Improvements in Railway Ties or Sleepers, Joints, and Fastening Devices, and in Metallic Bearings therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1890-Accepted, 8th Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Ties or Sleepers, Joints, and Fastening
Devices, and in Metallic Bearings therefor.
A communication from LEWIS WALLACE, of Crawfordsville, Montgomery County,
Indiana, United States of America.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT M.I.M.E., of 323 High Holborn in the County of
Middlesex, 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 constructing metallic ties for railways and the rail
fastening devices and joints and in a certain construction of metallic pads fully set
forth hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one form of the improved tie, and
connections.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one end of the tie and jaws.
Fig. 3 a perspective view of one of the jaws detached.
Fig. 4 a longitudinal section through the centre of the tie one of the rails
removed.
Fig. 5 a section showing a modification.
Fig. 6 a perspective view illustrating the connecting devices for use at the joints.
Fig. 7 a perspective view of one of the joining or fish-plates and blocks.
Fig. 8 a perspective view showing a modified form of the tie.
Figs. 9 and 10 longitudinal and cross sections of Fig. 8.
Fig. 11 a view showing the arrangement of the improved pad.
Fig. 12 an enlarged perspective view of such pad.
The body A of the tie is preferably in the form of a narrowed strip of only such
width and thickness as may be necessary to secure the desired strength and rigidity
and serves mainly as a means of tying together the two heads B B of the tie, which
are connected to or formed in one piece with the body and are widened to such an
extent as to secure the needed stability and are preferably curved downward towards
the ends so as to take a better hold upon the bed than would result if they were flat at
the underside. To further increase the hold of the tie upon the bed, the body A is
provided with lateral arms F F curved like the head portions B and serving when
embedded in the earth or ballast, as an anchor.
The tie thus formed with widened heads or bearings B and with a light and
narrow connecting portion A may be otherwise constructed in any suitable manner
for the support and attachment of the rails D which extend over the widened
bearings B.
A preferable construction is illustrated in the drawings in which each bearing B is
shown as provided with a standard a having an inturned lip b which standard is
rigidly secured to or preferably forms part of the bearing B and constitutes
practically one jaw of a clamp for securing the rail to the tie.
The other jaw c is removable and as shown consists of a plate the lower end of
which fits in a socket e in the tie while its upper end is provided with a lip b' so that
when the two jaws are in position, with the base of the rail between them, the lips
will overhang the flanges of said base and hold the rail in its position.
Any or all of the jaws may be movable and each movable jaw c is suitably secured
to the tie so as to be readily detached to facilitate the removal of the rail. Inasmuch
as screw bolts would speedily become inoperative when embedded with the tie and
inasmuch as the use of nuts and bolts would necessitate access to the underside of
the tie, when said nuts and bolts are used in the ordinary manner I have discarded
017

page_text: the employment of such fastening devices and make use of a plain rod or pin as a
securing device so arranged as to be applied and withdrawn without the necessity of
removing the tie from its bed or of obtaining access to the underside of the tic.
Thus I provide the tie adjacent to the position of the jaw c with two separated
lugs and provide the jaw e with a lugg which when the jaw is in place is in line
with the lugs ff and all of the said lugs are perforated so that when the jaw c is in
place a pin may be passed through the perforations of the lugs thereby securing
the jaw firmly in position. It will be seen that the retaining pin h is readily
accessible from the top of the tie and it may be driven in or out of its place without
the necessity of exposing any portion of the tie except the top adjacent to the rail that
the pin may be formed by simply cutting a section from a plain bar without threading
or otherwise operating upon the same, and that the pin will be retained in its place
by the ballast without the necessity of the ordinary retaining devices, required when
the bolt fastenings are used.
By providing the recess or socket for the reception of the edge of the jaw c the
thrust resulting from any pressure or strain upon the rail is brought directly against
the tie, and is not borne by the pin with a corresponding increase in the safety of the
structure.
It will be seen that by the employment of the tie having fixed and movable jaws
which latter may be secured in position and withdrawn by exposing only the upper
face of the tie, my correspondent is enabled to apply and remove the rails with great
facility, and to readily make those repairs which necessitate the removal of one or
more of the ties without disturbing the rails or the positions of the other ties.
