Improvements in Metallic Railroad Ties or Sleepers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements in Metallic Railroad Ties or Sleepers.
1, SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey Gentleman (being a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Arthur James Hartford Mechanical Engineer and
Edward Nicoll Dickerson the younger Counsellor-at-Law both of Temple Court in
the City of New York United States of America) 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 :-
This Invention relates to an improvement in metallic railroad ties or sleepers and it
exhibits a form of tie in which the clips are capable of longitudinal adjustment
thereby adjusting the distance between the rails.
My Invention will be readily understood from the accompanying drawings in
which :-
Figure 1 represents a transverse section through the tie and rails.
Figure 2 a section through the metal of the tie itself.
Figure 3 a plan view of the rail-holding clips and
Figure 4 an elevation of the same.
The tie itself consists of a channel-beam A. shown clearly in section in Figure 2.
It is bent down at the ends to prevent the longitudinal motion of the beam. The tie
itself is preferably rolled with the intermediate channel which serves as a recess for
holding the rail clips. The rail clips themselves which are adjustable by screw bolts C. C
are shown clearly in Figures 3 and 4 at D D. They consist of metallic clips having
approximately the width of the channel in the beam, their inner ends being cut at
an angle, as shown so as to allow of their adjustinent toward each other. The outer
ends of these clips are bent over at an angle, as shown at E E Figure 4 for the
purpose of holding the flange of the rail and are slotted as shown at G G Figure 3.
The bolts CC themselves are preferably arranged with their heads at an angle
to the axis of the bolt so as to permit the bolts to assume the position shown in
Figure 1.
By screwing down the nuts upon these bolts it is obvious that the clips can be
drawn toward each other and by screwing up one end and loosening the other the
position of the rail R can be laterally adjusted.

page_text: The bottom of the channel B is of course provided with openings F for the passage
of the bolts. This tie allows of the substitution of one tie for another without
removing the rail.
It is important that the nuts should be provided with some contrivance to prevent
their accidental loosening.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a metallic rail road tie provided with two rail-holding clips
adjustable laterally of the length of the rail thereby adjusting the rail upon the
tie and two screws one engaging with each of said rail-holding clips and serving by
the rotation upon the screw thread to draw said clips laterally tightly against
the said rail as well as to hold the clips vertically against the rail substantially as
described.
2. The combination of a metallic railroad tie provided with two rail holding clips
adjustable laterally of the length of the rail and a rail held within said clips, thereby
adjusting the rail upon the tie, and two screws one engaging with each of said
rail-holding clips and serving by the rotation upon the screw thread to draw said
clips laterally tightly against the said rail as well as to hold the clip vertically against
the rail substantially as described.
3. The combination of the rail R, the metallic tie A, the clips D D, the bolts C. C
and slots G G whereby the rail can be laterally adjusted upon the tie while at the
same time it is locked in position when so adjusted substantially as described.
4. The combination of the tie A. having longitudinal channel B, the clips D D,
each capable of longitudinal adjustment in said channel, and bolts as C C. for locking
said clips when adjusted substantially as described.
5. The combination of the tie A. having longitudinal channel B, the clips D D-
resting in said longitudinal channel and having slots G G, the bolts CC passing
through the tie and through the slots G and the rail R substantially as described.
6. The combination of the tie A. having longitudinal channel B, the clips D D
resting in said longitudinal channel and having slots G G the bolts C. C. having
their heads at an angle to the axis of the bolts and passing through the tie and through
the slots G, and the rail R substantially as described.
Dated this 10th dow of An: 1000