AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE POINTS OR RAILWAY CROSSINGS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Maw, of the Doncaster Iron Works, York-
shire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
THE POINTS OR RAILWAY CROSSINGS
Sealed the 23rd September 1857, and dated the 2nd April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Maw at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd April
1857.
I, EDWIN MAW, of the Doncaster Iron Works, Yorkshire, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
POINTS OF RAILWAY CROSSINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in the construction of
the points of railway crossings, and consist of applying what are called fish
plates in combination with a steel point where the two rails of a railway
crossing come together. For this purpose the point made of steel comes up
to or butts against the ends of the two rails where they come together, and
the steel point and the ends of the two rails are fixed together by means of
two fish plates, one on either side, screw bolts being passed through the fish
plates and through the steel point, and also through the fish plates and the
two ends of the rails, by which means and by screw nuts the whole are bolted
securely together.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin Maw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
MAW, of the Doncaster Iron Works, Yorkshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edwin Maw, Her special licence that I, the said Edwin Maw, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin Maw, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
POINTS OF RAILWAY CROSSINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Edwin Maw, 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 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edwin Maw, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in the construction of
the points of railway crossings, and consists of applying what are called fish
plates in combination with a steel point where the two rails of a railway
crossing come together. For this purpose the point made up of steel comes
up to or butts against the ends of the two rails where they come together,
and the steel point and the ends of the two rails are fixed together by means
of two fish plates, one on either side. screw bolts being passed through the
fish plates and through the steel point, and also through the fish plates and
the two ends of the rails, by which means and by screw nuts the whole are
bolted securely together,

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figures 1 and 2 show a side elevation and plan of a wrought-steel point;
Figure 3 shows a transverse section of this point, together with the two "fish
plates," one on either side. In using a wrought-steel point its end butts
against the two ends of the other two rails. The two fish plates a, a, are
placed one on each side of the wrought-steel point, and are fixed thereto by
screw bolts and nuts. The "fish plates" extend and come on each side of
the two ends of the rails, and such fish plates are fixed thereto by screw bolts
and nuts, as shown. By thus using wrought-steel points, and fixing wrought-
steel points by fish plates, great durability and stability in the construction
of railway crossings will. result.
Figures 4 and 5 show that the form or section of the wrought-steel point
may be varied, and even other forms, if preferred to those shown in Figures
1, 2, and 3, may be used in carrying out my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Maw, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. HENRY MAW.
EDWIN MAW. (L.S.)