Improvements in Railway Chairs and Rail Joints.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Chairs and Rail Joints.
I, GEORGE BELL MCMULLIN of Stanley Street, Workington in the County of
Cumberland, Shipper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improved fastenings or devices to be used in place of the
ordinary railway chairs with keys, and fishplates, for securing the rails to the
sleepers of permanent way, and consists of two descriptions of cast iron or steel
chairs, one for receiving the joint of the rails, and the other for the intermediate
bearings.
The joint chair is of extra width-in the direction of the length of the rail-and
is further extended on each side by projections the shape of an ordinary fish plate,
giving a bearing and gripping surface under head of rail of about eighteen inches in
length. The chair is cast in two halves meeting under the rail with a half-lap joint
slightly tapered.
On the underside, and let in flush, two inch square bars of wrought iron, or
steel, are cast onto one of the halves, and long enough to pass through corresponding
grooves in the other half of the chair, and projecting sufficiently beyond, to admit of
a slot hole to receive a tapered steel key in each bolt.
The intermediate chair is the same in principle, only smaller, without the projecting
arms acting as fish plates, and has only one inch bolt. Each half of the chair is
made to fit accurately the bottom bead, or flange, and web of rail.
In laying the permanent way, all that is necessary to be done, is to spike the outer
halves of the chairs for one rail, to the sleepers or longitudinal way-beam, as the case
may be. place the rail on seat of chairs, then slide the bolt, or bolts, of the inner
half through the groove, or grooves in the outer half, draw tightly up by driving
in the taper key, or keys, and securely spike to sleeper; proceed in like manner
with the other rail, after putting it to guage; or, the chairs may be fixed to rails
before driving any spikes.
The chairs when fixed present the appearance of ordinary chairs, minus the koys,
and may be secured to sleepers by two or more spikos, as may be desired, whilst the
joint chair entirely obviates the use of loose fish-plates and bolts, although fish bolts
can be introduced through the chair and rail if required.
The chairs can be made to fit any section of rail, either flat bottomed or double-
headed.
The use of this invention offers special advantages over the ordinary chairs with
keys, and the fish-plates and bolts at joints, whilst the first cost will be very little, if
any, in excess of the ordinary method.
Dated this with t
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Chairs and Rail Joints.
I, GEORGE BELL MCMULLIN of Stanley Street, Workington, in the County of
Cumberland, Shipper, 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 invention relates to improved devices to be used in substitution of the
ordinary railway chairs, and fish plates and bolts at joints, for securing the rails to
the sleepers, or longitudinal timbers of permanent way.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing Figs. 1, 2 and 3 refer to the chair to be used at the
joints of rails; Fig. 1 being a plan, Fig. 2 and elevation parallel to the direction of
the rail, and Fig. 3 an elevation transversely thereto.
The chair is cast in two parts A and B, meeting under the rail with a half lap
joint slightly tapered, the part A having two bars D of wrought iron or steel cast
on and flush with the underside; these har; fit into corresponding grooves in the
part B, and project sufficiently beyond to admit of a key-way or slot, and steel taper
kev E; or, the ends could be screwed and fitted with nuts.
The bearing, or gripping surface under head of rail is lengthened by the projec-
tions C which are of the section of an ordinary fish-plate and may be either of cast
iron or steel plate cast on, and through which fish bolts could be introduced if thought
necessary.
The intermediate chair is shown by Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. being a plan, and
Fig. 5 an elevation transversely to the direction of the rail. In principle it is similar
to that already described for joint chair, except that it has only one bolt, or connecting
bar D ir stead of two, and is minus the projecting arms C.
Each half of the chair is made to fit closely the bottom bead, or flange, and web
of rail.
In laying the permanent way it is only necessary to spike the outer halves of the
chairs B, for one line of rail to the sleepers, or longitudinal way beam, then place the
rail on seat of chairs, and slide the bolt or bolts of the inner half A through the
corresponding groove, or grooves in the outer half, draw tightly up by driving in the
taper key or keys E; or by screwing up the nut, if this latter method is used, and
securely spike to sleeper or way beam. Proceed in like manner with the opposite
rail after putting it to guage, or the chairs can be fixed to rails before spiking down
to sleepers.
The chairs can be made to fit any section of rail, either double headed or flat
bottomed, and with two or more spike holes, and, when fixed, present the appearance
of ordinary chairs, minus the keys.
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,
1st. Its extreme simplicity and adaptability to any description of " permanent
way."
2nd. The firm and "permanent" nature of road when laid with these chairs;
and
3rd. The entire absence of any parts to work loose-as in the case of the present
system of fixing rails by means of wooden keys and fish bolts-thus lessening the
cost of maintenance, and affording greater security to passing trains.
Dated this 16th day of June 1890.
1 D M MILLIN
C. B. M MULLIN