IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF PORTABLE AND OTHER RAILWAYS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Cleminson, of Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF PORTABLE AND OTHER RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Cleminson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th July 1880.
JAMES CLEMINSON, of Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF PORTABLE AND OTHER RAILWAYS."
My improvements in the permanent way of portable and other railways have
reference to the construction and mode of securing rails to metallic sleepers, and
means for connecting together lengths of rail. The sleepers are made of metal,
which may be of ordinary flat, T, channel, or other suitable section.
According to one arrangement, at or near each end of the sleeper I fix, by means
of rivets, bolts, or screws, a plate or stop having one end raised or turned upwards
in such a manner as to allow the flange of the rail to pass under the raised part of
the said plate
or stop, and be thereby gripped whilst bearing on its edge against the
same; this end of the plate or stop may also be projected upwards sufficiently high
to allow the web of the rail to bear against the same, as is usual in ordinary rail
chairs.
The opposite end of the said plate or stop is bent downwards; the bent down
portion is placed beyond the extremity of the sleeper, and a hole is formed through
it for the purpose hereinafter described. Through the sleeper, near each of the
said plates or stops, and in positions determined by the width of the flange of
the rail, I form an elongated hole. The rails are secured to the sleeper by bolts
or keys having the form of a hook at one end and screwed at the other end, and,
according to my Invention, the hook shaped end of each bolt is passed up through
one of the before mentioned elongated holes in the sleeper, and the screwed end is
passed through the hole in the bent down portion of one of the before-mentioned
plates or stops; thus the straight part of the hooked bolt lies underneath and
against the sleeper. By this arrangement when a rail is placed against one of the
plates or stops, the hook-shaped end of the corresponding bolt clips such rail on its
lange at the side not resting against the said plate or stop, and on the nut of the

page_text: bolt being screwed up the rail is brought into contact with, and held tightly against,
the said plate or stop. The bolt being, according to my Invention, arranged under
the bottom of the sleeper, as before described, is effectually prevented from rising,
and thus greater cohesion of the parts is secured, and much enhanced stability is
imparted to the whole structure.
Any slight spring which may exist in the turned down portion of the plate or
stop tends to keep the nut of the hooked bolt from working loose.
The arrangement of stop or plate just described presents a flat or even surface
for the nut of the booked bolt to bear upon.
According to another method I form, by stamping or pressure, out of the solid
metal of the upper part of the sleeper, parts corresponding to the before mentioned
plate or stop and turned down portion, forming also the holes for the hooked bolt
through the sleeper, as before described, so that such bolt may be under and against
the sleeper.
In lieu of a plate or stop such as above described, I may use a loose washer plate
bearing at the end of the sleeper and turned over so as to grip the rail.
Also in lieu of the screw threads and nuts at the ends of the hooked bolts,
cotters or taper keys may be used.
I join together the adjacent ends of two rails by means of a staple or bent bolt,
whose two ends are screwed for the reception of nuts, and pass through suitable
holes in the webs of the rails. In some cases I employ a washer or fishing plate
of wood or iron, through which I then pass the said screwed ends, and against
which their nuts are tightened.
This method of securing the sections of road together ensures a firm connection
by the use of few parts. In lieu of making the staple or bent bolt with screwed
ends, it may be slotted and fixed by cotters.
Another mode of connecting the adjacent ends of two rails is as follows:-I
place a sleeper under the abutting ends of the rails, and employ two or more
hooked bolts to hold the rails against the before-mentioned plates or stops, whose
bent down portions are pierced with a suitable number of holes for the bolts. The
sleeper so placed under the junction of the rails may be of greater width than those
sleepers intermediately placed, and plates or stops of the forms before described
and suitable length may be used in conjunction with such wider sleepers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Cleminson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th January
1881.
JAMES CLEMINSON, of Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
5 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF PORTABLE AND OTHER RAILWAYS."
My improvements in the permanent way of portable and other railways have
reference to the construction and mode of securing rails to metallic sleepers and
means for connecting together lengths of rail. The sleepers are made of metal,
which may be of ordinary flat, T, channel, or other suitable section.
According to one arrangement, at or near each end of the sleeper I fix, by means
of rivets, bolts, or screws, a plate or stop having one end raised or turned upwards
in such a manner as to allow the flange of the rail to pass under the raised part of
the said plate or stop, and be thereby gripped whilst bearing on its edge against
the same; this end of the plate or stop may also be projected upwards sufficiently
high to allow the web of the rail to bear against the same, as is usual in ordinary
rail chairs.
