Improvements in Tramway Crossings.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
Improvements in Tramway Crossings.
A communication from abroad by THE LEWIS & FOWLER GIRDER-RAIL
COMPANY, of 28, Sandford Street, Brooklyn, in the State of New York,
United States of America, Manufacturers.
I, JOHN CORRY FELL, of the Firm of Fell and Wilding of 1 Queen Victoria
Street in the City of London, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY CROSSINGS," 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 those street-railways or "tramways" in which the rails
are what are known as "girder-rails," being elevated relatively to cross-ties or
sleepers by means of more or less widely separated chairs; and it relates to the
"crossings" of such tramways where two or more tracks, substantially at right-
angles, are carried or extended directly across each other by a structure common
to all. The term "crossing as hereinafter used is intended to mean a tramway-
crossing as above defined.
"
The leading objects of the present invention are to solidly support the rails on
all sides of each intersection of the crossing; and to provide for handling and
shipping the crossing in parts, for making the top of the crossing wholly or in part
of "box" girder-rails or "box-rails," particularly those set forth in a previous
Specification under Letters Patent No. 20973 of A.D. 1890, for making both of
two lines of such box-rails continuous and mutually supported against tilting or
lateral displacement, and for clamping the rails of either or both tracks at their
several intersections in the manner set forth in said previous Specification.
The invention consists in certain peculiar "intersection chairs" and certain novel
combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.
The manner in which the invention is performed is illustrated by two sheets of
drawings hereto annexed as part of this Specification.
On Sheet 1 of these drawings Figure is a plan view of a box-rail crossing
illustrating the present invention as a whole; Figure 2 is a side elevation of one
of its "top rails," projected from Figure 1; Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the
"under rails," projected from Figure 1; and Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary
elevations showing joint-chairs of the two styles represented in Figure 1.
On Sheet 2, Figure 6 is a top view of one of the intersection-chairs; Figure 7
is a sectional plan view of the same; Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional elevation
of an intersection of the crossing, showing the two rails in cross-section and in
elevation respectively, and the chair clamping-bolts and clamps in elevation ;
Figure 9 represents a vertical section on the line 9-9 Figure 8; and Figure 10 is
an elevation of the intersection-chair showing by the line 7-7 the plane of
Figure 7.
The figures on Sheet 2 are enlarged three diameters from those on Sheet 1;
and like reference letters and numbers indicate corresponding parts in all the
figures.
The specific embodiment of the invention as a whole represented by the drawings
will first be particularly described, and the features which are considered new and
original will be pointed out in the claims.
The said box-rail crossing is conveniently supported by two extra wide wooden
sleepers A, crossing one track and extending beyond the extremities of the
superposed rails, a pair of wooden cross-ties B, of the width commonly used at
rail-joints, at the ends of the other crossing rails, and a narrower wooden cross-tie C

page_text: between the sleepers A. For the several intersections, two inter-section chairs D
rest on each of the main timbers A, together with a pair of joint-chairs E and an
intermediate single chair F; a pair of "compromise" joint-chairs E2 rest on each
of said cross-ties B; and a pair of single chairs F rest on said cross-tie C.
All the chairs are preferably spiked down by means of the improved spike shown
at Figure 6 in the drawings of said Letters Patent No. 20973 of A.D. 1890,
which spike is represented at G in Figures 4 and 5; all the intermediate chairs F
represented in Figure 1 are intended to be steel chairs, and substantially of the
construction represented by Figure 3 of the drawings of said Letters Patent; and
the joint-chairs E are substantially of the same construction as said intermediate
chairs, as represented by Figure 10 of the drawings of said Letters Patent; said
joint-chairs E and the compromise-chairs E' being respectively of the shapes, in
side elevation, represented by Figure 4 and Figure 5 of the accompanying
drawings. Each of these several chairs has a seat-portion 11, Figures 4 and 5,
which is straddled by the superposed box-rail, one or more clamping bolts 12,
extending horizontally through all, below the rail-seat, and two or more clamps 13
which embrace laterally projecting flanges on the rail and bevelled projections
below said flanges on the sides of the chairs, according to the clamping system set
forth in said previous Specification. The compromise-chairs E2, Figure 5, have
chair-castings fitted at their outer ends to a different section of rail, and are
provided with several clamps on each side, a pair to each bolt, so that the several
bolts may be tightened individually without affecting the clamps at other points.
The intersection-chairs D, shown in detail on Sheet 2 of the accompanying
drawings, are provided with seat-portions 11, through clamping bolts 12, and
clamps 13, according to the same clamping system; said seat-portions, or
as they are hereinafter termed, and the bevelled lateral projections 14 below them,
being formed on chair-uprights z, of which there are four to each chair, arranged
as shown in Figures 6 and 7, with a base y, common to all, provided with spike-
holes 15. The several chair-uprights are further connected with the said base
and are connected with each other, by a cruciform brace integral with the top of
the base y as in Figure 9, and integral with the inner sides of the several chair-
uprights as in Figure 7. To lighten the chair, each of the chair-uprights is
conveniently cast hollow, as in Figures 7 and 9, and at the same time provided with
two bolt-holes 16, in the form of rectangular openings, elongated vertically.
<<
seats
"
y,
Four continuous pieces of box-rail, H, I, having grooves adjoining their treads 17,
Figures 8 and 9, and provided, in said specific embodiment of the invention, with
pieces 18 of bar steel, hereinafter termed "filling strips," in their grooves at and
beyond the intersections, complete the improved crossing. The rail-pieces H and I
are of the two patterns represented respectively by Figures 2 and 3 as to elevation;
and in cross-section, Figure 8, are in common of the pattern represented by
Figure 7 of said drawings forming part of Letters Patent No. 20973 of A.D. 1890.
To preserve the continuity of all the rails at the intersections, the "top-rails" H
are notched at bottom to the underside of the top of the rail at each intersection,
as shown at 19 in Figures 28 and 9, and the "under-rails" I are notched at top to
the underside of the top of the rail at each intersection, as shown at 20 in Figures 3
and 9. Said notches at 19 and 20 are preferably formed by the entire removal
from the rail of the metal within the limits of each notch, and, being substantially
rectangular, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, are easy to cut and fit. Not only so, the
top-rails, which customarily form part of the main track, and are thus subjected to
the greatest strains, have a direct support beneath at both sides of the top of the
rail, as indicated in Figure 9, and all the rails are thus effectively supported by
each other against lateral displacement or tilting as aforesaid. Being of the
peculiar construction in cross-section before referred to, which comprises a high
guard 21 opposed to the tread 17 of the rail, to form its groove, both rails are
further notched at top as to said guard to the plane of the tread of the rail, as
represented at 22 in Figures 2 and 3 and Figures 8 and 9, and the top-rails are
further notched at 23, Figure 2, in continuation of the grooves of the under rails.

