IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS AND SLEEPERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WYNDHAM JOSEPH CHANT of 11 Beaumont Place West Kensington London
in the County of Middlesex Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature
of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS AND SLEEPERS
to be as follows:-
My Invention is for the purpose of so constructing Railway chairs as to make
them more durable by dispensing with the wood blocks for securing the rails, so
constructing the chairs that they will grip the rail like a vice and are so arranged
as to allow of their being fixed to the sleeper without the aid of nails or spikes
they may be fixed or removed without disturbing either the sleepers or rails thus
effecting economy in first cost, also to render unnecessary fish plates and bolts for
connecting the rails, giving to the rails elasticity and great security, as the sleepers
can all be prepared to receive the chairs before being laid, the chairs may be
rapidly applied and considerably facilitate the laying down of the rails, and
dispense with continual supervision.
My Invention is well adapted to most forms of Railways, especially to ordinary
Rail road chairs and sleepers.
I will describe my said Invention as applied to an ordinary Locomotive
roadway.
The chairs are of hollow construction and are preferably made of annealed cast-
steel, formed in three pieces, two of the pieces form spring wedges, so that when in
their position they correspond to the form of rail used. The third piece is to form
the base, having two ears or clips for the purpose of securing the wedges which are
driven in at the sides, it has also a seat or bearing for the rail to rest on, which is
hollowed out on the bed of base to allow it to have a tendency to give, there are
also two projecting pieces cast on the bed of base for fixing the chairs to sleepers ;
when the chairs are put together they tighten according to the weight they receive
both to the rail and sleeper. There is a raised button formed on the face of each
wedge so that when driven in its place it will secure itself in a sinking that is
formed on the inside of the ear or clip.
The sleepers are of the usual sizes and have for each chair two circular holes cut
out longitudinally with necks formed, and inserted therin is a piece of steel barrel
so arranged that when the weight is on the chair it will be self fixing.
077

page_text: The sleepers when laid may be spaced the usual distance apart, the base of chairs
driven in on face of sleepers; the rail secured at each end and in the middle, by
means of the spring wedges being driven in, the remainder of wedges forming
completion of the remaining chairs may then be driven in, thus forming a complete
and secure fixing for the rails without the aid of wood wedges, bolts or nails. The
chairs for securing the ends are made of similar width at base, but the wedges
would not be so narrow as those used in the ordinary chairs.
By the use of these chairs, it will be found that there is a great saving of labor,
that they will give to the rails one uniform bearing, are very simple to fix or
remove, sleepers can readily be removed or replaced without disturbing the
bearings of sleepers or rails and once the chairs are placed in their position they
will remain secure as long as the sleepers remain perfect, also by constructing the
chairs in a hollow form a considerable amount of material is saved and at the
same time the chairs contain as much strength to suit the requirements as the solid
ones.
With reference to the accompanying drawings, wherin Figure 1 is a view of
rail with chair securing same and Figure 2 is a transverse section shewing mode of
fixing chairs, Figure 3 is shewing joints of rails secured by chair, and Figure 4
shews plan of same, Figure 5 is an inside view of base of chair, Figure 6 and 7 are
forms of wedges one shewing the inside and the other the ouside, Figure 8 is
section of base.
