 'When the bolt L is passed through the
recess of the iron sleeper, the supporting plate is turned again at an angle
of 90°, i.e., back to the position shown in Fig. 7. The removable block C is now
inserted in the position corresponding to the desired gauge, being passed from the
top through the iron sleeper B and through the supporting plate A, whereby the
supporting plate is fixed in the position corresponding to the required gauge.
The rail is then placed upon the supporting plate in such a manner that one foot
lies underneath the "holding down" plate K while the other foot is connected to
the iron sleeper B by means of a hook bolt D and wedge D¹ (Fig. 7), or by means
of a fish plate M and a screw bolt N in the manner described above.
I wish to state iu conclusion that the shape of the different parts, notably that
of the intermediate or removable block C, wedges D and double hooked bolts D,
need not be such as represented in the drawings, but may vary at will provided
these parts answer their respective purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In, superstructures of railways comprising iron sleepers, no matter what
method is adopted for connecting the rails to the sleepers, the attachment of the
rail-supporting plate in the position corresponding to the desired gauge of the line
(and consequently the attachment of the rails themselves) to the iron sleepers by
means of a separate removable or intermediate block fitted partly in the sleeper
and partly in the rail-supporting plate; such block being either pivotted or
adapted to turn, or stationary, the various positions which the supporting plate
should assume in accordance with the variations of gauge on straight lines or on
curves being obtained, in the case of pivotted intermediate blocks (consisting of 5
two plates movable one over the other) by altering the position of the block; and
in the case of stationary blocks, by the arrangement of additional pieces in juxta-
position with the block, within the supporting plate; or where it is desired to
dispense with such additional pieces, by the employment of blocks of different..
shapes or by the corresponding relative displacement or adjustment of the respective
recesses in the rail-supporting plate and sleeper.

page_text: 2. In superstructures comprising iron sleepers, the method of connecting the
rails with the sleepers by means of double hooked bolts with heads arranged cross-
wise, the lower head being pressed against the lower surface of the sleeper while
the upper head is driven upwardly by one of its projections, while the other
projection keeps down the foot of the rail.
Dated this 4th day of August 1892
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.