Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1888
Specification Accepted, 27th Apr., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
I, CHARLES PECK HAWLEY, of No. 510 West 153rd Street, New York, United
States of America, Gentleman, 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 :-
My Invention relates to metallic railway sleepers; and has for its object to enable
the sleeper to be easily drawn from beneath the track and replaced without interfering
with the traffic, and to so construct the sleeper that it may combine strength with
lightness and so that it may be held securely by the ballast.
The object of the invention also, is to enable a sleeper constructed entirely of metal
or one composed partially of wood and partially of metal, to be used, so that in the
latter case when the wood becomes decayed, the sleeper can be easily taken up, new
wood substituted, and immediately relaid.
A further object of the invention is to provide a continuous or semi-continuous
bridging from sleeper to sleeper whereby a bearing plate will be provided for the
rails, and wherein the construction of the plate and sleeper will be such that the latter
may at any time be removed without moving the former.
Another object of the invention is to provide suitable fish-plates and clamps for the
rails, to produce a complete system of track laying.
The invention consists in certain peculiar features of construction, and in the com-
bination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in
the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying. drawings, forming a part of this
specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the views.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sleeper illustrating one rail-supporting plate in
position.

page_text: Figure 2 is a perspective view of a blank for use as a brace for said rail.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the finished brace.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a track supported upon the improved sleepers,
illustrating one sleeper in position for withdrawal."
Figure 5 is a plan view of a sleeper constructed partially of metal and partially
of wood.
Figure 6 is an end view.
Figure 7 is a tranverse section through the same..
Figure 8 is a side elevation of a wholly metallic sleeper, illustrating the mode of
fastening the rail.
Figure 9 is a similar view, illustrating the head of the clamp as carried upward
from the base to the head of the rail, to support the same at curves in the track.
Figures 10 and 11 are end views of the various clamps employed, the one to the
left the regular clamp; and the one to the right the clamp for curves.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of the fish-plate.
Figure 13 is an end view of the said fish-plate attached.
Figure 14 is an end view of the sleepers, and a side elevation of the rails at the
joint; and
Figure 15 is a similar view, illustrating the attachment of the fish-plates.
The body 1, of the sleeper is made from a beam of rolled T-shaped iron, cut to the
proper length. Near each end of the sleeper body, when cold, a T-shaped recess 3,
is cut or otherwise made in the upper edge of the web 2, adapted to accommodate
the rail-supporting plate or bar hereinafter described. The recess in the web may be
cut to the actual gauge of the track, all shrinkage having previously taken place.
The end braces 4, are also cut from cold metal and in the shape illustrated in Figure 2,
which is substantially rectangular, a right angular recess 5, being cut in one lower
corner, while in the blank a series of apertures 6, are produced, parallel with and near
the two edges separated by the aforesaid recess. The blank is now pressed or moulded
to the proper shape, which is accomplished by bending the apertured edges at right
angles to the body upon the dotted lines shown in Figure 2, whereby the apertured
flanges 7 and 8, are obtained:
+
The braces 4 are employed at each side of the web, the vertical flanges bearing
against the web, the horizontal flanges resting upon the base. In locating the said
braces, the straight vertical side of each is made to align the side walls of the vertical
portion of the web recess 3, the flanges being upon the outer side, and the upper end
of the vertical flanges in alignment with the horizontal portion of said recess 3.
it will thus be observed by reference to Figure 1, that a space is obtained between
the smooth contiguous faces of the braces 4, equal in width to the width of the vertical
portion of the recess 3, and that the tops of the braces upon opposite sides of the
web, and the bottom wall of the horizontal portions of the said recess 3, are in the same
plane. The braces are secured in position by passing rivets or bolts through the
apertures in the opposing vertical flanges and through the web, and also through the
apertures in the horizontal flanges and through the base of the sleeper.
The T-shaped supporting plates or bars 9, can be made of such a length as to
embrace any number of sleepers, thus making a perfect continuous support for the rail;
or they can be cut into sections the width of the sleeper and not act as a support
between the sleepers.
The horizontal portions of the recess 3 are of a depth equal to the thickness for the
flanges of the supporting plates, and the vertical portions of the recess are preferably
of a depth equal to one-half the depth of the vertical web of said plates.