page_text: Said filling strips 18 are fitted snugly to the rail grooves at bottom, and are held
in place by vertical rivets 24 Figure 1. They are of sufficient depth to cause the
car-wheels to run on their flanges in travelling over the notches 23; and their
ends are bevelled, as shown in dotted lines at 25 in Figure 2, so as to lift the wheels
5 gradually.
Owing to the abundant chair-support afforded by said intersection-chairs D, and
the fact that said notches 23 in such box-rails are very narrow, said filling strips
may in practice be ordinarily omitted, especially when the crossing is constructed
wholly of such box-rails as in the accompanying drawings.
After fitting the parts together at the yards of the manufacturing shops, they
may be safely taken apart sufficiently to facilitate handling and transportation; all
the chairs belonging to the under-rails, and the joint-chairs and intermediate chairs
belonging to the top-rails, remaining clamped to said rails respectively. The parts
are put together to complete the crossing, and the chairs are spiked to the sleepers
and cross-ties on the spot where the crossing is to be used
Ordinary spikes may of course be substituted for the improved spikes represented
at G as above described, or the several chairs may be bolted rivetted or attached
in any approved way to metallic sleepers and cross-ties; the joint-chairs E and
compromise-chairs E may be interchanged as regards the respective tracks, or all
may be of one and the same pattern, or any or all of them may be substituted by
joint-chairs or compromise-chairs of any approved construction suitable to the
respective tracks which lead to the crossing; other patterns of box-rail may be
substituted for the particular pattern above described; one or both pairs of rails
may be other than box-rails, the rail-seats of the intersection-chairs being corre-
spondingly modified; and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those
skilled in the art.
Having now-particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a tramway-crossing, an intersection-chair having four uprights forming
rail-seats of any kiud on all sides of the rail-intersection, a base common to all,
and a cruciform brace uniting the chair-uprights with each other above the
base, substantially as hereinbefore specified with reference to Figures 6 to 10
inclusive.
2. In a tramway-crossing, an intersection-chair having chair-uprights forming
chair-seats, and provided with bevelled lateral projections and through bolts below
said seats, and with rail-clamps which coact with said projections and bolts,
substantially as hereinbefore specified with reference to Figures 8 and 9.
3. An improved tramway-crossing comprising two under-rails and two top-rails,
internotched at the several intersections of the crossing, and supported at such
intersections by intersection-chairs clamped to the respective rails, and at their
extremities and at intermediate points by other chairs attached to the respective
rails, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1, whereby
the crossing is adapted to be taken apart to facilitate handling and transportation,
and to be put together on the spot where the crossing is to be used.
4. The combination, in a tramway-crossing, of two box girder-rails, having
substantially rectangular notches in their webs extending upward to the bottom of
the top of the rail, and another pair of such box-rails having substantially rect-
angular notches at top extending downward to the bottom of the top of the rail,
substantially as hereinbefore specified with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 8, and 9,
whereby the respective rails are supported against tilting or lateral displacement at
each intersection in the manner set forth.
5. The combination, in a tramway-crossing, of intersection-chairs each having
four chair-uprights forming rail-seats on all sides of the rail-intersection, a base
common to all, and a cruciform brace uniting the chair-uprights with each other
above the base, continuous box-rails fitted to two rail-seats on each chair, and

page_text: clamping devices holding said rails down upon such chair seats on both sides of
each rail-intersection, substantially as hereinbefore specified with reference to
Figures 18 and 9.
6. The combination, in a tramway-crossing, of intersection-chairs each having
four chair-uprights and a base common to all, said chair-uprights forming rail-seats
on all sides of the several rail-intersections, and provided with bevelled lateral
projections and through bolts below said seats, and with rail-clamps which coact
with said projections and bolts, and continuous box-rails internotched between said
chair-seats and having bevelled flanges engaged by said clamps, substantially as
hereinbefore specified with reference to Figures 1 2 and 3 and Figures 6 to 10
inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of January A.D. 1894.
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicant.