IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS AND IN MEANS FOR SECURING THE RAILS THEREIN to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I, FREDERICK JOHN TALBOT, Managing Director, Ibbotson Brothers & Co,
Limited, Globe Iron and Steel Works Sheffield in the County of York do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS
AND IN MEANS FOR SECURING THE RAILS THEREIN to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to railway chairs and means for securing the rails in the
same in a more effectual manner than has heretofore been practicable.
In the chairs which are most commonly used the rail is secured by means of a
wooden wedge or "key" which is driven in from the side. This wooden key is
liable to be greatly affected by atmospheric changes; consequently it will not keep
tight; even when subject to constant supervision, it will frequently, by reason of
its contraction, drop out of the chair leaving the rail without support. Moreover
these wooden keys only last a very short time, and the attention which they
require entails continual expense so that they are not only unreliable but also very
costly.
Many Inventors have attempted to replace the wooden key with a more efficient
device but their inventions have proved failures mainly because the fastenings
they employed were liable to be shaken loose by the vibration caused by the
traffic. But by my invention I provide very effectual means for overcoming all of
these difficulties.
According to the said invention I employ a novel form of chair fitted with an
elastic steel key for holding the rail in the said chair. The chair is constructed of
the proper form to hold the said key and give the most advantageous effect to its
elastic pressure on the rail as hereinafter described.
The said elastic steel key is formed of metal of a channelled or trough shape in
transverse section. It is placed between the web of the rail and an inclined face
formed on the chair and is compressed and tightly secured by a bolt and nut. It
thus binds the rail very securely in the chair. The inclined face of the chair is
recessed so that the key can have no lateral play. A hole and slot are formed in
the chair so that the head of the bolt can be inserted in the chair after the latter
has been secured in its proper position on the sleeper. The bolt is preferably made
with a square head, to prevent its turning round when being screwed up, and the
groove in the chair is so arranged that when the nut is screwed home the bolt
cannot possibly work out of position.

page_text: The elastic steel key is preferably made with both sides inclined at the same
angle so that the said key can be reversed if necessary.
The back of the key may be corrugated to increase its elasticity and the sides
may be inclined either outward or inward from the back, according to the position
which the key is to occupy in the chair.
I prefer to use the "Ibbotson" Lock Nut and steel bolt described in the
Specification of Letters Patent dated 11th December A.D 1878 N° 5082. This nut
cannot be shaken loose and with the steel bolt will form a thoroughly reliable
fastening.
My invention affords the following advantages, viz it is very simple; the elastic
steel key will adjust itself; that is to say adapt itself to inequalities of surfaces as
well, or nearly as well, as a wooden key, and can be compressed by means of the
nut and bolt so as to take a practically perfect bearing between the rail and the
chair; and will be very durable.
The bolt may be put in place from the top and may be removed from the chair
without disturbing or displacing the latter.

page_text: I, FREDERICK JOHN TALBOT, Managing Director, Ibbotson, Brothers, and Co,
Limited, Globe Iron and Steel Works, Sheffield, Yorkshire, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS AND IN MEANS
FOR SECURING THE RAILS THEREIN" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to railway chairs and means for securing the rails in the
same in a more effectual manner than has heretofore been practicable.
With chairs of the class most commonly used it is customary to secure the rail
by means of a wooden wedge or "key," which, is driven in from one side of the
chair. This wooden key is liable to be greatly affected by atmospheric changes, and
consequently will not keep tight; and, even when subject to constant supervision,
such keys will frequently, by reason of contraction, drop out of the chairs, leaving
the rails without support. Morcover these wooden keys only last a very short
time, and the attention which they require entails continual expense, so that they
are not only unreliable but also very costly.
Many inventors have attempted to replace the wooden key with a more efficient
device, but their inventions have proved failures mainly because the fastenings they
employed fitted imperfectly and were liable to be shaken loose by the vibration
caused by the traflic. But, by my invention, I provide very effectual means for
overcoming all of these difficulties.
According to my said invention I employ a novel form of chair fitted with an
elastic steel key for holding the rail in the said chair. The chair is constructed of a
peculiar form, which enables it to hold the said key and give the most advantageous
effect to its elastic pressure on the rail, as hereinafter described.
The said clastic steel key is placed between the web of the rail and an inclined
face formed on the chair, and is compressed and tightly secured by a bolt and nut.
It thus binds the rail very securely in the chair.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown how my said invention may' be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2 a transverse section of one of my railway chairs with a rail secured
therein as hereinafter set forth.
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional elevations shewing the position of the key before it
is compressed, and illustrating its adaptability to various angles of the surfaces
against which it has to bear.
Figures 5 to 12 are sectional elevations illustrating various forms or modifications
of the elastic steel key.
Figure 13 is a plan, and
Figure 14 a transverse section shewing my improved chair and key applied as a
joint to the ends of the rails.
Figure 15 is a plan, and
Figure 16 a transverse section illustrating a modification of my invention.
Figures 13 to 16 are drawn to a reduced scale.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.
a indicates the rail, b the chair, and c the elastic steel key; d is the bolt and e
the nut for compressing and securing the said key.
The key is made with two flanges c, c. The key should be so formed that,
when placed in position upon the bolt d, one edge of its flange c¹ will bear against

