Improvements in Railway-chair and like Keys.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway-chair and like Keys.
We, THOMAS RICHARD FREEMAN, of Monkton Combe Mills, near Bath, Flock
and Mattress-wool Manufacturer, and WILLIAM PEARCE HADLEY, of Indiarubber
Works, Limpley Stoke, Bath, India-rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in improvements in railway-chair and like keys, its object
being to prevent such keys from being loosened by vibration or shrinking.
For this purpose such keys are provided with resilient material-for examples,
india-rubber or a composition containing india-rubber-or a metal spring or springs,
in such a manner that the said material projects from or covers the surfaces of the
keys when they are out of use so that when they are in operation, the said material
will bear against the chair, rail, or the like and, being in compression, will continue
effectually so to bear during vibration and even after considerable shrinkage of the
keys brought about by the dryness of the weather or any other cause.
Such a key may be covered on one or more sides with the said resilient material.
Or a recess or recesses may be formed in one or more of the sides of the key and
filled with the resilient material, which should be caused to project slightly beyond
the surfaces of the said sides when the key is not in use.
The width or diameter of
such recesses may increase with their depth, the recesses, which may be in the form
of circular holes, being fitted with blocks or studs of the resilient material, the
heads or outer ends of which may be of any convenient shape and be arranged to
project beyond the flat surfaces of the keys whilst the bases or inner ends of the
said blocks or studs correspond in shape to that of the holes.
Instead of arranging the resilient material to bear against the chair, the rail, or
corresponding part, the key may be divided into two halves and one or each of these
halves be provided on one of its faces with the resilient material in a mauner such
as hereinbefore described, so that the key can be put into place with the resilient.
material between the said halves.
COMPLETE DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway-chair and like Keys.
We, THOMAS RICHARD FREEMAN, of Monkton Combe Mills, near Bath,
Flock and Mattress-wool Manufacturer, and WILLIAM PEARCE HADLEY, of
India-rubber Works, Limpley Stoke, Bath, India-rubber Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention consists in improvements in railway-chair and like keys, its
object being to prevent such keys from being loosened by vibration or shrinking.

page_text: For this purpose such keys are provided with resilient material, for example,
india-rubber, or a composition containing india-rubber, or a metal spring or springs,
in such a manner that the said material projects from the keys so that when they are
in operation the said material will bear against the chair, rail, or the like and,
being in compression, will continue effectually so to bear during vibration and even
after considerable shrinkage of the keys brought about by the dryness of the
weather or any other cause.
Such a key may be covered on one face or on both faces with the said resilient
material. Or a recess or recesses may be formed in one face or both faces of the
key and filled with the resilient material, which should be caused to project slightly
beyond the surfaces of the said face or faces. Such recesses, which may be in the
form of circular holes, are fitted with blocks or studs of the resilient material the
outer ends of which may be of any convenient shape and be arranged to project
beyond the face or faces of the key.
Instead of arranging the resilient material to bear against the chair, the rail, or
corresponding part, the key may be divided into two sections and one or each of the
sections be provided on one of its faces with the resilient material, in a manner such
as hereinbefore described, so that the key can be put into place with the resilient
material between the said sections.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings, are illustrated, as examples, railway-chair
keys as made in accordance with this invention.
The key shown in plan at Fig. 1, and in end view at Fig. 2, is faced at one face
with an india-rubber pad a which is fixed to the body 6 of the key by vulcanizing
or by cement, glue, or other adhesive substance or by countersunk pins or
screws.
In driving the key into a rail chair the pad a is compressed between the chair
and the rail and by the tendency of the pad to rebound, the key is securely held in
place and is less liable to become loose under the influence of expansion and
contraction, and by vibration.
In the key, shown in plan at Fig. 3, and in end view at Fig. 4, the india-rubber
pad a, which does not cover the whole face, is partly sunk in a recess provided for
it in the front of the body b.
The pad is cemented or otherwise suitably secured in the recess.
At Fig. 5 is shown in plan, and at Fig. 6 in end view, a key in which india-rubber
blocks or studs a are partly sunk and are fixed in recesses provided for them in the
front of the body b of the key.
In the key shown in plan at Fig. 7, and in end view at Fig. 8, spiral springs a¹
of steel are substituted for the blocks or studs a shown at Figs. 5 and 6.
At Fig. 9 is shown in plan, and at Fig. 10 in end view, a key having an india-
rubber pad a at front of the body b and a similar pad cat back.
The key, shown in plan at Fig. 11, and in end view at Fig. 12 is made up
of separate sections b, b', between which is placed and fixed longitudinally the
india-rubber pad a. The sections b, b', are cemented or otherwise suitably made to
adhere to the pad, and pins d passed through the key assist to bind the whole
together.
The key, shown in plan at Fig. 13, and in end view at Fig. 14, is also a divided
key, but the india-rubber pad a is placed and fixed diagonally between the
sections b, 61, which are made to adhere to the pad. Pins
through the key assist to hold the parts together.
passed transversely
At Fig. 15 is shown in plan a key in which the pad a is contained in a slot which
extends only throughout a part of the body b from one end thereof.
In all cases the keys are, as is usual, tapered longitudinally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
A rail chair key formed of wood shaped to the proper configuration. and of

page_text: india-rubber or other suitable resilient material; the latter being combined with
the wooden body, either as a pad, or facing on the whole or part of either face, or
of both faces, or as strips, blocks, studs, or springs, sunk into either face, or into
both faces, or as a pad contained between a wooden back, and a wooden front, in
all cases so that the resilient material is compressed between the chair and rail,
when the key is driven into place, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 10th day of March 1896.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.