Improvements in or connected with Railway Rail Joints.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Rail Joints.
We, DAVID HAY, of Westby near Grantham in the County of Lincoln Civil
Engineer, and WALTER FRANCIS AINSLIE WADHAM, of No. 3 North Circus
Street, Nottingham in the County of Nottingham, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to distribute, as nearly as may be, between two
neighbouring sleepers, the weight thrown on rails at their points of junction or
connection, and by supporting the points of junction or connection, to reduce the
deflection of the same, when a train is passing.
For this purpose under each rail joint the space between the two neighbouring
sleepers is spanned by means of a bridge of suitable material such as steel, which is
so arranged as to serve as a support, to the rail joint, and to rest at each of its ends
on one of the sleepers, these being provided with suitable bed plates to receive it.
We make special provision for ensuring efficient supporting contact between the
bridge and the rail. This may be done by securing the chairs by means of bolts
extending through the sleepers and tightened by nuts, but other suitable means
may be employed. We consider it advantageous to make the upper part of the
bridge of a recessed or grooved form adapted to receive the under surface of
the rail.
Dated this 19th day of January 1892.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Rail Joints.
We, DAVID HAY formerly of Westby, near Grantham, in the County of Lincoln,
but now of "Inversnaid," Hardy Road, Blackheath in the County of Kent, Civil
Engineer, and WALTER FRANCIS AINSLIE WADHAM, of No. 3 North Circus
Street, Nottingham in the County of Nottingham, Civil 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:
The object of this invention is to distribute, as nearly as may be, between two
neighbouring sleepers, the weight thrown on rails at their points of junction or
connection, and, by supporting the points of junction or connection, to reduce the
deflection of the same when a train is passing.
For this purpose under each rail joint the space between the two neighbouring
sleepers is spanned by means of a bridge of suitable material, such as steel, which is
so arranged as to serve as a support to the rail joint, and to rest at each of its ends
on one of the sleepers, these being provided with suitable bed plates to receive it.
We make special provision for ensuring efficient supporting contact between the
bridge and the rail. This may be done by securing the chairs by means of bolts
extending through the sleepers and tightened by nuts, but other suitable means may
be employed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a rail ioint supported according to this invention.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan thereof with rails removed; and
Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line ab Fig. 1.
1 and 2 are the rail ends connected by fish plates 3 and bolts 4 and supported by
chairs 5 and 6 which are secured to the cross sleepers 7 and 8 by fastenings 9 in the
ordinary way. 10 is a bridge of suitable material, for example steel, supported at
its two ends by suitable metal bedplates 11 and 12 which rest on the sleepers, and
are, in the present example each formed in one with the adjacent chair. 13 is a
taper key or wedge of suitable material for example steel; it is driven in between
the bridge and the lower side of the rail ends, so that the bridge will be constantly
subjected to a load; the reaction caused thereby producing an upward pressure on
the ends of the rails. By this means the bridge will be kept tight in place, and
afford an efficient support for the rail joint; thus the weight thrown on the rail
ends by a passing vehicle will be distributed upon the two neighbouring sleepers.
14 is a nut screwed on an extension 13ª of the key or wedge, for retaining the
latter in position.
15 is a plate or washer designed to afford an even bearing for the nut 14.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar views to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 respectively, showing a
modified arrangement in which a packing piece 16 is inserted between the bridge
and the underside of the rail ends, and the bridge 10 is tightened in place for the
purpose hereinbefore explained, by means of two taper keys or wedges 13 which
are driven in between the bed plates 11 and 12 and the adjacent ends of the bridge,
and are each retained in position by a nut 14 which is screwed tightly against one
side of the corresponding bedplate.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are also similar views to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 respectively illustrating
a further modified arrangement in which the bed-plates 11 and 12 are made separate
from the chairs 5 and 6, and the packing piece 16 inserted between the bridge 10
and the underside of the rail ends, is made sufficiently thick to raise the chairs
slightly above the bedplates 11 and 12 before the chairs are secured in place. In
this case to put the load on the bridge for the purpose hereinbefore mentioned
tiebolts 9 are employed, in lieu of ordinary fastenings, for securing the chairs and
bed plates to the sleepers, these bolts being arranged to extend through the sleepers
and being provided at their lower ends with fang nuts 9, the arrangement being
such that, when the packing piece 16 has been inserted in place and the tiebolts are
screwed up from the top, the chairs will be made to bed firmly on the bedplates 11
and 12: The bridge thus becomes subjected to a load as before."
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are similar views to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, illustrating
a further arrangement in which the bridge piece 10 is of arched form and grooved
at its upper side to receive the bottom of the rail ends, and the bedplates 11 and 12
are sunk in recesses formed in the sleepers 7 and 8 to such a depth that the bridge
will raise the chairs, before the same are secured in place, slightly above the
sleepers so that, when the through or tie-bolts 9" and fang nuts 9b are tightened up
to fix the chairs upon the sleepers the bridge will be loaded and firmly held in
place, as in the last described arrangement.
17. 17 are screws that serve to prevent lateral movement of the bedplates 11 and
12, which, in this example, are recessed to receive the ends of the bridge.
Fig. 13 is a plan of one of the fang nuts employed. The arrangements herein-
before described as shown for supporting the jointed ends of bulb or double headed
rails, can be used for supporting the jointed ends of flat bottomed or single headed
rails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a railway the combination with a rail joint, and chairs and sleepers located
at each side thereof, of a bridge made separate from the chairs and arranged to be
independently supported at its ends upon the said sleepers, and means such as
wedges or keys, or through or tie-bolts, whereby, when the several parts are fixed

page_text: in position, pressure will be constantly exerted by the bridge on the rail ends,
substantially as hereinbefore described for the purposes specified.
2. In a railway, a rail joint, chairs, and sleepers therefor, a bridge with
independent bed plates, and means for securing the chairs, bridge and bed plates in
position, these parts being constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference respectively to and shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; in Figs. 4,
5 and 6, in Figs. 7, 8 and 9; and in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 of the drawings aunexed.
Dated this 18th day of October 1892.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per. F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.