IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMANENT WAY
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMANENT WAY." -A communication from
abroad by Moritz Hilf, of Wiesbaden, in the Empire of Germany,
Privy Counsellor of the Regency.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th May 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMANENT WAY,” a communication to
me from abroad by Moritz Hilf, of Wiesbaden, in the Empire of
Germany, Privy Counsellor of the Regency, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved mode of constructing permanent
way, and consists in the employment of longitudinal sleepers of rolled
iron upon which the rails rest, and to which they are connected by screw

page_text: bolts, in combination with transverse sleepers also composed of rolled iron,
which are arranged at the junctions of the ends of the rails beneath the
longitudinal sleepers, and connected to the latter by angle irons and bolts.
·
The sleepers are, by preference, made of an inverted trough-shape
with a central web, and they may rest upon a bed of stone or gravel. t
Tie bars are employed at intervals for connecting the rails together to
which they are secured by nuts, and ordinary fish plates are fitted at the
joints of the rails.
In permanent way constructed according to this Invention the load of
the wheel is directly and securely transmitted in a uniform and con- 1
tinuous manner to a sufficiently largo surface, whilst at the same time a
smooth running, and the necessary elasticity for preserving the rolling
stock are obtained; increased security in the working is also ensured
by reason of the parts being composed exclusively of metal as also great
stability against a lateral displacement of the whole track, whilst the cost
of maintenance and renewal is considerably reduced as a light steel rail
may be employed and much less supervision is required.
By the application of a transverso sleeper which should be of a similar
section to the longitudinal sleepers below the latter at the joint of the
rails, the vertical motion of the longitudinal sleeper is effectually a
prevented and its correct position is ensured.
In a section of the line of the length of about 10 yards only one tic
rod is necessary instead of three as ordinarily employed for a section of
less length than that mentioned.
The operation of laying the line is simplified by the new construction,
the rails and longitudinal sleepers being fitted together beforehand.
Facility is also afforded for adapting switch levers to the sleepers which
be readily rolled to the necessary dimensions.
may
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent 30
Office on the 19th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
5 give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
O 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 PERMANENT WAY," a communication to me from
abroad by Moritz Hilf, of Wiesbaden, in the Empire of Germany,
Privy Counsellor of the Regency, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
-
The said Invention relates to an improved mode of constructing
permanent way, and consists in the employment of longitudinal sleepers
of rolled iron upon which the rails rest, and to which they are connected.
by screw bolts in combination with transverse sleepers also composed of
rolled iron, which are arranged in the manner herein-after described at
the junctions of the ends of the rails beneath the longitudinal sleepers,
; and are connected to the latter by angle irons and bolts.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed two Sheets of

page_text: •
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
. Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of the accompanying Drawings represents a
transverse section of a portion of a line of railway constructed according
to this Invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
.
i
-
· Figure 3 (Sheet 2) represents a transverse section drawn to a reduced
scale of the rails of a line of railway connected together and fitted to
their sleepers; Figure 4 is a corresponding plan of the same.
Figure 5 represents a transverse section drawn to a similar scale to
Figure 3 of a complete line of railway constructed in accordance with
this Invention.
Figure 6 is a full sized view of the section of rail which it is preferred
to employ.
Figures 7 and 8 (Sheet 2), and Figure 9 (Sheet 1) are detail views of
the sleepers.
Figures 10 and 11 (Sheet 1) are detail views of clips or angle irons
employed for securing the rails to their longitudinal sleepers.
Figure 12 represents in detail one of a set of angle irons employed
for securing the longitudinal sleepers to the transverse sleepers.
Figure 13 shews in detail one of a set of washers which is employed
for facilitating the attachment of tie rods or bars to the rails; and
Figure 14 represents a side elevation of a portion of a fish plate.
A, A, are the rails resting upon longitudinal sleepers B, B, to which
they are secured by angle irons or clips a, a, and screw bolts b, b. The
longitudinal sleepers B, B, are supported at their ends at the points a
where the junctions of the ends of the rails occur upon a transverse
sleeper C, to which they are attached by means of other angle irons or
clips a', a', and screw bolts 6', b¹. Both the longitudinal sleepers and
the transverse sleepers are constructed of rolled iron; the longitudinal
sleepers both consist of a plate c having a central pendent web d and
sido flanges e, e; the transverse sleeper consists of a similar plate c'
with a central pendent web d' and side flanges e¹, e¹. The sleepers may
rest upon a bed D of gravel or stone, as shewn in Figure 5. A tie
rod or barf connected to the rails by means of nuts g, g, and washers k, h,
is employed at a point intermediate between two joints for maintaining
the gauge of the rails, and ordinary fish plates E, E, are fitted at the
joints of the rails.

page_text: In permanent way constructed according to this Invention the load
of the wheel is directly and securely transmitted in a uniform and
continuous manner to a sufficiently large surface, whilst at the same
time a smooth running and the necessary elasticity for preserving the
rolling stock are obtained. Increased security in the working is also
ensured by reason of the parts being composed exclusively of metal as
also great stability against a lateral displacement of the whole track,
whilst the cost of maintenance and renewal is considerably reduced as
a light steel rail may be employed and much less supervision is required.
By the application of a transverse sleeper of a similar section to the
longitudinal sleepers below the latter at the joints, the vertical motion
of the longitudinal sleeper is effectually prevented and its correct
position is ensured.
The number of tie rods employed for connecting the two parallel rails
together is reduced, one only being required in a section of the line of a
length of say about ten yards.
The operation of laying the line is simplified by the new construction;
the nails and longitudinal sleepers being fitted together beforehand.
Facility is also afforded for adapting switch levers to the sleepers which
may be readily rolled to the necessary dimensions.
It is obvious that the sleepers may be constructed of steel in lieu of
iron if found desirable.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the employ-
ment of rolled metal longitudinal sleepers in combination with rolled
metal transverse sleepers, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.G.)