Improvements in and relating to the Permanent Way of Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Permanent Way of Railways.
I, THOMAS FRAME THOMSON, of the Imperial Union Club, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new and improved mode and means
of constructing the sleepers, chairs and their fittings for securing the rails thereto of
the permanent way of railways, mainly from rolled bars of steel or malleable iron,
whereby the permanent way may be made stronger, lighter, more clastic and more
durable than heretofore, with a resulting economy in first cost, maintenance of way,
and upkeep of rolling stock.
1
The improvements and novelty of this invention consist as follows:-First, as
applied to the chairs, these would be rolled out of steel or malleable iron in long bars
of a transverse section suitable or approximately suitable to fit and carry the rail and
its key or wedge blocks or other fastenings at a proper height off the sleeper, the bars
being afterwards cut into short lengths the width of and to form each chair, and.
suitable for either single or double width chairs where these are required, and
susceptible of being modified in the shape of their flanges for different modes of
securing the rails. By one arrangement suitable for a double headed rail, these steel
or malleable iron bars for forming the chairs would be rolled with the lower part of a
bridge, or inverted U shape, with basement horizontal flanges on opposite outer sides
of the vertical feathers for securing them to the sleepers, preferably by rivets with a
low channel between them under the horizontal bridge web, over which a U channel
would be formed by side vertical or slightly angled feathers or flanges, which feathers
by passing the bars through another set of rolls, would afterwards he formed, one of
them to fit the section of the rail on the one side with the base of the rail resting on
the bridge web; the opposite vertical feather or flange being either left vertical or
slightly angled or curved on the inside to suit the wedge or other fastening used to
hold the rail tight in the chair up against the opposite fitting feather or flange; and
the bar might be cross cut by saws while hot, as girders and other bars are cross cut,
into the lengths to form the width of these new chairs desired, and have the lower
and upper flanges pressed into the forms above described by creasing the pieces while
hot in properly shaped dies, and have the holes punched or drilled out of the basement
flanges at the sides of the chair so cut off from the bar, for rivets or bolts to pass
through and secure them to their sleepers.
The vertical side flanges of the upper channel of this bridge rail would also be
made with vertical or nearly vertical feathers or flanges on the inside fully the width
to embrace the base of the rail, and of an equal or nearly equal height on opposite
between
sides to receive and grip wedge blocks inserted longitudinally in the recess,
the upper and lower heads of the rail, these being embraced on the inside of and
resting on the upper ends of the said side flanges to secure and support the rail while
tightening it up in this bridge chair, or in some cases one of the blocks might be
made permanent to fit the rail and maintain it in its true position while the other
would be made in the form of a wedge block. The base of the rail in this case does
not rest on the bridge web of the chair but the head of the rail is supported on
the said wedge blocks which would preferably be made longer than the width of the
chair and driven in from opposite sides of the chair to tighten the rail, and might be
made to keep the rail and blocks from tending to rise out of the chairs. These chairs,
or the channels in them, would be fitted or formed to give the angle or set off
the vertical line to the rails desired. In some cases chairs might be made wider,
or the welge blocks longer, where it is desired to joint the ends of the rails in

page_text: the chairs, instead of jointing them in the usual manner by fish plates between the
chairs..
By a further improvement these chairs would be rivetted to the horizontal flat web
of a sleeper of U-channel section rolled out of steel or malleable iron, preferably on
the surface inside the channel, the edge feathers or flanges of this channel bar sleeper
preferably projecting upwards to near the height of the bridge web of the chair on
which the rail rests to give stiffness and strength to the sleepers; while the lower flat
web of the sleeper would lie on the ballast in much the same manner as the wooden
sleepers at present, and so enable the ballast to be well packed in below the sleeper
from the sides; the chairs being rivetted or bolted on the sleepers to suit the gauge
of the line. These new and improved chairs might however be rivetted to other
forms of inverted U or other sleepers as heretofore used, to these new sleepers might
have other ordinary constructions of chairs rivetted or bolted to them. This new
construction of sleeper might also be used as a longitudinal sleeper and made wide
enough to rivet or bolt the chairs to in the transverse direction, and have the sleepers
secured to each other at the ends by fish plates on the underside, which might also
cross the line to form tie bars to these longitudinal sleepers, or other separate and
intermediate tie bars might be employed with screws or cotters to secure and regulate
the width and gauge of the sleepers and their chairs; and holes might be pierced
at intervals through the horizontal web of the sleepers to allow the water to
Tun off.