In the lower edge of the vertical member of the rail support or bar 9, where it is
adapted to engage the web of the sleeper a slot 10 is cut, preferably of half the depth
of said member, as shown in Figure 1. The rail-supporting plates are not adapted to
be fastened to the sleeper, being held in connection therewith by causing the vertical
portion of the recess and the recess 10 to interlock, whereby the horizontal member
of the rail-supporting plate is made to bear upon the under side, upon the bottom
walls of the horizontal portion of the said recess 3, the web of the said supporting

page_text: plate being projected down and held between the braces 4; when so positioned the
upper surface of the supporting plato or bar is flush with the upper surface of the
sleeper.
The web of the sleeper is supported and strengthened centrally upon each side, by
two abutting braces 11 secured in like manner to the braces 4, and differing only
from said braces in that the body of the braces 11 is triangular instead of rectangular.
At each side of the recess 3 apertures 12, are to be made in the web, through which
the rail clamps hereinafter described are bolted, which, when the rails are placed upon
the supporting plate, clamp the said rails, fastening them down.
With this construction, when it becomes necessary to remove a sleeper it can be
accomplished as easily and quickly as at present with the ordinary wood sleeper and in
the same way, as it is obvious that the rail-supporting plate or bar, not being
fastened to the sleepers by removing the rail clamps and excavating beneath the sleeper
sufficiently, as shown in Figure 4, it drops free from the rail-supporting plate or har,
and then can be readily pulled out endways from under the track, and replaced again,
while the rail and rail-supporting plate or bar will retain their position, the neigh-
boring sleepers not having been disturbed. Thus the traffic is not interfered with.
In Figures 5, 6 and 7, I illustrate a sleeper formed partially of wood and partially
of metal, which sleeper consists of a web of a length about equal to an ordinary sleeper.
The web is provided with a longitudinal flange 14, integral with the base, the web and
flange representing in cross section an inverted T. In this form of sleeper, at the
ends, centre, and at that portion over which the rails are adapted to pass, the base 15,
is of a width equal to the proposed width of the complete sleeper, as shown at 16, 17
and 18.
A cross web or brace 18, is placed in the centre, for stiffening and strengthening,
which transverse web is preferably integral with the longitudinal web and base,
embracing the entire width of the latter, and the said transverse web is made with
inclined upper edges 19, as illustrated in Figure 7.
Centrally and transversely the flanges or base portions 18 another cross web 20, is
provided, which not only tends to strengthen and stiffen the sleepers but also serves
as a support for the rail plate 21, which plates and webs extend the entire width of the
base portion 15, as shown in Figure 6. Small apertures are provided in the
longitudinal web to accommodate the rail clamp heretofore spoken of.
The metal sleeper above described is adapted to rest upon a rectangular wooden
block or plank 22, of suitable length and width, and the two parts are connected by
means of a series of bolts 23, passing through the base of the metal sleeper and into
the block, or in any other approved manner.
Opposite the extended base portions 16, 17 and 18, binding plates 24, are placed
transversely beneath the block or plank and in engagement therewith, the said binding
plates and base being united by the holts 23.
As an additional means of connecting the wooden block or plank, and metal portion
of the sleeper, U-shaped clamps 25, are provided, adapted to embrace the ends of the
extended portions of the base and the clamping plates, as represented in Figure 6.
The clamps are preferably used at all times in connection with the ends of the sleeper,
but may, if desired, be employed whenever a clamping plate is used. The cross web
or brace 18 may also be duplicated at the ends of the sleeper without departing from
the spirit of the invention.
If in practice it is found desirable, the block or plank 22 may be formed of a number
of separate strips, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 6.
It will be understood that at all switches and other complicated points in the track,
the cross webs 20 and rail plates 21, may be placed at a proper angle to accommodate
the several rails. It will also be understood that instead of wood, an equivalent non-
metallic material may be employed.
