Improvements in Railway Sleepers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug.. 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Sleepers.
I, EDWARD WALLER STONEY of the Chief Engineer's Office, Madras Railway
Company, Madras in the Empire of India, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what minner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in sleepers to be used on railways
where metal sleepers are employed for the purpose of supporting the rails at the
joints.
Hitherto it has been customary to have the rails supported at each joint by two
bowl sleepers one at each side of the joint. On the passage of a train over joints
so supported there is occasioned a see-saw action of the rail causing excessive wear
of the ends of the rails at the joint.
The object of this invention is to provide a large bearing area under each joint
where it is most required and a nearly continuous support or bearing for the rails
where they are joined, so as to prevent slacks at the joints and excessive wear of the
rail ends; and to ensure smoother running and obviate the see-saw action which
now occurs as each train passes over joints.
According to my invention 1 construct one continuous sleeper of cast iron or
other suitable metal to be placed longitudinally under the rails at the joint, and
shaped so as to support the rails. This sleeper is turtle-shaped, and is provided
with holes to enable it to be properly "packed."
It should be of sufficient length to extend some distance on each side of the joint
and is provided with chairs for securing the rails by means of keys; it may
be made either with or without a supporting block immediately under the rail
joint.
Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 an elevation and Figure 3 a cross-section of my
improved sleeper when made with a supporting block under the rail joint.
Figure 4 is a plan and Figure 5 an elevation of the sleeper without the supporting
block.
A is the sleeper made of cast iron or other suitable metal and preferably about
4 feet 3 inches in length; it is provided with holes B as shown on top to allow it to
be well packed with ballast, and the pair of joint sleepers should be tied to gauge
by two wrought iron tie bars in the usual manner.
The chair jaws C D on either side of the rail joint are made to taper with the
wide side out, so that the keys may be well and securely driven into position from
the outside.
The fish plates E are of ordinary construction. F in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is the
supporting block immediately under the rail joint and formed integrally with the
sleeper. In case a supporting block such as F is not used, the supports at the chairs
are made extra long as seen at GG Figures 4 and 5, so that the unsupported or
suspended portion of the rails at the centre may be very short.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
A longitudinal railway cleaner constructed
ал
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page_text: rails on each side of a joint, with or without a supporting block underneath the
joint, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 18th day of July 1895.**
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.