IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Whittier Throop, of Aldersgate Street, in the City
of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS." A communication from abroad by Ebenezer E. Lewis, of
Geneva. State of New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 23rd February 1877, and dated the 1st September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Whittier Throop at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st September 1876.
JOHN WHITTIER THROOP, of Aldersgate Street, in the City of London. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS." A communication from
abroad by Ebenezer E. Lewis, of Geneva, State of New York, in the United States
of America.
It is proposed to construct a railroad tie of iron by rolling one or more ties in a
continuous piece of iron and cutting it off in suitable lengths to suit the width of
the road it is to be applied to. The tie will have a broad surface to rest upon, the
road bed, and on its upper side a longitudinal projection for the seat of the rail to
be made into, one seat at or near each end, also a longitudinal projection on the
lower side of the broad surface to enter the road bed to hold the tie in place The
rails will rest upon any suitable elastic material laid between them and the seats,
and a key or wedge will be driven over one of the flanges of each rail, the points of
which key may be bent upward and outward to keep it in place.
This tie or sleeper may be modified by making one of the longitudinal projections
(say the upper projection) so that it will support ordinary railroad rails with side
plates at the union of rails, and with keys or wedges on the inside plate and side
of the rail seat, and the rail seat made in the tie so that the rail may be dropped
down into the seat and the outside plate applied; or or when repairing, the tie may bo
passed under the rail and raised up so that the bottom of the rail seat will come up
to the bottom of the rail The rail seat in the tie may be made alike in each end
of the upper projection of the tie, or a seat may be made to fit the outside of the
Thus
rail, and the projection left off or beveled down to the flange of the rail.
made it may be applied to the rail by passing it under the rail and putting the seat
on the bottom of the rail.
When both kinds of rail seats are made in the same projection of all the ties

page_text: (excepting the two ties at the union) they should be changed ends alternately. The
other longitudinal projection, say the lower projection, may be made with seats to
suit new sections of rail which it may be desired to substitute in place of the old
rail, this being done by simply turning the tie or sleeper and thus making what was
the lower projection the upper one.
It is proposed to adopt in place of the ordinary rail when worn out, a rail made
without any flange at the base, and with that portion which is below the rounded
part that the car wheel rolls on tapering downward, also having about midway
down the web on the inside a channel to receive a key which will hold the rail
firmly in its place. This rail must fit closely in the seat in the tie, so that the tie 1
will hold it firmly in position. The upper part of the rail will be rounded to suit
the flange and tread of the car wheel on the inside and top, and the outside inclined
in a straight line to the lower part. Or a rail may be used without any flange at
the base and with the web or part supporting the rounded top, having parallel sides,
so that a side plate may be placed by its side within the seat in the tie or sleeper, 1
and about midway on the inside will be a channel for a key, the top part or head
of the rail being rounded in any desirable manner.
The outside plate may be made oval on the outside and to fit the rail on the
inside, and have notches in the outside fitted to the rail seat of the two ties that
support it. The outside is made oval to give it greater strength.
It is also proposed to make a rail with flange only on one side of its bottom, and
the opposite side from the flange vertical, or nearly so, from the bottom up to the
rounded portion or head, the oval top part or head being made with the largest
portion of it extending outward over the flange, thus making that portion of the top
most acted upon by the car wheels rolling over it directly above the vertical portion 2
which supports it, and below the rounded top the middle part or web of the rail
will increase in thickness downwards to the flange.
It is proposed to use in conjunction with this rail a side plate at the joint or
union, ribbed and notched to give it strength and keep it in place, wedges being
used to keep them firmly united and a wooden saddle between the rails and tie or
sleeper, all being fitted into the upper longitudinal projection of the metallic tie
previously described. The wedges may have three prongs to be turned back to secure
them more firmly in position, one or other of the prongs being bent accordingly as
the wedge is driven tighter.
It is proposed in some cases to dispense with the lower longitudinal projection of
the tie or sleeper and to substitute ribs to give it vertical strength and prevent it
being drawn in the direction of the line of the road. Also to make the tie with two
projections on its upper surface, and in each projection rail seats for the ordinary
rail or other kind of rail preferred, making the outside of the seats open to receive
the rail, and making a part to be placed within the opening and held in place by a
key to hold the rail and tie firmly together at the unions or rail joints, or to support
any other part of the rail.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Whittier Throop in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1877.
JOHN WHITTIER THROOP, of Aldersgate Street, in the City of London. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS." A communication from
abroad by Ebenezer E. Lewis, of Geneva, State of New York, in the United States
of America.
