Improvements in Railway Sleepers and Fastenings.
Year: 1890

page_text: DILUIFICATIOA.
Improvements in Railway Sleepers and Fastenings.
I, JOHN DURRAND, of Moultan, Punjab, India, Assistant Engineer on the North
Western Railway of India, 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, that is to say :—
My said Invention has for its object to construct railway sleepers and fastenings
in an improved manner and so as not to require ordinary keys for securing the
rails.
I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings showing my improvements and
to which I will refer in describing the same. Figure, 1, is a plan showing three
sleepers, the middle one being in an oblique position in which each sleeper has to be
placed when applying it to the rails. Figure, 2, is a vertical section of one of the
sleepers, and figures, 3, and 4, are a plan and end elevation of a chair used at one
end of each sleeper. In these drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out my Invention each sleeper, A, which is to be made out of sheet
steel or iron by known stamping or pressing operations has rail-bearing parts, B,
formed near each end; and at the sides of each bearing part two clips, (, are formed in
diagonally opposite positions. The clips are produced by half-punching operations in
which by suitable dies or punches tongues of metal are cut in the plate and turned up
and bended into the clip form shown. At one end of each sleeper the clips, C, are a
little wider apart than at the other end, to allow of a chair, D, being inserted between
them. The chair, D, is made with diagonally opposite clips, E, like those, C, formed
on the sleeper.
When a sleeper, A, is placed relatively to the rails, H, in the oblique position in
which the middle one is shown in figure, 1, one of the rails can be got between the
clips, C, at the end at which these clips are at the lesser distance apart; and when the
sleeper is afterwards turned into a position at right angles to the rails, H, these
clips, C, will fit closely upon the upper sides of the bottom flange of the rail and
secure the rail firmly to the sleeper. At the other end of the sleeper the clips, C, are
wide enough apart to admit the rail between then when the sleeper is at right angles
to the rails; and the rail is secured between them by means of a chair, D, which is
got upon the rail on being placed in the inclined position in which it is shown at, K,
ind subsequently turned into the position in which it is shown at M, with its clips, E,
engaging upon the bottom flange of the rail. When in the position in which it is
shown at, M, the chair, D, can be moved along the rail, H, in between the sleeper
lips, C. At the part of the sleeper adapted for receiving the chair, D, clipping
Hanges, N, are formed on it which are first like continuations of the clips, C, but
separated from those clips by cuts. When a chair, D, has been moved into its proper
position with its clips, E, under the sleeper clips, C, the clipping flanges, N, are
orced or bended down upon the parts of the chair having no clips, E, and prevent
ny movement of the chair. Several holes are made in each chair, D, and one or two
oles are made in one of the clipping flanges, N, of the sleeper, and a rod entered
hrough one of the latter holes and into one or other of the holes in the chair can be
sed as a lever to force the chair either into or from position as may be required.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved railway sleeper with the arrangement and combination of parts con-
stituting the fastenings for the rails substantially as the same is hereinbefore described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Nineteenth day of June 1890
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.