Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM EDWARD PARTRIDGE of New Oscott Birmingham in the County
of Warwick, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in keys for holding rails such as
those used on railways where there is á liability of such keys becoming loose and
so drawing back and falling out thus greatly endangering the safety of the vehicles
and those who ride thereon.
My invention refers to the wood keys now in such very extensive use in this
and other countries. Metallic keys have been made to lock in various ways but
they are very expensive and generally require special tools for driving and
drawing them.
Now I have said that my invention applies to the wood keys now in use indeed
it is not absolutely necessary that any difference should be made in either the chair
or sleeper or wood key so far as its form and size is concerned. I make the key
to hold securely in the following manner :-
a
In or upon the side of the key next to the jaw of the chair I fix or embed a strip
of steel, malleable iron or other metal which is secured to the key by a boss driven
into a bored hole in the side of the key or by spike formed at the end of the
strip or by a wood screw or nail driven through a hole or holes in the strip or by
an enlarged boss at the end of the strip or its equivalent. This strip projects a
little beyond the front end of the key so that when the key is driven in, the strip
is bound between the key and the jaw of the chair or sleeper so that the end of the
strip may be turned down against the side of the jaw thus preventing it from
coming back unless the strip is straightened or it, is driven back by a hammer. The
strip may be plain in section, oblong or rounded on the face coming against the
key so as to embed easily.
It will be evident that when the key requires re-driving that there is absolutely
nothing to prevent it being done just as effectively as now and when so re-driven
the strip may be most easily further bent to secure the key in its advanced position.
It will be evident that a stout piece of round or other wire may be so used and it
may be fixed at almost any position along the length of the key but I think some
two inches from the back end is perhaps the best place because the key when driven
Price 8d1

page_text: quite home will sufficiently hold the back end of the strip between the jaw and
key to allow it to be practically manipulated.
These strips may either be attached to the keys by the key manufacturers or by
the plate layers on the line. It is evident that such strips might be applied to
other sides of the key but not with such good effect as the jaw side because it is
there securely locked and close to the jaw to be bent at any part thereof.
GEORGE
BARKER,
Agent for Applicant,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
I WILLIAM EDWARD PARTRIDGE of New Oscott Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Agent do 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 :—
This invention has for its object improvements in keys for holding rails such as
those used on railways where there is a liability of such keys becoming loose and
so drawing back and falling out thus greatly endangering the safety of the vehicles
and those who ride thereon.
My invention refers to the wood keys now in such very extensive use in this
and other countries. Metallic keys have been made to lock in various ways but
they are very expensive and generally require special tools for driving and
drawing them.
Now I have said that my invention applies to the wood keys now in use indeed
it is not absolutely necessary that any difference should be made in either the chair
or sleeper or wood key so far as its form and size is concerned I make the key to
hold securely in the following manner :-
:
In or upon the side of the key next to the jaw of the chair I fix or embed a strip
of steel malleable iron or other metal which is secured to the key by a boss driven
into a bored hole in the side of the key or by a spike formed at the end of the
strip or by a wood screw or nail driven through a hole or holes in the strip or by
an enlarged boss at the end of the strip or its equivalent. This strip projects a
little beyond the front end of the key so that when the key is driven in to the strip
is bound between the key and the jaw of the chair or sleeper so that the end of the
strip may be turned down against the side of the jaw thus preventing it from
coming back unless the strip is straightened or it is driven back by a hammer. The