It is proposed to construct a railroad tie of iron by rolling one or more ties in a 5
continuous piece of iron and cutting it off in suitable lengths to suit the width of
-road it is to be applied to. The tie which forms the basis of these improvements in

page_text: the permanent way of railways has a broad surface to rest upon the road bed, and
on its upper side a longitudinal projection for the seat of the rail to be made into,
one seat at or near each end; also a longitudinal projection on the lower side of the
broad surface to enter the road bed to hold the tie in place.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the tie;
Figure 2 is a top view, and Figure 3, a side view of the tie
The letters of reference refer to the same parts in each Figure.
a is the broad surface of the tie that is placed upon the road bed to support the
several parts. It may be made of any size or length required. It has attached to
it a projection on the upper surface, also a projection at the under side, all extending
across the railroad bed under both rails of the road. B is a longitudinal projection
made upon the upper surface of the part a, and of the same length. In its upper
edge are two seats for the railroad rails, made the proper distance apart to give the
required width to the road. Its size or shape may be varied to correspond with
the various conditions where it may be used; C is a longitudinal projection con-
nected with the under side of the broad surface. It is of the same length as the
tie, and may be made of any required width or size. The lower edge may be
made the thickest for the purpose of more securely holding the tie in place. The
use of this projection is to keep the tie in position where placed and to give greater
strength to the tie; D, D, are the seats for the railroad rails. They are made
in the upper edge of the projection B. They must be made large enough to
receive the lower part of the rails, and have space beneath the rails for any elastic
substance that may be preferred, also room for a key or wedge to be driven over
one of the flanges of each rail; E is an elastic substance that is placed in the rail
seat and underneath the rail to prevent noise and prevent injury to the cars by the
firmness of the road. It may be made of india-rubber, wood, or any other proper
substance. This may or may not be used, for a soft road bed will not require as
much as a hard one, F is the wedge or key. It must be made to rest upon the
base of the rail, and extend down by the edge of the base, and large enough to fill
the rail seat when properly driven; and it must be made of such material that
when driven the points may be bent upward and outward to keep them in place
while in use.
The tie or sleeper above described and shown, Fig. 1, 2, and 3, may be modified
by making one of the longitudinal projections (say, the upper projection), so that
it will support the ordinary, railroad rails, with side plates at the union of the rails,
and with keys between the inside side plate and the side of the rail seat, with the
1ail seat made in the tie, so that the rail may be dropped down into the seat and
the outside plate applied, or when repairing the road the tie may be passed under
the rail and raised up, so that the bottom of the rail seat will come up to the
bottom of the rail The rail seat in the ties may be made alike in each end of the
upper projection of the tie; or a seat may be made to fit the outside of the rail,
and the projection left off down to the flange of the rail. Thus made it may be
applied to the rail by passing it under the rail and putting the seat on the bottom
of the rail when both kinds of rail seats are made in the same projection. Of all
the ties, except in the ties at the union of the rails, they should be changed ends
alternately. The ties are made with the opposite projections nearly alike, and in
the opposite projection is made any kind of rail seats that will suit the new kind
of rails that may be used in the place of the old rails, as represented on the accom-
panying Drawing. This construction of tie or sleeper, and sections of rails with
their fastenings, are shown, Fig. 4, 5, and 6, of the Drawing.
Figure 4 is a side view of the tie and rails applied; Figures 4 and 4³ show in
elevation and plan part of a permanent way made according to this arrangement;
Figure 5 is an end view of the ties and side of the rails; and Figure 6 is an end
view of the outside side plate and rails with which it is used.
This railroad tie may be made of iron or steel. It is composed of an upper
projection B united with the base plate A, and another projection C opposite and
similar to the upper one. It is connected with the same base plate A, the upper

page_text: projection having a rail seat made large enough to let the bottom of the rail be
dropped down into it, and when the rail is fast, as in the old roads, the tie may
be passed under the rail and be raised up to the rail and fastened. The rail seat
has a key seat made in the side toward the middle of the tie and about midway
from the bottom to the top for the key G to be driven into to fasten the rail
within the seat with the side plates E and F by the side of the rail, as represented
in Figure 4, where by driving the key G into its place all are fastened firmly
together. These nail seats, side plates, and keys, are to be used at the junction of
the rails, and when repairing old roads, where the ends of the rails are not even
in each line of rails, this kind of rail seat is only required in one end of the tie, 1
but when laying new nails of equal length both ends of the tie should have the
same seat, sido plates, and key seats; and when the junctions of the rails are not
even, or ale varied, the rail seats should be made as represented at H in Figure 4,
where the seat is made so that the upper projection fits to the outside of the rail,
and the inside portion of the projection is left off down to the flange of the rail,
as shown.
