IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING AND SUPPORTING THE JOINTS AND OTHER PORTIONS OF RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY RAILS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Walter Dyson, of Sheffield, in the West Riding
of the County of York, Steel Manufacturer, for the Invention of " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING AND SUPPORTING THE
JOINTS AND OTHER PORTIONS OF RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY RAILS."
Sealed the 30th August 1878, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, and
dated the 21st February 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Walter Dyson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1878.
GEORGE WALTER DYSON, of Sheffield, in the West Riding of the County of
York, Steel Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR
SECURING AND SUPPORTING THE JOINTS AND OTHER PORTIONS OF RAILWAY AND
TRAMWAY RAILS."
My improvements relate to securing the joints and other portions of the rails of
railways, tramways, and the like, by what I call an elastic metallic fish-plate wedge.
or key combined with an ordinary chair, or combined with a chair of improved
construction, the said wedge or key being held in its place by one or more vertical
or horizontal cotters, or one or more vertical and horizontal cotters combined.
In carrying my improvements into effect the following means can be adopted,
namely: The chair can be so formed as that one jaw will project towards and over
the wedge or key, and the said jaw can have one or more horizontal recesses, which
will receive and retain one or more projections formed on the key or wedge, and the
said jaw will have one or more vertical or vertically inclined recesses to receive one
or more cotters, which said cotter or cotters will enter partly in the chair and partly.
in the horizontal wedge or key for the purpose of retaining it in position; or the
face of the jaw of the chair (next to the wedge or key) can have one or more
recesses only, which will receive one or more projections on the wedge or key, and
the said wedge or key can be retained in position by one or more horizontal cotters,
and one or more vertical cotters; or any ordinary chair can be used with my
Price 8d1

page_text: improved elastic metallic wedge or key by so inclining, or curving, or forming the
projection or projections on the wedge or key as that when one or more horizontal
cotters are employed the key will be tightened thereby, and can further be retained
in position by one or more vertical cotters.
My improved wedge or key is or can be made so as to resemble the ordinary fish
plate in that portion which abuts on the rail, but on the reverse side it has one or
more projections, which will fit into or against the jaw of the chair, as above
specified.
.
The improved wedge or key can be made of steel or other suitable materials, and
can be rolled or pressed into shape, or it can be rolled and pressed, and, if necessary
or desirable, can be hardened and tempered.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Walter Dyson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th Sep-
tember 1878.
GEORGE WALTER DYSON, of Sheffield, in the West Riding of the County of
York, Steel Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR
SECURING AND SUPPORTING THE JOINTS AND OTHER PORTIONS OF RAILWAY AND
TRAMWAY RAILS."
My Invention consists in securing the joints and other portions of the rails of
railways and tramways by a horizontal elastic taper metallic fish-plate wedge or
key combined with an ordinary chair, or combined with a chair of improved con-
struction, the said wedge being retained in the chair by one or more vertical or
vertically inclined taper cotters or pins of any suitable section.
In carrying into effect my Invention the jaw of the chair will be plain, or will be
recessed so as to receive one or more vertical or vertically inclined taper pins or
cotters, which said cotter or cotters will enter partly into the chair and partly into
the horizontal wedge or key, or will enter the horizontal wedge only, for the purpose
of retaining the said horizontal wedge in its proper position.
The vertical taper pin or cotter can be either plain or serrated, and the said
vertical cotter can be so formed as to pass through the base of the chair and enter
the sleeper, or otherwise.
My improved horizontal wedge or key is made like an ordinary fish plate on that
side which abuts on or bears against the rail, but on the reverse side it has two or
more projections, which abut on or bear against the chair, and are so formed as to
be elastic, that is to say, one or more of the said projections will be curved, so that
when the wedge sustains lateral pressure it will or can deflect, and when relieved of
pressure will regain its normal position.
In Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 shews an end view of the
chair, horizontal wedge, and vertical cotter, and the rail in cross section.

page_text: Figure 2 shews a plan of my improved rail fastener for joints, with chair,
horizontal wedge with two vertical cotters or pins, and the ends of two rails as
Becured.
Figure 3 shows a plan of my improved wedge and one vertical cotter, for (and
with) an intermediate chair, to supersede the ordinary wood wedge or key.
Figure 4 shews in cross section one form of my improved horizontal wedges or
keys of full size, the lower projection being shewn straight and the upper one
curved, but in practise the lower projection may be curved upwards if it is desired
to make the wedge more elastic.
In Sheet 2, Figure 5 shews an end view, with rail in cross section, of a horizontal
wedge and vertical cotter, the chair being recessed to receive the head of the said
taper cotter, for use where the rails are wedged inside the track (under the flanges
of the tyres of the wheels of the rolling stock), instead of outside, as shewn in
Figure 1, Sheet 1.
Figure 6 shews a side view of the horizontal wedge, taper cotter, and recessed
chair, of similar construction to Figure 5, as above described.
In Sheet 3, Figure 7 shews a full sized end view of a chair, horizontal wedge, and
vertical cotter, constructed according to my Invention, designed for use where the
rail (as shewn in cross section) is wedged or keyed outside the track.
In carrying my Invention into effect the chairs can be of cast iron, as now
ordinarily made, and the horizontal wedges and vertical cotters can be made of steel
or other suitable material.
Having now described and ascertained in what manner my Invention is to be or
may be performed and carried into practical effect, I claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, improvements in the
means and apparatus for securing and supporting the joints and other portions of
railway and tramway rails by a horizontal metallic fish-plate wedge or key, retained
in position by one or more vertical or vertically inclined cotters or pins, in combi-
nation with an ordinary or improved chair, substantially as herein-before specified,
described, and illustrated by the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Walter Dyson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
GEORGE WALTER DYSON. (L.S.)