CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Morris, of Albert Square, Clapham Road,
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 23rd September 1857, and dated the 26th March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Morris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
March 1857.
I, JAMES MORRIS, of Albert Square, Clapham Road, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
A hole is formed in the side of the rail between the flanges (near the ends),
into this hole is driven, edge upwards, a slotted piece of iron, the slotted part
projecting on one side as much as the other.
The rails are then laid with their ends brought together as closely and
evenly as possible, when a right and left handed screw with a large nut on
each end (and screwed to match), and adjusted so as to fitt the outer surfaces
of the said slotted iron, is placed within the slots, one on each side of the rail,
and upon being turned by means of a wrench or tommy, the ends of the

page_text: rails are brought tightly and evenly together, there safely and permanently
remaining until the said screws being reversed; when they are easily parted.
Further, to prevent the possibility of either end of the rail sinking from
accident, a semicircular or curvilinear orifice is made at each end of each rail,
and when two rails are brought together and the screw on one side is
tightened, a piece of round iron is driven into the now circular orifice, thus
effectually providing against any accident at that part.
This Invention is not confined to the precise details above mentioned, which
is intended to embrace the connecting of rails by means of plain or screwed
bolts and nuts laid longitudinally, but particularly the right and left handed
screw mechanisin of the character illustrated by the above statement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Morris in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MORRIS, of Albert Square, Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March; in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Morris, Her special licence that I, the said James Morris,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Morris, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN CONNECTING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Morris, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Morris, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The nature of the said Invention consists in providing in the sides or
channels at each end of each "rail" or length of rail in a line of rails a hole
or orifice, into which a piece of iron or other suitable metal is driven or
inserted, which then projects on each side of the rail, and has the ends thereof
slotted or bifurcated (or it may simply have an orifice at each end). And
when two lengths, each constructed as aforesaid, are brought end to end
together to form a line of rails, two screw bolts or bars are placed one on each
side of the rail in the recesses or slots, (or in the substituted orifices of the two
projecting pieces aforesaid, hereafter termed "bearing" pieces, one on each
end of each rail or length of rail, that is, longitudinally on each side of the
rail in the channels thereof, such screw bolts, bolts, or bars having each
an enlarged part in the middle, and a right-handed thread at one end and a
left-handed thread at the other, on which corresponding screw nuts are placed;
or it may be of any of the other constructions hereafter described, and secured
by screw nuts or otherwise, as hereafter described.
For better securing the ends of each rail or length of a line of rails, such
rail or length may have a curvated or other suitably shaped notch or cut made
therein, which when two ends are brought together form one complete orifice,
into which a corresponding pin is to be inserted to secure the ends of the rails
from moving up and down.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I now proceed to
describe in what manner the same is to be performed, wherein I shall resort
to the aid of the Drawings accompanying this Specification, which are referred
to by the figures and letters following, viz. :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, an elevation of part of a "rail" or length of a line of rails;
Fig. 2, view of one of the aforesaid bearing pieces, shewn detached; Fig. 3,
side view of a bearing piece of construction differing from the above; Fig. 4,
side view of two rails or lengths of rails, brought together and so secured by
the aid of the aforesaid mechanism, which is here delineated as it appears
when in use; Fig. 5, side view (detached from the rail) of the aforesaid screw
bolt, having the right and the left handed screw threads and screw nuts; Fig. 6,
partial side view of two lengths of rails, joined together and secured by a screw

page_text: bolt and a nut, the screw bolt having but one thread at one end of the said
screw bolt. In all the above Figures similar letters of reference are placed
upon parts which correspond, at whatever Figures the same may appear.
A, denotes the rail, in the channel or web whereof, close to the end, is
the hole or orifice B, into which is inserted the bearing piece C, which, when
properly constructed, and fitted in its place, tightly fits in the said orifice (B),
and projects on each side of the rail, its ends being constructed with deep notches
of the form shewn at b, b, Fig. 2, forming bearing places for the ends of the
screw bolt (as shewn at Fig. 4). D is a screw bolt of the first-mentioned kind,
which is formed with a thick middle part (at D), diminishing in thickness at
each end, one end being threaded with a left-handed screw and the other with the
right-handed screw; E, E, are the two screw nuts, one of which is right-handed
and the other left-handed, to correspond with the screw on which it is to be
used. This screw bolt being placed in the notches, these two screw nuts are
tightened against the projecting pieces (C) by turning the middle part (at D)
by a wrench or spanner, which causes both nuts to be drawn on to the corre-
sponding threads, and thus the whole will be so tightly drawn together as to
form a secure joint for the rail. G denotes the kind of bearing pieces which I
use with the single screw bolt. In this case there are two orifices (instead of
the two notches) through the two ends of each bearing piece, and through
these the screw bolt H is passed, the head being at I, against which is a
collar E*, and the lower screwed extremity through (G), and fastened by the
screw nut (E). It is fastened or released by turning the top or head of the
bolt I. I consider it desirable that india-rubber washers or other compressible
material (marked ** in the Drawing) should be inserted between the ends of
each rail or length of rail at the junction, as also between the screw nuts and
collars and projecting bearings, to provide for the expansion and contraction
of the metal. L is the curvated notch at the end of the "rail" or length of
rail; and M, the pin to be inserted therein. Instead of the foregoing arrange-
ments, I can use bearing pieces with notches or perforations at the ends, in
which I insert a plain bolt or bar, secured by cotters or screws, or otherwise, to
the bearing pieces. In fixing these fastenings, they are to be supported by
an ordinary or any other description of railway chair or sleeper at each end of
them.
Having now described both the nature of the said Invention, and also in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Invention the "improvements in connecting the rails of railways," consisting
in the use and adoption of screws, bolts, bars placed longitudinally at each

page_text: side of the web of the rail, as herein-before set forth, regardless of whether
the other before-described arrangements be varied or adhered to.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Morris, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
JAMES MORRIS. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed in my presence,
F. W. CAMPIN, Patent Agent,
156, Strand.