CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Katz Douglas, of the City of Chester,
Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 16th November 1858, and dated the 30th July 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Katz Douglas
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th July 1853.
I, GEORGE KATZ DOUGLAS, of the City of Chester, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IN-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in an improved mode of jointing rails, and of
securing the rails in the chairs.
1, in jointing the rails I use a chair having peculiarly shaped
jaws, by which I am enabled to dispense with the use of wood keys,
substituting two irou plates or pieces of metal. The same iron plates
or pieces of metal may be used in conjunction with one, two, or more
chairs cast separately or together.

page_text: 2nd, in securing the rails in the chairs, I employ a chair having
jaws of a similar shape to the joint chair, dispensing with one of the
plates or not.
3rd, in supporting the joints of foot or flat bottomed rails by
wrought iron girders, and securing them in their places, as described
above.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Katz Douglas in the Great Seal
Patent Oflice, on the 30th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE KATZ DOUGLAS, of the City of Chester, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Katz Douglas, Her
special licence that I, the said George Katz Douglas, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as J, the said
George Katz Douglas, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, tlie Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF
RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Katz Douglas, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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
Letters Patent.

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hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (that is to say):
My Invention consists in improvements in constructing railway
chairs, and in jointing and securing rails in railway chairs.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me;
reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, is a front elevation, Figure 2, a side elevation, and Figure 3,
a plan of one of my improved joint chairs. a, a, are the ends of two
rails, which are jointed together at a', as seen in Figures 2, and 3.
The chair is made with two pairs of jaws, marked b, b, and c, c, which
are cast together in the usual manner, and are sufficiently wide apart
at the top to admit the rail. Between the jaws b, b, and the body of
the rail is a plate d; this plate is swelled out between the jaws, as seci
best in Figure 8, in order to strengthen it; and the plate e, is held in
contact with the other side of the rails by the vertical gravitating
wedges ff. These plates and wedges I prefer to make of cast iron, but
they may be made of wood. When the wedge is made of wood it is
requisite to have a hole in the chair, through which the wedge can be
forced when the rail has to be removed. On referring to the plan,
Figure 3, it will be seen that the sides of the wedges f, f, are
rounded, and the jaws c, c, and plate e, are recessed; by this means
the plate and wedges are held in their proper positions.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, are three different views of an intermediate
chair constructed on the same principle as the joint chair above
described. As the various parts in these views are similar to those
above referred to, they are marked with the same letters. The platos d,
and e, are only a little longer than the width of the jaws, as seen in
Figure 5; the rail is omitted in Figure 6, in order that the shape of
the chair may be better seen. In the intermediate chairs the jaws b,

page_text: are recessed, and the plates d, slightly rounded; by this means the plates
are prevented moving sideways.
•
Figures 7, 8, and 9, represent three views of another modification of
my improvements; in these views the ends of the rails a, are held in
their places at one side by a plate d, fitting against the jaws b, b; this
plate has a projection in the middle marked d, which bears upon a
projection on the chair, the object of which is to support the rails by
their upper lip bearing on the top of the plate d. The rail is held at
the other side by another plate marked y, which is furnished with
beads g', between which and the jaws c, c, are driven the wedges h, h.
I prefer to make these wedges of wrought iron, and they may be split
to prevent them getting loose; the plate y, is also furnished with two
ears g², which fit between the jaws c, c, and prevent the plate moving
endways.
Instead of casting two chairs together, as shewn in Figures 8, and 9,
I also propose to cast each chair separate; in this case the side plates d,
and g, arc shaped like double wedges, as seen in Figure 10, and the
chairs are provided with holes through which passes a bolt; by tighten-
ing the nut on the bolt the chairs are drawn on the double wedges
and the whole firmly united. The mode of fixing the rails shewn
in Figures 7, 8, and 9, is also applicable to the intermediate chairs,
but they are not shewn in the Drawing, as it is evident that the only
alteration required is to make use of one pair of jaws.
Figure 11, is a front elevation of a chair for holding the contractor's
rails; in this view i, is the chair; j, the rail; k, one of the jaws,
between which and the body of the rail is a plate or block m; on the
other side of the rail is another plate or block o, furnished with a
groove for the key n, which is driven in between the plate or block o,
and the jaw p. I prefer to make the plates or blocks m, and o, of
cast iron, and the key n, of wrought iron, but other materials may be
employed.
Figure 12, represents a mode of holding the common bridge rail in
a chair. This modification being very similar to Figure 10, is marked
with the same letters of reference. In Figure 12, the chair i, is made
with a projection, fitting into the rail to hold it laterally. The

page_text: vertical gravitating wedges marked f, in Figures 1, and 2, may also
be employed in securing the contractor's and bridge rails in their
chairs by making the jaws p, and the plates or blocks v, of suitable
shape.
I wish to observe here, that the above-described improvements in
railway chairs are also applicable to those chairs that are cast with the
sleepers.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the saine, I wish it to be understood that I do not con-
fine myself to the details, so long as the peculiar character of my In-
vention be retained. But what I do claim is,―
First, the improved mode of securing the joints of rails as shewn in
Figures 1, 2, and 8.
Secondly, the peculiar shaped railway chairs shewn in Figures 1,
to 6, and the vertical gravitating wedges for securing the rails therein.
Thirdly, the improved mode of securing rails in chairs as shewn in
Figures 7, 8, and 9.
Fourthly, the improved mode of connecting chairs at the joints of
rails shewn and described in reference to Figure 10.
And, lastly, the improved modes of securing rails in chairs as shewn
in Figures 11, and 12.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Katz Douglas, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of
January, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
GEORGE KATZ DOUGLAS.