Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 6th May, 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways and Tramways.
I WILLIAM JOHN BREWER c/o C. I. Brown Esquire C.E. 15 Victoria Street
Westminster London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to improve the constructional details of railway
and tramway rails and are more especially applicable to elevated or overhead rail-
ways. This improved rail is rolled hollow of U shaped section so that it can sit
down over its support having suitable means to hold it down in its normal position
for elevated or overhead railways or tramways it will be fitted & fixed over the
supporting means or girders forming the bridge or railway for carrying the train
or trains passing over it thus preventing wear & tear of the said supporting medium
to prevent shock & noise I fit suitable insulating material between the said supports
and inner side of my hollow U shaped rail. When this rail is used for surface
lines the chair or sleeper can be formed out of one piece of material cast or
wrought or the chair and holding down means may be attached to the inner or
outer side of iny hollow rail and then fastened to the tie or sleeper to give
flexibility to my rail when used for bridgework or overhead railways and
tramways.
I join one rail to the other by spring pressure or other suitable means applied
in the direction of its length having bolts and nuts or other suitable means to keep
said springs actively engaged when weights or pressure is applied.
'
To prevent this hollow rail from opening out under excessive weights or pressure
I fit at certain intervals along its length cross bolts & nuts to take the outward
strain. For light work on an elevated or overhead railway or tramway I shall use
this hollow rail supported only by a truss rod or rods-in the usual way.
610/05
1
WILLIAM JOHN BREWER.
7
Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways and Tramways.
I, WILLIAM JOHN BREWER, late care of C. I. Brown, of 15 Victoria Street,
Westminster London, S.W. but now of 1 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.
Civil Engineer 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 :-
The object of my invention is to improve the constructional details of railway
or tramway rails, and of the means of support therefor, and are more especially
applicable to elevated or overhead railways.
This improved rail is rolled hollow of inverted U shaped section, so that it can
sit down over its support having suitable means to hold it down in. its normal
position. For elevated or overhead railways or tramways it will be fitted 'and
fixed over the supporting means or girders, forming the bridge or railway, for
·

page_text: carrying the train or trains passing over it, thus preventing wear and tear of the
said supporting medium. To prevent shock and noise I fit suitable insulating
material between the said supports and inner side of my hollow U shaped rail.
When this rail is used for surface lines, the chair and sleeper can be formed out of
one piece of material, cast or wrought, or the chair and holding down means may
be attached to the inner or outer side of my hollow rail, and then fastened to the
tie or sleeper.
To prevent this hollow rail from opening out under excessive weights or
pressure, I fit at certain intervals along its length, cross bolts and nuts to take the
outward strain.
For light work on an elevated or overhead railway or tramway, I shall use this
hollow rail supported only by a truss rod or rods in the usual way.
And in order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed to
describe the same in reference to the drawing hereto annexed, and to the lettera
and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a section of my improved rail on a pot sleeper.
Figure 2 is a plan of two pot sleepers and rails thereon.
Figure 3 is a side elevation and section of a joint in my rail and an internal fish
plate.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a corrugated metal sleeper, and my rail
attached thereto.
Figure 5 is a plan of said corrugated metal sleeper with lugs stamped up out of
same, for attachment of rail.
Figure 6 is a cross section and elevation of my rail applied to an elevated track
with cable supports.
Figure 7 is a section of my rail with internal packing and holding bolt.
Figure 8 is a section of my rail with internal packing, suitable for a
tramway.
My rail A 1s of an inverted U section, thus adapted to receive an internal
filling B of wood or of other suitable material, to prevent shock and noise, and at
the same time to bed down upon the support, such as the pot-sleeper C, which may
be provided with a projecting rib or ribs Dentering into the hollow chest of my
rail; and the rail is fixed thereto by bolts E. Further side projections F may be
cast with, or made on, the pot sleeper, against which the outside faces of my rail
may bed or be wedged.
As a fish plate between the joints of my rail, I apply an internal inverted U
plate G, with its lower flanges projecting outwards under the lower ribs of my
rail.
Alternatively, I may use as a sleeper, a corrugated metal plate H, in which
I raise lugs K from the metal of the plate, by partial perforation on three sides,
which will form internal lugs over which the rail beds, and to which it is attached
by bolts.
For the adaptation of my rail to elevated tracks or railways, the trough recess
under the rail is eminently suitable to receive a cable, which may extend through
the entire length of the rails, and through the U fish plate as shown in
Figure 3.
Or, where the track is conveniently supported on a series of trusses or
frames P, as in Figure 6, I may truss the rails between the timber or other
frame supports by a strut M provided with a right and left hand nut to enable the
said strut to be extended to stretch the cable N over the top of the truss frames P
or over a through bolt in my rail, and under the intermediate strut M, thus forming
a trussed rail. The base of the strut M may be adapted to fit into the hollow
trough of my rail and is bolted thereto.
The U rails are conveniently fitted upon the top timber of the frame posts P,
thus avoiding the use of chairs.
Should there be any tendency for my rail to open out its vertical wings under
excessive strain, I prevent this by fitting at suitable intervals along its length

page_text: cross-bolts as shown in Figure 7, with a piece of packing inserted in the trough of
the rail.
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 :-
1st. A rail for tram or rail ways of an inverted U section adapted to receive an
internal packing of wood or other suitable material, and adapted to bed upon the
means for support, substantially as described.
2nd. The combination with such an inverted U shaped rail of cross bolts
and internal packing, to prevent spreading of the rail under vertical pressure,
substantially as described.
3rd. The combination of such an inverted U rail with internal wood packing,
and a pot sleeper, adapted to engage internally and externally with the lower ribs
of such rail, substantially as described.
4th. The combination of such an inverted U rail with a sleeper of corrugated
metal plate, having lugs raised thereon out of said plate, adapted to engage into
the hollow trough of such rail, substantially as described.
5th. The combination with such an inverted U rail of a cable support, lying in
Baid hollow trough of rail, or trussed thereunder, substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of May 1896.
FELL & JAMES,
1 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.