IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF CAST-IRON RAILS FOR CITY RAILWAYS, AND ALSO IN.THE METHOD. OF UNITING THE ENDS OF TWO ADJACENT RAILS FOR RAILWAY USE
Year: 1859

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Stettinins Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 22nd February 1859, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.-A communication
from Sidney A. Beers, Civil Engineer now residing at Brooklyn, New
York.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STETTINIUS CLARK, of No. 76, Cannon Street West, in the City of London;
and of 35, Boulevard Bonne. Nouvelle, Paris, in the Empire of France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
FORMATION OF CAST-IRON RAILS FOR CITY RAILWAYS, AND ALSO IN.THE METHOD. OF
UNITING THE ENDS OF TWO ADJACENT RAILS FOR RAILWAY USE," being a com-
munication from Sidney A. Beers, Civil Engineer, now residing at Brooklyn;
New York, and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, Fer Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have
made solemn declaration that the same is a communication, as aforesaid.
NOW KNOW YE, that I the said William Stettinius Clark, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification under my hand and, scal
fully describes and ascertains the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings (that is to say):-

page_text: Figure 1 is a transverse view of a cast-iron rail for city railways. Letter a
is the head or car track of the rail; letter b is the tram or carriage track, of
any desirable form or width; letter c is the body of the rail, and letter d is the
base of the rail. Figure 2 is a transverse view of the same rail, showing the
splice or fastening on one side, and a bracket on the other; letters e, c, arc
lugs or sleets cast upon the side of the rail at and near the ends thereof, for
the purpose of receiving and holding in place an iron wedge, as herein-after
described; letter is a transverse view of the splice wedge when driven into
place; letter shows a bracket planted upon the opposite side of the rail to
support or strengthen the carriage track; letters h, h, are projections of the
base at and near each end of the rail, and also at one or more points along
the length of the rail.
two rails, illustrating the
Letters a, a, is the head
Figure 3 is a longitudinal elevation of the end of
method of fastening the same together at the joint.
of the rail; letters b, b, and c, c, are clects or flanges cast upon the side of the
rail, to form grooves or rabbets to receive and hold in place the splice wedge d;
letters c, c, is the side or body of the mail; letter d is a longitudinal elevation
of an iron splice wedge when driven into place across the joint in the rail, by
which the two are substantially and firmly connected. Figure 4 is a transverse
section of the T-rail, showing the form and purpose of the clects or flanges,
which may be formed continuously throughout the length of the rail, and
parallel to each other to receive the compound wedge, or only at and near the
ends of the rail, as shown in Figure 3, to receive a single wedge, as thereon
represented. Letter a is the head of the rail; letter b is the body of the rail,
and letter e the base; letters e, o, are flanges or cleets of any desirable form to
receive the wedge; letters d, d, show the two divisions of the compound wedge
in place, and held firmly against the body of the rail by the bevilled form of
the clects.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal elevation of a rolled iron T-rail. Letters a, a, is
the head of the rail; letters b, b, and d, d, are flanges or cleets upon the side
of the rail, by means of which grooves or rabbets are formed to receive the
splice wedge letters c, c, is a longitudinal elevation of a compound wedge
bevilled at the upper and lower edges, which are parallel, and bissected
horizontally and near the centre by a line nearly but not strictly parallel to
the edges of said splice wedge.
I do not claim the exclusive use of cast or other iron as a material for
railway track; but what I do claim as my Invention is, the construction of an
upright self-sustaining rail of cast iron, with car and carriage track combined,

page_text: and secured and united at the joints by an upright iron splice wedge; and also
the application of the splice wedge to any kind of rail by the addition of cleets
and grooves, either in parallel lines to receive and hold the compound wedge,
as illustrated by Figures 4 and 5, or by converging lines of cleets at and
adjoining the ends of the rail to receive and hold the single wedge, as
illustrated by Figures 2 and 3 separately and combined.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stettinius Clark, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
WILLIAM STETTINIUS CLARK. (L.S.)
Witness,
FREDERICK TOLHAUSEN.