Improvements in Keys or Wedges for Securing Rails of Railways Tramways in their Chairs and Appliances Connected or therewith.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 12th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 14th June, 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Keys or Wedges for Securing Rails of Railways
Tramways in their Chairs and Appliances Connected
or
therewith.
We THOMAS SEARLS, Steel Manufacturer, and JOSEPH TRIPPETT, Manager, both of
the Cannon Steel Works, Carlisle Street, Sheffield, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYS OR WEDGES
FOR SECURING RAILS, OF RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS, IN THEIR CHAIRS AND APPLIANCES
CONNECTED THEREWITH, to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to provide, by means of our improved Appliances,
a simple and effectual means of securing Railway or Tramway Rails, in their chairs,
and to reduce their liability of working loose, such appliances being applicable to the
ordinary, and in some instances to special forms of Railway and Tramway chairs at
present in use.
We effect this object by constructing the Key or wedge in two parts, the Joint
between the two being vertical, one half of the key or wedge being formed to fit the
web of the Rail, and the other half being formed to fit the Key side of the chair,
each half is likewise formed with a Longitudinal tapered recess, so that when the two
parts are placed between the chair and the Rail, the recesses have one common centre
line, parallel to the vertical joint, forming a hole for the reception of a tapered pin or
Bolt, such pin or Bolt being made a little longer and larger than the hole formed by
the recesses, in the two half keys or wedges; the small end of the Bolt or pin being
screwed and made long enough to project through the wedges or half keys, to admit
of a washer or washers, and a nut or nuts; by which means the bolt may be drawn
tightly between the two half keys or wedges, each half of which would thereby be
forced apart from the Joint, the one half towards the Rail and the other half towards
the key jaw of the chair, the whole of the parts being so tightened as to firmly secure
the Rail in the Chair.
This tapered pin or Bolt may be made round, oval, rectangular or other convenient
form, or it may be made partly round and partly rectangular like a taper Bolt with a
parallel strip or feather on either side; the taper or bolt part of which would fill the

page_text: recesses, and the parallel part would fill the space or spaces formed between the two
parts of the key or wedge, the recesses in which would of course, be formed to
correspond with whatever form of Bolt was used.
The half keys or wedges herein described may be made in wood, or other suitable
material compressed, moulded or otherwise formed, or they may be made in metal, or
metallic substance, cast, stamped or Forged, the half Key or wedge which fits next to
the chair, may have a flange or flanges or other suitable projections formed upon it, so
as to keep it in place when it has been put in position in the Jaw of the Chair.
The pin or bolt with the washer or washers, nut or nuts, may be made of Iron
or Steel, and they may be Galvanized or coated with any other suitable protecting
medium.
When the keys or wedges are made in metal or of a metallic substance, the half
which goes next to the web of the Rail may be formed with a recess so that a cushion
or pad of wood, or other suitable material may be inserted between the surface of the
wedge and the Rail, or strips of wood or other suitable material may be used between
the wedge and the Rail without the necessity of recessing the wedge as herein last
described.
As a modification of the foregoing arrangement and appliances, instead of the bolt
or pin being made taper the keys or wedges themselves may be made taper on the
faces of the Joint, the bolt being parallel and either passing through the two keys
or wedges, or passing only part way through the two keys or wedges, in the latter case
the head of the bolt being formed with a nib or lug which would fit a corresponding
recess in one half of the Key so that it could be drawn up somewhat after the manner
in which some classes of connecting rod Gibs and Cotters are tightened up.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Keys or Wedges for Securing Rails of Railways
Tramways in their Chairs and Appliances Connected
or
therewith.
We THOMAS SEARLS, Steel Manufacturer, and JOSEPH TRIPPETT, Manager, both of
the Cannon Steel Works, Carlisle Street, Sheffield, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYS OR WEDGES
FOR SECURING RAILS OF RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS IN THEIR CHAIRS AND APPLIANCES
CONNECTED THEREWITH and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
31
The object of our Invention is to provide by means of our improved appliances, a
simple and effectual means of securing Railway or Tramway Rails in their chairs, and
to reduce their liability of working loose, such appliances being applicable to the
ordinary and in some instances to special forms of Railway and Tramway chairs at
present in use.
