IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS (a communication to me from abroad by
Miguel Agustin Glynn of Havana, Cuba, Gentleman), 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 to construct railway sleepers of metal for
cheapness and durability and also to make them with means for securing the rails
that will allow the removal of one or more sleepers from the road bed and their
renewal without disturbance of the others or the rails. To these ends I combine
with metallic sleepers of suitable form, fastening devices that receive and lap over
the rail flanges, which flanges are notched as hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a railway bed showing the
improved sleeper. Figure 2 is a plan view of the same- -Figure 8 is a cross
section Figure 4, a side view of the sleeper in modified form, and Figure 5 is an
end view and figure 6 a side view of the sleeper constructed for use as a longitudinal
sleeper.
A is the sleeper formed of sheet or wrought metal struck up or rolled into the
U form shown in figures 1 and 2 and made with flanges a, on its edges extending
outward so as to give a broad bearing and to prevent the sleeper being forced
down by weight or pressure. The flanges also prevent, by the weight of ballast
on them, any rising or springing of the sleeper.
Upon the upper side of the sleeper are flanges or ribs b, that are formed with,
or attached to, the sleeper by any suitable means, and these flanges are cut or
formed to lap upon the flanges of rail B. so as to hold the latter securely down to
place. The flanges of the rail are notched at each side at c, or there may be one

page_text: notch of sufficient length in one flange as at c² so that the rail can be set down
upon the sleeper, the flanges or fastenings b, passing through the notches and then
by an endwise movement of the rail or sidewise movement of the sleeper, the
fastenings b, will be locked over the solid portion of the rail flanges.
In figures 3 and 4 the sleeper is in the form of an inverted T with the web
slotted at d, to receive the rail flanges in the same manner.
In figures 5 and 6 the sleeper A has hook shaped fingers b¹ attached by rivetting
or otherwise, so as to receive the rail between them. In these figures the fastening
devices b' are placed to adapt the sleeper for use as a longitudinal sleeper, but they
may be applied to cross sleepers.
In order to remove a sleeper from the road-bed it is only necessary to remove
the ballast for a short distance and then move the sleeper sidewise until the
fastenings are over the notches in the rail flanges when the sleeper can be dropped
down and drawn out end wise. A new sleeper can then be inserted and the whole
operation carried out without disturbing the rails and as easily as with wooden
sleepers.
I am aware that it is not new to construct sleepers of sheet metal of V or semi-
cylindrical form and notch or cut out the upper side to receive the rail, or to
provide movable fastenings for the rail. In such cases the rail has not a solid
support on account of the opening made in the sleeper. In this sleeper the upper
side is formed with a solid rib and the rib is notched to form the hook shaped
fastenings so that the sleeper proper is left intact to support the rail,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The combination of a metallic sleeper provided with fastenings that receive and
lap over the rail flanges, and a rail having flanges notched, substantially as
described.