The rail seats in the upper projection are nearer one end of the tie than the other,
as shown in Figure 4, so that when rail seats are made in both projections of the tie
it will not be weakened by the seats, and when the ties are placed alternately, they
will extend wider on the ground C is the projection opposite the projection B, and
is made similar to it It may have any kind of rail seats made in it that will
receive any kind of new rails and side plates and keys that are to be used, when
the old rails are worn out, so that this tie may be used for old rails as long as they
last, and when new rails are to be used the tie may be turned over, and it is then
. ready to receive them E is the outside side plato. It is made oval on the outside and
made to fit the rail on the inside, and has notches in the outside fitted to the rail
seats of the two ties that support it, the outside being made oval to give it greater
strength. F is a side plate fitted to the inside of the rail, which extends from the
flange up to the rounded top of the rail, and along the side of the rail, through two
ties, and it has a channel for a key corresponding with the notch in the rail seat for
the key G to be driven into. When the keys are withdrawn the side plate may be
removed, and thus the tie may be loosened so that it may be taken off the rail and
out of the road and another put in its place. The channels for the ribs and keys are
made in the inside of the rails or plates, and in the inner side of the rail seats, so
that the outside of the rail seats may be uniform, and the outside of the rail will
always bear against the outside of the rail seat, thus inflexibly gauging the rails so
that they cannot be spread by loosening the keys, as they would do if the keys were
at the outside of the rails. I, J, new forms of rails L, side plate for inside of rail
without flanges at the base
I may make a rail with flange on the one side of its bottom, and the opposite side
from the flange vertical or nearly so from the bottom up to the rounded portion or
head, the oval top part or head being made with the largest portion of it extending
outward over the flange, thus making that portion of the top most acted upon by
the car wheels rolling over it directly above the vertical portion which supports it,
and below the rounded top the middle part or web of the rail will increase in thick-
ness downwards to the flange.
I may use in conjunction with this rail à side plate at the joint or union, ribbed
and notched, to give it strength and keep it in place, wedges being used to keep
them firmly united, and a wooden saddle between the rails and tie or sleeper, all
being fitted into the upper longitudinal projection of the metallic tie previously.
described The wedges may have three prongs to be turned back to secure them
more firmly in position, one or other of the prongs being bent accordingly as the
wedge is driven tighter. This section of rail and its fastenings are shown, Figures 7
to 10 inclusive.
Figure 7 is an end view of the rail and side of the tie; Figure 8 is a view of the
side plate; Figure 9, wedges to hold the parts together; Figure 10, a side view of
the saddle; a is a rail composed of a base to rest upon the tie a vertical portion to

page_text: connect the base top and top part, on which the car wheels roll as represented in
Figure 7; the base is composed of the lower part of the vertical portion, and the
flange on one side of it only, the vertical portion extends upward with one side
at right angles or nearly so with the base and line of the tie; the other side inclines
so as to leave the lower part the thickest to give any required weight and strength
to the rail, the top is made round to form a face for the wheel in the top and flange
of the wheel at the side with the rounded part above the flange the largest; thus
having the part acted most upon by the wheels, supported to prevent being broken,
and make it more durable. B is the upper projection of the metallic tie that sup-
ports the rails, it has a seat made in it for each rail, the seat is made to receive this
kind of rail only, and the sido plates for the union of the rails and wedges, and when
made for the middle of the rails, for the rail and wedge only; c is the side plate, it
is made of iron or steel, and is made to rest upon the flange of the rail, and extend
in width upwards to the top part of the rail, and any length required; it has a rib
extending along the middle of the outside, and notches near each end that receive a
portion of the tie that will keep it in place, and when put in place, and the wedges
driven, will hold the tie in place and strengthen the rail and kept it in place; d is
a wedge that is to be drawn within the rail seat by the inside of the rail, and when
made to extend from one tie to another, where rails are united it should be longer
than the distance of the ties apart, and wide enough to extend up from the flange
to the top part of the rail, and in thickness not more than the distance, the top
projects from the vertical side of the rail, and when used in ties for the middle of the
rail the wedge may be shorter and only pass through one tie; the point of the wedges
is slit into several parts so that when the wedges are properly driven one of the
parts may be bent outward and this keep the wedges in place; c is the saddle that
is placed between the tie and lower part of the rail, it may be made of wood or
other material, and should be as wide as the base of the rail and as long as the
width of the tie, or it may be made to extend across two or more ties, the under
side must be made to fit upon the top of the rail scat under the rail; this saddle
may be used in every tic or only in part, as prefered.
'
It is proposed in some cases to dispense with the lower longitudinal projections
of the tie or sleeper, and to substitute ribs to give it vertical strength and prevent
it being drawn in the direction of the line of the road.
