IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC KEYS OR WEDGES FOR SUPPORTING AND SECURING RAILWAY RAILS IN THEIR CHAIRS AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SUCH KEYS OR WEDGES." SP
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT
to Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson, of Sheffield, in
the County of York, Steel Manufacturer, and Thomas Sexton
Sarney, also of Sheffield, in the County of York, Mechanical
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC KEYS OR
WEDGES FOR SUPPORTING AND SECURING RAILWAY RAILS IN THEIR CHAIRS
AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SUCH KEYS OR WEDGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Buckingham
Ibbotson and Thomas Sexton Sarney at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd October 1869.
We, ALFRED BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Steel Manufacturer, and THOMAS SEXTON SARNEY, also of Sheffield,
in the County of York, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC KEYS OB
WEDGES FOR SUPPORTING AND SECURING RAILWAY RAILS IN THEIR CHAIRS, AND A
METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SUCH KEYS OR WEDGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to metallic keys or wedges constructed by
bending or curving plates of metal into such a sectional form that
[Price Sd.]

page_text: when inserted between the rail and side of the chair they will bind
tightly upon the surfaces thereof, and thereby keep the rail securely in
its place in the chair.
The said Invention consists in giving to the said keys or wedges a
peculiar transverse sectional form, so that they may be made from plain
flat pieces of metal and without the use of internal mandrills or similar
implements in their manufacture, and so that they do not require any
grooving, curving, or other peculiar shaping of the chair to render them
applicable thereto. By giving, to the said keys or wedges this peculiar
formation they are produced very rapidly, as each one (when they are
made of small plates) can be formed between dies with one blow of a press
stamp or hammer, or by being passed between properly grooved rollers;
or long plates may have the required form given to them by being passed
between similar rollers, and then be cut up into the required lengths
either by a saw or by shears. If shears are used the cutting edge of one
of the shear blades should correspond to the sectional form of the keys.
By this rapid manufacture we render the said keys cheap of production,
while at the same time they give greater support to the rails than other
devices for a similar purpose, and they can be made to fit almost all the
existing forms of rails and chairs.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of one of our improved keys or
wedges. The wedge is made as before stated by bending or curving into
the shape shown a small plate of iron, steel, or Bessemer metal between
dies under a press or hammer, or between grooved rollers, or by bending
or curving a long plate (which is afterwards cut into the required
lengths) between rollers without the use of internal mandrills, and it
will be readily understood that the said wedge may be left as shown in
Figures 1 or 2, or may have its sides a extended and bent into the other
sectional forms shewn in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, or into such modifi-
cations of those forms as will not require the use of an internal mandrill
for their production, and as shall be found most suitable to fit into or
between any of the various sections and shapes of railway rails and
their chairs at present existing. By reference to the Drawings it will
be seen that the whole of these keys or wedges are so formed that they
may be driven into the spaces so as to fit tightly between the rails and
the chairs, and give a somewhat elastic support to the under side of the
heads of the rails, as well as to press against and keep in position the.
lower part of the rails.
They may be made of any length or thickness,

page_text: but we prefer to make them about one inch longer than the breadth of
the jaws of the chairs, so that they may project a little on each side
thereof and about No. 8 iron wire gauge thick, and they may be made
either parallel from end to end or somewhat taper. The said keys
may be formed slightly hollow in the back or centre of those portions
which press against the chairs so as more effectually to lock them or keep
them in position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson and Thomas Sexton
Sarney in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALFRED
BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Steel
Manufacturer, and THOMAS SEXTON SARNEY, also of Sheffield, in the
County of York, Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto us, the said Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson
and Thomas Sexton Sarney, Her special license that we, the said
Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson and Thomas Sexton Sarney, our
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alfred
Buckingham Ibbotson and Thomas Sexton Sarney, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
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 "IMPROVEMENTS
METALLIC KEYS OR WEDGES FOR SUPPORTING AND SECURING RAILWAY RAILS IN
THEIR CHAIRS, AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SUCH KEYS OR WEDGES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Alfred Bucking-
ham Ibbotson and Thomas Sexton Sarney, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
IN

