IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY SLEEPER CHAIRS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Mac Lellan and John Paterson Smith,
of the City of Glasgow, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY SLEEPER CHAIRS.”

page_text: We carry our Invention into practice in manner following:-When
the pot sleeper chair is of a circular form a series of flutes are raised or
embossed round the circumference, radiating from the centre bearing
the top portion, on which the rail is to rest, flat or indented as required.
When the form is elliptical or oblong the flutes or embossations are
suitably disposed round the whole circumference, so as to render the
sleeper more rigid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter Mac Lellan and John Paterson Smith in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th May 1876.
4
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WALTER
MAC LELLAN and JOHN PATERSON SMITH, of the City of Glasgow,
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Walter Mac Lellan and
John Paterson Smith, Her special licence that we, the said Walter
Mac Lellan and John Paterson Smith, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Walter Mac Lellan and
John Paterson Smith, our 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY
SLEEPER CHAIRS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Walter Mac Lellan and John Paterson Smith, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Walter Mac Lellan and John
Paterson Smith, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to railway sleeper chairs of the form commonly
known as the "pot sleeper "made of malleable iron or steel plates in
such manner that the greatest amount of bearing strength is obtained
with minimum amount of material.
"
We carry our Invention into practice in manner following:- When
the "pot sleeper" chair is of a circular form a series of flutes are raised
or embossed round the circumference, radiating from the centre bearing
the top portion, on which the rail is to rest, flat or indented as required.
When the form is elliptical or oblong the flutes or embossations are
suitably disposed round the whole circumference, so as to render the

page_text: preference rolled to the section proper to give the necessary
"cant " or
tilt to the rail. It will be obvious that in the modifications, Figs. 1 to 6
inclusive, the rail may be applied to or rest directly upon the sleeper
without the interposition of a bed plate; when a bed plate is used it
may be made of uniform cross section, and the tilt secured by the forma-
tion or shape of the sleepers.
Fig. 7 is a plan showing what we consider an advantageous method
of employing our improved sleeper chairs a. Instead of having each
pair of sleeper chairs a connected by a cross tie bar 6 the cross tie bar 6
is attached directly to the rail, by which means the guage of rail is
maintained more accurately, and the sleepers are not weakened by the
punching out of the side holes.
Fig. 8 is an elevation of sleepers showing the tie bar in section, and
Fig. 9 is a cross section of sleepers showing the tie bar in elevation;
Fig. 10 is an elevation of tie bar showing bed plate and clips. These
cross tie bars may be made of T iron, channel iron, or other suitable
section to secure the necessary strength and rigidity.
We would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to
any particular outline in plan of sleeper chairs, nor to the size or
number of flutings or embossations, nor to any particular metal; these 2
may be varied, whilst the advantages in manufacture and use herein
mentioned are retained.
What we claim is, the manufacture and use of sleeper chairs, con-
structed substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Paterson Smith, have here- 2
unto set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of May, in the
year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
T D SMITT