IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS, CHAIRS, AND JOINTS FOR THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND 99 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson, Steel Manufacturer,
and Johan Anderson Lindblad, Mechanical Draughtsman, both of
⠀ Sheffield, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILS, CHAIRS, AND JOINTS FOR THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND
99
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Buckinghamı
.
Ibbotson and Johan Anderson Lindblad at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th January
1870.
:
WC, ALFRED BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON, Steel Manufacturer, and JOHAN
ANDERSON LINDBLAD, Mechanical Draughtsman, both of Sheffield, in
the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN. RAILS, CHAIRS, AND JOINTS FOR THE PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH RAILS," to be as
follows:
The said Invention relates, first, to rails with three heads or bearing
portions, radiating transversely from the centre of the web of the rail,
the working or bearing surface of all three of the heads being equi-

page_text: distant from such centre and from each other. The sectional form of
these rails may be varied in so far as relates to the proportional thickness
of the web or central part and the size and length of the radii of the
heads.
The said Invention relates, secondly, to the arrangement of rolls for
manufacturing our three-headed rails. We use three rolls, whose shafts
or axles are supported in a strong framing secured to a foundation plate,
and which are geared together by bevel wheels. One of these rolls is
preferably arranged with its axis in a horizontal position, the axes of the
other two rolls being inclined. The perimeters of the rolls are bevelled
so that they will all three run properly together, and grooves are cut in
cach roll of such a form, that the combined grooves in the three rolls
give the desired three-headed sectional form to the rails passed between
them. The two upper rolls are adjustable by means of screws which act
on the caps of their bearings, and the screws for each roll are geared
by worm wheels in connection with a screw rod provided with a winch
or handle, whereby both screws can be operated at once..
}
Our Invention relates, thirdly, to novel devices for securing the said
three-headed rails to the sleepers or bearers and to each other. To form
the chairs we construct a block of cast iron or other suitable metal
which is formed to rest upon the sleeper, and is secured thereto by bolts:
in, the ordinary manner. The upper surface of this block is grooved to
receive two of the rail heads. In the said block we cast a bolt which
projects upward and has holes to receive a key or cotter. This cotter
serves to secure a cap plate which is formed to project 'over the curved
side of one of the heads lying in the chair. By this means the rails are
casily secured and released. In some cases we use two of these plates to
secure the rail in the chair. The length of the chair may be varied.
We modify this part of our Invention by forming on one side of the
base or block of the chair an upwardly projecting side which is curved
inward over one of the lower rail heads. Between this curved side and
the head we insert a wooden, iron, or steel wedge to secure the rail
instead of using the aforesaid cap plates.
In another modification one side of the block is carried up flush, or
nearly so, with the side of the head lying in the block, and in this side
piece is fitted a square bolt having a head which projects over the top of
the rail head. The said bolt is held by a cotter which passes through it.
and through the side piece of the chair block, and will secure the rail

page_text: :―
firmly in the chair. We also vary this part of our Invention as follows :-
The two sides of the chair block or base are made flush or nearly so
with the upper side of the heads lying in the said block. The holes for
the bolts are extended through these side pieces, which are so formed as
to leave a space between this part of the bolt and the rail head. Across
the inner surface of each of these side pieces and the side of the bolt wo
form a groove into which we drive a key. This key is formed to fit the
surface of the rail head. It is obvious that by driving these keys in at
opposito sides of the rail the same will be securely fastened in the chair,"
and the bolts are not only made fast to the chair, but the cliair is itself
secured to the sleeper by means of the said bolts. In some cases we may
employ bolts passing through the sides of the chair block or base, and
having shoulders at the bottom of the block and cotters for securing the
cap plates which fit over the rail heads lying in the block. The cotters
in this case, when properly driven through the bolts, will secure the
block to the sleeper. In all these modifications of our improved chairs
the base or block has two grooves to receive two of the rail heads, while
the third head projects vertically above the chair to form the bearing or
working surface of the rail. The central portions of the chair block,
which lies between the two grooves' and directly under the upper rail
head, is made to fit the space between the two two lower heads.
Our said Invention relates, fourthly, to means for fishing or joining
our three-headed rails together. For this purpose we employ the fol-
lowing devices:-Under and between the two lower rail heads we insert
a fish plate, which is of a form adapted to fit this part of our rail, and
which is secured at each end by a bent plate or clip which covers the
bottom, sides, and top of the two lower heads. The ends of the fish
plate are made slightly taper to allow the bent plates to be readily
placed thereon. When these plates are tightly driven on they are
secured by split keys or otherwise through the fish plate and the joint
is then secure. If desired the central fish plate may be secured to the
clips by bolts or screws, and we thus produce a combined clip and fish ·
plate which may be driven on the ends of the rails. Instead of using a
clip consisting of one plate we may use two bent plates secured together,
by bolts below the rails. In this case we flange the clip plates and
extend the fish plate down between the flanges; the bolts are passed
through the flanges and fish plate and secure them, tightly together.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Buckingham: Ibbotson and Johan Anderson,
Lindblad in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 12th July 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, ALFRED
BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON, Steel Manufacturer, and JOHAN ANDERSON
LINDBLAD, Mechanical Draughtsman, both of Sheffield, in the County
of York, send greeting.
423
:
)
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of,
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third year,
of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson and Johan Anderson,
Lindblad, Her special licence, that we, the said Alfred, Buckingham
Ibbotson and Johan Anderson Lindblad, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson.
and Johan Anderson Lindblad, 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 law-..
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom-
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS, CHAIRS, AND JOINTS FOR THE PER-
"MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH
MANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN
RAILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Alfred
Buckingham Ibbotson and Johan Anderson Lindblad, our exccutors.or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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, Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson and
Johan Anderson Lindblad, 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 Drawings and forming a part
of this Specification
--
The said Invention relates, first, to rails with three heads or bearing