page_text: the web of the rail a and the corresponding edge of its flange c will bear against
the inclined face or seat b¹ of the chair b, as shewn in Figure 3, or in Figure 4;
the sectional form of the key is such that it will spring or yield at the parts ³,
when the nut e is tightened, so that the flanges c', o will take a flat bearing against
the side of the web of the rail and the inclined face of the chair, as shewn in
Figure 2.
This property of the key, viz:-its elastic adjustability, which can be made
effective under a slight pressure of the nut and bolt, a very important feature,
and is due to the peculiar formation of the key, that is to say, each flange may be
considered as a lever, one edge of which acts as the fulcrum, so that, when the
pressure of the nut is transmitted through the part c³, the other edge of the flange
is forced against its seat. The face of the flange, which is made flat, or, if desired,
slightly concave, practically retains its original form, the key bending at the
points until it takes a proper bearing on both its flanges c¹, c², as shewn in
Figure 2. The key then becomes rigid, and the bolt will break before the said
key will yield to further compression. And it will be obvious, by reason of its
formation between the flanges and its position relatively to the stress to which it is
subjected, that, although the key is formed of metal rolled with a very light or thin
section, it has great strength and fulfils its purpose very efficiently.
The chair is preferably provided with projecting ribs or flanges 62 on each side
of the inclined face b¹, so that the key will have no lateral play or liability to
displacement. A hole 63 and slot b' are formed in the chair so that the head of the
bolt & can be inserted in the chair after the latter has been secured in its proper
position on the sleeper. The bolt d is preferably made with a square_head, to
-prevent-its-turning-while-the-nut is being screwed down or. tightened, and the
groove in the chair is so arranged that, when the nut e is screwed home, the said
bolt cannot possibly work out of position, that is to say, the tendency of the
tightening of the nut is to cause the bolt-head to slide up the inclined face of its
bearing and assume its proper position; and the bolt cannot be taken out until the
nut is nearly or quite removed therefrom.
I usually make the elastic steel key with both sides inclined at the same angle,
so that the said key can be reversed if necessary.
The part of the key is, in some cases, corrugated or curved, as shewn, for
example in Figure 5, 6, 7, 10 or 11, to increase its elasticity, and the sides or flanges
of the said key may be inclined either outward or inward according to the position
which the key is to occupy in the chair.
I prefer to use the "Ibbotson" Lock Nut and Steel bolt described in the
Specification of Letters Patent dated 11th December, A.D. 1878, N° 5082. This
nut cannot be shaken loose, and, with the steel bolt, will form a thoroughly
reliable fastening.
Figure 8 illustrates a modification of my improved key in which a steel plate is
bent in the required manner to form the two flanges or bearings c¹, c³ and the
intermediate part by which the pressure of the nut is transmitted to the said
bearings for the purpose specified.
Figures 13 to 16 shew how, by making the keys of somewhat greater length, and
by using a sufficient number of bolts and nuts, my invention may be adapted for
jointing the ends of the rails.
By cutting a fine slit through the flange of the key as shewn at c in Figure 13,
the key can be more effectually bedded to rails of slightly different section.
I sometimes form a groove a¹ in each rail, as shewn in Figure 16, and cast
corresponding projections 65, on the chair ; I thus provide for accurately
maintaining the proper spacing of the rails at the joint, without weakening the
rails by forming fish-plate bolt-holes therein.
My invention affords the following advantages, viz :-it is very simple, the elastic
steel key will adjust itself, that is to say, adapt itself to inequalities of surfaces as
well, or nearly as well, as a wooden key; the said elastic key can be compressed by
means of the nut and bolt so as to take a practically perfect bearing between the

page_text: rail and the chair, and will be very durable. Moreover, the bolt may be put in
place from the top and may be removed from the chair without disturbing or
displacing the latter.
I wish it understood that I do not claim generally the use of a metal key
or wedge in combination with a railway chair for securing the rail therein, which
key may or may not exert a slight amount of elastic pressure on the rail, but
I claim the improvements herein specified whereby I obtain the full effect of the
elastic property of the steel, that is to say:
:-
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. An elastic steel key so constructed that, when placed in the proper position
relatively to the chair and rail, and pressure is applied thereto, it will, by virtue of.
its elasticity, change its form sufficiently to permit its bearing surfaces to adapt
themselves to the surfaces of the chair and rail, and will then resist any further
alteration of form so that the pressure applied thereto causes it to securely bind and
hold the rail in the chair, as above set forth.
Second. An elastic steel key or wedge constructed with two flanges or bearings
united by an intermediate portion, substantially as described with reference to
either of the figures of the accompanying drawings, and for the purpose specified.
Third. The above described improvements in railway chairs whereby I provide
for the retention of the bolt which secures the key, and for the insertion and
withdrawal of the said bolt without disturbing or displacing the chair, substantially
as set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the railway chair, the elastic steel key, and one or
more bolts and nuts for applying thereto the required pressure to ensure the security
of the rail or rails, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 6th day of Tanum 100%
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.