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page_text: I WYNDHAM JOSEPH CHANT formerly of N° 11 Beaumont Place West Kensington,
London, in the County of Middlesex, now of N° 42 Porten Road, West Ken-
sington Park, London in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS AND SLEEPERS and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention is for the purpose of so constructing Railway Chairs that they
will give to each rail throughout its entire length sufficient elasticity as to render
it an easy and more even bearing than the rails now have by the present mode of
fixing; also to do away with the use of wood wedges and cushions, the chairs being
so constructed that when once put in their places they self-tighten, and are so
arranged that they require no bolts or spikes to fix them, and when they receive
the weight it is equally distributed and the rail is firmly gripped; the rails do not
require gauging when being laid, and both chairs and rails may be fixed in much
less time than by the present method; and in case of necessity arising for the
removal of a sleeper, through decay or other causes, the chair can be slipped out,
the sleeper taken away and another replaced in considerably less time than is
usual and without destroying its original bearings or in any way displacing the
rails; thus forming a substantial railway that may be easily fixed or removed and
at much less cost than with the system now generally in use; the same manner of
chair being effectual for securing the joints of rails entirely dispenses with the use
of fish-plates and bolts, and as wedges which are independent from the chair are
also unnecessary to my invention, the time, cost and risk to life involved in the
daily inspection of the permanent way, adjustment and renewal of decayed wedges,
bolts etc; as now required, will be reduced to a merely nominal amount. The
elasticity of bearing afforded by my Invention will also contribute to economy by
its use by reducing the friction which is inseparable from the passing of rolling
stock over metals fixed upon a hard and unyielding bearing.
My Invention is specially applicable to ordinary Railroad Chairs and Sleepers,
but may also be used to great advantage for Tramways and other forms of
railways.
I will describe my said Invention as applied to an ordinary Locomotive roadway
and with reference to the Drawings previously referred to (accompanying my
Provisional Specification) wherein Figure I is a view of rail with chair securing
same, Figure II is a transverse section shewing mode of fixing chairs, Figure III is
shewing joints of rails secured by chair, and Figure IV shews plan of same,
Figure V is an inside view of base of chair, Figures VI and VII are forms of
wedges one shewing the inside and the other the outside, and Figure VIII is
section of base.
The chairs are of hollow construction and are made of annealed cast steel or other
suitable material, being formed in three distinct pieces two of which form spring
wedges shaped to rail, and the third piece forms the base having a shaped space
or bed for the rail to rest upon, the sides of which prevent the bottom flange of

page_text: rail from tipping or moving from its proper position; and for sharp curves or
where else necessary one of these sides should be extended over one side of flange
to prevent it from rising; the underside against sleeper is hollowed out to form a
cavity, so that directly under the rails there is no solid bearing; at each end or face
of the base there is an ear or clip formed to secure the spring wedges; also at
bottom of base an attachment with neck, cast on at each end to secure the chair to
the sleeper; the base has also a ridge forming channel under the ears or clips to
prevent the wedges rising out of their places.
The sleepers are of the usual sizes and have for each chair two circular holes
cut with necks formed to receive necked attachments to bases of chairs, and
inserted therein is a piece of steel-barrel so arranged that when the weight is on
the chair it will be self-fixing by the edges of the barrel clasping the neck of the
casting
The sleepers when laid are spaced the usual distance apart and the base of chair
should be driven in from the side of sleeper; the rail may then be placed on the
bases and secured first by driving in the spring wedges to chairs at each end;
the said wedges being driven in the side of the base piece and secured in their
places by means of a raised button formed on face of same, which when in place
enters a sinking cast in the inside of ear or clip of base; the wedges to inter-
mediate chairs may then be driven in, and when complete the rail will be securely
fixed without a single bolt; the chair will also tighten both to rail and sleeper in
proportion to the weight it receives.
My Invention may be applied to rails of other sections than those shewn in my
Drawings; such for example as Tramway rails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
First. Railway chairs of hollow construction having spring wedges shaped to
correspond to the rail and having under the bearing a cavity which shall give to
the chair a power to yield to pressure received, substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated in my Drawings.
Second. Forming Railway Chairs in three parts, the base being secured to sleeper
by projecting castings on base inserted into specially shaped barrel or tube of steel
or other suitable material fixed in sleepers ;-the inner upper surfaces or wedges of
the said chairs being shaped to correspond to the rail and being of hollow con-
struction, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in my Drawings,
whether the said chairs be of a width to suit two rail ends or whether of a width
suited to be placed intermediately with the joints.
Third. Preparing sleepers for chairs by forming therein grooves with circular
bases, the latter having fitted in them specially shaped tube or barrel of steel or 4
other suitable material to receive and grip the projections cast on bases of chairs for
securing them thereto substantially as herein before described and illustrated in my
Drawings.