The bases of the rails may rest directly upon the bearings B but where it is
desirable to embed the tie to any considerable depth in the ballast, and where it is
further desirable to secure a more yielding or elastic support for the rail than can
result when the rail bears directly upon the tie my correspondent prefers to use the
construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, in which the jaws a c are of such height as to
permit the interposition of one or more blocks, preferably of elastic or semi-elastic
material between the jaws and between the base of the rail and bearings.
Thus as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 a block d of gum-wood or other suitable clastic
material is held below the rail between the jaws, and a narrow or thin strip j of
rubber, vulcanized to any degree of hardness is placed above the block d and a
protecting plate of iron or suitable material is interposed between the rubber and
the base of the rail.
To aid in holding the above described parts in position I prefer to provide the jaws
or one of them with side flange k as shown.
When the ends of two rails abut above one of the bearings B the use of the plate i
above the elastic material is important as thereby either rail is prevented from sinking
down under pressure below the end of the other rail which would result in pounding
and wounding the latter and in detrimental jars to the wheels and vehicle.
It will be understood that I have described the above set forth construction of
yielding bearing merely for the purpose of illustrating one mode of deadening the
blows upon the rail when in use, and that I propose to employ any suitable material
or combination of materials, below the rails, that may be used for effecting the
-desired result or to dispense with the use of either of the materials whenever it may
not be desirable to employ them.
While my correspondent prefers to make use of the anchor F F it may be dispensed
with in some cases.
While the tie and attachment for the rails may be constructed in any suitable
manner, it is preferable to form the body and bearings or stationary jaws of cast
metal, in one piece, the movable jaws also being of cast metal, thereby securing a
light, strong, and cheap structure.
In the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the ends of the tie D have lugs c c
separated to receive between them the tongue d of the block B secured by a transverse
key f as before.

page_text: To support the rails at the meeting point without using a separate independent rail
joint each block B carries at its inner end a plate F preferably in one piece with the
block. This plate F fits against the side of the rail and constitutes practically one of
the fish-plates through which the bolts g pass and also through a similar plate at the
opposite side of the rail.
When the blocks B are inserted and secured they. lock the rails to the tie and in
addition act as fish-plates. To permit the block to be removed together with the
plate the meeting faces of the block and the lugs are inclined and by forcing the
block downward to its seat the inclined faces push the blocks against the rails, and
the fish plates are held firmly against the sides of the rails. If desired these fish-
plates may swing to a slight extent.
.
The block B and plate upon one side of the rails may be permanently fixed and if
desired the blocks and plate F may be applied to every tie or may be used only where
the ends of the rails meet.
In the construction shown in Figs. 8 to 10 the ties instead of being formed in one
piece, which is sometimes objectionable where the metal is of such character that the
metal is liable to shrink unduly in cooling, are formed of end bearings B B of cast
metal provided with lugs f, a, and detachable jaws or blocks c and fixed or removable
jaws a and an independent bar A bolted near its ends to the picces B. The bar is
preferably of rolled steel and may therefore be light in weight, strong and maintains
the relative position to the bearing plate and to secure greater stability the ends of
the bar are bent downward, either straight or curved to constitute anchors H H. 'The
sides of the bearing plates B are also preferably curved downward to secure greater
stability.
In the construction shown in Figs. 11 and 12 is illustrated a hearing block, strip or
pad for reducing concussion and noise resulting from contact between different parts
of the bearings or supports.
For this purpose wood, rubber and soft metal have been employed but heretofore
with indifferent success inasmuch as the limited dimensions of wooden bearings
render their use impracticable while the use of soft metals in the ordinary manner
results in spreading and displacing the metal.
In the construction shown in the drawing the bearing consists of a block or strip A
which may be of iron, steel, copper, zinc or other suitable metal material or
composition and as the object of employing the device is to secure a cushion that will
ease the blow of a passing wheel, the material should be softer than that of which the
rail and chair is made, yet sufficiently hard to maintain its form and structure under
the conditions in which it is used.
In the block or plate A are pockets b either sockets in the plate or perforations
extending wholly through the same and preferably grooved or dovetailed or ribbed
at the edges so as to retain in the pockets any material filling the same.
