IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR RAILWAY CHAIRS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Bell, of Portobello, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENINGS FOR RAILWAY CHAIRS."
Sealed the 2nd December 1862, and dated the 5th June 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Bell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
June 1862.
I, JAMES BELL, of Portobello, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR RAILWAY CHAIRS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to an improved metallic spike to be substituted for
the trenail or fastening by which railway chairs are ordinarily secured upon
their sleepers.
According to one modification the improved metallic spike is made of a
piece of sheet iron, which is bent or shaped in dies or moulds into a tubular
form, with a conical enlargement forming the head. The edges of the metal
are not brought quite close together, but are left slightly apart, so that the
spike may be slightly compressed on being driven home, and its consequent
tendency to re-expand will give it a firmer hold in the sleeper

page_text: According to another modification, the edges of the sheet metal may be
made to slightly overlap each other; or, again, the spike may be made out of
a tube, one end whereof is expanded to form the head, being slit a short
distance to admit of the widening, if necessary. The spike may be made of
various proportions, and of metal of various thicknesses; but in ordinary cases
the diameter of the shank will be about one inch and an eighth, and the
thickness of the metal about three-sixteenths of an inch.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Bell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
December 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BELL, of Portobello, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Bell, Her special licence that I, the said James Bell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Bell, 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
FASTENINGS FOR RAILWAY CHAIRS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Bell, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Bell, 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

page_text: statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improved metallic spikes, to be substituted for
the trenails or fastenings by which railway chairs are ordinarily secured upon
their sleepers.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of ex-
planatory Drawings representing examples of my improved chair fastenings.
According to one modification the improved metallic spike is made of a
piece of sheet or malleable iron or steel, which is bent or shaped in dies or
moulds, or by means of any other suitable tools that may be in use for like
operations, into a tubular form, such as is shown in elevation, plan, and
section in Figure 1, with a conical enlargement C, forming the bead. In
this modification the edges of the metal are not brought quite close
together, but are left slightly apart, so that the spike may be slightly com-
pressed on being driven home, and its consequent tendency to re-expand will
give it a firmer hold in the sleeper. With this view the hole in the sleeper
is made a very tight fit for the spike, or even of a slightly less diameter than
the uncompressed spike, and the point of the spike is slightly coned or
sharpened, as shown, to facilitate its introduction. In some cases this spike
may have a slightly projecting rim D formed upon its top edge, as shown
in Figure 2.
According to a second modification, the edges of the sheet or piece of metal
are made to slightly overlap each other, as shown in elevation, plan, and
section in Figure 3.
According to a third modification, the spike may be made out of a tube, as
shown in elevation, plan, and section in Figure 4, being slit a short distance,
as far, for example, as the conical head C extends, to admit of the widening to
form the head C. The widened head C may, however, be formed as shown in
Figures 5, 6, and 7, without slitting the tubes.
Figures 6 and 7 represent spikes of somewhat smaller diameter and thick-
ness than the others; Figure 7 showing also the addition of a rim D at the top.
The spike may be made of various proportions or dimensions, and of metal
of various thicknesses; but in ordinary cases the proportions will be such as
are represented in the Drawings, the spikes therein being delineated of their
full size. The shape of the spikes may also be modified in various ways.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict

page_text: myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the constructing of
metallic spikes or fastenings for railway chairs, substantially as herein described
and delineated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Bell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES BELL. (L.S.).