We effect this object by constructing the Key or wedge in two parts, the joint
between the two being vertical, one half of the key or wedge being formed to fit the
web of the rail, and the other half being formed to fit the key side of the chair, each
half is likewise formed with a longitudinal tapered recess, so that when the two parts
are placed between the chair and the rail, the recesses have one common centre line
parallel to the vertical joint, forming a hole for the reception of a tapered pin or bolt,
such pin or bolt being made a little longer and larger than the hole formed by the
recesses in the two half keys or wedges; the small end of the bolt or pin being
screwed and made long enough to project through the wedges or half keys to admit of
a washer or washers, and a nut or nuts, by which means the bolt may be drawn
tightly between the two half keys or wedges, each half of which would thereby be
forced apart from the joint, the one half towards the rail and the other half towards
the key jaw of the chair, the whole of the parts being so tightened as to firmly secure
the rail in the chair.
This tapered pin or bolt may be made round, oval, rectangular, or other convenient
form, or it may be made partly round and partly rectangular like a taper bolt with a
parallel strip or feather on either side, the taper or bolt part of which would fill the
recesses, and the parallel part would fill the space or spaces formed between the two
parts of the key or wedge, the recesses in which would of course be formed to
correspond with whatever form of bolt was used.
The half keys or wedges herein described may be made in wood, or other suitable
material compressed, moulded or otherwise formed, or they may be made in metal, or
metallic substance, cast, stamped or forged, the half key or wedge which fits next to
the chair, may have a flange or flanges or other suitable projections formed upon it, so
as to keep it in place when it has been put in position in the jaw of the chair.
The pin or bolt with the washer or washers, nut or nuts may be made of Iron
or Steel, and they may be galvanized or coated with any other suitable protecting
medium.

page_text: When the key or wedges are made in metal or of a metallic substance the half
which goes next to the web of the rail may be formed with a recess so that a cushion
or pad of wood, or other suitable material may be inserted between the surface of the
wedge and the rail, or strips of wood or other suitable material may be used between
the wedge and the rail without the necessity of recessing the wedge, as herein last
described.
As a modification of the foregoing arrangement and appliances, instead of the bolt
or pin being made taper the keys or wedges themselves may be made taper on the
faces of the joint, the bolt being parallel and either passing through the two keys or
wedges, or passing only part way through the two keys or wedges, in the latter case
the head of the bolt being formed with a nib or lug which would fit a corresponding
recess in one half of the Key so that it could be drawn up somewhat after the manner
in which some classes of connecting rod gibs and cotters are tightened up.
Whatever form of bolt may be used for tightening the keys as herein described, the
nut at the end of the same may be secured or locked by any of the modes at present
in use or it may be locked by means a small hinge catch, in the form of a short
spanner, attached to the end of one of the keys, the catch being easily lifted or turned
up when it is necessary to tighten the nut, being dropped back into position to lock
the same.
Or an effective means of locking the nut may be employed by an application of our
invention for Improvements in the construction of lock nuts and appliances connected
therewith, which is fully described and set forth in the Complete Specification of our
Patent No. 808 dated 19th January 1886. This Invention comprises an improved method
of locking nuts by the employment of nuts with indentations or teeth on their faces in
combination with a washer of lead or other ductile material interposed between the
indented faces of two such nuts; or locking a nut by the employment of a nut as
herein last described in combination with a washer of lead or other ductile material,
interposed between the indented faces of one such nut and a metallic washer; or
locking a nut as herein described in combination with a washer of lead or other ductile
material interposed between the indented face of one such nut and the indented face,
or indented boss on the object to which it is secured-In the present instance the
indented face or indented boss will be formed on the ends of the keys or wedges, so
that when they were in place the indented boss would be concentric with the bolt and
nut employed to tighten the keys.
Another mode of locking the nut on the bolt we employ in our present invention is
by means of a washer plate and clip which may be secured to the Keys by the nut
itself, the washer plate being prevented from turning by means of a recess or by
means of a projection in the form of a pin or nug cast or otherwise formed or fitted
to the end of the key or wedges.
In lieu of any of the methods herein described for locking the nuts, the bolt may
be secured and drawn tight by means of a split wedge formed cotter, the ends of the
cotter being opened after the ends of the bolt have been drawn tight.
The nature of our Invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying three sheets of drawings in which,
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of a chair and part of a rail fitted with the
improved key and appliances.
Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3, Sheet 1, is an end view looking at the back of the keys shewing the
bolt head.
Fig. 4, Sheet 1, is an end view looking at the front of the keys shewing the nut
end of the bolt with one of the modes of locking the nut.
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, Sheet 2, are enlarged views of the Improved keys and appliances
shewing one of the modes of locking the nut by means of a hinge catch.
Fig. 9, Sheet 2, is an enlarged view of one half the key shewing the tapered
recess for the reception of the bolt.
Fig. 10, Sheet 2, is a view of the tapered bolt and nut used with the same.