page_text: portions radiating transversely from the centre of the web of the rail,
the working or bearing surface of all three of the heads being equi-
distant from such centre and from cach other. The sectional form of
these rails may be varied in so far as relates to the proportional thickness
of the web or central part and the size and. length of the radii of the
heads.
The said Invention relates, secondly, to the arrangement of rolls for
manufacturing our three-headed rails. We use three rolls whose shafts.
or axes are supported in a strong, framing secured to a foundation plate,
and which are geared together by bevel wheels. One of these rolls is
preferably arranged with its axis in a horizontal position, the axes of the
other two rolls being inclined. The perimeters of the rolls are bevelled,.
so that they will all three run properly together, and grooves are cut in
cach roll of such a form that the combined grooves in the three rolls
give the desired three-headed sectional form to the rails passed between
them. The two upper rolls are adjustable by means of screws which act
on the caps of their bearings, and the screws for each roll are geared by
worm wheels. in connection with a screw rod provided with a winch or
handle whereby both screws can be operated at once..
Our Invention relates, thirdly, to novel devices for securing the said
three-headed rails to the sleepers or bearers and to each other. To form
the chairs we construct a block of cast iron, wood, or other suitable
metal or material, which is formed to rest upon the sleeper and is
secured thereto by bolts in the ordinary manner. The upper surface of
this block is grooved to receive two of the rail heads. In the said block
we cast a bolt which projects upward and has holes to receive a key or
cotter. This cotter serves to secure a cap plate which is formed to
project over the curved side of one of the heads lying in the chair. By
this means the rails are easily secured and released. In some cases we
use two of these plates to secure the rail in the chair. The length of
the chair may be varied..
We modify this part of our Invention by forming on one side of the
base, or block of the chair an upwardly projecting, side which is curved.
inward over one of the lower rail heads. Between this curved side and
the. head we insert a wooden, iron, or steel wedge to secure the rail
instead of using the aforesaid. cap plates.
.
t
In another modification one side of the block is carried up flush or
nearly so with the side of the head lying in the block, and in, this side

page_text: .
:
Wo
piece is fitted a square bolt having a head which over the top of the
rail head. The said bolt is held by a cotter which passes through it
and through the side picee of the chair block and will secure the rail
firmly in the chair. We also vary this part. of our Invention as follows:
_ The two sides of the chair block or base are made flush or nearly
so with the upper side or heads lying in the said block. The holes for
the bolts are extended through these side pieces, which are so formed as
to leave a space between this part of the bolt and the rail head. Across
the inner surface of each of these side picces and the side of the bolt v
form a groove, into which we drive a key; this key is formed to fit the
surface of the rail head. It obvious by driving these keys in at the
opposite sides of the rail the same will be securely fastened in the chair,
and the bolts are not only made fast to the chair but the chair is itself
secured to the sleeper by means of the said bolts. In some cases we
may employ bolts passing through the sides of the chair block or base,
and having shoulders at the bottom of the block, and cotters for securing
the cap plates, which fit over the rail heads. lying in the block. The
cotters in this case, when properly driven through the bolts, will secure
the block to the sleeper. In all these modifications of our improved
chairs the base or block has two grooves to receive two of the rail heads,
while the third head projects vertically above the chair to form the
bearing or working surface of the rail. The central portion of the chair
block which lies between the two grooves and directly under the upper
rail head is made to fit the space between the two lower heads.
Our said Invention relates, fourthly, to means for fishing or joining
our three-headed rails together. For this purpose we employ the fol-
lowing devices-Under and between the two lower rail heads we insert
a fish plate, which is of a form adapted to fit this part of our rail, and
which is secured at each end by a bent plate or clip which covers the
bottom, sides, and top of the two lower heads. The ends of the fish
plate are made slightly taper to allow the bent plates to be readily placed
thereon. When these plates are tightly driven on they are secured by
split keys or otherwise on the fish plate and the joint is then secure. If
desired the central fish plate may be secured to the clips by bolts or
screws, and we thus produce a combined clip and fish plate which may
be driven on the ends of the rails. Instead of using a clip consisting of
one plate we may use two bent plates secured together by bolts below
the rails. In this case we flange the clip plates and extend the fish
.