page_text: manner the same was to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent
of the said Invention, and in what
performed, and cause the same to be
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson
and Thomas Sexton Sarney, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,'
reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a part of
this Specification.
This invention relates to metallic keys or wedges constructed by
bending or curving plates of metal into such a sectional form that when
inserted between the rail and side of the chair they will bind tightly
upon the surfaces thereof, and thereby keep the rail securely in its place
in the chair.
The said Invention consists in giving to the said keys or wedges a
peculiar transverse sectional form, so that they may be made from plain
flat pieces of metal and without the use of internal mandrils or similar
implements in their manufacture, and so that they do not require any
grooving, curving, or other peculiar shaping of the chair to render them
applicable thereto. By giving to the said keys or wedges this peculiar
formation they are produced very rapidly, as each one (when it is made
of a small plate) can be formed between dies with one blow of a press
stamp or hammer, or by being passed between properly grooved rollers;
or long plates may have the required form given to them by being
pässed between similar rollers, and then be cut up into the required
lengths either by a saw or by shears. If shears are used the cutting edge
of one of the shear blades should correspond to the sectional form of the
keys. By this rapid manufacture we render the said keys cheap of pro-
duction, while at the same time they give greater support to the rails
than other devices for a similar purpose, and they can be made fo fit
almost all the existing forms of rails and chairs.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of one of our improved keys or
wedges; Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, illustrate various modifications in the
sectional form of the said key or wedge; Figure 7 shews a rail secured
in a chair by one of the said keys or wedges. The wedge is made as
before stated by bending or curving into the desired shape a single plate

page_text: د,
of iron, steel, or ** Bessemer metal between dies under a press or
hammer, or between grooved rollers, or by bending or curving a long
plate (which is afterwards cut into the required lengths) between rollers
without the use of internal mandrils, and it will be readily understood
that the said wedge may be left as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or may
have its sides a extended and bent to give it the sectional forms shown
in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, or into such modifications of those forms as
may be produced without the use of an internal mandril, and as shall
be found most suitable for any of the various sections and shapes of
railway rails and their chairs at present existing. By reference to the
Drawing it will be seen that all of these keys or wedges are so formed
that they may be driven into the spaces beween the rails A and the
chairs B in such a manner as to fit tightly therein and give a somewhat
elastic support to the under side of the heads of the rails, as well as to
press against and keep in position the lower part of the same. The
wedges C may be made of any length or thickness, but we prefer to
make them about one inch longer than the breadth of the jaws B' of the
chairs B, so that they may project a little on each side thereof. They
should have a thickness about equal to that of No. S iron wire gauge,
and they may be made either parallel from end to end or somewhat
taper. The said keys may be formed slightly hollow in the back or
centre of the portions b which press against the chairs so as inore
effectually to lock them or keep them in position. By referring to
Figure 7 it will be seen that the part 6 which forms a large portion of
the key or wedge bears directly against the jaw of the chair and receives
support therefrom, white the parts c of the wedge support the heads of
the rail in a very advantageous manner.
Having thus fully described our said Invention, and shewn how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice,
we claim,-
First. Keys or wedges for supporting and securing railway rails in
their chairs made of iron, steel, or "Bessemer "metal of either of the
transverse sectional forms shewn in the accompanying Drawing, or such
modifications thereof as will allow the key or wedge to be made without
the use of an internal mandril and will cause a large portion of the
surface thereof to bear against the jaw of the chair and receive support
therefrom, and without requiring any peculiar shaping of the chair,
substantially as herein set forth.

page_text: Second. The method of manufacturing the key or wedge from a
single plain flat piece of metal and without the aid of mandrils or other
like implements, substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson
and Thomas Sexton Sarney, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy.
ALFRED BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON. (L.S.)
THOMAS SEXTON SARNEY.
(L.S.)