IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Smith, of Bloomsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Scaled the 9th November 1853, and dated the 13th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 13th June 1853.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, of Bloomsbury, in the County of Middle-
sex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS" to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in forming longitudinal bearers of railways of
wrought or cast iron, and either with or without intervals between
them, the rail resting thereon. When there are such intervals the rail
rests partly on the bearer and partly on the ballast, which may be
raised to within a short distance of the top or head of the rail. But
when there are no such intervals the rail may be imbedded in the

page_text: ballast, either with or without the longitudinal bearer. The rail is
formed of one head, similar to the ordinary rail (but without the
double head), and the central piece, which is bent or curved over
to cach side alternately. I prefer such projections to be arched in
form, both in the longitudinal and transverse sections, and forming on
the under side an undulating continuous line.
The longitudinal bearer is formed in much the same manner as the
rail, having clips by which it is attached to the rail. The two lengths
of rail at their junction are intended to be clipped together by jaws
extending from the above-named bearer or a support, all of which, with
the transverse tye or support, may be formed of the usual materials.
The curved sides of the rail may be swaged out either by the ordi-
nary rolls or by suitable presses to give it the required form.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Smith in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 18th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1,
WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, of Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Henry Smith, Her special
license that I, the said William Henry Smith, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry
Smith, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," upon the condi-

page_text: tion (amongst others) that I, the said William Henry Smith, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and scal, 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 William Henry Smith, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
.
My Invention of "Improvements in the Permanent Way of Rail-
ways" consists in the adaptation and application thereto of a form of
rail or a bearer for rails which admits of the rail or bearer being in-
bedded in the ballast, and constituting a firmline of railway without
the use of the ordinary sleepers, by means of the vertical and lateral
rigidity which such form presents. The rail may, however, if preferred,
be applied to sleepers either of the ordinary construction or of that
herein-after described.
The form of rail or bearer thus referred to is such as to constitute in
the cross section, at intervals, a central vertical support with lateral sup-
ports between such intervals. These lateral supports occur alternately
on either side of the vertical supports in such a manner as to form in
combination therewith a continuous undulating line on the under
surface of the rail or bearer. They are also formed and arranged in
such a manner as to leave hollow spaces in which the ballast may be
packed, so as to afford much firmness to the line.
In my improved form of rail the alternate lateral supports referred
to may be constituted or nearly constituted out of the metal which
in the ordinary rail is made to fit into the ordinary chair or on to the
ordinary sleepers. So that in this manner the use of such chairs and
sleepers may be dispensed with under my Invention.
And my improved form of bearer, which may be adapted either for
ordinary rails or for my improved rails, I prefer to be longitudinal and

page_text: of sufficient length to furnish at least one lateral support on each side
of the bearer, with the hollow spaces for filling in or packing the
ballast.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood, I
will proceed to describe it more particularly by the aid of the accom-
panying Drawings, which represent different modifications or adap-
tations of the form of rail above referred to, and also a bearer formed
on the same principle and adapted for the support of an ordinary
double-headed rail. In these several Figures the same letters of refe-
rence indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1, is a transverse section of a double rail intended to be im-
bedded in the ballast, thereby dispensing with the use of chairs and
sleepers.
Fig. 2, represents a single rail likewise intended to be imbedded
in the ballast. In the former case it will be seen there is an increased
depth of metal to sustain vertical pressure, and a double set of alternate
lateral supports. In the latter case an underneath plan of the rail
would shew an undulating line similar to those shown at Figures
7, and 13. a, is the ordinary head or bearing line of the rail;
b, b, are the parts which are spread out on each side alternately,
so as to form lateral supports of such a form as to admit of the
ballast being packed in hollow spaces or arches inside and outsid
or above and below them. c, is the vertical support which occurs
at the union of the curves of two lateral supports, as shown at
c, in Fig. 7. The ballast is intended to be filled in up to about the
line e, e.
The several lengths of rail may be united or "fished" in the
ordinary manner.
Fig. 3, is a transverse section of the rail inserted in a timber
bearer or sleeper, which may be placed either longitudinally or
transversely. In this case the timber f, may be cut out or hollowed
as at g, and the piece replaced after the rail has been inserted in
the space or groove thereby formed, the cavities in the rail and be-
tween the rail and timber being filled in with concrete, as at h, h;
or the rail may be otherwise fixed in the groove made to receive it.
Fig. 4, is a transverse section of the rail and bearer which may be s

