for Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1884

page_text: for Railways and Tramways.
I, JOHN KERR of Leadenhall House Leadenhall Street in the City of London
Engineer and Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR CONNECTING RAILS AND SLEEPERS FOR
RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS, to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is in a great measure to dispense with the loose
parts, such as bolts nuts and screws hitherto used in fastening the rails to the
sleepers thus considerably decreasing the risk of breakage and derangement by
simplifying the fastening and so obtaining increased security combined with
economy of labor in fitting and also in the cost of manufacture.
One method of carrying out my invention consists in fastening the rail down to
the face of the sleeper with two clips placed one on the inside and one on the
outside of the rail and rivetted to the sleeper.
One of such clips is recessed to allow of a cotter being driven in between it and
the foot of the rail and when so driven in the point of the cotter is bent outwards
over the clip, thus tightly wedging up the rail and preventing the fastening from
gradually working loose.
This method can be readily applied to ordinary sleepers.
A second method of carrying out my invention consists in forming a dovetailed
recess in the face of the sleeper wherein the foot of the rail is placed and wedged
up on one side by a cotter having its point bent outwards in the manner already
described.
This second method is preferable to the first both for strength and simplicity
but necessitates the employment of specially manufactured sleepers having the
requisite dovetailed recesses stamped or otherwise formed therein.
The following modification however admits of such second method being applied
to ordinary sleepers-Instead of the web of the sleeper being made continuous
with a dovetailed recess as already described a dovetailed opening may be cut out
in the face of the sleeper and a plate rivetted thereunder to the sleeper which plate
strengthens the sleeper and forms a bearing for the foot of the rail which is fitted
in the opening and secured by a bent cotter in the manner already described.
It will be obvious that by either of these latter methods the sleeper itself is
converted into a fastening for holding the foot of the rail.
Deted this Sanand dow of Dana 1001

page_text: Improvements in Fastenings for Connecting Rails and Sleepers
for Railways and Tramways.
I, JOHN KERR of 33 Southampton Buildings, Holborn London do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR CONNECTING
RAILS AND SLEEPERS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of this invention is in a great measure to dispense with the loose
parts such as bolts, nuts and screws hitherto used in fastening the rails to the
sleepers thus considerably decreasing the risk of breakage and derangement by
simplifying the fastening and so obtaining increased security combined with
economy of labour in fitting and also in the cost of manufacture.
One method of carrying out my invention consists in fastening the rail down to
the face of the sleeper with two clips placed one on the inside and one on the
outside of the rail and rivetted to the sleeper.
One of such clips is recessed to allow of a cottor key or wedge being driven in
between it and the foot of the rail and when so driven in the point of the cotter
key or wedge is bent outwards over the clip, thus tightly wedging up the rail and
preventing the fastening from gradually working loose.
This arrangement is illustrated in plan at Fig. 1 and in section at Fig. 2 of the
accompanying drawings—(a) (a¹) being the clips-and (b) the bent cotter key or
wedge.
This method can be readily applied to ordinary sleepers.
A second method of carrying out my invention consists in forming a dovetailed
or other conveniently shaped recess in the face of the sleeper wherein the foot of
the rail is placed and wedged up on one side by a cotter key or wedge having its
point bent outwards in the manner already described.
This arrangement is illustrated in plan at Fig. 3 and in section at Fig. 4 of the
accompanying drawings (c) being the recess and (d) the cotter key or wedge.
This second method is preferable to the first both for strength and simplicity but
necessitates the employment of specially manufactured sleepers having the requisite
dovetailed recesses stamped or otherwise formed therein.
The following modification however admits of such second method being applied
to ordinary and other existing sleepers-Instead of the web of the sleeper being made
continuous and having a dovetailed or other conveniently shaped recess formed
therein as already described; such dovetailed or other suitably shaped opening may
be cut out in the face of the sleeper and a plate rivetted thereunder to the sleeper-
This plate serves both to strengthen the sleeper and to form a bearing for the foot
of the rail when it is fitted in the opening and after being so fitted it is secured
therein by a bent cotter key or wedge in the manner already described.
It will be obvious that by either of these latter methods the sleeper itself is
converted into and forms part of the fastening for securing and holding the foot of
the rail in position.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1° In the construction of railways and tramways connecting and fastening the
rails and sleepers thereof together by means of clips (a) (a¹) and a bent cotter key
or wedge (b) all made arranged and fitted substantially in the manner and for the
purposes hereinbefore specified and shewn at Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
2° In the construction of railways and tramways connecting and fastening the
rails and sleepers thereof together and converting the sleeper itself into a part of
the fastening for securing and holding the foot of the rail in position by making a
dovetailed or other conveniently shaped recess (c) in the face of the sleeper and
placing the foot of the rail therein and wedging it up on one side by a bent cotter
key or wedge (d) substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
specified and shewn at Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
3° As a modification of such last mentioned arrangement cutting out a dove-
tailed or other suitably shaped opening in the face of the sleeper-and rivetting a
bearing plate thereunder and placing the foot of the rail in such opening and
securing it therein by a bent cotter key or wedge substantially in the manner and
for the purposes hereinbefore specified.