page_text: plate down between the nanges, and bolts are passed through the flanges
and fish plate to secure them tightly together.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, are sections of our improved rails.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the machine for rolling the said rails.
Figures 6 and 7 are an elevation and plan of one of our improved
chairs with the devices for securing the rails thereon.
Figures 8, 9, and 10. are elevations shewing various modifications of
the said chair and devices.
1 7 ::
Figures 11 and 12 are. an elevation and plan illustrating further
modifications of the same.
Figures 13, 14, and 15 are transverse sections shewing our improved.
combined fish plates and clips for uniting and securing the said three-
headed rails together.
Figures 16, 17, and 18 are side views of the joints shewn in Figures:
13, 14, and 15. Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the
Drawings.
Our improved rails A may be of the proportions shewn in Figures 1,
2, 3, 4, or may have the size of the heads a or of the necks a¹ increased
or diminised as desired..
.:
The construction of the rolls for manufacturing these rails will be
readily understood by referring to Figure 5, in which B and B are the
rolls, whose journals C, C¹, are supported to run freely in bearings in the'
framing D. The said rolls are geared to turn together by the bevilled
pinions E, and are driven by the application of power to the shaft C. It'
will be seen that the rolls are so arranged to work together that the
grooves b, b¹, and the projecting or intermediate portions 6* between the
grooves present an outline which encloses a space corresponding with
the form to be given to the rail. The bearings F which support the
journals of the upper rolls B¹ are adjustable by means of the screws G..
The said screws are provided at their outer ends with worm wheels H
which are geared with the worms I on the shafts J. The said shafts are
provided with hand levers K, and by means of these levers the rolls B
are adjusted with regard to the lower roll B.
2
We will now more fully describe the construction of our improved
chairs and joints:-The chair L, Figures 6 and 7, is a cast-iron block.

page_text: "
with two grooves c to receive the rail heads. M' is the cap plate which
holds the rail securely in the chair, and which is fastened by the cotter
M' passing through the bolt M²; d, d, are holding-down bolts. In
Figure 8 we have shewn two of the cap plates M. In Figure 9 we have
shewn the chair L with one side L*. extended upward and curved to
project over the head of the rail. N is a wooden, iron, or steel key,
which in this case is used to secure the rail instead of the cap plate and
cotter. In Figure 10 we have shewn one side of the block carried up
flush with the side of the rail head which lics on that side of the block.
The rail is held by the projecting head O' of the bolt O, whose shank is
square and is fitted in a square hole in the block, wherein it is secured
by the key or cotter P.
In the modification of our Invention illustrated in Figures 11 and 12
the two sides of the block L are flush or nearly so with the upper side
of the rail heads lying in the block. The bolts Q, whose upper part
projects through the inner side of the block, have a groove q which extends.
across their projecting portion and across the side of the block; and
between the grooved part of the bolt and the rail we drive the peculiarly
formed keys R, and by this means we both fasten the rail in the chair
and secure the chair solidly upon the sleeper or cross tic. As: shewn in
the above Figures of the Drawing the chair has between the two grooves
a central rib or projection L' which fits between the two heads of the
rail A lying therein..
Our improved joints for uniting and securing: together the, adjacent.
ends, of the rails, as shewn in Figures 13 and 16; consists of the fish
plates, T and bent plates or clips U at each end thereof. In Figures 14.
and 17 we have shewn the, clip consisting of a single plate and secured
by the screws e to the fish plate; and in Figures 15 and 18 we have
shewn, the said clips constructed of two bent, plates with flanges, U',
between which the fish plate is placed and secured by the bolts.f..
Having thus fully described our said Invention, we wish it understood'
that we claim,
First. A railway rail constructed with three heads or bearing surfaces
united transversely throughout the rail by an intermediate portion
or web.
Second. The three rolls grooved on the periphery and arranged to
work together in such a manner as to form the said three-headed
rails.

page_text: Third. The devices whereby the said rolls are adjusted to work
properly together substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The chairs for supporting the said three-headed rails and
the devices for securing the rails in the chairs substantially as set
forth.
Fifth. The joint for uniting and securing together the ends of the
said three-headed rails, consisting of fish plates and clips or bent plates
constructed and secured together and fitted to the form of the rail
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, the said Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson and
Johan Anderson Lindblad, have hereunto set our hands and scals,
this Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.
ALFRED BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON. (L.S.)
JOHAN ANDERSON LINDBLAD.
Witness to the signature
of both parties
CHARLES HARVEY.
(L.S.