A NEW COMPOUND IRON AND STEEL RAILWAY RAIL, AND THE MODE OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Smith, of Sedgley, in the County of
Stafford, Coal Master, for the Invention of "A NEW COMPOUND IRON
AND STEEL RAILWAY RAIL, AND THE MODE OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME."
Sealed the 28th April 1871, and dated the 17th February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th February 1871.
I, DAVID SMITH, of Sedgley, in the County of Stafford, Coal Master,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW COMPOUND
IRON AND STEEL RAILWAY RAIL, AND THE MODE OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME,”
to be as follows :-
I claim as my Invention a new and improved mode of manufacturing
a railway rail constructed of iron with steel or hard iron top, as shewn
in Drawing herewith (No. 4 A.)
I first roll strips or bars of steel or hard iron of suitable lengths (to
correspond with the lengths of a compound rail), as shown by sections
Nos. 1, 2, 3, & 4. (I do not confine myself to these sections, as any section

page_text: of steel or hard iron strip or bar will be available for my Invention that
has a dovetail or other projections on the sides. I then with suitablo
rolls made for this purpose to correspond with the sections of the irou
shown with the Drawings, roll the iron portion of the rail, as shewn in
No. 3, or No. 3 A, or No. 3 B, as may be preferr'd. I then introduce into
the top groove of the iron part of the rail one of the steel or iron strips
or bars, and pass them in juxtaposition through another pair of rolls
made for this purpose made to correspond, with the sections of the iron
as shewn with the Drawings, which delivers the complete mail, as shown
in Drawing No. 4 A when No. 1 strip is employed.
When either of the other sections of steel or hard iron strips or bars
are employed, as Nos. 2, 3, or 4, it will not effect the external shape of
the completed rail.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
SMITH, of Sedgley, in the County of Stafford, Coal Master, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
'fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto the said David Smith, Her special licence that I, the
said David Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said David Smith, 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 Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for “A New Compound Iron and Steel RAILWAY
Rail, and the MODE OF MANUFACTURING THE SAme,” upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said David Smith, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hauds and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the naturo

page_text: of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 David Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
I claim as my Invention a new and improved compound iron and
steel or hard iron topped railway rail, and a new mode of manufacturing
the same and similar compound rails, as shewn in Drawings No. 1 to
12 inclusive.
I first roll strips or bars of steel or hard iron of suitable lengths to
correspond with the lengths of completed compound rails, such bars or
strips having dovetails upon their sides or other projections. I roll the
bases or iron parts of the compound rails with grooves or recesses of
suitable size to receive the steel or hard iron bars or strips. I then
introduce the steel or hard iron strips into the grooves or recesses of the
iron bases and pass the two in juxtaposition through a pair of rolls of
the section of the completed rails. I claim to do this whilst both iron
and steel or hard iron arc hot, or whilst one or both are cold.
When sections such as shown in Drawings No. 5, 7, 9, & 2, are used
I claim the application of the plan of the well-know draw benches as
used in the manufacture of copper & lead piping, and gas, steam, and
water piping for putting the steel or hard iron tops into and upon the
iron bases of the compound rails. I do this when both cap and base are
hot or when one or both are cold.
When section No. 11 on Sheet of Drawings is made I first roll both
iron parts of the mail as nearly flat as they will leave the rolls, and
afterwards and whilst hot pass each through suitable rolls to give
them the circular shape required. I also claim to give the flat strips
this circular shape with the ordinary draw bench and machinery as now
used by gas tube makers, the said machinery strengthened for this
purpose.
I claim in section No. 11 on Sheet of Drawings to use the outside
portion as shewn by dotted lines and steel top to form the completed rail,
as also the outside, inside, and steel or hard iron top to form the com-

page_text: pleted rail. I do not confine myself to the oval section as shewn in
Drawing No. 11, as circular or other hollow iron parts of rails are adapted
to my compoundrails.
In section on Sheet of Drawings No. 12 I first roll the iron or steel
head as near the shape shown as it will leave the rolls. I then pass thic
steel or hard iron head through rolls made to correspond with the section
of the finished head or cap which gives it the dovetail necessary to grip
the wood base. The wood base I make by sawing the timbers at an anglo
of 45° or other convenient angle. I then cut off the top and sides as
shewn, and make the saw cut as shown. I then introduce the wood:
wedge a small distance into the saw cut. I then force on to the wood
base the bard iron or steel cap, which pressing on the wedge and forces it
into the base, and which forces out the wood to fill up the hollow dovetail
of the cap as shown by dotted lines in Drawing. I lay the cap with wood
base on transverse sleepers and fasten the whole with wood treenails or )
iron spikes or bolts and nuts.
Note. The steel or hard iron parts of the compound rails are etched,
the iron parts left plain on Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February One thousand
cight hundred and seventy-one.