AN IMPROVED RAIL AND JOINT CHAIR FOR FIXING THE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter John Boaler of the Engineers Department, London
Brighton and South Coast Railway Terminus, London Bridge in the County
of Surrey, and Horsham in the County of Sussex, Inspector of Iron Bridges
for an invention of AN IMPROVED RAIL AND JOINT CHAIR FOR FIXING THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter John Boaler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th March 1882.
WALTER JOHN BOALER, of the Engineers Department, London Brighton and
South Coast Railway Terminus, London Bridge, in the County of Surrey, and
Horsham, in the County of Sussex, Inspector of Iron Bridges, "AN IMPROVED
RAIL AND JOINT CHAIR FOR FIXING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS'
"
It is well known that the keys at present in general use for fixing the rails in
their chairs are liable to be affected by climatic changes, and often become loose
when damp or cold weather is followed by some which is warmer and dryer, now
my invention has for its object the construction of a rail and joint chair which shall
obviate the necessity for the use of wooden keys, and shall be more constant in
its action.
According to my Invention I construct the chair with only one jaw, the other
side being an incline plane sloping upwards from the cavity for the reception of the
rail, towards the outside of the chair.
I employ an iron wedge having its under surface inclined to correspond with the
inclined surface of the chair, and another surface shaped to correspond with that of
the side of the rail.
This wedge I fix to the chair by means of a bolt or bolts passing through an
elongated hole or holes in it, and a nut or nuts cotter or cotters which when screwed
up drive the wedge against the rail which is thereby held firmly against the jaw of
the Chair.
My Invention may be used not only at intermediate points in the length of the
rails, but also at the joints of the rails, instead of fisli plates, and when used for
this purpose I propose to have lugs cast on the wedge and if necessary on the chair
also, to correspond with the holes in the rails, so as to prevent the rails creeping
out of the chairs.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
'
by the said Walter John Boaler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th September 1882.
WALTER JOHN BOALER, of the Engineers Department, London Brighton and
South Coast Railway Terminus, London Bridge, in the County of Surrey, and
Horsham, in the County of Sussex, Inspector of Iron Bridges, "AN IMPROVED RAIL.
AND JOINT CHAIR FOR FIXING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS
"
It is well known that the keys at present in general use for fixing rails in their
chairs are liable to be affected by climate changes, and often become loose when
damp or cold weather is followed by some which is warmer and dryer. Now my
Invention has for its object the construction of a rail and joint chair which shall
obviate the necessity for the use of wooden keys and shall be more constant in its
.action.
According to my Invention I construct the Chair with only one jaw, the other
side being an inclined plane sloping upwards from the cavity for the reception of
the rail towards the outside of the chair.
I employ an iron wedge having its under surface inclined to correspond with the
inclined surface of the chair, and another surface shaped to correspond with that
of the side of the rail. This wedge I fix to the chair by means of a bolt or bolts
passing through an clongated hole or holes in it, and a nut or nuts, or a cotter or
cotters, which when tightened up drive the wedge against the rail, which is thereby
held firmly against the jaw of the chair.
My Invention may be used not only at intermediate points in the length of the
rails, but also at the joints thereof instead of fish plates, and when used for this
purpose I propose to have lugs cast on the wedge, and if necessary on the chair
also, to correspond with the holes in the rails so as to prevent the rails creeping
out of the chairs.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed to
describe the same by reference to the drawings annexed hereto in which Fig: 1 is
a plan of my rail chair; Fig: 2 is an end elevation; Fig: 3, a longitudinal vertical
section shewing a rail in situ; and Fig: 4 a plan of the wedge. Fig: 5 is a plan
of my joint chair, and Fig: 6 is an elevation of the same.
A indicates the jaw; B, the inclined plane occupying the other side of the chair;
C, the wedge, the under surface of which b, is inclinced to correspond with the
inclined surface of the chair, and of which the surface c, is shaped to correspond
with that of the side of the rail to be fixed; d is an elongated hole or slot
corresponding with the hole in the chair through which a bolt D, passes, and on
which it can slide to a limited extent so as to admit of its being tightened up
against the side of the rail.-The bolt D, is pierced with an eye e, near its lower
extremity, through which a key E, is passed from the side of the chair, and by
which it is secured in its position, and which key is indicated in Fig: 1 by the
dotted line marked E. F is a nut working on a screw cut on the upper part of the
bolt D, by which the wedge is driven against the rail, which is shewn in section in
Fig. 3, and is indicated by the letter G. f, represents an iron washer. When the
rent F is screwed down on the wedge C, the latter is driven down the incline
plane B, and at the same time forward against the side of the rail G, against which
it is pressed with a force corresponding with the pressure applied to the nut F.
In order to prevent any liability to jar which might arise from all the parts being
of metal I may, if found desirable, place a thin piece of wood or other clastic
material between the surface c of the wedge, and the side of the rail,

page_text: The application of this Invention to the construction of a joint chair will be
readily understood by reference to Figs: 5, and 6, in which similar letters of
reference indicate the same parts as in those herein before described, one half only
of the wedge C being shown, the other half of the drawing showing the inclined
part B of the chair. As will be seen I increase the width of the chair and provide
two or more bolts in the manner above set forth. Instead of making the bolts
screw threaded at their upper end and providing nuts therefor I may construct the
same with a slot and fasten them by means of keys or cotters, as will be understood
without further description.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not confine my claim to the exact shape and proportion of the
several parts, but that what I claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is constructing rail and joint chairs for
Railways in which the Rail is fixed in the chair by means of a wedge driven down
an inclined plane and against the rail by the action of a vertical screw or screws
and nut or nuts, or by cotter or cotters, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose herein before described and set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Walter John Boaler have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty seventh day of September in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two
Signed and sealed by the above
named Walter John Boaler in
the presence of
FLINT BROWNE
Clerk to Mr. N Browne,
Patent Agent,
91 Queen Street
Cheapside, E.C.
WALTER JOHN BOALER (L.S.)