IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Denison Chauncey Pierce, of No. 8, America
Square, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 6th April 1866, and dated the 11th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Denison Chauncey Pierce
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th October 1865.
I, DENISON CHAUNCEY PIERCE, of No. 8, America Square, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent way
of railways. For this purpose I employ continuous longitudinal sleepers
either of cast or of wrought iron, by preference of a T shape, and on the top
of such sleepers and in one piece with them, I form a ridge running from
end to end of the sleeper, and which is in fact a portion of the rail. This
ridge receives a light cap or bridge rail formed thus, . A strip of
wood or other soft and elastic material is interposed between the top of
the ridge on the sleepers and the rail, the strip of wood or soft material
being fitted into the hollow in the rail. Other strips of wood or soft
material are also laid on either side of the central ridge of the sleeper, and
the lower flanges of the rail or cap rest on these side strips. The rail or

page_text: cap is secured by bolts passing through its flanges and through the sleeper.
As there is a continuous elastic support immediately under the head or
running surface of the rail or cap, this may be made comparatively light.
In some cases, in place of using sleepers of this description, I mount the
cap on a rail which in turn is secured to the sleepers in any convenient
manner, as is described in the Specification of a former Patent granted
to me, and dated the 15th of February 1865, No. 434; but in place of
securing such caps by causing them to embrace the heads of the rails as is
there described, I employ screw bolts to hold the cap and rail together;
the caps and rails are made to break joint, so that the caps serve to fish
the joints of the rails.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Denison Chauncey Pierce in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DENISON
CHAUNCEY PIERCE, of No. 8, America. Square, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Denison Chauncey Pierce, Her special licence that I; the
said Denison Chauncey Pierce, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Denison Chauncey Pierce, my 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 IN THE PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Denison
Chauncey Pierce, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Denison Chauncey Pierce, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent way of
railways. For this purpose I employ continuous longitudinal sleepers
either of cast or of wrought iron, by preference of a T shape, and on the
top of such sleepers, and in one piece with them, I form a ridge running
from end to end of the sleeper, and which is in fact a portion of the rail ;
this ridge receives a light cap or ridge rail formed thus, . A strip
of wood or other soft and elastic material is interposed between the top of:
the ridge on the sleepers and the rail, the strip of wood or soft material
being fitted into the hollow in the rail. Other strips of wood or soft
material are also laid on either side of the central ridge of the sleeper, and
the lower flanges of the rail or cap rest on these side strips. The rail or
cap is secured by bolts passing through its flanges and through the sleeper.
As there is a continuous elastic support immediately under the head or
running surface of the rail or cap this may be made comparatively light.
This arrangement is shown at Figure 1, and a perspective view of a line
laid in this manner is shown at Figure 2. A is the cap or rail; B, B,
strips of wood or similar material; C, the longitudinal ridge on the sleeper;
D, D, bolts connecting the cap or rail and the sleeper; F, F, the horizontal
flanges of the sleeper which rest on the ballast; and G is the vertical web
to check lateral movement of the sleeper and cap or rail. In some cases,
in place of using sleepers of this description, I mount the cap on a rail,
which in turn is secured to the sleepers in any convenient manner, as is
described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, and dated
the 15th of February 1865, No. 434; but in place of securing such caps
by causing them to embrace the heads of the rails as is there described, I
employ screw bolts to hold the cap and rail together; the caps and rails
are made to break joint so that the caps serve. to fish the joints of the
rails. This system of constructing permanent way is illustrated at Figure 3,
which shews a section of the compound rail; and Figure 4 is a perspective
view of a line of railway laid in this manner. A is the cap; B, B, strips
of wood or similar material; C, the rail arranged to break joint with the
bar or cap; D, D, are screw nuts; and E, E, are sleepers. Figure 5
shews in section another similar arrangement, in which the rail is so
formed as to require chairs for its support; one of the chairs is shown and
marked E; in this case strips of wood or similar material are also interposed

page_text: between the rail and the chair, as is shewn; D, D, are. bolts connecting
the rail and the chair.
In witness whereof, I, the said Denison Chauncey Pierce, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of April; in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
D. C. PIERCE (L.s.)