IMPROVEMENTS IN WEDGES FOR RAILWAY CHAIRS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Parkin, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Engineer, and James Bates, of Hyde, in the County of Chester, Cotton
Spinner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEDGES FOR RAILWAY
CHAIRS."
Sealed the 27th March 1860, and dated the 1st October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Parkin and
James Bates, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 1st October 1859.
We, WILLIAM PARKIN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, and
JAMES BATES, of Hyde, in the County of Chester, Cotton Spinner, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEDGES FOR
RAILWAY CHAIRS," to be as follows:→
We make a metal wedge with a slit or slot in it lengthwise to admit of a
nut, and a hole in the transverse direction for a bolt, so that when the wedge
is inserted between the rail and the chair the nut is placed in the slit or slot
and the bolt passed through the hole to be screwed up to any required tight-
ness, thus securing it in the first instance, and tightening it, as it may give way
or become loose by wear and tear.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Parkin and James Bates, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 31st March 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
PARKIN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, and JAMES BATES, of
Hyde, in the County of Chester, Cotton Spinner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Parkin and James Bates, Her special licence that we, the said
William Parkin and James Bates, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said William Parkin and James Bates, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEDGES FOR RAILWAY CHAIRS,"
upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Parkin
and James Bates, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Parkin and James Bates,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
We make the wedges of cast iron or other slightly elastic metal, and form
each wedge with a slit or slot lengthwise, extending from one end to nearly
the other, in order to allow the wedge to expand and contract. The slit or
slot is formed to admit of a nut, the bolt of which passes through a hole in
the outer side of the wedge; so that when the latter is inserted between the
rail and the side of the chair the nut can be placed in the slit or slot, and the
bolt passed through the hole and afterwards screwed up, so as to enlarge or
expand the wedge to any required tightness, thus securing it in the first
instance, and afterwards tightening it, as it may give way or become loose by

page_text: wear and tear. We also, when desired, expand a slotted metal wedge by
driving a pin or key between the sides of the slot, and thereby force the outer
sides of the wedge against the rail and chair.
The manner in which our Invention is to be performed will be clearly under-
stood by referring to the figures and letters on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a transverse view of a rail and chair,
with one of our improved wedges; Fig. 2, an end view of the wedge only; and
Figs. 3 and 4, plans of the wedge with the nut and bolt; Figs. 5 and 6 are
end views; and Figs. 7 and 8 are plans of another of our improved wedges.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a is the wedge, having a slit or slot 6 formed so
that the nut c can be placed within it; the bolt d passes through the nut and
also through the side e of the wedge, and its end presses against the side ƒ of
the slot, so that when the bolt is turned by the head g, the two sides of the
wedge shall be expanded or spread out from each other and forced against the
rail h and chair k, and thereby effectually tighten them together. The wedge
is furnished with a knob or projection l, which is placed against the side of the
chair in order to determine its right position.
In Fig. 4 the wedge is shewn curved to adapt it for curved rails, and in
addition to the nut c a lock nut m is employed to keep the bolt firm, which
lock nut may be employed in all cases required.
In Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 we represent a wedge with another form of slot, and
also another mode of expanding or enlarging the sides. The slot is shewn at
n, and is intended to taper from the top to the bottom, as seen in Fig. 5, so
that when a parallel pin or keyhole is driven between them, as shewn in
Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the sides of the wedge shall be expanded or spread out
against the sides of the rail and chair and hold all firmly together.
A top view of part of the wedge is shewn in Fig. 7, and an under view of
the samo at Fig. 8.
We may here remark, that instead of the bolt and nut shewn in Figs. 1, 3,
and 4, a pin or key may be substituted; and also, instead of the key in
Figs. 6, 7, and 8, a bolt and nut may be employed for the common purpose of
expanding the sides of the wedge.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details
herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle thereof; but we claim as our Invention, and which to the best of our
knowledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm, the employ-
ment for railway chairs of a slitted or slotted metal wedge with a bolt, pin, or

page_text: key for forcing the sides of the wedge against the rail and chair and main-
taining them firmly together, as such improvements are herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Parkin and James Bates
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-ninth day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty.
Witness,
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
WILLIAM PARKIN. (L.B.)
JAMES BATES.
(L.S.)