IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Turnbull, of Calcutta, in the Province of
um Bengal, in the East Indies, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 8th July 1859, and dated the 23rd February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Turnbull at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
February 1859.
I, GEORGE TURNBULL, of Calcutta, in the Province of Bengal, in the East
Indies, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent way of
railways. For these purposes, in constructing the permanent way of a rail-
way, longitudinal sleepers or bearers of iron are used, and the rails (whether
bridge rails, or solid headed rails) are fixed thereto by screw bolts and nuts.
The horizontal upper surface of the longitudinal iron sleepers or bearers is made
of a greater width than the widest part of the lower or under surface of the
rails which are to be fixed thereon, and the upper surface of the longitudinal

page_text: sleepers or bearers is rolled or formed with a longitudinal groove or recess
only slightly wider than the under surface of the rails, so that the rails are
prevented moving laterally, at the same time greater strength (in using a given
quantity of iron) is given to the edges of the longitudinal sleepers or bearers
beyond the rails. The whole width of the longitudinal sleepers or bearers is
formed or rolled flat, so that it rests horizontally on the surface of the earth
below. The longitudinal sleepers or bearers are turned down at their edges
at right angles to the upper horizontal surface. By thus making the upper
horizontal surface of the longitudinal sleepers or bearers wider on the upper
horizontal surface than the greatest width of the rails, and by turning down
the edges of the bearers to a comparatively small extent at right angles as
described, great stability will be obtained when using a given weight of iron
as compared with other forms of longitudinal sleepers or bearers of iron here-
tofore proposed. In order to preserve the guage of the longitudinal sleepers
or bearers and the rails fixed thereon, transverse ties are used which are fixed
at intervals under the longitudinal sleepers or bearers by screw bolts and nuts;
these ties are flat at their upper surfaces, and they are turned down at right
angles at their edges. The flanches or turned down edges of the longitudinal
sleepers or bearers are cut away where the ends of the transverse ties come
ander the sleepers or bearers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Turnbull in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TURNBULL, of Calcutta, in the Province of Bengal, in the East Indies, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Turnbull, Her special licence that I, the said
George Turnbull, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said George Turnbull, 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 mil

page_text: 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 I, the said George Turnbull, 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 George Turnbull, 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 fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent way of
railways. For these purposes, in constructing the permanent way of a rail-
way, longitudinal sleepers or bearers of iron are used, and the rails (whether
bridge rails, or solid headed rails) are fixed thereto by screw bolts and nuts.
The horizontal upper surface of the longitudinal iron sleepers or bearers is
made of a greater width than the widest part of the lower or under surface of
the rails, which are to be fixed thereon, and the upper surface of the longi-
tudinal sleepers or bearers is rolled or formed with a longitudinal groove or
recess only slightly wider than the under surface of the rails, so that the rails
are prevented moving laterally, at the same time greater strength (in using a
given quantity of iron) is given to the edges of the longitudinal sleepers or
bearers beyond the rails. The whole width of the longitudinal sleepers or
bearers is formed or rolled flat, so that it rests horizontally on the surface of
the earth below. The longitudinal sleepers or bearers are turned down at
their edges at right angles to the upper horizontal surface. By thus making
horizontal surface of the longitudinal sleepers or bearers wider on
horizontal surface than the greatest width of the rails, and by
turning down the edges of the bearers to a comparatively small extent at
right angles as described, great stability will be obtained when using a given
weight of iron as compared with other forms of longitudinal sleepers or bearers
5 of iron heretofore proposed. In order to preserve the guage of the longi-
tudinal sleepers or bearers and the rails fixed thereon, transverse ties are used
which are fixed at intervals under the longitudinal sleepers or bearers by serew
bolts and nuts; these ties are flat at their upper surfaces, and they are turned
the upper
the
upper

page_text: Turnbu
down at right angles at their edges. The
edges of
the longitudinal sleepers or bearers are cut away where the ends of the trans-
verse ties come under the sleepers or bearers.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of part of a railway
constructed according to my Invention; Figure 3 shows a transverse section
of a bridge rail, full size, fixed to a longitudinal sleeper or bearer formed
according to my Invention; Figure 4 shows a side elevation of the ends of
two rails, full size, fixed on longitudinal sleepers or bearers, and these Figures
show the manner of affixing a transverse tie to the sleeper or bearer; Figure 5
shows another transverse section of the rail and sleeper or bearer; Figure 6
shows a side elevation, showing the joint between the ends of two sleepers or
bearers; and Figure 7 shows a side elevation of part of a rail and sleeper where
the under flanches or downward projections on the under side of the sleeper or
bearer are removed in order to fix the end of a transverse tie; Figure 8 shows a
transverse section of a longitudinal bearer according to my Invention, having
a solid headed rail fixed thereon, such solid headed rail having a wide flanched
under side, as shown.
In all these Figures the same letters of reference are used to indicate the
same parts. a, a, is the rail; 6, 6, is the longitudinal bearer or sleeper, the
under surface of which is formed flat to the extent of its whole width from
6*, bx, and in use it rests in a horizontal position on the surface below; b¹, b',
show the groove or longitudinal recess formed in the upper surface; b², b²,
show the edges of the longitudinal bearers or sleepers turned down at right
angles; c, c, are the screws and nuts by which the rails are fixed to the
sleepers or bearers; d is a transverse tie of the form above described; and
e, e, are screw bolts and nut by which it is fixed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I am aware that longi-
tudinal sleepers or bearers of iron have before been used in constructing the
permanent way of a railway, but in such cases the width of the horizontal
surface or upper parts thereof has been small as compared with the whole
width of such sleepers or bearers, by reason of much of the width of such
sleepers or bearers having consisted of inclines projecting downwards on either
side from the upper horizontal parts to which the rails have been affixed. I
5

page_text: mention this, in order to state that I do not claim the use of longitudinal |
bearers or sleepers of iron generally; but what I claim is the constructing of
the permanent way of a railway with longitudinal sleepers or bearers such as
are herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Turnbull, have hereunto set
hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
my
GEORGE TURNBULL. (L.S.)
0 Witness,
ARTHUR JOHN WHALLEY,
Witness,
of Calcutta, 8th of April, 1859.
EDWARD ALLAN D. CREW,
Calcutta, 8th April, 1859.