As a means of securing the rails in position, and yet admitting of expansion and
contraction, a spring clamp 26 is provided, consisting of a concavo-convex head 27,
of any suitable spring metal, provided with a slotted integral and angular shank 28;
the shanks 28 being entered over the web are screwed to said web as shown in

page_text: Figure 8, the head 27 resting upon the upper face of the base of the rail, holding the
rail in a fixed position. By this means, while the rails may ride slightly under the
action of the rolling stock passing over them, they will be automatically returned to
their normal position by the spring heads 27. In Figure 9, I have illustrated the
head of the clamp as carried upward. This form is employed only upon curves and is
proposed to support the rail, the outer clamp only being so constructed.
The fish-plates 29, provided for the rails which are preferably made to abut centrally
upon the bridge or rail plate, are constructed of the usual apertured plate 30, having
centrally integral with the lower edge an outwardly extending more or less rectangular
hook or clamp 31, as illustrated in Figure 12.
In attaching the fish-plates, the hook or clamp 31, is made to engage the under
surface of the rail plate, as shown in Figures 13 and 15, embracing the longitudinal
edges of said plates and the bases of the rails, the bodies of the fish-plates being secured
in any approved manner to the webs of the rails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is;
1. The combination, with a metallic sleeper, of a rail-supporting plate, and means
for securing said plate to the rails, substantially as shown and described.
2. The combination, with a metallic sleeper, having a vertical central web provided
with a T-shaped notch or notches, of a T-shaped rail-supporting plate, adapted to
rest upon said web, substantially as shown and described.
3. The combination, with a T-shaped metallic sleeper, having its web provided
near the ends with T-shaped notches, of T-shaped rail-supporting plates notched to
interlock with notches in the web, substantially as shown and described.
4. A T-shaped metallic railroad sleeper, having its vertical web provided with
T-shaped notches near the ends, and spaced aligning braces opposite to said notches,
having their upper edges flush with the base of the horizontal portions of said notches,
substantially as shown and described..
5. A T-shaped metallic railroad sleeper, having its vertical web provided near the
end with T-shaped notches, and aligning braces opposite said notches, spaced to have
their opposing sides flush with the vertical portions of the notches and their upper
edges flush with the base of the horizontal portions of said notches, substantially as
shown and described.
6. The combination, with a T-shaped metallic railroad sleeper, having its vertical
web provided near the end with T-shaped notches, and aligning braces opposite said
notches, spaced to have their opposing sides flush with the vertical portions of the
notches, and their upper edges flush with the bases of the horizontal portions of
said notches, of T-shaped rail-supporting plates, notched to interlock with the notches
in the web, the vertical members of said plates being clamped by the spaced braces,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.
7. The combination, with an inverted T-shaped metallic sleeper beam, of a base
block secured thereto of a non-metallic substance, substantially as shown and
described.
8. The combination, with an inverted T-shaped metal sleeper beam, of a base
block of a non-metallic substance, and U-shaped clamps adapted to unite the said
block and beam, substantially as shown and described.
9. The combination, with an inverted T-shaped metal sleeper beam, of a non-
metallic base block, clamp plates held transversely beneath the block, and U-shaped
clamps uniting the base of the sleeper beam and the transverse clamp plates, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
10. The combination, with an inverted T-shaped metal sleeper beam, provided with
T-shaped transverse webs and transverse integral braces, of a non-metallic base block,
clamp plates held transversely beneath the block, and U-shaped clamps uniting the
base of the sleeper beam and the ends of the clamp plates, substantially as shown and
described.
L

page_text: 11. The combination, with a metallic sleeper having a vertical central web provided
with a T-shaped notch or notches, of a T-shaped rail-supporting plate adapted to
rest upon said web, rails resting on said plate, and means for uniting the rails and
securing the supporting plate to the sleeper, substantially as shown and described.
12. The combination, with a metal sleeper constructed essentially as herein
described, and a railroad rail supported by said sleeper, of a strap fish-plate having a
substantially U-shaped projection adapted to clamp the rail, and the rail-supporting
bar of the sleeper, as shown and described.
13. The combination, with a metallic railroad sleeper constructed essentially as
described, and the rail-supporting plate, of angular clamps bifurcated to span the web
of the tie, and provided with a head concave upon the under surface, adapted to
embrace the rail, as and for the purpose specified.
CHARLES PECK HAWLEY.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark.