Improvements in Railway Chairs.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 14th May, 1896
Improvements in Railway Chairs.
I, HUGO AUGUSTE BECKER of New William Street, Blaenavon, Monmouthshire,
Metallurgist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of a chair of wrought or cast metal made in two parts, one
for each side of the rail, and adaptable to either steel or wood sleepers.
Each part of the said chair consists of the usual back-plate or foot, in which the
spike or screw is inserted, and has in front a raised head or clamp to hold down the
flanged foot of the rail or to press against the vertical rib thereof. Beneath this
clamp is a projecting bent lug or grip, the fore-end of which is inserted in a recess
formed in the sleeper to receive same, and allow it to pass under the rail and a
portion of the sleeper, or in the case of a wooden sleeper under a metal base plate
fastened to the said sleeper.
The usual wedges of wood or metal can be used for tightening.
The grip may be separate from the other part or be solid therewith. It may be
furnished with a back stop or descending lug to fit a hole in the sleeper and afford
additional security against lateral pressure.
The base-plate used on wood sleepers may be separate, or attached to one part
of the chair.
The wrought metal chairs may be rolled to the section required and cut across
to the width needed, or may be rolled in bars of the required width, and cut off in
suitable lengths, then partly split, cut and bent and punched to the pattern.
Dated this 14th day of March 1895.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97 Newgate Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Railway Chairs.
I, HUGO AUGUSTE BECKER of New William Street, Blaenavon, Monmouthshire,
Metallurgist, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide a reliable easily manipulated railway
chair, made of wrought steel, giving more safety and security to the permanent way
than can be obtained from chairs of the usual kind.
My improved chair can be adapted to any kind of rail, either bullhead, flange or
bridge rail.
It can be made to grip the flange and bridge rail, solely by the flange
or to grip the rail under the head against the web and the foot. It is exceedingly
easy to fix in position and is quickly manipulated and can be manufactured cheaper
than the present heavy cast iron chair, with the manifest advantage of being capable
of being made of rolled steel, instead of brittle cast iron.
I will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
CD077

page_text: which show the mode of manipulation and the different kind of chairs adapted to
different rails.
Fig. 1 shows a detached view of one of the clamps partly in its place in the
plate P.
Fig. 2 shows a cross section of a rail held in place by my clamp. One of the
clamps is shown partly out of place to show method of fixing. The locking key is
also omitted.
Fig. 3 shows a similar view to Fig. 2 but with everything in place.
Fig. 4 shows a plan of the foundation plate P with holes to receive the tails of
the clamps.
Fig. 5 shows a plan of Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section of the foundation plate in place on the
sleeper.
Fig. 7 shows a cross section and side elevation of an alternative shape of
clamp.
Fig 8 shows a cross section of a modified form of my clamp fitted to a flanged
rail, the rail being secured by a wooden wedge.
Fig. 9 shows a section of a slightly different form of clamp to that shown in
Fig. 7.
Fig. 10 shows my clamp applied to hollow steel or iron sleepers.
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show various forms of my clamps applied to flange rails.
Fig. 14 shows a side elevation and half section of my clamp intended for use as
a fish plate.
Fig. 15 shows a plan and section of Fig. 14.
Fig. 16 shows a cross section and plan view of my clamp when used to hold a
rail junction or V-crossing in place.
Fig. 17 shows a cross section of a modified form of my clamp to hold guard rails
in place at the side of the rail in use.
Fig. 18 shows a plan, elevation and end view of a method of dispensing with the
wedge key shown elsewhere in the drawings, by the employment of a hooked nut.
Referring now in detail to the various parts and forms.
Figs. 4 and 6 show the invention applied to wooden sleepers, in which case, the
chair will consist of a plate P, and two clamps C, C1, C2 (Fig. 1) and an iron key K
(Figs. 3 and 5).
The clamps are formed somewhat like an irregular Y. The parts C, C' are at
right angles to one another, and are rolled in the shape of the angle C, C³, and cut
to the required lengths, forming the width of the clamps. Out of the middle of the
side C', one part equal to about half the width of C1, is pressed out and bent
downwards like C² (Figs. 1 and 2) in such a position, that the bottom side of C¹,
runs parallel to the top side of C2, but at a distance from one another, equal to the
thickness of the plate P.
The plate P can be bolted, screwed or spiked on to the wooden sleeper. The
plate is provided with two square holes, as shown in Fig. 4, the width of which are
equal to the width of C2 of the clamps but are of different suitable length.
One part of the plate at one end is pressed out and bent upwards at an angle less
than a right angle, forming the lug l.
The distance between the holes in the plate, is equal or nearly so to the width
of the foot of the rail used.
The rail will rest on this plate between the two holes.
In one of the holes a clamp is inserted (Fig. 1) which will rest on the plate P,
by C, when the part C³, is inserted underneath the plate P, under the part
between the holes. The rail is then put on the plate and against the part C, of the
clamp.
Any pressure coming from the direction of the rail is resisted by C, which
is prevented from tilting by C³, and from lifting by C under the plate, and C
being pushed against the side of the hole cannot slip back, and is held rigidly
in its place.

