IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAYS OF RAILWAYS, AND IN THE WHEELS ROLLING THEREON
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Symons, of Flushing, in the County of
Cornwall, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAYS
OF RAILWAYS, AND IN THE WHEELS ROLLING THEREON."
Sealed the 23rd May 1856, and dated the 29th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Symons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
November 1855.
I, THOMAS SYMONS, of Flushing, in the County of Cornwall, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT
WAYS OF RAILWAYS, AND IN THE WHEELS ROLLING THEREON, to be as follows:-
My improvements consist, first, in the use of a double line of rails, or twin
rail, instead of the single line of rail, now used. For this purpose I place two
H rails side by side, with sufficient room between them to receive the flange
of the wheel, which I place in the middle of the breadth of the wheel, and
allow it to bear on both sides of the flange, and consequently on both rails.
This I only consider necessary with regard to the engine wheels, as a bearing
on a single rail will be sufficient for ordinary carriages; in these, however, I
make the flange on the outside, so that it should bear on the inner rail, the
flange having a bearing on each side to keep it on the track. The H rails
are fixed together by short bars at the middle of their depth, and by bolts
through such bars are held down to the sleepers, chairs being altogether

page_text: dispensed with; double rails of any other form may be used in lieu of the
Hrail, before referred to.
Another part of my Invention refers to the sleepers, which I make in pieces
instead of one piece, as now, laid transversely to the rails. I take five pieces
of wood of equal length and size in cross section, say, about eight inches by
four inches; I place two pieces on edge under each rail, at a distance apart
equal to the thickness of the fifth piece, which is placed between the inner
ends of each pair and bolted thereto. Instead of being placed on edge, the
transverse tie piece niay be on its flat, which seperates the pieces under the
rails still further; on any piece becoming damaged, it can be removed and
replaced without the necessity of an entire new sleeper. This construction
of sleeper also presents a good form to hold in the ballast when well
rammed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Symons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SYMONS, of Flushing, in the County of Cornwall, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Symons, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Symons,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Symons, 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
WAYS OF RAILWAYS, AND IN THE WHEELS ROLLING 'THEREON," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Symons, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Symons, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the two Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements consist, first, in the use of a double line of rails, or twin
rail, instead of the single line of rail, now used. For this purpose I place
two H rails side by side, with sufficient room between them to receive the
flange of the wheel, which I place in the middle of the breadth of the wheel,
and allow it to bear upon both sides of the flange, and consequently on both
rails. This I only consider necessary with regard to the engine wheels, as a
bearing on a single rail will be sufficient for ordinary carriages; in these,
however, I make the flange on the outside, so that it should bear on the inner
rail, the flange having a bearing on each side to keep it on the track. Tho
H rails aro fixed together by short bars at the middle of their depth, and by
bolts through such bars are held down to the sleepers, chairs being altogether
dispensed with; double rails of any other form may be used in lieu of the H rail
before referred to. Instead of placing the double or twin rail with the bearing
surfaces at a distance apart, with the driving wheel flange running between
them, the parts of the rail may be placed in closer proximity, and the
flange of that wheel placed on the inside of both rails, the wheel at the same
time having a sufficient breadth in the sole or tread to cover and bite through-
out the breadth of both rails.
Another part of my Invention refers to the sleepers, which I make in pieces
instead of one piece, as now, laid transversely to the rails. I take five pieces of
wood of equal length and size in cross section, say, about eight inches by four
inches; I place two pieces on edge under each rail, at a distance apart equal
to the thickness of the fifth piece, which is placed between the inner ends of
each pair, and bolted thereto. Instead of being placed on edge, the transverse
tie piece may be on its flat, which separates the piece under the rails still
further; on any piece becoming damaged, it can be removed and replaced
without the necessity of an entire new sleeper. This construction of sleeper
also presents a good form to hold in the ballast when well rammed.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 represents a plan of rails and sleepers with a pair
of wheels constructed and arranged according to my Invention; Fig. 2. a

