IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OR RATTWATO
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hunt, of Preston, in the County Palatine of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OR RATTWATO
Sealed the 27th November 1865, and dated the 1st June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
June 1865.
I, THOMAS HUNT, of Preston, in the County Palantine of Lancaster,
5. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements
of transverse iron sleepers for the permanent way of railways, and to the mode
> of securing the rails thereon, and consists,――
Firstly, in the division of each sleeper into two parts or halves longitudinally
throughout its whole length, one end of each part or half having a projection
upon its upper surface, which fits against the inside of the rail, the other end
having a similar projection, which fits against the ouside of the rail; the pro-
jections on the other half of the sleeper are placed in the reverse position as

page_text: regards the rail, which is gripped between the respective projections by a
wedge or wedges, or by bolts.
Secondly, in the division into two halves longitudinally of only a portion
of each end of the sleeper, the central portion being solid, and secured to the
above-mentioned halves by bolts.
Thirdly, in the division transversely of the sleeper into two or more parts,
so that in the event of fracture of any one part the entire sleeper is not ren-
dered useless, but may be repaired by simply replacing a sound part for
the fractured one.
Fourthly, in having a rib or ribs or corrugations on the under side of the
sleeper in order to give the desired stiffness and strength, which rib or ribs,
or corrugations may, if necessary, be so arranged as to prevent the bolts which
the soil and cleaner together from turning round.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HUNT, of Preston, in the County Palentine of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the 28th year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Hunt, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Hunt,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Hunt, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Hunt, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
f.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Hunt, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements
of transverse iron sleepers for the permanent way of railways, and to the mode
of securing the rails thereon, and consists,-
upon
Firstly, in the division of each sleeper into two parts or halves longitudinally
throughout its whole length, one end of each part or half having a projection
its upper surface, which fits against the inside of the rail, the other end
having a similar projection, which fits against the outside of the rail; the pro-
jections on the other half of the sleeper are placed in the reverse position as
regards the rail, which is gripped between the respective projections by a
wedge or wedges, or by bolts.
Secondly, in the division into two halves longitudinally of only a portion
of each end of the sleeper, the central portion being solid, and secured to the
above-mentioned halves by bolts.
:
Thirdly, in the division transversely of the sleeper into two or more parts,
so that in the event of fracture of any one part, the entire sleeper is not
rendered useless, but may be repaired by simply replacing a sound part for
the fractured one.
i
Fourthly, in having a rib or ribs or corrugations on the under side of the
sleeper, in order to give the desired stiffness and strength, which rib or ribs,
or corrugations, may, if necessary, be so arranged as to prevent the bolts
which secure the rail and sleeper together from turning round.
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 I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings is an elevation showing the
application of the form of my improved iron sleeper to the double flanch rail,
a little more than half the length of the sleeper being shown in the Drawing;
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, and Fig. 3 an end view thereof.
One half of the longitudinally divided sleeper A is applied to the rails d,
in such a manner that the jaw or projection a at one end of one half of the
sleeper is inside of one rail, whilst a similar jaw or projection at the.
other end of the same half is outside the opposite rail, and as the other half
of the sleeper is similarly placed the rails are held between the two projec

page_text: tions a, a¹, the one being inside and the other outside each rail. The bolt b
passes through the jaws a, a, and rail d, thereby securing all together, and
in addition thereto the iron or wooden wedge c, which passes through the two
halves of the sleeper transversely, on being driven tends to force each half of
the sleeper A in opposite directions, thus increasing the force by which the
rails are held in position. When the wedge c is of iron the surfaces against
which it is driven may be lined with wood or other elastic material e let into
recesses cast in each half of the sleeper to prevent the wedge c from slipping
outwards. The projections or jaws a, a', which support and grip the rails are
arranged so as to fit the sides thereof, and as each rail is suspended by the
under side of its upper flanch the wearing surface of its bottom flanch is not
indented by contact with the sleeper. The two half sleepers are secured to
each other by bolts passing through slots, one of which bolts is shewn at g.
In lieu of having a single wedge c, as shown, in the centre of the sleepers,
two such wedges may be employed, situate at any convenient distance between
the rails.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent respectively an elevation and plan of one end of
the same construction of sleeper applied to the flat-bottomed rail. In this
application the projections or jaws a, a', at each end of the sleeper grip the
bottom flanch only of the rail d; and each half sleeper is provided with a
recess filled in with wood or other elastic material f, forming the seat for the
rail; the wedge c, before referred to, by forcing each half sleeper in opposite
directions, causing the jaws a, a¹, to grip the lower flanch of the rail d with
sufficient force to retain it in position. The two half sleepers are secured
together by bolts, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
Figs. 6 and 7 represent an elevation and plan of one end of the same
sleeper, slightly modified, and also applied to the flat-bottomed rail. This
arrangement shows the jaws or projections a, a', fitting against the side of the
rail d, and thus with the assistance of the wedge c (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) the
rail d is held in position without bolts; recesses are cast in each end of each
half sleeper to receive a lining of wood or other elastic material f, which
recesses and the use of an elastic medium may or may not be adopted, as
found desirable. The jaws a, a', need not be in contact with the upper flanch
of the rail, the latter resting exclusively upon its flat bottom; the bolt g
(Figs. 1, 2, and 3) secures the two half sleepers together.
Figs. 8 and 9 represent an elevation and plan of one end of the same
sleeper, also applied to the flat-bottomed rail. In this arrangement the rail d
is secured to each half sleeper by the bolts b, b, assisted by the wedge c, before
referred to, the latter forcing the projections a, a', against the inner and outer

