IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur James Hamilton Smythe, of Athlone, Ireland,
for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF
RAILWAYS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur James Hamilton
Smythe at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd May 1881.
ARTHUR JAMES HAMILTON SMYTHE, of Athlone, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
My Invention relates to an improved method of supporting and fastening or
securing what is known as the vignoles or flat bottom rail to the sleeper, and it
consists of the combination of a rolled iron channelled plate chair, having the rail
bed inclined to the underside of the chair at the required angle of cant with a
rolled iron wedge shaped washer, fitting the inside flange of the rail, and gripping
the said inside flange near its outer edge by means of an ordinary strong fang bolt
passing through holes punched or drilled, both in the washer and chair close to the
edge of the flange of the rail, and through the sleeper, the rail and chair being at
the same time fastened on the outside by means of dog spikes passing through
rectangular holes in the chair close to the outer flange of the rail.

page_text: ;
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur James Hamilton Smythe in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th October 1881.
ARTHUR JAMES HAMILTON SMYTHE, of Athlone, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
My said Invention relates to an improved method of supporting and fastening or
securing what is known as the vignoles or flat bottomed rail to the sleeper, and it
consists of the combination of a rolled iron channelled plate chair or bed plate,
having the rail bed inclined to the underside of the chair at the required angle of
cant with a metal washer or clip fitting the inside flange of the rail, and gripping
the said inside flange near its outer edge by means of a fang bolt passing through
holes punched or drilled both in the washer and chair close to the edge of the
flange of the rail, and through the sleeper, the rail and chair being at the same
time fastened on the outside by means of dog spikes passing through rectangular
holes in the chair, close to the outer flange of the rail.
.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a cross section of a vignoles
or flat bottomed rail, supported and fastened or secured to its sleeper in accordance
with my said Invention; Figures 2 and 3 are plans of the bed plate and clip
respectively, hereinbefore referred to, and hereinafter more fully described.
A is a grooved rolled metal bed plate, having the seat a for the bottom flange b
of the vignoles rail B, which sits in it inclined at the required angle of "cant," to
enable the head b¹ of the rail to suit the conical form of the treads of the wheels,
and having two holes c, c, for spikes C to pass down through on the outside of the
rail B, and one hole d for a bolt D to pass through on the inside of the rail; the
rail. is fastened to this bed plate and to the sleeper E underneath it by means of
the fang bolt D on the inside, and the two clog headed spikes C on the outside.
The fang bolt D passes through a clip F, which grips the inside of the bottom
flange 6 of the rail, and the bolt is either screwed into a fang underneath the
sleeper or the fang G has a square hole punched in it, in which the neck of the
square necked bolt D engages, the bolt being passed upwards through the fang G,
the sleeper E, and the clip F, and the nut e of the bolt is screwed down on top of
the clip F. The last mentioned arrangement, which is illustrated in the Drawing,
is the one that I prefer, as the screw is thereby less liable to get rust bound than
if placed underneath the sleeper..
The following advantages are obtained by the use of my said Invention,
videlicet:-
:-
The grooving of the bed plates to the required angle of cant avoids weakening
and damaging the sleepers by grooving them, and a more accurate cant is obtained
for the rail.
The set of three fastenings forms a triangle, and prevents the rails from slewing
on the sleepers.
The inside flange of the rail is held down firmly by the screw bolt, while the two
spikes prevent the rail or bed plate, or both, from being pushed outwards by the
blows of the wheel flanges.
As the bed plates, fang bolts, and clips can be attached to the sleeper before the
rail is laid in, the latter can be slipped into its place and spiked down, and the
clip tightened within a very short space of time.

page_text: As no fastening protrudes below the sleepers outside the rail a fair bed is
obtained on the ballast at the points where firm packing is most required. Neither
holes nor nicks are required in the flanges of the rails.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not claim any one of the parts
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, taken
separately, but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent is,
The combination with a vignoles or flat bottomed rail of a rolled metal grooved
bed plate supporting the rail in an inclined position of a fang bolt with a clip
gripping the inside flange of the rail, and of dog spikes fastening the rail, the bed
plate, and the sleeper together on the outside of the rail, the several parts being
arranged and combined together, substantially in the manner hereinbefore herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur James Hamilton Smythe, have to this
my Specification, set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October,
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
ARTHUR JAMES HAMILTON SMYTHE. (L.S.)