The upper part of the steel or malleable iron new chairs and sleepers might be
rolled and formed in like manner for securing rails with lower flanges, instead of
double headed rails, having raised suugs at either side creased up in dies, the one for
gripping the lower flange over its edge on the one side of the horizontal web of the
bridge chair or of the sleeper, and the other projecting high enough for inserting a
key to secure the other edge of the flange to the chair, or to the sleeper. In some
cases these raised snugs might be punched and creased up out of the horizontal web
of the channel sleeper for securing the ends of the new chairs to them by a wedge or
wedges in place of by rivets or bolts as hereinbefore described.
Dated the 2nd Tanamba 1000
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Permanent Way of Railways.
I, THOMAS FRAME THOMSON, of the Imperial Union Club, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
two sheets of drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
My said invention has reference to and comprises a new and improved mode and
means of constructing the sleepers, chairs, and their fittings for securing the rails
thereto of the permanent way of railways, mainly from rolled bars of steel or malleable
iron, whereby the permanent way may be made stronger, lighter, more elastic and
more durable than heretofore, with a resulting economy in first cost, maintenance of
way, and up-keep of rolling stock.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
two explanatory sheets of drawings, in which the same referener letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure on sheet I represents a transverse section through the sleeper C C¹, and
chairs B of a single line of ordinary double headed rails A, as constructed in
accordance with one arrangement of my improvements.

page_text: And Figures 2 and 3 are a transverse section and longitudinal section respectively
through one rail A, chair B, and sleeper C, C corresponding to Figure 1 but to an
enlarged scale.
Figures 4 and 5 are a transverse section and longitudinal section-respectively
through one rail A, chair B, and sleeper C, C, showing a slightly different construction
or modification of the chair and rail fixing blocks or wedges D, D, from that shown in
Figures 1 to 3.
Figure 6 on sheet 2 shows a transverse section of one rail A, chair B, and sleeper C C,
with a slightly different arrangement of the chair Band rail fixing blocks or wedgesD,D,
from that shown in Figures 4 and 5.
And Figure 7 shows a transverse section of the chair B and rail fixing blocks or
wedges D, D, shown in Figures 4 and 5 as secured to a short sole-plate E, on an
ordinary wood sleeper E¹.
Referring to these drawings, the improvements and novelty of this invention
consist as follows. First,, as applied to the chair B, these are rolled out of steel or
malleable iron in long bars of a transverse section suitable or approximately suitable
to fit and carry the rail and its key or wedge blocks or other fastenings at a proper
height off the sleeper C C¹, the chair bars being afterwards cut into short lengths the
width of and to form each chair B, and suitable for either single or double width
chairs where these are required, and susceptible of being modified in the shape of their
flanges B1, B2, for different modes of securing the rails A. Referring to the arrange-
ment shown in Figures to 3 suitable for a double headed rail A, these steel or
malleable iron bars for forming the chairs B, are rolled with the lower part B of a
bridge, or inverted U-shape with basement horizontal end flanges B3, 13, on opposite
outer sides of the vertical feathers 13', B, for securing them to the sleepers C C¹
preferably by rivets with a low channel B between them under the horizontal
bridge web B, over which a U-channel B1 would be formed by side vertical or
slightly angled feathers or flanges B1, B2, which feathers by passing the bars through
another set of rolls, would afterwards be formed, one of them to fit the section of the
rail A on the one side as shown at B', with the base of the rail resting on the
bridge web B; the opposite vertical feather or flange B2 being either left vertical
or slightly angled or curved on the inside to suit the wedge A or other fastening
used to hold the rail A tight in the chair B up against the opposite fitting feather or
flange B, the wedge A being shown as formed of wood in these figures; and the bar
might be cross cut by saws while hot, as girders and other bars are cross cut, into the
lengths to form the width of these new chairs B desired, as shown in Figure 3, and
have the lower and upper flanges pressed into the forms above described by creasing
the pieces while hot in properly shaped dies, and have the holes punched or drilled
out of the basement flanges B3 at the sides of the chair B, so cut off from the bar, for
the rivets or bolts to pass through and secure them to their sleepers C C¹.