page_text: L
edges of the bottom flanch of the rail d; a lining f of wood or other yielding
material is placed in recesses between the rail and sleeper, which may be
used or not as required; the bolts b, b, passing through slots in each half sleeper, .
and through bolt holes in the rail secured both together, and also the two
half sleepers to each other.
Figs. 10 and 11 represent an elevation and plan of 'one end of the first-
mentioned sleepers as applied to the flat-bottomed rail. In this arrangement
the rail d is bolted by the bolts b, b, directly upon each sleeper; the seat of
the rail d being inclined to give it the requisite angle or cant, as shown in
Fig. 10. Each half sleeper is provided with projections a, a', for the purpose
of assisting the bolts 6 in keeping the rails to the proper guage.
Figs. 12 and 18 represent an elevation and plan of one end of the same
sleeper applied to the double-headed rail with a wood key. In this arrange-
ment the wood key h secures the rail d between the projections or jaws a, a',
of each half sleeper, and the latter are held together by bolts at g.
Figs. 14 and 15 represent an elevation and plan of a portion of a cast-iron
sleeper, arranged for a double-headed rail and wood key. The sleeper is in
two portions or halves A, A', divided transversely through the centre of its
length, the two halves being secured together by the bolts g. 9, and the rail
held in position in the jaws a, a', by the wood key h. In some cases a
thickness piece of iron or wood may be placed in the joint of the two portions
of the sleeper for the purpose of regulating the gauge or width between the
rails in curves, or where other special circumstances may require such an
arrangement; or the same sleeper may be divided into three portions trans-.
versely, the central one having a flanch at each end, to which the end portions
are secured through corresponding flanches by bolts, as at 9, 9; or this
sleeper may be made in five parts, namely, a central part, and a part at each
end divided longitudinally, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 11, the central
part having a transverse flanch at each end, to which the end pieces are
secured through corresponding flanches by bolts. The end pieces will be divided
longitudinally into two halves or parts, and bolted together by cross bolts,
similar to the bolts 9, 9, (Figs. 12 and 13). One of the jaws is in contact
with the inside and the other with the outside of the rail, which by means of
bolts is firmly held in position.
Figs. 16, 17, and 18 represent an elevation, plan, and end view of a portion
of a wrought or cast iron sleeper, divided longitudinally throughout its who'e
length into two portions or halves, each being of an angular or shape. The
two halves a, a, are secured together by the bolts g, thus forming a plain
base, upon which the chairs, are bolted by the bolts b, b, b, b. The

page_text: chairs,, each have a single jaw a and a respectively, one of which a iş
fitted against the inside, and the other a¹ against the outside of the rail.d,
thus securing the rail in position.
Figs. 19, 20, and 21 represent an elevation, plan, and end view of a portion
of a wrought or cast iron sleeper, to which is applied the double-headed rail
and wood key. The sleeper x is of the shape with a plain upper surface,
and a longitudinal rib underneath for stiffening it; the chair is of the
ordinary construction secured upon the plain upper surface of the sleeper
by the bolts b, b, the rail & being keyed in the chair by the wood key h. A
lining of wood or other yielding material may, if desired, be introduced
between the chair and the sleeper.
:
:
Figs. 22 and 23 represent an elevation and plan of one end of a cast or
wrought iron sleeper of the same section as Figs. 19, 20, and 21, applied to
the flat-bottomed rail. The rail d is secured to the sleeper x by the bolts b, b,
with a lining of wood, or other yielding materialf between them, and against
the outside of the bottom flanch of the rail d is rivetted through the sleeper
a stop piece e, to assist the bolts b, b, in retaining the rails to the proper gauge.
in curves. The sleeper is concave on its upper surface to give the requisite
cant or angle to the rail., The stop piece e is not necessary, except in very
sharp curves; of course it is understood that various sections of the rail, with
or without chairs, may be applied to the several descriptions of sleepers herein.
mentioned.
Figs. 24, 25, and 26 represent an elevation, plan, and end view of a portion
of a cast or wrought iron sleeper with a plain upper surface, and four .longi-.
tudinal ribs or corrugations underneath. The rail d is secured to the sleeper
by the bolts b, b, the heads of which fit in between the corrugations or
ribs c, c, c, c, and are thus prevented from turning round or slackening. To,
this sleeper can be applied the ordinary double-headed or other section of
rail, which are seated in a,chair.
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 what I consider to bo novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the dividing of transverse metal sleepers longitudinally, and forming
each half with projections, which bear against the inner and outer sides or
edges of the rail or rail flanch, the whole being tightened up by wedges or
bolts, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second, the dividing longitudinally of a portion only at each end of a metal,

page_text: transverse sleeper, and securing the solid central part to the divided portions
by bolts, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Third, the dividing of a metal transverse sleeper into two or more parts
transversely, so that the fracture of one part will not necessitate the replacing
of the entire sleeper.
Fourth, the application of one or more longitudinal ribs or corrugations to
the under side of a transverse metal sleeper, as and for the purpose herein-.
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hunt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.