I may also construct a railroad tie with two projections that will hold the
ordinary railroad rail at their unions, and may be used to support any other portion
of the rail. by making two projections on the upper surface of the tie, and in each
projection rail seats for the ordinary rail or other kind of rail preferred, and making
the outside of seats open to receive the rail, and making a part to be placed within
the opening that may be held in place by a key, and when in place it will hold the
rail and tie firmly together, as shown on the accompanying Drawings, on which
Figure 11 is a vertical section, Figure 12, an end view of the tie and side of a rail-
road rail; Figure 13, an under side view of the brace; and Figure 14, a plan view
of a tie or sleeper according to this arrangement.
•
The railroad tie is made long enough to have rail seats in each end to allow the
proper width of track and have the required length outside of the rails, it is composed
of a broad plate A on which the rail rests and projections are made, and at the under
side of this plate are ribs to give it vertical strength and prevent it being drawn
in the direction of the line of the road; on the top of the plate are two projections
that will strengthen the tie, in each projection are places that will receive the rails ;
at the inside of the rail the projection fits the shape of the rail from the flange
upward as far as the projection extends upward, the upper surface of the broad
plate is made straight and level so that the bottom of the rail will fit closely upon
its entire width, and at each side of the bottom flange of the rail the projections
form notches that will hold the rail from moving sidewise At the outside of the
place for the base of the rail the projections are cut away from near the lower edge
in a circular form, so that the rail may be readily put in its place, and the brace

page_text: applied and fastened; near the end and near the upper edge of each projection is a
hole for a key that holds the brace firmly in its place. B¹ is the brace for unions;
it is applied to the outside of the rail to prevent it being moved outward and hold
it in place; the under side of the braco is shaped to fit the top of the broad plate,
the top of the flange of the rail and the circular spaces in the upper projections by
having notches corresponding with the circle in the projection; the inner end is made
to fit the outside of the rail, as far as it extends up the side of the rail; the upper
surface is curved from the rail downward, and extends outward under the key that
holds it in place. This brace holds the raal in every direction that it is in contact
with it, and the weight of the brace will hold it in place, but to keep it more secure
a pin or key is put through the holes in the projections over the outer end B", brace
not passing over but simply between projections B C¹ is the pin or key that is
put through the holes in the upper projection B; this key holds the outer end of the
brace downward only and when the end of the brace is held down the force
against the brace by the rail is resisted by the upper projection, so that but little
strength of key is required to hold the brace.
Figure 15 shows. a modification of the tie or sleeper, Figure 1, in which the base
plate A is curved downward to give a better bearing on the ballast, and the rail
held in its seat in projection B by a shoe wedge F¹.
Figure 16 shows another modification in which the base plate A is cut, and a
small piece turned up to receive the packing M and prevent its creeping out, it will
be seen that the rail is bolted down through the plate A.
Figure 17 is a plan view showing jaws N welded on to projection B to enable
the rail to be wedged down upon base plate A; Figure 18 shows same arrangement
with jaws bolted on. A packing is used, as shown in dotted lines at O.
Figure 19 shows the tie curved to seat double headed rail deeper in projection B,
so that the outer end of said projection may well support the rail, the jaw N being
welded or riveted on B to receive wedge.
Figure 20 shows the tie curved to receive rail, jaws being welded on to pro-
jection B, in one side of which a recess P is made to receive a screw bolt Q, which
by the action of the nut or nuts R presses a plate S against the Jaw Mr. The head
of the bolt is pear shaped to prevent its turning when screwed up. The jaw N is
broken away in the Drawing to show this arrangement.
Figure 21 shows two jaws made of angle iron and riveted to projection B.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the Invention communicated
to me as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I claim
as secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly. A railroad tie or sleeper composed of a bearing surface A, the projection B
with seats for rails, and the projection C for entering the ballast, substantially as
specified and shown, Figure 1 of the accompanying Sheet of of Drawing.
Secondly. Seating the rails in the projection B and securing same by wedge F,
substantially as specified and shown, Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawings.
Thirdly. The railroad tie or sleoper with seats for rails in projections B that will
allow the rail to drop down into the tie side plates E and F and the key G to
unitedly hold the rail, substantially as described and shown, Figures 4, 44, and 4³ of
the Drawings.
Fourthly. The railroad tie or sleeper composed of the projections B and C, both
projections having on them rail seats in one for the old rails in the other rail seats
for any other kinds of rails, substantially as described and shown, Figure 4.
Fifthly. In combination with the tie or sleeper having two projections B, as
shown, Figures 11 to 14, the braces B¹, B¹¹, and key C¹, substantially as specified.
Sixthly. The modification of the form of base plate A and additions to the pro-
jection B of the tie or sleeper of this Invention, and in combination therewith the
wedges and fastenings, substantially as described and shown, Figures 15 to 21
inclusive.

page_text: Sevenly. Curving the tie to give a deeper seat to the rail, substantially as
described and shown, Figures 19 and 20.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Whittier Throop, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN W. THROOP. (L.S.)