Referring to the modification of my improvements shown in Figures 4 and 5, the
vertical side flanges B₁ B' of the upper channel B of this chair B would also be made
with vertical or nearly vertical feathers or flanges B' B' on the inside, preferably
nearly alike and slightly curved inwards, and fully the width to embrace the base
of the rail A, and of an equal or nearly equal height on opposite sides to receive
and grip wedge blocks D, D, inserted longitudinally in the recess 11 between the
upper and lower heads of the rail A, preferably with a slight taper at D¹ as
wedges, these blocks D, D, being embraced on the inside of and resting on the upper
ends of the said side flanges B1 B31 to secure and support the rail while tightening it
up in this bridge chair B; or in some cases one of the blocks D might be made
permanent to fit the rail A and maintain it in its true position, while the other would
be made in the form of a wedge block. The base, of the rail A in this case does not
rest on the bridge web of the chair B, but the head of the rail is supported on the top
edges of the said wedge blocks D,D, which would preferably be made longer than
the width of the chair B as seen in Figure 5, and driven in from opposite sides of the
chair to tighten the rail, and might be made to keep the rail A and blocks D from
tending to rise out of the chairs B. These chairs B or the channels in them, would

page_text: be fitted or formed to give the angle or set, off the vertical line to the rails A desired.
In some cases the chairs B might be made wider, or the wedge blocks D longer,
where it is desired to joint the ends of the rails A in the chairs, instead of jointing
them in the usual manner by fish plates between the chairs and as dotted in at A² in
Figure 5.
Referring to Figure 6 this shows the malleable iron or steel chair. B described and
shown in reference to Figures 4 and 5 in combination with the wedge blocks described
in the Specification of Duffield's Patent No. 7611 June 7 ISSG.
chairs B to these wedge blocks the upper gap B11 between the vertical flanges B B
in the chair B would be considerably wider than in Figures 4 and 5.
To adapt the
Referring to these Figures 1 to 6, by a further improvement these chairs B to B
would be rivetted to the horizontal flat web C of a sleeper C C of a U-channel
section rolled out of steel or malleable iron, preferably on the upper flat surface of the
sole E in the inside of the channel, between the edge feathers or flanges CC of this.
channel bar sleeper C C', and which would preferably project upwards to near the
height of the bridge web B of the chair on which the rail A. rests to give stiffness and
strength to the sleepers C C without touching the rail A; while the lower flat web C
of the sleeper would lie on the ballast in much the same manner as the wooden
sleepers at present, and so enable the ballast to be well packed in below the sleeper
from the sides as seen particularly in Figure 1; the chairs B being rivetted or bolted
on the sole of the sleepers C at a proper distance apart to suit the gauge of the line
between the rails A. These new and improved chairs B to B might however be
rivetted to other forms of inverted. U or other sleepers as heretofore used, or these
new sleepers C C', might have other ordinary constructions of chairs rivetted or
bolted to them. This new construction of sleeper C, C', might also be used as a
longitudinal sleeper and made wide enough to rivet or bolt the chairs B to, in the
transverse direction, and have the sleepers secured to each other at the ends by
fish plates on the underside, which might also cross the line to form tie bars to
these longitudinal sleepers, or other separate and intermediate tie bars might be
employed with screws or cotters to secure and regulate the width and gauge of
these channel shaped longitudinal sleepers and their chairs; and holes might be
pierced at intervals through the horizontal web of these sleepers to allow the water to
run off.
The upper part of the steel or malleable iron new chairs B and sleepers C might
be rolled and formed in like manner for securing rails with lower flanges, instead of
double headed rails, having raised snugs at either side creased up in dies, the one for
gripping the lower flange over its edge on the one side of the horizontal web of the
bridge chair or of the sleeper, and the other projecting high enough for inserting a
key to secure the other edge of the flange to the chair, or to the sleeper. In some
cases these raised snugs might be punched and creased up out of the horizontal web
of the channel sleeper C C', for securing the ends of the new chairs B, to them by a
wedge or wedges in place of by rivets or bolts as herein before described. As shown
in Figures 7, this new malleable iron chair B may also be secured by its flanges B³
and a short plate E and spikes e in the same manner as cast iron chairs, to an ordinary
wood sleeper E¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts of steel or
malleable iron chairs, sleepers, and their fittings, for securing the rails of the
permanent way of railways, substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The construction and use of steel or malleable iron bridge chairs with
horizontal securing flanges and gripping vertical or curved feathers, for securing the
rails of the permanent way of railways, substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Third. The fitting and use of metallic wedge blocks in combination with and for
securing the rails in steel or malleable iron chairs, substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. The construction and use of steel or malleable iron channel shaped
sleepers, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accom
panying drawings.
Dated the 2nd September 1890