IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st September 1870.-A communication from abroad by Danicl
Rice Pratt, of Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the " International Patent Office,"
Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," a communication, to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates, mainly, to railway rails formed with
longitudinal projections or grooves, or with both projections and grooves
extending throughout the web or middle portion of the rail. It also
relates to ribbed or grooved fish plates to be used in combination with
such rails.
The said Invention is designed for application to what are known as
solid rails, whether the same are of the ordinary double headed trans-
verse section or of the kind known as T rails. The web of the rail may
be formed with rectangular longitudinal ribs or projections on both
sides, or it may have a projection on one side and a groove or depression
in the other side, and there may be one, two, or more of such projections

page_text: or grooves, or both, the edges of the same being either rectangular,
inclined, or curved. The fish plates, which I use in combination with
the aforesaid rails, are formed with longitudinal projections and grooves
to fit the projections or depressions of the rail, and this method of con-
struction may be applied to fish plates which only cover the web or
intermediate portion of the rail, or to fish plates which are extended
to cover the sides or both the sides and bottom of the rail. By con-
structing the rail with these longitudinal projections and depressions I
obtain a better bearing for the fish plates, joints, or connections, and am
enabled to secure the rails and fish plates more firmly together than has
hitherto been practicable. When properly fastened by suitable bolts
and nuts the rails and fish plates are so incorporated together with the
projections on the one fitting the depressions or grooves of the other
that no shearing action can be exerted upon the bolts, which are thus
relieved of all strain except that exerted in a direction parallel with their
axis. The rails are preferably formed with two of the longitudinal
projections or ribs on each side, one being near the upper head and the
other near the lower head or bottom flange, and these ribs are usually
made about one quarter of an inch in breadth and depth. The fish plates
may be made with separate narrow grooves to receive these ribs, or with
one broad groove or depression to enclose both of the said ribs. If
desired the rail may be formed with one central projection on each side
of the web, which projection should be much broader than those above
described, or I may form the rail with one such central projection on
one side and a corresponding depression or groove on the other side.
It will be readily understood that the chairs for securing the rails to
the sleepers or bearers may also have their sides ribbed or grooved to
fit my improved rails in such a manner as to afford the rail a more
solid support than could be obtained with ordinary rails and chairs.