Improvements in or relating to Keys or Wedges for Railway Rails and Chairs.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application. 3rd Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Keys or Wedges for Railway Rails
and Chairs.
I, SIMON DANISCHEWSKY of 56 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, Republic of
France, Engineer (temporarily residing in this Country) do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Wooden joint keys for permanent way possess a very important disadvantage,
namely, that they shrink in dry weather and become loose, and unless constant
One of the results of their
supervision is provided, they drop out of their chairs.
dropping out is to give a cant to the chair and sleeper, which thus throws the ends of
the rails out of level.
The extensive use of wooden keys is, no doubt, due to important advantages which
they unquestionably possess. They are simple and readily procurable, they hold the
rail both laterally and vertically in the chair, they are elastic and resume their original
dimensions after being subjected to a heavy compressed force.
The object of my invention is to provide a joint key possessing all the advantages
referred to above, and provided with a suitable appliance for preventing it dropping
out of the chair, owing to vibration caused by the passage of a train, or to shrinkage
during dry weather.
One way of carrying out my invention is as follows:
:-
On one face of the wooden joint key 1 attach a metal plate preferably of iron or
steel, having incisions cut or punched through it. The parts so cut or punched are
not removed from the plate, but can be bent or sprung beyond its face so as to form
stops or teeth. The cutting and bending may be done in one operation, if
desired.
The wooden joint key, or the plate, or both of them are preferably wedge-shaped,
so that they can be driven in tightly between the rail and the chair, the teeth or
catches in the aforesaid plate flying outwards (if the metal is elastic) as they
successively emerge from the chair, and thus form stops, against its face, so that
the key cannot shift back again in the direction in which it was driven in, and fall
out owing to shrinkage or vibration. The key being taper or wedge-shaped, prevents
it falling out in the other direction. If the metal is not elastic, the stops or teeth
can be bent outwards by a suitable tool.
I generally prefer to place the stops diagonally, or in diagonal rows on the plate,
so that there is a very short interval between each. The plate can be attached to
the joint key by spikes, screws, or nails, or by bending the end or ends of the former
on to the end faces of the latter, or in other suitable manner or they may be
unconnected.
In an alternative arrangement I provide a sort of toothed rack pivoted at one
end, preferably on the under face of the wooden joint key. As the key is driven
in, one end of the said rack falls by its own gravity on to the base of the chair, and
its teeth successively engage its face, so that the key cannot be moved back without
lifting the rack.
The taper of the key prevents it dropping out in the opposite
direction, as is also the case in the first example. The teeth in both cases do not
form any obstacle to the key being driven in.
In another modification, a comparatively thin and preferably elastic plate is
attached to the face of the joint key, being firmly secured at one end thereof, but

page_text: at the opposite end left free, so that it can be bent or sprung outward. When the
key is driven in, a wedge or packing of any suitable material can be inserted between
the key and the plate thus forcing the latter outward, and forming an obstruction
for preventing the key working back again in the direction in which it was driven
in. If preferred, the aforesaid spring plate might be bent outwards at its free end
before it and the key were driven in between the rail and the chair. As its end
emerges from the chair, it would naturally spring outward by virtue of its elasticity,
and form a stop against the face of the chair.
1
Although the invention has been described in connection with wooden joint keys,
yet metal ones may be employed, if desired, having the aforesaid devices attached
or connected therewith. In the case of the stops or teeth, they may be formed
in the key itself when the construction of the latter permits of it, or formed in a
plate attached to the joint key.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1889
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of-6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Keys or Wedges for Railway Rails
and Chairs.
I, SIMON DANISCHEWSKY of 56 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, temporarily residing in this country, 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 :-
Wooden joint keys for permanent way possess a very important disadvantage,
namely, that they shrink in dry weather and become loose; and unless coustant
supervision is provided, they drop out of their chairs. One of the results of their
dropping out is to give a cant to the chair and sleeper, which thus throws the ends
of the rails out of level.
The extensive use of wooden keys is, no doubt, due to important advantages which
they unquestionably possess. They are simple and readily procurable, they hold the
rail both laterally and vertically in the chair, they are elastic and resume their
original dimensions after being subjected to a heavy compressed force.
The object of my invention is to provide joint key possessing all the advantages
referred to above, and provided with a suitable appliance for preventing it dropping
out of the chair, owing to vibration caused by the passage of a train, or to shrinkage
during dry weather.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which,...
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a chair and a portion of a railway rail.
Figure 2 the joint key with the appliance, shown in Figure 1, in a position which
enables the key to be withdrawn from the chair.
: B
Figure 3 an elevation of alternative form of joint key::
Figure 4 a plan of Figure 3 with a portion of the chair.
Referring to the drawings
In the arrangement set forth in figures 1 and 2, I provide a sort of toothed rack o,
pivoted at one end, as at f, preferably on the under face of the wooden joint key a.
As the key is driven in, one end of the said rack e falls by gravity onto the base
of the chair d, and its teeth successively engage its face, so that the key a cannot
be moved back without lifting the rack. The taper of the key a prevents it dropping
out in the opposite direction. The teeth do not form any obstacle to the key being
driven in. A wedge or other device may be inserted between the rack and the key
so as to prevent the said rack rising and becoming disengaged from the teeth owing
to vibration during the passage of a train.
In another modification, see Figures 3 and 4, a comparatively thin and preferably
elastic plate g is attached to the face of the joint key a, being firmly secured at one

page_text: end thereof, as by bolts g' or their equivalent, but at the opposite end left free, so
that it can be bent or sprung outward. When the key a is driven in, a wedge or
packing of any suitable material, such as wood, metal, or cement, can be inserted
between the key and the plate, thus forcing the latter outward, and forming an
obstruction which prevents the key working back again in the direction in which it
was driven in. If preferred, the aforesaid spring plate can be bent outwards at its
free end before it and the key are driven in between the rail and the chair. As
its end emerges from the chair, it would naturally spring outward by virtue of its
elasticity, and form a stop against the face of the chair. The plate is adapted to
provide an elastic bearing between the wedge and the chair, so as to compensate for
shrinkage of the key during dry weather.
Although the invention has been described in connection with wooden joint keys,
yet metal ones may be employed, if desired, rolled or bent into suitable form so as
to give elasticity between the chair and the rail having the aforesaid devices attached
or connected, therewith.
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
1. The combination with a railway chair wedge or key, of a rack pivoted at one
end thereto, the said rack having ratchet shaped teeth so formed on its under face,
that when the key is being driven in between the chair and the rail, these teeth ride
over the adjacent angle of the chair, but obstruct backward movement of the key
until the rack is raised clear of the chair aforesaid, substantially as set forth.
2. A railway chair wedge or key having a resilient metallic plate secured at one
end to the face of the wedge, but bent or sprung outward at the other in such a way
as to give an elastic bearing between the wedge and the chair and form a stop whereby
the wedge is securely held in place, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Liverpool, Manchester and London, Patent Agents.