The opposite end of the said plate or stop is bent downwards; the bent down
portion is placed beyond the extremity of the sleeper, and a hole is formed through
it for the purpose hereinafter described. Through the sleeper, near each of the said
plates or stops, and in positions determined by the width of the flange of the rail,
I form an elongated hole. The rails are secured to the sleeper by bolts or keys
having the forin of a hook at one end and screwed at the other end, and according
to my Invention the hook shaped end of each bolt is passed up through one of the
beforementioned elongated holes in the sleeper, and the screwed end is passed
through the hole in the bent down portion of one of the before mentioned plates or
stops; thus the straight part of the hooked bolt; lies underneath and against the
sleeper. By this arrangement, when a rail is placed against one of the plates or
stops, the hook-shaped end of the corresponding bolt clips such rail on its flange at
the side not resting against the said plate or stop, and on the nut of the bolt being
screwed up the rail is brought into contact with and held tightly against the said
plate or stop. The bolt being, according to my Invention, arranged under the
bottom surface of the sleeper, as before-described, is effectually prevented from
rising, and thus greater cohesion of the parts is secured, and much enhanced
stability is imparted to the whole structure.
Any slight spring which may exist in the turned down portion of the plate or
stop tends to keep the nut of the hooked bolt from working loose.
The arrangement of stop or plate just described presents a flat or even surface
for the nut of the hooked bolt to bear upon.
According to another method I form, by stamping or pressure, out of the solid
metal of the upper part of the sleeper, parts corresponding to the beforementioned
late or stop and turried down portion, forming also the holes for the hooked bolt
hrough the sleeper, as before described, so that such bolt may be under and against
he sleeper.
In lieu of a plate or stop, such as above described, I may use a loose washer
late bearing at the end of the sleeper and turned over so as to grip the rail.
Also in lieu of the screw threads and nuts at the ends of the hooked bolts
otters or taper keys may be used.
I join together the adjacent ends of two rails by means of a staple or bent bolt,
hose two ends are screwed for the reception of nuts and pass through suitable
oles in the webs of the rails. I employ a washer or fishing plate of wood or

page_text: iron, through which I then pass the said screwed ends, and against which their nuts
are tightened.
.
This method of securing the sections of road together insures a firm connection
by the use of few parts. In lieu of making the staple or bent bolt with screwed
ends it may be slotted and fixed by cotters.
5
Another mode of connecting the adjacent ends of two rails is as follows:-I
place a sleeper under the abutting ends of the rails, and employ two or more hooked
bolts to hold the rails against the before mentioned plates or stops, whose bent down
portions are pierced with a suitable number of holes for the bolts. The sleeper so
placed under the junction of the rails may be of greater width than those sleepers 1
intermediately placed, and plates or stops of the forms before-described and suitable
length may be used in conjunction with such wider sleepers.
Referring to the Drawings,-
Figs. 1, 2, 3, show one of my methods of securing the rail to the sleeper; the
sleeper a here shewn is of a channel section, which may be formed of wrought 1
iron or steel by rolling or stamping, or it may be made of cast iron; an elongated
hole a¹ is punched or otherwise formed in the broad face or web of the sleeper a;
the hooked end e¹ of the bolt e is passed up through this hole and overlaps one of
the flanges of the rail d, whilst the body or straight part of the bolt bears against
the under side of the sleeper, so that both the rail flange and the sleeper itself are:
between the part e¹ and the part e of the bolt, and when the bolt is tightened up,
as hereinafter explained, the rail flange and the sleeper are by the wedge-like
action of the part e¹ of the bolt gripped and held firmly together. The plate or
stop bis secured to the sleeper a by rivets c, c; the end of the stop bis raised or
turned upwards in order to allow the flange of the rail d to pass under and bear on
its edge against the said stop or plate, and be thereby held down; the opposite
end 6 of the stop or plate b is bent downwards beyond the extremity of the
sleeper a in order to afford an even surface for the nut e¹¹¹ of the bolt e; a hole 6111,
Fig. 1, is punched or otherwise formed in the downwardly bent end 6 of the stop
or plate for the reception of the screwed end ell of the bolt e.
The bolt e, hook-shaped at one end e¹, as described, is screwed at the other
end el, and is provided at this screwed end with a nut e¹. When the hook
shaped end e¹ of the bolt e has been passed up through the before mentioned hole a¹
in the sleeper a so as to take on to the flange of the rail d, the gripping of the rail
tightly down to the sleeper a is effected by screwing up the nut e
Figs. 4, 5, & 6 illustrate an arrangement wherein the sleeper a has the stop b
and turned down part c formed out of the solid of the broad face or web of the
said channel section. The stop and turned down part may be formed by
hydraulic or other pressure, or they may be formed in dies under a steam haminer,
or in or by a machine specially constructed to stamp the stop b and turned down
part c at either end of the sleeper a, separately, or at both ends of the same
simultaneously. As in the preceding arrangement, an elongated hole d is formed
in the broad face or web of the sleeper a for the hooked end e¹ of the bolt e to pass
through, but obviously the bolt may be introduced into position by passing the
screwed end e¹ through the hole d.
A hole is punched or otherwise pierced through the turned down part c for the
screwed end ell of the bolt e to pass through, and the nut el of the said bolt
obtains also in this arrangement an even bearing on the surface of the said turned
down part c, and upon the screwing up of the nut e¹¹¹ the rail g is tightly gripped
down to the sleeper a by reason of the flange on one side of the rail g taking under
the before mentioned stop b, and the bolt e at its hook-shaped end simultaneously
taking on to the upper side of the flange on the other side of the said rail g, and
bearing up against the under side of the before mentioned broad face or web of the
sleeper a.
