IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAYS OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Edwards Wilson, of Grasmere, Torquay, in
the County of Devon, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAYS OF RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. James Edwards Wilson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th July 1865.
I, JAMES EDWARDS WILSON, of Grasmere, Torquay, in the County of
Devon, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAYS OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent ways of
railways. For these purposes the rails are supported at intervals by sheets of
corrugated metal, by preference of galvanized iron, which are simply placed
horizontally on the surface of the road, which it is preferred should be made
up of broken stones, gravel, or other suitable materials rammed or beaten so
as to produce a hard and even surface, on which the bearing corrugated
plates are laid. The ridges of the plates are placed transversely of the rails,
and generally at right angles thereto; but this is not essential. The lower parts

page_text: of the rails rest on and are supported by the ridges, and such lower parts of
the rails are fixed to the plates by screw bolts. The rails are tied, and
thereby kept in gauge by tie bars, each of which is shaped so as to fit one of
the corrugations of the corrugated plate at each end, and the screw bolts
which connect the rails to the corrugated plates also connect the ends of the
tic bar to the two opposite corrugated plates. In some cases I use elastic
supports for the rails, and tie them with tie bars in the following manner.:—
Each of these tie bars is turned up at its ends, and at each end of each of the
tie bars are placed what may be termed shoes or plates, which are turned up
at their two ends, and one of the rails is supported over each pair of these
shoes by two bent and clastic plates, which at their upper edges come under
the head of the rail and support it, whilst the lower edges of these two plates
are received into the bent ends of the shoes or plates which are supported and
held in position by the tie bar which is between them, so that the outer
elastic plate on which the rail rests at its lower end is not only received into
the turned up ends of the two shoes or plates, but also into the bent end of
the tie bar; or in place of the tie bar being between two shoes or plates at
each end, it may pass through and be screw bolted or keyed to the outer
elastic plate, in which case only one sole or turned-up plate is required at
each end of the tie bars. In place of the elastic plates being separate from
the shoe or bearing plate, they may in each case be made all in one of
suitable steel plate tempered.
It is preferred that broken stones should be rammed on the surface of
the road, so as to come nearly level with the heads or upper surfaces of the
rails.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Edwards Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
EDWARDS WILSON, of Grasmere, Torquay, in the County of Devon, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Edwards Wilson, Her special licence that I, the said James

page_text: Edwards Wilson, my executors,.administrators, and assigns, .or such others as
I, the said James Edwards Wilson, 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 lawfully.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 "IM--
PROVEMENTS IN THE: PERMANENT WAYS OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition
executors or
(amongst others) that. I, the said James Edwards Wilson,.
administrators, by an. instrument in writing under my,..or their, or one of
their hands and seals,.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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next, and. immediately after the date of. the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Edwards. Wilson, .do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and, ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof,.that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent ways of
railways. For these purposes the rails are supported at.intervals by sheets. of
corrugated metal, iron, or steel, which are simply placed horizontally on the
surface of the road, which it is preferred should be made up of broken stones,..
gravel, or other suitable materials rammed or beaten so as to produce-a-bard
and even surface, on which the bearing corrugated plates are laid. The
ridges of the plates are placed.transversely. of the rails, and generally at right
angles thereto, but this is not essential. The lower parts of the rails rest on
and are supported by the ridges, and such lower parts of the rails are fixed to.
the plates by screw bolts.. The rails are tied, and thereby kept in gauge by
tie bars, each of which is shaped so as to fit one of the corrugations of the
corrugated plate at each end, and the screw bolts which connect the rails to.
the corrugated plates also. connect the ends of. the tie bar to the two opposite
corrugated plates..
Figure 1 is a transverse section taken through one of the rails of a line of
permanent way laid as above described, and Figure 2 is a side view partly in
section of such a line of way. A portion of Figure 2 is broken off and shewn
on another sheet in order to adapt. it to the size of the parchment.
a is the rail; b, b, one of the plates of corrugated metal on which the rail
is supported; c is one of the tie bars,.as will be seen, it fits over the centre
corrugation of the supporting plate b, which corrugation: being made lower

page_text: than the other corrugations is thus brought up to a level with them; d, d, are
holding down bolts, they pass through holes in the tie bar c and in the corru-
gated supporting plates b, and screw into the short wrought-iron bar e,. which
is tapped to receive the bolts. The stems of the bolts & come close up to the
foot or lower flange of the rail on either side, and so prevent the rail moving
laterally, whilst the heads of the bolts prevent it rising; or holes may be
made in the foot of the rail, and the holding down bolts will then pass
through the foot of the rail. The tie bar which is shewn broken off passes
across the line to the other rail; and it thus keeps the two rails in gauge or at
the proper distance apart. The distance between the supporting plates is not
shewn in the Drawings, and it may be varied; for a light line, however, such
as is shewn, a distance of 2' 6" from centre to centre will be suitable. The
rails should be connected end to end by fish plates. It is preferred that
broken stones should be rammed on the surface of the road, so as to come
nearly level with the heads or upper surfaces of the rails. In some cases I
use elastic supports for the rails, and tie them with tie bars in the following
manner-Each of these tie bars is turned up at its ends, and at each end of
each of the tie bars are placed what may be termed shoes or plates, which
are turned up at their two ends, and one of the rails is supported over each
pair of these shoes by two bent and elastic plates, which at their upper edges
come under the head of the rail and support it, whilst the lower edges of
these two plates are received into the bent ends of the shoes or plates which
are supported and held in position by the tie bar which is between them, so
that the outer elastic, plate on which the rail rests at its lower end is not only
received into the turned-up ends of the two shoes or plates, but also into the
bent end of the tie bar.
Figure 8 is a side view of a portion of a rail thus supported, and Figure 4
is an end view of the same parts. a is the rail; b, b, are bent plates which
are bolted to the web of the rail ou each side by bolts c; the lower ends of
the plates 6 are received into two shoes d and d', and the tie bar e passes
between these shoes. It is turned up at its outer ends to a curve similar to
that of the end of the shoes d and d¹, so that it embraces the outer supporting
plates 6 of each of the two rails of the line of way. ex is a lug rivetted to
the tie bar, and embracing the inner supporting plate 6 of the rail; there are
two such lugs on each tie bar, one for each rail. In place of the tie bar
being between two shoes or plates at each end, it may pass through and
be screw bolted or keyed to the outer elastic plate, in which case only
one sole or turned up plate is required at each end of the tie bar. In
place of the elastic plates being separate from the shoe or bearing plate,

page_text: they may in each case be made all in one of suitable steel plate tempered, or
of iron..
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edwards Wilson, have hereunto
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
my
J. EDWARDS WILSON. (L.s.)