IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Field and Edward Jeffreys, both of Shrews-
bury, in the County of Salop, Gentlemen, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 18th January 1861, and dated the 14th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Field and Edward
Jeffreys at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th August 1860.
We, WILLIAM FIELD and EDWARD JEFFREYS, both of Shrewsbury, in the
County of Salop, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention of improvements in the permanent way of railways has for
its object to connect or secure the ends of the rails together, so as to remove
the liability which now exists of their being moved vertically out of their place
when the rails by any accident become loose in their seat. To this end we.
make corresponding notches, cuts, or openings in the butt ends of the rails,
and in these notches, cuts, or openings, we-place, weld, or fuse a pin or tongue,
which will prevent the ends of adjaining rails from rising up or moving
vertically.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said, William Field and Edward Jeffreys in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
FIELD and EDWARD JEFFREYS, both of Shrewsbury, in the County of Salop,
Gentlemen, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Field and Edward Jeffreys, Her special license that we, the said
William Field and Edward Jeffreys, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said William Field and Edward Jeffreys,
our 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
William Field and Edward Jeffreys, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said William Field and Edward Jeffreys,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (that is to say).
Our Invention of "Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways" has
for its object to connect or secure the abutting ends of the rails together, so as
to remove the liability which now exists of their being moved vertically out of
their place when the rails by any accident become loose in their seat. To this
end we make corresponding notches, cuts, or openings in the butt ends of
the rails, and in these notches, cuts or openings, we insert a pin or tongue-
piece, which being secured in position, will prevent the ends of adjoining rails
from rising up or moving vertically.
The mode in which we carry out this Invention is as follows:-W.e. first

page_text: carefully square the ends of the rails, using either T double-headed, or other
shaped rails; and we then make the ends of the rails which are to be connected
butt together, and secure them in that position by wedging them up tightly in
a fixed frame or supports. We then punch out, by preference, a circular hole
in the butt joint by means of any suitable construction of punch, one half of
the hole being in the web of each rail. In this hole we insert a tongue-piece
of malleable iron, and then apply a forge fire to the rails to bring the ends to
a welding heat. When this heat is attained, the metal of the rails will have
so expanded as to compress the abutting ends tightly together and greatly
facilitate the junction of the rails, which operation is completed by the act of
rivetting up the tongue-piece which supplies the metal requisite for producing
a firm coupling of of the abutting rails.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of improvements in the
permanent way of railways, and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent, we claim the coupling together of the abutting ends of the
rails of railways, in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Jeffreys and William Field,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Thirteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.