When the sleepers are not connected to the rails the bolts e are loose and liabl
to work out of place in process of handling, in shipment, or by shaking durin
transit from place to place. To prevent this I form the hole d of an shape wit

page_text: 5
0
the edge a flush or even with the edge of the flange of the rail g, so that
the hook part e' of the bolt e may take on to and be tightly screwed against the
edge d' of the hole d; the bolt c will thus occupy the position shewn in thick
dotted lines.
Figs. 7, 8, & 9 shew another arrangement. The sleeper a has elongated holes b,
as before described, and the stop c and turned down part d are formed in one piece,
but loose from the said sleeper a; the bolt e, though shorter than in either of the
previously described arrangements, operates in the same way as therein shewn and
described, but serves the additional office of securing the stop in place.
Figs. 10, 11, and 12 illustrate an arrangement in which the stop b fastened to
the sleeper a by rivets c, c, has its raised end b' projected sufficiently upwards at an
inclination to afford a bearing for the rail d at the junction of the web and head of
the rail. The turned down part b₁ of the stop b has a square hole pierced through
it for the reception of the key or bolt e, whose hook-shaped end e grips the
sleeper and rail and holds down the rail d in the manner previously described
upon a split cotter f, being driven against the turned down part 611 of the stop b
and through a slot in the end ell of the bolt e.
Fig. 13 shews an arrangement in which the sleeper a has two holes pierced
through its face or web near each end. Through the hole b projects the hook-
shaped end e' of the bolt e, whilst the hole creceives the combined stop and
washer d, through which extends the screwed end e¹¹ of the bolt e.
arrangement the combined stop and washer & bears upon and against the flange of
By this
the rail fat the side f¹, and against the sleeper a at a¹; the bolt el passes under
and bears against the lower side or face of the web of the sleeper a, and upon the
said bolt e being screwed up tight by means of the nut ell the rail ƒ becomes
gripped down to the sleeper a and held laterally with firmness.
Figs. 14, 15, and 16 illustrate a convenient way of joining the ends of rails,
namely, by the use of a staple or bent bolt in conjunction with a washer or fishing
plate, the web a¹ of each rail a having punched or otherwise formed therein a
hole a", as is usual in railway rails. When two rails are to be joined together the
screwed ends b' and 6" of the staple or bent bolt bare passed through the said
holes a; the washer or fishing plate c, which is pierced at two corresponding
places, is then passed over the said end b¹ and b" of the staple or bent bolt b, aud
the nuts d, d, are tightened up, the middle part 611 of the bolt b and the
washer or fishing plate C being thus brought firmly in contact with the rails a, so
that the latter become firmly held or joined together.
Figs. 17, 18, and 19 shew a similar mode of joining the ends of rails, split keys
or cotters e, e, being substituted for nuts d, d, the ends of the said staple or bent
bolt being suitably slotted for the reception of the said keys or cotters.
Figs. 20, 21, and 22 illustrate a method of joining the ends of rails by gripping
the rail flange to perforated sleepers, for which purpose the sleeper a is made of
greater width than the sleepers intermediately disposed under the rail, and is
pierced at each end with two elongated holes a' and a" for the reception of the
hook shaped ends of the bolts d, d, and a prolonged stop or plate b is rivetted
on each end of the sleeper a, and is pierced with suitable holes e, e, in the turned
down part of the said stop or plate b for the reception of the screwed ends of the
before mentioned bolts d, d. The stops may be of either of the other forms herein-
before described, and the bolts may be tightened by cotters instead of nuts.
Having described the nature of my said Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I would say that although sleepers of channel sections of
metal are shewn in the Drawings I do not confine myself thereto, but may use flat
bars or plates or bars of T section, and, furthermore, that inasmuch as hooked bolts
have been used in various ways in the permanent way of railways and tramways,
I do not make any general claim to the exclusive use of such bolts.
But what I do claim as new and secured to me, under the Letters Patent
herein before in part recited, is,—
1. Constructing permanent way of railways, as shewn in and described with

page_text: reference respectively to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive, Figs. 7 to 9
inclusive, Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive, Fig. 13 and Figs. 20 to 22 inclusive, of the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
2. Securing rails to sleepers by gripping and holding together the rail flange and
sleeper by and between two parts of a hook-shaped bolt, whose hook bears against
the edge and upper surface of the rail flange, whilst the straight part of the bolt
bears against the under surface of the sleeper in such manner as when tightened
up by a nut or equivalent means to cause the hook of the bolt to have a wedge like
and gripping action upon the rail flange and sleeper, substantially as described.
3. Affording the nuts of the gripping bolts an even bearing surface by the
bending of the stops, plates, or sleepers down over or at the ends of the sleepers,
substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 13 of the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Cleminson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JAS. CLEMINSON. (L.S.)