CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BAILWAY CHAIRS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Horton, of Warrington, in the
County of Lancaster, Iron Founder, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN BAILWAY CHAIRS."
Sealed the 9th July 1869, and dated the 12th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John Horton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th February 1869.
I, WILLIAM JOHN HORTON, of Warrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Iron Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in an improved mode of holding the rail in the
chair, and it consists in applying a cast-iron wedge between the rail and
the chair in place of the usual wooden key or wedge.
I employ a wrought-iron key inserted from above between the chair
and the cast-iron wedge to hold the latter firmly against the rail. This
cast-iron wedge is made of such a form that its lower edge sets against

page_text: the flange of the rail which is in the chair, and by nicans of the
wrought-iron key the cast-iron wedge is held in contact with the side
and also the flange of the rail in the chair. In order to release the chair
from the rail it is simply necessary to drive out the wrought-iron key,
which is provided with a head for that purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William John Horton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th August 1869,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHN HORTON, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, Iron
Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty.
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William John Horton, Her special
license that I, the said William John Horton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William John
Horton, 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
pake, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William John Horton, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent,
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William John Horton, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say) ;-

page_text: My Invention consists in an improved mode of holding the rail in the
chair, and it consists in applying a cast-iron wedge between the rail and
the chair in place of the usual wooden key or wedge.
I employ a wrought-iron key inserted from above between the chair
and the cast-iron wedge to hold the latter firmly against the rail. This
cast-iron wedge is made of such a form that its lower edge sets against
the flange of the rail which is in the chair, and by means of the
wrought-iron key the cast-iron wedge is held in contact with the side
and also the flange of the rail in the chair. In order to release the chair
from the rail it is simply necessary to drive out the wrought-iron key,
which is provided with a head for that purpose.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, reference being had to the Figures and letters marked
thereon.
Figure represents an elevation of a railway chair constructed
according to my improvements; Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 an end
view of the same; Figures 4 and 5 are two detached views of the cast-
iran wedge; and Figures 6 and 7 are two detached views of the
wrought-iron key.
In Figures 1 and 3, a represents the ordinary double-headed rail to be
supported; & is the plate of the chair on which the bottom of the rail
beds; the chair is cast with an inner jaw c and an outer jaw d. The
space between the side of the rail and the jaw d is filled up by the cast-
iron wedge e, shewn detached in Figures 4 and 5, and this wedge is
tightened up against the rail a by the wrought-iron key f, shewn
detached in Figures 6 and 7, the wedge e and the jaw d being recessed
to retain the key f in its vertical position and to prevent the wedge
moving endwise. The wedge e is made of such a form that its lower
edge sets against the flange of the rail, and the upper edge bears against
the body of the rail. By means of these improvements in the construc-
tion of railway chairs the rail is secured to the chair in a most efficient
manner, and the perishable wood keys now generally employed for that
purpose are dispensed with. The chair can easily be released from the
rail by simply driving out the key f, which is provided with a head for
that purpose.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim as my improve-

page_text: ments in railway chairs, the mode described of securing the rail to the
chair by means of the wedge e and key f.
In witness whereof, I, the said William John Horton, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of August One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.