Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 188
Specification Accepted, 21st Oct., 1887
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. 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 cross ties of railways for supporting the tracks or rails
and has for its object the providing of a more durable and efficient elastic support
for the rails together with increased facility for repair and a better maintenance of
alignment of the rails than has been practicable with other constructions.
The nature of this invention may be concisely stated to consist of a tubular shell of
ductile metal filled in the centre with a composition or concrete and at the end with
wooden blocks upon which the rails rest and into which spikes are driven for holding
the rails in position.
In order to prevent displacing of the ties in the direction of their length consequent
upon the lateral strains upon rails developed by the passage of trains on curves,
shoulders and flanges are provided which by engaging in the ballast of the road
afford a resistance to such displacing greater than the friction between the metallic
surfaces of the tie and ballasting material of the road bed.
We will now proceed to describe the mode of making and using the said invention

page_text: thereon in which
Fig. 1 shows a plan of a railway made with these improved ties.
Fig. 2 a side elevation thereof.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sections respectively in the planes indicated by the dotted
lines Z Z, YY and X X in fig. 1 and fig 6 a detached perspective view of a metallic
shell and figs. 7 and S ties for curves.
The same letters of reference apply to the same parts in the several figures.
A represents horizontal tubes of rectangular cross section in length, breadth and
height equal to the usual timber cross, tie that is to say, long enough to extend
outwardly beyond each rail B to afford a sufficient support on the road bed without
sinking into it and without springing the centre of the tie upwards.
Through the upper side of the tube A under the part upon which the rails B rest
are cut openings of the breadth of the top of the tube A and extending downward
upon the sides about half an inch more or less; each of the openings C is equal in
the direction of the length of the tube A to the breadth of the sole or base of the
rail B the central portion of the tube A is filled compactly with a composition or
concrete D of asphalte and stone or of some equivalent tenacious and hard material
possessing a degree of flexibility.
When cross ties are to be used upon curves or other places where they are liable to
be strained or displaced in the direction of their length shoulders or flanges are
formed on their lower central portion by cutting the material as indicated in dotted
lines V on the separate tie shown to the right of figure 1 and the metal of the bottom
is turned upwardly as at K in figure 7 forming a shoulder or downwardly as at L
forming a flange, or the metal from the sides may be bent outwardly as shown in
figure 8 so as to form laterally projecting flanges M in all cases the shoulder K and
flanges L and M engaging in the ballast of the road bed secure the ties from shifting in
the direction of their length; it should be observed in forming such shoulders K
or flanges L and M that the portion of the metallic tube A cut to produce them
should neither be so deep as to render the tube flexible nor should such cutting be
practiced so near to the seats of the rails as to impair the extent of surface required
for the support of the ties and rails under the heaviest loads.
The portions of the tube A beyond the concrete D are filled with hard wood
blocks E preferably of oak impregnated with a preservative compound for resisting
decay and attacks of insects and worms.
Notches Fare cut upon the margins of the holes C through which spikes G are
driven into the blocks E, the heads of which spikes G serve to secure the rails B to
the cross ties A.
The support of the rails B is upon the blocks E and the blocks E rest upon the
bottom of the tube A the concrete D stiffens the tube A and serves to exclude water
and prevent the floating of the ties in case of overflows.
The blocks E can be removed from the tube A when the spikes G are drawn
without displacing the ballast H between the ties A and the passage of the trains can
be continued whilst the repairs of the ties and track are in progress a feature very
desirable in much used portions of railways.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention, as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A railway cross tie consisting of a rectangular tube of metal filled centrally in
its length with a concrete and combined therewith removable blocks of wood
presenting surfaces through apertures in the tube for supporting and securing the
rails thereto substantially as set forth.
2. In metallic railway ties the combination of removable wooden blocks E with a
rectangular tubular case A having apertures C for receiving the rails and notches F
for receiving the spikes substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 3. A railway cross tie consisting of a metallic case having cavities for receiving
wooden blocks for supporting rails and notches to receive the rails and hold them to
guage of distance combined with shoulders adapted to engage in the road ballast
substantially as set forth.
4. A railway cross tie consisting of a metallic caso having cavities for receiving
wooden blocks for supporting rails and notches to receive the rails and hold them to
guage combined with flanges adapted to engage in the road ballast substantially as
set forth.
Dlh oth
tamhan 1007
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.