page_text: which are double, or twin rails, as I term them; they are fixed and bolted to
the sleepers b, b; b, without any chairs, being secured to each other by tic
pieces c, c, c, at suitable intervals; this same tie piece c also serves to fix down
the rails by bolts or other suitable fixings d, d, passing through or into the
sleepers. The wheel W is made sufficiently broad to bear on both rails, and
has the flange f in the middle of its breadth, and so as to be received in the
space between the twin rails, as seen in Fig. 2. I propose to make the
wheels of the engine and tender only with wheels of such breadth, or in goods
waggons having great weight to carry, and requiring the strength of support
afforded by the double or twin rail. In six-wheeled engines the leading and
trailing wheels may be flanged wheels, and the driving wheels without any
flange, but of sufficient breadth to bear upon both parts of the twin rail; or
the driving wheels may be furnished with the flange in the middle, and the
leading or trailing wheels with flanges inside, as usual, but broad enough to
take a bearing on the twin rail. In laying these twin rails, the joints of one
rail should not be opposite to those of the other, but should break joint with
each other, as seen in plan, Fig. 1, and as will be readily understood. Fig. 4
represents a side elevation of a driving wheel, and a modification of the twin
rail; and Fig. 5, a transverse section of the rail and a face view of the wheel.
This exhibits a twin bridge rail 9, 9, with the groove between for the reception
of the mid flange f; this rail may either be bolted down on transverse sleepers
at intervals or on continuous sleepers, as well understood in laying ordinary
rails. Fig. 6 represents a transverse section of the twin railway and wheels
for ordinary carriages, showing the wheels bearing on only one half of the twin
rail and flanges f, f, on the outside of the wheels and between the rails; these
flanges may, however, be on the inside of the rails, as usual, but I consider that
the wheel of passenger carriages need be only of sufficient breadth to bear on
the inner part of the twin rail. Instead of making the engine wheels or other
wheels carrying heavy weights with the flange at its mid breadth, and the
parts of the twin rails at a distance apart, I make the twin rails in closer
proximity to each other, and use wheels with inside flanges of the ordinary
kind, but with sufficient breadth of tread to bear on the whole breadth of rail,
as represented in Figs. 9, 10, 11, & 12, Sheet 2. Fig. 9 represents two H rails,
a, a, placed side by side, and fixed to a continuous plate of metal h, h, bedded
on continuous sleepers; Fig. 10 represents a side elevation of this com-
bination of rails and sleepers; & Fig. 11, a plan of the same; while Fig. 14
represents a perspective view of the plate h. The raised part i, i, of this plate
is rolled or drawn of a form adapted to fit between the two rails; against the
sides of i, i, the rails are closely bedded, & held by means of through bolts &, k

page_text: The plate his firmly secured by nails, bolts, screws, or other fastenings to the
sleepers 1, 1, passing through the holes in the flange of h, h. These rails are
joined in manner before mentioned, so as to break joint with each other, as
seen in the plan, Fig. 11. This same continuous plate h, h, is also adapted for
fixing a single rail, as represented in cross section, Fig. 15. Instead of making
the plate h, h, continuous, short pieces may be made of the same form in their
cross section as seen at Figs. 9 and 15, but placed at intervals, as represented
at h', h', Fig. 16, which is a plan of the twin rail, thereby forming supports
for the rails, placed at intervals, as in the ordinary chairs; these may also
be fixed to transverse instead of continuous sleepers, as before mentioned.
Figs. 12 & 13 represent modifications of the twin rail, in which the two parts
are placed in close contact; Fig. 12 represents the rail a, a, as rolled in two
parts, & with a foot or flat base or flange m, m, to rest on the sleepers, and by
which it is fixed thereto; Fig. 17 represents, in perspective, part of the rail ; it
is rolled with a continuous groove p, p, in which a small round rod of iron is
placed when the two parts are bolted together, which keeps the faces of the
rail in a true position with respect to each other, and prevents the one getting
above the other; bolts k, k, are passed through the rails, and the junctions at
the ends break joint with each other, and they may be fished at those points if
required; these rails may be bedded on sleepers in the ordinary way. Fig. 13
represents a modification of the twin rail, formed somewhat like the last herein
described, but so that the rails can be inverted, as in the ordinary H rail.
These rails have double grooves p, p, and rods of iron s, 3, for the purposes
before mentioned, & are fitted & fixed in chairs t, t, much in the usual way,
the chairs being wide enough to embrace the two parts of the rail & wedge u
to tighten them therein.
My improvement in the construction & arrangement of the sleepers of
railways are represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8, & consist in making
each transverse sleeper of five separate pieces of wood, but all of the same
cross section and length. These pieces of timber b, b, b, b, should be of about
half the cross section of the ordinary sleepers, so that when two are combined
they present about the same substance for fixing the rails; they are of a length
sufficient to allow for lapping at the points of junction v, v. I make these
pieces b, b, of rectangular cross section, but broader on one side than the other,
and I either place them on their flat sides, or on their edges, or narrowest sides,
and I arrange two of the pieces under each line of the rails, and connect those
four pieces by the fifth piece b', as seen in the several Figures. The pieces
b, b, b, b, may be secured by a single bolt w, and a dowel pin or pins x, x, as
seen in Figs. 1 and 2, or with two bolts w, w, as seen at Figs. 3, 6, 7, & 8.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents the end pieces b, b, placed on the flat, with the middle piece
placed on edge, while Fig. 6 & 7 represent the end pieces on edge, with the
middle piece b¹ on its flat; Figs. 3 & 7 represent all the pieces b, b, b, b, on
edge. By this means I am enabled to change any single piece of the sleeper,
should, it, become decayed or damaged, without removing the whole of the
sleeper, & thereby saving considerable expense; & as all the pieces are of the
same size, they may be shifted about or changed at pleasure; & the form
presented by the combined pieces of wood b, b, affords great stability when
well bedded in the ballast...
Having described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I claim, and
desire to be protected by the before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the several arrangements and constructions of the double or twin rail,
berein-before described, & represented in the annexed Drawings; also the
placing the. flanges of the wheels in the middle of their breadth,, as herein-
.before described.
And, secondly, I claim constructing the transverse sleepers of railways of
five pieces of, timber, arranged as herein-before described, and represented in
the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Symons, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JAMES VIVIAN.
THOMAS SYMONS. (L.S.)