IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF
RAILWAYS."-A communication from abroad by Adolf Lazar, of
Vienna, Engineer of the Imperial Royal Austrian General Office
for the Inspection of Railways.
Sealed the 10th August 1875, and dated the 13th February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th February 1875.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS," a communication, to be as follows :—
These improvements in iron permanent way consist essentially in the
application of iron transverse sleepers of a peculiar construction.

page_text: .
According to this Invention the transverse sleepers which are
preferably made of wrought iron or steel are bent downwards near the
ends of their longitudinal axes at a point outside the rail gauge. This
bend may be at a more or less sharp angle, or it may be at any suitable
curve. In consequence of the ends of the sleeper being bent in this
way the whole of the ballast lying between the two ends acts as means
for rendering impossible any displacement or shifting of the sleeper in a
direction transverse to the rail gauge.
In order to facilitate the bending of the ends of the longitudinal axis
of the wrought-iron or steel sleeper, and to render the manufacture of 1
the sleepers in the rolling mill as simple as possible, also. for the purpose
of facilitating the connection of the sleepers with the rails, it is
preferred to roll the sleepers in the form of T iron, and also to bend
down the edges of the top web of the said T iron while the same is
passing the last grooves of the rolls. This bending down of the edges:
of the top web of the T iron forming the sleeper serves the double
purpose of increasing the sleeper's resistance to stress, and of causing
the ballast to be held fast under the sleeper.
The accompanying Drawings show permanent way constructed
according to this Invention, but of course the angle and form of the
bends across the longitudinal axis of the sleeper, as well as the angle
and form of the bends of the top web of the T iron, as also the
mode of fastening the rails to the sleeper, and further the given
dimensions may be varied without departing from the substance of this
Invention..
Figures 1 and 2, which are drawn to a scale of one-fifth of the full
size, show the cross section and the longitudinal section of the iron
sleepers, as well as the mode of fastening the rail to the sleeper.
Figures 3 and 4, drawn to a scale of one-twentieth, show the
appropriate degree of curvature of the sleeper in the direction of its
longitudinal axis.
Figure 5, drawn to a scale of one-tenth, shows the use of this system
when the fish joint of the rail is situated between the sleepers.
Figures 6 and 7, drawn to a scale of one-hundredth, show.the use of
the iron sleepers along the whole length of a pair of rails.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, 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,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, 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 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 THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," a communication to me from abroad
by Adolf Lazar, of Vienna, Engineer of the Imperial Royal Austrian
General Office for the Inspection of Railways, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 William Robert Lake, 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
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
These improvements in permanent way consist essentially in the

page_text: C
According to this Invention transverse sleepers of wrought iron or
steel are used, which are bent downwards near the ends of their longi-
tudinal axes at a point outside the rail gauge. This bend may be at a
more or less sharp angle, or it may be to any suitable curve.
In con-
sequence of the ends of the sleeper being bent in this way it becomes
stronger at the point where the rails rest, and can be still further
strengthened at those points by cross bars. Moreover, the whole of the
ballast lying under the sleeper serves not only for supporting the
sleeper, but also for preventing the shifting of the sleeper, and con-
sequently of the track in a direction across the axis of the railway.
As regards the formation of the cross section of the sleeper the side
ends of this cross section are bent down in a direction vertical to its
axis, and the bending is done preferably while the sleeper is passing the
last grooves of the rolls. This serves the purpose of increasing the
strength of the sleeper, and of facilitating the packing of the same to
prevent its shifting in the direction of the axis of the railway. The
degree of bend may be varied as desired.
In order to increase the strength of the sleeper at the points where
the bolts pass through it, its cross section may be increased in thickness
at these parts.
The sleeper may also be made of plate iron stiffened by angle iron or
by a T iron. These transverse sleepers can be used as well for
"Vignole" rails as for double-headed rails. When double-headed rails
are used suitable chairs have to form the connection between the rails
and the sleepers in the mode or modes well known to railway
engineers.
It must be understood that not only the bends but also the dimensions
of the sleepers may be varied as desired without departing from the
substance of this Invention.
In the accompanying Drawing, which illustrates the application of the
said Invention to "Vignole " rails with the fish joints situated between
the sleepers, Figures 1 and 2 are full sized Drawings which show the
connection of the rail to the sleeper. Figures 3 and 4, drawn to a scale
of one-tenth of the full size, show a sleeper, the ends of which are bent
down. Figure 5, drawn to a scale of one-fourth of the full size,
shows the sleepers with the fish joint of the rails situated between the

page_text: sleepers. Figures 6 and 7, drawn to a scale of one-twentieth of the
full size, show an entire pair of rails on the sleepers. Figure 8 shows
a form of the sleeper with the cross section made thicker at the parts
where the bolts are passed through. Figures 9 and 10 show sections of
composite forms of the sleeper.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood, that I claim, transverse sleepers constructed
essentially as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
Witness,
HENRY JA. NOONE.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)