IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOB AND IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING TOGETHER OR SECURING RAILWAY
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Hewison Perry, of Brighton, Sussex,
Railway Inspector, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS
FOB AND IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING TOGETHER OR SECURING RAILWAY
Sealed the 28th November 1862, and dated the 4th June 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Hewison Perry
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th June 1862.
I, ARCHIBALD HEWISON PERRY, of Brighton, Sussex, Railway Inspector,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
FASTENINGS FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING TOGETHER OR SECURING
RAILWAY CHAIRS AND SLEEPERS, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as.
follows:-
Instead of employing the ordinary solid or compressed wooden trenails:
alone, and instead of using iron spikes of any convenient shape or form alone,.
for securing iron chairs to the wooden sleepers of railways, as is now com-
monly practised, I form a hollow or tubular wooden trenail, and use in
combination therewith a novel-shaped metal spike. I take a wooden trenail,
either turned parallel with a head or shoulder,, or with any suitable amount of
taper, and I bore a hole along its axis. I also take an iron spike or round

page_text: metal pin with a head, and I flatten it at some distance above the point, but
I prefer to leave the point cylindrical, so that there is a square shoulder
formed on two sides by the flattening, whilst the width of of the pin is increased
thereby. For the purpose of fastening iron chairs upon wooden sleepers, I
first drive the hollow wooden trenail through the hole in the chair, and into
the wooden sleeper to the required extent; I then drive the novel description
of spike or pin into the hollow trenail, which is thereby expanded at its lower
end by the broad shoulder of the spike, and thus forms a dovetail within the
wood, which will prevent the trenail from being withdrawn from the sleeper,
as also the spike or pin from being withdrawn out of the trenail. The hollow
trenail may be driven into the sleeper to any required extent, or it may be
driven through it, but the iron spike or pin should, by preference, be driven
through the trenail, so that the shoulders above the cylindrical point may
project below the end of the trenail. I employ similar hollow trenails and
spikes or pins in a like manner in the construction of ships, and for other
purposes where two pieces of material have to be fastened or firmly secured
together.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Archibald Hewison Perry in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd December 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARCHIBALD
HEWISON PERRY, of Brighton, Sussex, Railway Inspector, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord. One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Archibald Hewison Perry, Her special licence that I, the said Archibald
Hewison Perry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such otliers as I,
the said Archibald Hewison Perry, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times hereafter during the term therein expressed, 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 FASTENINGS FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING TOGETHER
OR SECURING RAILWAY CHAIRS AND SLEEPERS, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Archibald Hewison

page_text: Perry, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals 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 I, the said Archibald Hewison Perry, do liereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, and accompanying Sheet of Drawings:-
Instead of employing the ordinary solid or compressed wooden trenails
alone, and instead of using iron spikes of any convenient shape or form alone,
for securing iron chairs to the wooden sleepers of railways, as is now com-
monly practised, I form a hollow or tubular wooden trenail, and use in
combination therewith a novel-shaped metal spike. I take a wooden trenail,
either turned parallel with a head or shoulder, or with any suitable amount of
taper, and I bore a hole along its axis, I also take an iron spike or round
metal pin with a head, and I flatten it at some distance above the point; but
I prefer to leave the point cylindrical, so that there is a square shoulder
formed on two sides by the flattening. For the purpose of fastening iron
chairs upon wooden sleepers, I first bore the sleeper or other substance, and
then drive the hollow wooden trenail through the hole in the chair, and into
the wooden sleeper to the required extent; I then drive the novel description
of spike or pin into the hollow trenail, which is thereby expanded at its lower
end, and thus forms a dovetail within the wood, which will prevent the trenail
from being withdrawn from the sleeper, as also the spike or pin from being
withdrawn out of the trenail. The hollow trenail may be driven into the
sleeper to any required extent, or it may be driven through it, but the iron
spike or pin should, by preference, be driven through the trenail, so that the
shoulders above the cylindrical point may project below the end of the trenail.
I employ similar hollow trenails and spikes or pins in a like manner in the
construction of ships, and for other purposes where two pieces of material have
to be fastened or firmly secured together.
In the accompanying Drawing I have illustrated my Invention and its
application.
Figures 1 and 2 are side views of an iron spike; Figures 3 and 4 being
sections on the lines A, B, and C, D; these spikes, however, may be varied in
form and proportions; Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a hollow wood
renail, previously to its being driven or having the spike driven into it;

page_text: Figure 6 is a side view of a railway chair, partly in section, and shewing the
cross sleeper and the trenail in transverse section; the one hollow trenail
having been driven into the wood sleeper, but without the iron spike; the
other hollow trenail exhibiting the action of the spike on the hollow trenail,
after having been driven through.it.
By the combination of a wood trenail and iron spike of the kind or descrip-
tion as herein set forth, I effect, first, a dovetailing of the wood trenail into
the sleeper by driving the spike, and also the locking of the spike into the
wood trenail and sleeper when the spike is driven. The wood trenail is bored
with a taper hole, the diameter of the hole at the top being about the same
as that of the round part or body of the spike, and the diameter of the hole
at the bottom being less than the diameter of the spike, so that the iron spike
being about the same diameter as the hole at the top of the treṇail, and of
larger diameter than the hole at the bottom of the trenail, the spike when
driven expands the trenail in proportion to the difference in diameter of the
spike and the hole; and by the internal pressure the trenail is expanded in
the sleeper, thus forming a conical dovetailing, which prevents the trenail or
spike being withdrawn from the sleeper or other wooden body into which they
have been driven. Although I prefer to make the iron spikes in the manner
shewn in the Drawing, by flattening the spike on two sides commencing near
the bottom, leaving a small round or taper knob at the point, and form a
shoulder on each side, as shewn by Figures 1 and 2, and as shewn in position
to a smaller scale at Figure 6, so that the shoulders or projections at the
point being driven below the bottom of the trenail the elasticity of the wooden
sleeper will force the trenail back, so as to firmly grasp the spike above
the projections, and thus firmly secure and lock it; but a pláin or jagged
spike being driven into the taper hole would expand the trenail and produce
the dovetailing; but I prefer for railway sleepers to use the flattened spike
with the projections at the point, so as to lock the spike at the bottom end of
the trenail, as described.
What I claim is,―
First, the combination of an iron spike, either flattened, as shewn in the
Drawing, or plain or jagged, in combination with a hollow wooden trenail or
ferule, as herein described, for the purpose of fastening or securing a piece or
pieces of material to wood, or two pieces of wood together, in the manner
herein described.
Second, the mode or method of fastening together or securing railway
chairs and sleepers, às herein described, and as illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing.

page_text: Third, the mode or method of fastening or securing one piece of wood to
another, or to any other body by means of a hollow wooden trenail or ferule
expanded so as to form a conical dovetailed fastening, in the manner herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Hewison Perry, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
JAMES STEVENSON,
ARCHIBALD HEWISON PERRY. (L.8.)
19, Salisbury Street,
Adelphi, W.C.