page_text: The other clamp is then put on the other side of the rail, the part C' in the hole,
and C on the plate, and is then slipped forward until C is tight against the rail,
C going under the plate and to prevent the clamp from slipping back a key K is
driven between the end part of C₁and the lug 1 of the plate.
The rail is thus held between the two clamps as in a vice.
The clamps can also be rolled solid in the shape C, C¹ C' and cut to the right
length, and C being then of the whole width of the clamp, can be reduced to the
right width by shearing or punching off parts on each side flush with the bottom of
part C.
Fig. 7 shows a side and end elevation of the solid form of clamp.
Figs. 18 to 13 show the different clamps adapted to different rails, and also
adapted to steel sleepers.
In this case no plate P, is necessary, the holes and projections being provided in
the steel sleeper.
When the flange rail is used as in Figs. 8, 11, 12 and 13, the part. C of the clamp.
being longer and at a narrower angle, it cannot tilt so much forward as the clamp
used for the bullhead rail. This requires then a larger hole in the plate, and
the part C cannot grip well under the plate. To give a better grip it is allowed
to slide forward and to prevent the clamp from slipping back, part of the plate on
the alternate side also is raised, and forms a projection against which part C₁ of
the clamps will press. This arrangement if preferred can also be adapted to the
clamp used for bullhead rail.
Fig. 10 shows the chair applied to steel sleepers.
Fig. 13 shows the chair holding the flange rail only by the flange.
Fig. 8 shows the chair when using a wooden block between the rail and the
clamp.
Figs. 14 and 15 show the chair also adapted as fish plates, Fig. 14 showing an
elevation and section and Fig. 15 a plan and section of a chair made wide enough
to go from one sleeper to another.
The part C of the clamp being made either in one piece the full width or in
three sections, one section between the sleeper, and the remaining sections in the
middle of the sleeper as in the ordinary chair.
The part C which adapts itself against the rail like a long fish plate, can be
bolted to the rail like a fishplate.
It is easy to see that this arrangement will give exceptional strength and
security.
The fishplates being in one piece with the two chairs, will hold the whole better
together, practically forming one wide sleeper.
The rail ends are supported by the plate, but in addition the plate itself is
strengthened by the long part C2 of the chair and prevents any possible
deflection.
The above chair can also replace the fishplates in another way. It may be one
wide chair, but resting only on one sleeper, and the rail ends will then meet on the
sleeper. The plate and clamps will project for a certain length over each side of
the sleeper, and fasten to the sleeper in the middle like the ordinary clamp.
The rail end can be of course bolted to this chair.
Fig. 16 shows the adaptation to sidings where the points or switches are working.
In this case the rail is bolted on to the clamp on one side only, this clamp can be
fastened in any way to prevent it from tilting, in the fig. it is shown bolted down.
Fig. 17 shows the adaptation when a guide rail is used. A centre piece Z with
clamp is introduced between the two rails.
It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not to scale, and
the iron key or wedge is of a very slight taper and rather long and will not easily
shake loose.
But if keys are not liked, Fig. 18 shows how to get over the difficulty. In this
case the plate is not bent up to form a projection, but a hole is punched in the.
plate P near the end of the clamp and a nut and bolt N used.

page_text: This nut is shaped like a hook and is slipped into the hole, in the same way as
the clamps of the chair, and the bolt screwed tight against the end C' of the clamp,
holding it tight against the rail.
The above clamps can also be cast in iron but in this case many advantages are
lost.
The advantages of this chair are numerous.
1. It can be made of rolled steel, which is safer and stronger than cast iron, and
can be made much lighter.
2. No wood wedge is used, and the iron key is not so liable to shrink and expand
like wood, and will not work loose so easily.
3. It will give more strength and support to the web of the rail.
4. It grips the whole of the web and foot of the rail.
5. It will give more elasticity to the whole permanent way, without in any way
sacrificing its efficiency.
6. If the engine leaves the rails this chair will not break as would be the case
with a cast iron one.
7. If part of a cast iron chair is broken the whole chair is useless, it is not so
with this.
8. In case a sleeper happens to be a little hollow under the cast iron chair, it is
very liable and does sometimes snap under the pressure of the weight of the
engine.
With the steel sleeper no breaking will follow, in fact the rail will then be held
firmer, and the steel plate being very elastic the chair will regain its former position
after deflection without breaking.
9. All parts can be made interchangeable, and in case of any damage occurring
to the chair, the whole is not useless, but only the damaged part, which will cause
great economy.
10. This steel chair is easier manipulated than the heavy cumbersome cast
iron one.
The sleepers especially can be got ready easier, by having the plate ready
attached to it, before despatching them to where they are to be used.
11. This chair has all the advantages of any existing attachment and more
without its disadvantages.
12. It solves the much vexed question of strengthening and of well securing the
joints of the rail in the permanent way.
13. Being much stronger it can be much lighter and being easily manufactured
it is much cheaper than the bulky cast iron chair.
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:
1. As a railway chair or rail support for the permanent way of railways
tramways and the like, the clamps C C¹ C² or their modifications as shewn,
with or without their base plate P, key K, or block K as herein described and set
forth.
2. The extension of the clamps C C₁ C² forming a combined clamp and fish-
plate as an effective support and tie for the ends of rail bars as shown in Figs. 14
and 15 as herein described and set forth.
3. As a substitute for wedge keys for railway chairs and like purposes the hook
nut and bolt N N¹ as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 14th day of December 1805
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97 Newgate Street, E.C., Patent Agent.