Improvements in Rail Chairs and Tie-bars for Colliery Tramways and Light, Railways.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1899-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rail Chairs and Tie-bars for Colliery Tramways
and Light, Railways.
I, JAMES ABBOTT, of Abertillery Road, Blaina, Monmouthshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement-
This invention relates to rail chairs and tie-bars for colliery tramways and light
railways. The chairs are of special shape to accommodate specially shaped tie-bar
ends.
In tram and rail roads laid with the chairs and tie-bars which constitute this
invention, removal of a fractured chair and replacement of a sound one is effected
without taking out from the line the rail in such chair.
According to one arrangement comprised in this invention the tie-bar, which is of
wrought iron or steel, has a hook at each end. The hooks engage with the outer
flange of the rail at each side of the gauge. The rail rests on the tie-bar, and the
key or wedge bears at front against the rail web, at back against the chair and, at
the underface, on the top of the hook.
According to another arrangement comprised in this invention, the tie-bar is turned
up at each end and the back of the turned up part lies against the inner face of the
chair jaw. The key or wedge bears, at front, against the rail web and, at back,
against the inner face of the turned up part of the tie-bar. The under face of the key
or wedge bears upon the upper face of the outer flange of the rail.
In either of the above arrangements the chairs may be of cast iron, or they may
be stamped or pressed out in steel. In the latter case the inner jaw is made to extend
across the chair to a width corresponding approximately to the tie-bar.
In either case, if a chair be fractured, the pieces are readily removed by the
introduction, below the chair, of a crow-bar or other suitable implement, and a
sound chair can be inserted while the tie-bar is raised for the purpose. The chairs
are not so liable to severance as in cases where they are recessed to receive the
tie-bars.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents in section a chair and part of a
tie-bar shaped and applied in accordance with one arrangement comprised in this inven-
tion. Fig. 2 is a part plan of the same. In this arrangement the tie-bar a, both ends
of which are alike, has a hook a' which engages with the outer flange b' of the rail b.
The rail b rests on the tie-bar a which lies on the chair c, and the key or wedge d
(not shown at Fig. 2) bears, at front, against the rail web and, at back, against the
inner face of the outer jaw c of the chair c which, in this example, is of cast iron.
The underface of the key or wedge d bears upon the upper face of the book a¹ of
the tie-bar a. The inner jaw c2 of the chair does not extend across the whole width
of the chair.
At Fig. 3 is shown in section another arrangement comprised in this invention.
Fig. 4 is a part plan of the same. In this arrangement each end of the tie-bar a is
turned up, as shown. The rail 6 rests upon the tie-bar, the turned up part a' of which
bears at back against the inner face of the outer jaw c of the chair which, in the
example illustrated at Figs. 3 and 4, is of cast iron. The wedge d (not shown at
Fig. 4) bears at front against the web of the rail 6 and at back against the inner face
of the turned up part a of the tie-bar a. The under-face of the wedge d bears upon
the outer flange of the rail b..
'

page_text: At Fig. 5 is shown in section a modification of the chair shown at Figs. 1 and 2.
The tie-bar a with its hook a' is the same. The chair c is stamped or pressed out in
steel. Its inner jaw c³ extends across the chair only to approximately the width of
the tie-bar.
A corresponding modification of the arrangement shown at Figs. 3 and 4 is shown
at Fig. 6 in which the chair c is also stamped out in steel.
Fig. 7 is a plan and Fig. 8 an inner end view of the chair shown in section at
Figs. 5 and 6.
In tram roads and light railways, laid with chairs and tie-bars of the kind above
described and shown in the accompanying drawings, the parts of fractured chairs are
readily withdrawn from below the rails and a sound chair introduced without
necessitating removal of an entire rail out of the line.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that
what I claim is :-
1. A rail chair and tie-bar for colliery and other tramways, and for light railways,
the tie-bar being separately made from the chair and having a hook at each end
which engages with the outer flange of the rail; the wedge or key being adapted to
bear at the underface on the upper face of the hook, substantially as hereinabove
described and shown at Figs. 1, 2, 5, 7 and 8 of the appended drawings.
2. A rail chair and tie-bar for colliery and other tramways and for light railways;
the tie-bar being separately made from the chair and turned up at each end so as to
adapt it to be jammed. by the wedge or key against the inner face of the outer jaw of
the chair, substantially as hereinabove described with reference to Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7
and 8 of the appended drawings.
Dated this 13th day. of July 1896.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.