IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KEYS AND WOOD FASTENINGS USED IN CONSTRUCTING RAILWAYS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Langton, of 14, Wharf, Belvedero Road,
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KEYS AND WOOD FASTENINGS USED IN CONSTRUCTING
RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 8th September 1859, and dated the 15th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Langton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
March 1859.
I, WALTER LANGTON, of 14, Wharf, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KEYS AND WOOD FASTENINGS USED IN
CONSTRUCTING RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of keys
and wood fastenings used in constructing railways. For these purposes the
keys and wood fastenings are compressed and charred, and it is preferred, in
order to compress and char such wood fastenings with facility, that they, when
having parallel sides, should be forced through a highly heated die, formed
internally to the section of the desired fastening; pieces of wood of larger
dimensions than the die are in succession forced through the highly heated dic,
by which they will become compressed and charred. When wood fastenings

page_text: are desired to be larger at one end than the other, it is preferred to force the
pieces of wood into a properly shaped and highly heated dic, and then
to force the charred fastenings back out of the die; or the dies used may be
made in parts, and the parts made capable of movement, or the dies used and
the means of compressing and charring may be otherwise varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Walter Langton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
LANGTON, of 14, Wharf, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Walter Langton, Her special licence that I, the said Walter
Langton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Walter Langton,, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KEYS AND WOOD FASTENINGS USED IN CONSTRUCTING
RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Walter
Langton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
Isame 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Walter Langton, 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 manufacture of
keys and wood fastenings used in constructing railways. For these purposes

page_text: the keys and wood fastenings are compressed and charred, and it is preferred,
in order to compress and char such wood fastenings with facility, that
they, when having parallel sides, should be forced through a highly heated
die formed internally to the section of the desired fastening; pieces of wood
of larger dimensions than the die are in succession forced through the highly
heated die, by which they will become compressed and charred. When wood
fastenings are desired to be larger at one end than the other, it is preferred to
force the pieces of wood into a properly shaped and highly heated die, and
then to force the charred fastenings back out of the dic, or the dies used may
be made in parts, and the parts made capable of movement, or the die is used
and the means of compressing and charring may be otherwise varied.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
more fully to describe the manner of performing the same. It is preferred
that the dies used should be as highly heated as possible; and I generally
heat them beyond a bright red heat. The ends of each fastening are first
dipped into fat or grease, and each fastening is subjected to the heat of tho
dies for a few seconds; where the fastenings have parallel sides, it is most con-
venient to force them in succession through the highly heated dies.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Langton, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nino.
WALTER LANGTON. (L.S.)