IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles de Bergue, of Dowgate Hill, in the
City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles de Bergue
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th January 1853.
I, CHARLES DE BERGUE, of Dowgate Hill, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to permanent way formed of cast iron chairs and
flat bottom or bridge rails and wood sleepers; and its nature consists,―
Firstly, in forming the chairs with the holding clips or snuggs so as
to take hold of the lower part or bottom flange of the rail.
Secondly, in forming such chairs with shoulders or recesses perpen-
dicular or nearly so, to form bearings for the keys for fastening the rail
in the chair.
Thirdly, in fastening the rail in the chair by means of keys driven
perpendicularly, or nearly so, and so as not only to fasten the rail in the
chair, but to be held by the sleeper which carries the chair.

page_text: Fourthly, in casting chairs with one clip or snugg at one end, and a
shoulder at the other, and securing the rail to the same by means of a
separate adjustable clip or holding piece, secured by bolts and nuts or
other suitable means
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles de Bergue in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES DE BERGUE, of Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles de Bergue, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles de Bergue, my exccutors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles de Bergue, my
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. Islaids, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition
-(amongst others) that I, the said Charles de Bergue, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what, inanner 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles de Bergue, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
illustrative Shect of Drawings, and the figures and letters marked
thereon for the purpose of such reference, that is to say:
My Invention relates to permanent way formed of cast iron chairs
and flat bottom or bridge rails and wood sleepers; and its nature
consists,-
"
Firstly, in making the chairs with holding clips or snuggs so formed
and placed upon them as to take hold of or clip both sides of the lower.
part or bottom flange of the rail when the ends of the chairs are horizon-
tally moved or shifted in opposite directions, or when one end only is
horizontally moved or shifted.
Secondly, in forming such chairs with shoulders or recesses perppen-
dicular or nearly so, to form bearings for the keys for fastening the rail
in the chair.
Thirdly, in fastening the rail in such chairs by means of keys driven
perpendicularly or nearly so, and so as not only to fasten the rail in the
chair, but to be held by the sleeper which carries the chair.
Fourthly, in casting chairs with one clip or snugg at one end, and a
shoulder at the other, and securing the rail to the same (the chair) by.
means of a separate adjustable clip or holding picce, and by one or
more bolts and nuts, which fasten the chair rail and adjustable clip.
--firmly together.
The manner in which my said Invention is to be performed, and in
which I believe it may best be carried into effect, is as explained by the
following description of the illustrative Drawings.
Figure 1, shews a side elevation, a plan view, and a transverse
section of my improvements as applied to longitudinal sleepers, with
supporting wedges a, a, a, to prevent deflexion. Figuro 2, shews a
plan and a transverse section of my improvements as applied to trans-
verse sleepers. Figure 3, shews a plan view of a chair constructed
according to my first and second improvements, intended to be em-

page_text: 'ployed intermediately; b, b, being the clips or snuggs, and c, c, the
shoulders or recesses for the keys. Figure 4, is an edge view of the
same chair; and Figure 5, and Figure 6, are transverse sections
through the dotted lines in Figure 3, respectively. Figure 7, is a
plan view of another chair, which is constructed according to my
fourth improvement, and is intended to be employed for joints; d, being
the single clip or snugg at one end, and e, the shoulder at the other
end. Figure 8, is an edgo view, and Figures 9, and 10, transverse
sections through the dotted lines in Figure 7, respectively. In
Figures 11, and 12, the firstly mentioned chair is shewn with a rail
upon it, which is fixed in the chair with keys, in accordance with my
third improvement. The chair is fastened to the sleeper by trenails,
in the ordinary manner, or bolts or spikes may be substituted if pre-
ferred. ff. are the trenails, and g. 9, my keys, which (when driven in
the sleeper) press between the shoulder c, on the chair and the edge of
the bottom flange of the rail, and horizontally move or shift the ends
of the chair in opposite directions, and thereby cause the snuggs to
clip and hold the bottom flange of the rail, and thus they not only
fasten the rail securely in the chair, but are themselves held fast in and
by the sleeper.
In laying this permanent way, it will generally be found desirable to
insert one or both of the trenails after the keys have been driven.
In Figures 13, and 14, the secondly mentioned chair (my fourth
improvement) is shewn with the ends of two rails upon it, secured by
the adjustable clip or holding piece, and by two bolts and nuts which
fasten the chair, rails, and adjustable clip firmly together. h, h, is the
adjustable clip or holder, and i, i, are the bolts and nuts. This chair is
also secured to the sleeper by trenails in the ordinary manner, or bolts
or spikes may be substituted if preferred.
I wish it to be understood, that although the edges of the bottom
flange of the rail and of the clips or snuggs and holding. pieces are
represented as inclined at an angle of about forty-five degrees with the
sole or bottom of the rail, which I consider to be the best inclination,
any other suitable inclination or form may be given if preferred.

page_text: I wish it also to be understood, that although I have described my
fourth improvement as employed only in the case of joint chairs,
adjustable clips may be used in a similar manner with chairs intended
to be employed intermediately; and in such case a shorter length of
adjustable clip may be employed, and one bolt and nut only will be
required.
And. lastly. I wish it to be understood, that in place of joint chairs
as described, fishing plates may be employed where preferred.
In witness whereof, I. the said Charles de Bergue, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
C. DE BERGUE. (L.s.)