page_text: used at the junction of two lengths of rail.
It will be seen that the
clips d, d, of the bearer extend upwards, and clip the rail on each side,
just under the head or bearing line a.
Fig. 5, is a plan or horizontal view of the same.
Fig. 6, is a transverse section of the rail as applicable to the present
system of longitudinal or transverse sleepers, the lateral supports b, being
formed with a horizontal flange b, by which they may be spiked or
bolted down to the ordinary sleepers. The vacancies may, if desired, be
filled in with ballast blocks or other material.
Fig. 7, is an underneath plan, and Fig. 8, a transverse section of
the rail, with a head capable of being detached. In this case the head
is rolled separately in convenient lengths, and dropped on to the lower
part of the cast or wrought iron rail or bearer, the flanges i, i, resting
upon the lateral supports b, b, and being secured thereto by means of
dove-tail headed bolts k, fitting the grooves in the rails. The head
(which, however, in this instance forms a rail in itself) may be de-
tached when required by merely unscrewing and turning the bolts k,
half round, the other side of which being flat and of less dimensions
than the groove in the rail will admit of the latter being lifted off the
bearer. In this case the necessity for "fishing" the several lengths
of rail is obviated, as the rail and bearer may be united in such a
manner as to break joint.
Fig. 9, is a plan or horizontal view of a tye of wrought iron, which,
if necessary, may be fixed beneath the rail, and running along the
centre parallel to the head, thereby giving an increased stiffness to the
rail. The bottom of the vertical support c, is in such case fitted into and
clipped by the recess 1.
Fig. 10, is a plan of a single line of railway shewing cross or guage
tyes m, at intervals. These tyes may be screwed or otherwise fixed to
the arch of the rail or the bearer, as the case may be.
Fig. 11, is a side view, Fig. 12, an end view, and Fig. 13, an
underneath plan of a cast iron bearer on my improved principle. This
bearer is adapted to receive the ordinary double headed rail, which
will fit therein as in the ordinary chair, and be keyed or wedged in its

page_text: place by means of the wedge piece o, extending. through the three ears
or jaws p, and secured by the cross bolts q. This bearer. will be im-
bedded in the ballast in the same manner as the rail or rails shewn at
Figures 1, and 2, and described above, thereby dispensing with the use
of sleepers. The form and number of the cars or jaws p, may be
varied, and the upper part of the bearer adapted in form to receive
other kinds of rails..
[ propose to form the above-described rails or rails and bearers of
wrought iron, either by means of the ordinary rolls, or in part by
them in combination with a separate machine while still red lot, after
the bloom from the pile furnace has passed through a sufficient number
of grooves in the rolls, or wholly by such machine, as may be preferred.
The machine is formed of a number of stamps and dyes worked by
cranks or cams from a shaft. Each pair of stamps assumes more
completely the figure required, commencing at the first set, which give
the partly-formed rail or bloom, as the case may be, the rough figure
and length required. The rail then passes on to the next dye, where it
is struck by the next stamp, and so on, each succeeding stamp swaging
out the metal towards the ultimate form required. The rail should be
led onwards by guide rolls with a rapid but intermittent motion, to give
time for the stamps to rise together and clear the dyes. These
machines may be made to act at about the same rate as the rolls. As
one rail passes onwards and out of the machine another follows immie-
diately, to be acted upon and ultimately formed in the same manner.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I
do not mean or intend to confine myself to the precise forms and
arrangements of the parts shewn and described, neither do I claim as
of my Invention several of the parts which have been necessarily
referred to, nor the particular mode or modes described of adapting the
rail or bearer to the parts in combination with which it is to be used.
But what I claim as of my Invention is,-
First, the formation of the rail or the bearer, as the case may be, in
such a manner as to constitute a central support, with alternate lateral

page_text: supports so formed as to rest firmly upon the ballast, and admit of the
ballast or other material being packed in the hollow spaces or arches, as
described.
Secondly, in the combination of such rails with wooden sleepers, as
described.
And, thirdly, in the combination of bearers on the same principle
with the ordinary rails.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Smith, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
Witness,
B. NANCARROW.
WILLIAM HENRY SMITH. (L.S.)