IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Barningham, of Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Iron Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONNECTING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 22nd June 1855, and dated the 12th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Barningham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th January 1855.
I, WILLIAM BARNINGHAM, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Iron
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS" to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to afford a large bearing surface for, and a
secure connection of, the ends of railway rails. The improved chair, by which
the rails are supported and connected at their joint, is put together in two
halves, the joint being under and in a line with the rail. I make the chair
long enough to reach on to two sleepers when the same are placed at the
usual distance apart, and I bolt the two halves of the chair together, either.
through the metal, which fits between the head and lower portion of the
rail, or under the rail, as may be found more convenient. The chairs are fixed
to the sleepers by spikes or treenails in the usual manner, or the chairs may
be made of wrought iron in one piece, instead of bolting them together in two
halves, as above described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William. Barningham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BARNINGHAM, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Iron Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Barningham, Her special license that I, the said William Barning-
ham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Barningham, my executors, administrators, and 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 CONNECTING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Barningham, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Barningham, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following Specification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings (that is to say):
My said Invention consists in connecting the rails of railways in such wise
that the ends of the rails are supported and .connected at their joints more
securely than heretofore. The connecting pieces may be made of cast or
wrought iron, and the ends of the rails may be connected either by one piece
of metal, or by two pieces jointed together in a line with the centre of the rail.
I have in the said Drawings given Figures for showing how my improvements
in connecting the rails of railways may be constructed, similar parts in each of
the views being marked with similar letters of reference.
Figure 1 of the said Drawings is a side elevation of an improved joint chair

page_text: for connecting the rails of railways, and Figure 2 is a section of the same.
a and bare the ends of two rails; and c, c, the sleepers, placed at the usual
distance apart; d is the improved cast-iron joint chair put together in two
halves. The upper parts of the chair fit between the head and lower portion
of the rail, and the bolts e, e, passing through the ends of the.rails, and through.
slots in the upper parts of the chair, secure the whole firmly together. A little
play is left at each side of the bolts e, c, to allow for the contraction and
expansion of the metal; and at f and g, and between the chairs at h, to admit
of the bolts e being tightened up when requisite. The chair is secured to the
sleepers in the ordinary manner by the spikes i, or by trenails. By this means
the ends of the rails are securely connected and supported by a large bearing.
surface. The above-described joint chair is intended to be made of cast iron,
bosses being cast thereon for..the bolts.e and spikes i; but I also propose to
manufacture such chairs of wrought iron. It is evident that when. wrought
iron is employed, the bosses above. referred to are omitted, and the iron is
rolled to the sections shewn in Figure 2,.the bars being afterwards cut to
make chairs of the requisite length.
Figure 3 represents, a side elevation of another of my improved cast-iron
joint chairs, and Figure 4 a section of the same; many of the parts in these
views being similar to those above described are marked with, siinilar letters of
reference. The principal difference between this joint chair and the one above
described is, that in the present instance the halves of the chair j are connected
by the bolts & passing under the rails., The halves of the chairs are each. pro-
vided with a flange l, the lower edges of which are brought into contact when
the bolts kare tightened up, thereby causing the upper parts of the chair to
bear against the head and lower portion of the rail.
. Figure 5 represents a modification of my improvements in connecting the
ends of rails, and Figure 6 a section of the same. The ends of the rails are
supported and connected by the joint pieces m, m, which fit between the head
and lower part of the rails, and are bolted together by the bolts n passing
under the rails. The rails are in this instance supported by the chairs o, o,
which are of the usual construction, and fixed to the sleepers in the ordinary
manner.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of one of my improved joint chairs made of
wrought iron, and Figure 8 is a section of the same. The ends of the rails
are secured by bolts e, e, as in Figure 1, and the chair is held down on to the
sleepers by spikes i, or trenails, in the usual manner:
In making these chairs, I propose to roll iron bars to the section shewn in
Figure 9. These bars are then to be cut to the required length to make chairs

page_text: and when heated they are again passed between rollers to compress the upper
parts to the shape shewn in Figure 8. It will be necessary, when passing these
chairs between rollers to form the upper parts, to introduce a bar of metal
of the requisite shape between the said upper parts, as shewn in Figure 9, so
that the action of the rollers on the outer part of the chair may form the
inner part of the shape desired, to allow for the tightening up of the bolts.
I would remark here that railway chairs have before been made of wrought
iron, cut into suitable lengths, and I only describe the mode of manufacturing
such chairs in order to shew how my improved joint chairs may be constructed.
I prefer to make the lower portion of my improved joint chairs level, as
shewn in Figures 2, 4, and 8, thereby avoiding the necessity of cutting the
sleepers to give the requisite angle to the rails; and I prefer the use of double-
headed rails in combination with my improvements, but I do not confine myself
to these details.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the precise details herein set forth, as the same may be varied without
departing from the peculiar character of my Invention; but that which I do
claim is,
First, the improved joint chairs, shewn and described in reference to
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8.
Secondly, the improvements in manufacturing wrought-iron joint chairs, as
shewn and described in reference to Figures 1 and 2.
Thirdly, the improved mode of connecting the two halves of a joint chair
by bolts passing under the rails, to be connected as shewn and described in
reference to Figures 3 and 4.
And, lastly, connecting the ends of rails, as shewn and described in reference
to Figures 5 and 6.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Barningham, have hereunto set
my band and seal, this Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness to the signature,
HB. BARLOW,
Manchester.
WILLIAM BARNINGHAM. (L.S.)