IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edwards, of Cassland Crescent, South
Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 26th July 1872, and dated the 31st January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st January 1872.
I, JOHN EDWARDS, of Cassland Crescent, South Hackney, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS,"
to be as follows:
The improvements consist in forming sleepers made of iron, wood, or
other material, with raised platforms at each end. These platforms carry
a spring of wood or metal; and are made to incline by preference to meet.
the deflection of the spring. The springs resting on the raised platforms
are thus enabled to deflect under a load. The rails I place in chairs or ·

page_text: otherwise. When I use a flat bottomed rail I place the rail on the
spring, and take a bolt down by the side of the spring and through a nut
plate into the crown of the sleeper; thus the spring is jammed between the
rail and nut plate, and the bolt entering the crown of the sleeper holds
the rail to gauge. When I use double headed rails I place them in
chairs, and take bolts through the chair and nut plate or through the tie
bar, thus the springs become jammed beween the base of the chair and
nut plates or tie bar. I sometimes cast a lug on to the end of the chair,
and to this lug I fix the tie bar to hold the rails to gauge, so that while
the sleepers may be broken and displaced the rails are still held to
gauge by the tie bars being fixed to the chairs which carry the rails.
Also the improvements consist in the application of a piece of wood to
the ends of ordinary wooden sleepers (and making the chairs to saddle or
overlap this piece of wood) to prevent the chairs cutting into the sleeper
itself, and keeping the road to gauge.
Also in forming chairs of wrought and cast iron combined or of
wrought iron formed out of what is termed "gutter iron," in this case
with the rails dropped into and bolted to the said chairs, which are
furnished with suitable filling pieces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
EDWARDS, of Cassland Crescent, South Hackney, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-fourth year. of Her reign,, did, for Herself, Her heirs. and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Edwards, Her special
licence that I, the said John Edwards, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Edwards, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no,

page_text: 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 " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Edwards, 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
ottom Datant

page_text: Also in forming chairs of wrought and cast iron combined or of
wrought iron formed out of what is termed "gutter iron," in this case
with the rails dropped into and bolted to the said chairs, which are
furnished with suitable filling pieces.
Also in forming chairs of wrought and cast iron combined or of
wrought iron formed out of what is termed "gutter iron," in this case
with the rails dropped into and bolted to the said chairs, which are
furnished with suitable filling pieces.
The accompanying Drawing will serve further to illustrate a con-
venient mode or modes of carrying my improvements into effect.
Also in forming chairs of wrought and cast iron combined or of
wrought iron formed out of what is termed "gutter iron," in this case
with the rails dropped into and bolted to the said chairs, which are
furnished with suitable filling pieces.
The accompanying Drawing will serve further to illustrate a con- &
venient mode or modes of carrying my improvements into effect.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 plan shewing the raised
platform a, a, and the spring 6; the dotted lines c shew the inclination;
f, bolt.
Figure 3 shews an arrangement for using a flat bottomed rail. d is 1
the nut plate through which and the flange of the rail a bolt or bolts are
taken as shewn, or sometimes I raise the flanges of the chair at c, e,
sufficiently high to keep the rail in place laterally.
1
Figures 4, 4º, are side elevation and plan shewing the application of a .
piece of wood g to the ends of an ordinary wooden sleeper, having the 1
chair made to overlap this piece of wood g, as shewn at h, h, and thus
keep the road to guage and prevent the chairs cutting into the sleeper
itself.
Figure 5 shews the combined wrought and cast iron chair, i, i, being
jaws of wrought iron which are inserted into the base of the chair while 2
it is being cast, and in the position shewn; filling in pieces k, k, are
inserted, and a bolt as shewn passed through the jaw, filling pieces, and
rails, and thus the rail is kept in position.
Figure 6 shews a modification of Figure 5 with only one jaw i of
wrought iron, and the other jaw cast in the ordinary way, thus allowing 2
an iron key 'm to be used instead of the present wood keys, the wrought-
iron jaw yielding sufficiently to allow the iron key to be driven.
I sometimes make a projection on the under side of chair as shewn at n,
Figures 5 and 6, which serves to assist to keep the road guage instead of
the saddle arrangement shewn in Figure 4.
Figure 7 shews an arrangement of the compound wrought and cast-
iron chair as shewn in Figure 5, adapted to the joints of rails, the fish
plates being inserted in the ordinary way, and bolts taken through them.
and the wrought-iron jaws, and in this case the fish serves as a filling
3

page_text: piece. The flexibility of the wrought-iron jaw allows the pinching and
holding of the rail as in the jaws of a vice.
Figure 8 shews a compound wrought and cast iron chair where the
joint of the rails is made in the chair, the fish plates are inserted and the
rails bolted up as shewn.
Figure 9 shews the application of the wrought-iron jaw i to a bowl
sleeper, or the jaw may be applied to any form of sleeper.
In witness whereof I, the said John Edwards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JOHN EDWARDS. (L.S.)