CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Joseph Macdonnell, of the Temple
Mead, in the City of Bristol, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 31st December 1852, and dated the 1st October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Joseph
Macdonnell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st October 1852.
I, JOHN JOSEPH MACDONNELL, of Temple Mead, in the City of
Bristol, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS"
to be as follows:-
The use of the bridge rail, being the common form of rail used on
railways, laid upon continuous bearings.
The use of a metallic continuous bearing, for which I recommend
wrought iron.
The introduction of a packing of wood, or other yielding material,
between the rail and the continuous metallic bearing...
The formation of ribs or fillets upon the continuous metallic bearings
outside the flanches of the rails.
The formation of a tongue rib or steadying-piece in the middle of the
continuous metallic packing or bearing to fit into the hollow of the
bridge rail.
The accompanying sketches show one of the forms of the continuous

page_text: metallic bearing which I recommend, and the position of the ordinary
bridge rail upon it, in plan, elevation, and section.
The principal improvements comprised in my Invention are the
following:
Imparting greater steadiness to the rails, preventing the jars or vibra-
tion to which most metallic bearings are subject. The easy removal of
the rail when worn out, without injury to the bearing. The greater
economy and simplicity in construction, by diminishing the number of
fastenings required. The general improvement in the construction of
railways by the means aforesaid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Joseph Macdonnell, in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 24th day of March 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN JOSEPH MACDONNELL, of Temple Mead, in the City of Bristol,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year of Her reign,
did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Joseph Macdonnell, Her special licence that I,
the said John Joseph Macdonnell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Joseph Macdonnell, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention for " CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Joseph Macdonnell, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Joseph Macdonnell, do
hereby 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; reference being had to the drawings
hereto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, (that
is to say):
My Invention of "Certain Improvements in the Construction of
Railways," relates to a metallic bearing for the rails of railways, having
ribs or fillets outside the flanches of the rails, for the purpose of keeping
in its place packing of any yielding material between the rails and the
metallic bearing, with a tongue rib or steadying piece in the middle of
the metallic bearing to fit into the hollow of the rail.
The Figure A, shows the metallic bearing, which I recommend to be:
continuous, and which may be made of any metal, but for which wrought
iron is, in my opinion, the most suitable; B, B, are the ribs or fillets
outside the flanches of the rail, and C, C, strips of any yielding material,
such as wood, felt, India-rubber, or gutta percha, either of which may
be used for packing, but for which purpose I consider wood to
be preferable and most suitable; D, represents a tongue rib or
steadying piece, formed or rolled in the metallic bearing, and which fits
into the hollow of the rail; E, shows the rail, which I recommend to be
of the form called the bridge rail, inasmuch as it is the form of rail in
common use, and that to which my Invention may be most readily
applied. The rail, however, may be of any form, provided that it has
flanches and a hollow in the under side, into which the rib tongue or
steadying-piece may fit. I consider that it will be best for the rails
and bearing to break joint.
My Invention will apply equally well if the bearing is in detached
portions, but I prefer continuous bearings, because more calculated to
give the greatest steadiness of support. The bearings of the two rails
may be tied together by wooden transoms, or by cross-bars of iron or
other metal, of any convenient form, and the rails may be fastened down
to the bearings by bolts and nut screws or rivets, or any other fastenings.
The ends of the several lengths of bearing may be fastened together by
plates, or by the transoms or cross-bars.
The object of my Invention is, firstly, to economise fastenings;
secondly, to give greater steadiness of bearing to the rail, by the

page_text: tongue rib or steadying-piece fitting into the hollow of the rail; and,
thirdly, to keep the packing in its place, by means of the outside ribs or
fillets. The accompanying drawings will show the forms and propor-
tions which I consider best for carrying out my Invention, but which
may be varied according to the views of the engineer.
I do not claim as new the use of the yielding packing underneath the
rail; nor do I claim as new the use of a continuous metallic bearing, or
of a metallic bearing with a central rib; nor do I claim any particular
system of cross-ties or fastenings; but I claim a continuous metallic
bearing rail, with a tongue rib or steadying-piece fitting into the hollow
of the rail, and with outside ribs or fillets, for keeping a yielding packing
in its place, where the rail is bolted down to the continuous bearing, as
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Joseph Macdonnell, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.