Such filling material d may be lead, Babbitt metal, or other metal or metallic
composition or alloy which may be poured in a molten state into the pockets and will
harden therein preferably projecting to a slight extent beyond the surface or surfaces
of the rail.
The pockets b are shown as square but they may be made of any other shape and
the plate may be of any desired thickness.
The bearing thus formed is interposed between the chair or tie and the bottom of
the rail, being held in place by devices which lock the rail in its position
As the parts of which the bearing is made are softer than the surfaces on which it
is placed it will absorb and reduce the effect of the blows upon the rail reducing the
wear and the noise and giving ease to the railway.
While the plate A is softer than the contacting surfaces it will support and
restrain the softer metallic filling in the pockets so that the latter cannot be spread
and rendered inoperative under the strains to which the same is subjected.
It will be evident that the improved pad or bearing may be interposed between
metallic bearing surface wherever it is desired to reduce the concussion and noise...

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by mỹ
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A railway tie consisting of extended bearings B connecting strip A and anchor F F
the bearings curved downwards at the ends substantially as set forth.
2. A railway tie having sockets for movable jaws, jaws adapted to be applied
vertically in position and engaging with said sockets and a pin passing transversely
to the tie through a portion of the jaw and through a projection upon the tie
substantially as described.
3. The combination of the tie having fixed jaws, lugs arranged to permit the rails
to be introduced freely vertically between the fixed jaws and lugs and vertically
detachable jaws having transverse openings adapted to receive transverse pins securing
the removable jaws to said lugs substantially as set forth.
4. A railway tie provided with fixed standards or jaws and transversely perforated
lugs, detachable jaws having transversely perforated lugs and vertically removable
from the tie and pins passing transversely to the tie through said lugs substantially as
described.
5. A railway tie provided with fixed jaws a transversely perforated lugs f and
sockets e and with movable jaws c fitting said sockets in the tie and having perforated
lugs g and securing pins substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of a railway tie having fixed and movable jaws for holding the
rails elastic material interposed between said jaws and flanges k for holding said
material in place substantially as set forth.
7. The combination in a rail joint or fastening of a bottom support for the rails
provided with separated lugs a block fitting between said lugs a key passing trans-
versely through openings in the lugs and block and carrying a laterally extending
plate adapted to the sides of the rails substantially as described.
8. The combination in a railway joint of lugs secured upon a base and arranged
to permit the rails to be introduced freely vertically between said lugs and a bearing
opposite the same and a vertically detachable block with a transverse_opening
adapted to receive a pin passing transversely through the lugs and a plato F carried
by said block substantially as described.
9. The combination of a tie provided with lugs having transverse openings, blocks
adapted to fit between said lugs and with openings to receive transverse pins and
laterally extending plates carried by said blocks substantially as described.
10. The combination of a tie provided at each end with two pairs of perforated
lugs adapted to receive the rails introduced vertically between them perforated blocks
fitting between said lugs and transverse pins securing them thereto and plates carried
by said blocks and adapted to fit the sides of the rails substantially as described.
11. A railway cross tie consisting of wide bearings B B provided with jaws and a
connecting bar A narrower than the bearings to which the latter are secured
substantially as described.
12. The combination of the bearings B B provided with detachable jaws and
securing devices and a connecting bar A narrower than the bearings substantially, as
described.
13. The bearings B having lugs receiving between them parts of vertically
detachable jaws and securing pins in combination with a cross bar A substantially
as described.
h
14. The combination in a cross tie of broad bearings B B narrower cross bar A and
anchors H H substantially as described.
15. The combination with the bearings B B provided with clamping jaws of a
cross bar A connected to the bearings and bent downward at the ends to form
anchors H H substantially as described.
16. In a railway tie the employment of a metallic pad or bearing consisting of a
plate provided with a series of pockets and metallic fillings in said pockets
substantially as set forth.

page_text: 17. The combination in a metallic bearing for railway ties of a plate having
perforations with ribbed or grooved edges and fillings of softer metal or metallic
composition filling said perforations substantially as set forth.
18. The combination with the chairs and rails of a railway of metallic pads
consisting each of a socket plate with a filling of soft metal in the sockets substantially
as set forth.
1 T
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.