page_text: strip may be plain in section oblong or rounded on the face coming against the key
so as to embed easily.
It will be evident that when the key requires re-driving that there is absolutely
nothing to prevent it being done just as effectively as now and when so redriven
the strip may be most easily further bent to secure the key in its advanced position.
It will be evident that a stout piece of round or other wire may be so used and it
may be fixed in almost any position along the length of the key but I think some
two inches from the back end is perhaps the best place because the key when driven
quite home will sufficiently hold the back end of the strip between the jaw and key
to allow it to be practically manipulated.
These strips may either be attached to the keys by the key manufacturers or by
the plate-layers on the line. It is evident that such strips might be applied to
other sides of the key but not with such good effect as the jaw side because it is
there securely locked and close to the jaw to be bent at any part thereof.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto two sheets of drawings upon which several
examples of my invention are illustrated and these will serve to make the principle
quite clear, so that the various difference in practice such for instance as the many
designs in railway chairs and sleepers forms of jaws and rails may all be satis-
factorily met without difficulty.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair and its key with section of a double headed
rail in its position and also showing one form of the locking device.
Figure 2 is a plan of the parts shewn by Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are a sectional elevation and plan of a double headed rail and
chair shewing different modification of our locking device.
In practice any section of iron, steel or other metal most convenient at the time
may be used such for instance as round wire cut off into suitable lengths and bent
to shape or flat strips of hoop or rod metal of any section or from malleable cast
strips may be used where most convenient but probably in practice either wire or
narrow thick strip iron or steel will be found most economical convenient and
effective I will communicate in detail some of the modes by reference to the suppli-
mental Figures on both sheets.
Figure 5 shows a strip of iron sheared across diagonally so as to form two strips A
and B with their points a¹ and 6¹ each of which are afterwards bent to say right
angles as shewn by Figure 6 where they are driven into the wood key C the
points a¹ and b¹ being suitable by their pointed shape for the purpose.
The key C has a groove c¹ made longitudinally therein for the purpose of
receiving the strips and probably in all cases it would be found well to allow the
strip to just stand a sufficient shade above the level of the key to ensure the metal
being pressed against the inner face of the jaw of the chair or sleeper so as to
produce a little compression in driving thus always maintaining the tendency to
press the parts together thus preventing any tendency of the parts to shake or
rattle. It will be seen that in this key shown by the Figures 5 to 8 provision is
made for projections a' and 62 in order that each end might be turned against the
sides d' and d of the jaws D of the chair. The same result will be obtained by a
malleable cast strip E such as that shewn by Figure 10 where a round or other
projection e is driven into the prepared hole f* of the key F Figure 11 the
groove f having been previously prepared in the shaping machine.
Figure 12 is a longitudinal section of the key F and elevation of the strip E and
Figure 13 is a cross section of the same key. The plan Figure 2 really shews the
malleable cast strip E Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 but the appearance is very similar
in the case of the strip A in the previous Figures if so applied as in both cases the
ends are bent round the jaws after the key is driven into its position. In the case
shown es and e³ are the ends bent round but in the other case the ends to bend are
a and b. When this has been done the strip whether E or A. B. hold the jaw
while the projection e' holds secure the key from moving or in the other case the
hooked ends a¹ and b¹ so that there is nothing to prevent the free use of the hammer

page_text: upon the key at either end. Instead of these projecting ends driven or in con-
junction therewith I may use a wood screw or a nail or nails with a steep thread
or threads near the position of the bent ends. In the case of Figure 9 the roll
strip is bent down and may thus be used in one length instead of two lengths the
head H being the part to be driven into a hole bored in the key.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a chair with the key therein and the locking piece
only projecting at this end k¹ of the key K and this is probably the most general
form in which the locking device would be used that is only projecting the thin
end of the key 'as shown in all the Figures on sheet 2 of the drawings.
Figure 14 shows an elevation of the edge the strip M bent and a plan before)
bending and Figure 15 shows the same strip. M driven into a groove in the key
and Figure 16 is a plan of the key with the strip M in position while Figure 17 is
a cross section showing the bent part or point m¹ of the strip M. driven Figures 18,
19 20 and 21 show precisely the same thing as in the previous four Figures but
with round wire applied instead of a flat strip and it will therefore be unnecessary
to explain them further.
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
The improvements in keys for railways chairs and sleepers of the locking device
for holding the same by either the boss bends or screws screwed into the body of
the key substantially as herein set forth.