IMPROVEMENTS IN SECURING RAILS TO CHAIRS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Carr Barker, of 5, Bellegrove Terrace, in the Town
and County of the Town of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gentleman, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SECURING RAILS TO CHAIRS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Carr Barker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1880.
GEORGE CARR BARKER, of No. 5, Bellegrove Terrace, in the Town and County of
the Town of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SECURING
RAILS TO CHAIRS."
The object of my Invention is to better secure the wedges used for fixing rails
in chairs on railways, and especially to accomplish this with already existing rails
and chairs, or those similarly made. I apply to the existing chair a gib-piece of cast
metal, malleable iron, steel, or wood, or other suitable materials, with projections on
what I call for distinction the back, which embraces part of the sides of the chair at
cach end closely, so that when the gib-piece is pressed against the chair the projections
prevent any lateral movement. On the opposite side of the gib-piece, which for
distinction I call the face, I make projections or indentations of such nature as to
cause indentations in the wooden wedge, which is to be driven along it when a
sufficient pressure for the purpose is exerted. I use the ordinary wooden wedge
which secures the rail, or a somewhat thinner than the ordinary wooden wedge to
secure both the rail and the gib-piece in their places, driving it in the usual way.
I thus obtain a firm lateral hold on the chair by means of the projections on the
back of the gibpiece, and I obtain a firm hold on the wedge by means of the pro-
jections or indentations on the face of the gib-piece, which produce corresponding
indentations in the wooden wedge according to the pressure applied, and so that a
removal of the wedge must be accompanied by the shearing off or depression of all
projections due to the pressure exerted upon it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Carr Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
August 1880.
GEORGE CARR BARKER, of Number 5, Bellegrove Terrace, in the Town and
County of the Town of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gentleman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
SECURING RAILS TO CHAIRS."
The object of my Invention is to better secure the wedges used for fixing rails
in chairs on railways, and especially to accomplish this with already existing rails
and chairs, or those similarly made.
I apply to the existing chair a gib-piece of metal or wood with projections on
what I call for distinction the back, which embraces part of the sides of the chair
at each end closely, so that when the gib-piece is pressed against the chair the
projections prevent any lateral movement.
On the opposite side of the gib-pieco, which for distinction I call the face, I make
projections or indentations, of such nature as to cause indentations in the wooden
wedge, which is to be driven along it when a sufficient pressure for the purpose is
exorted.
I use the ordinary wooden wedge which secures the rail, or a somewhat thinner
than the ordinary wooden wedge to secure both the rail and the gib-piece in their
places, driving it in the usual way.
I thus obtain a firm lateral hold on the chair by means of the projections on the
back of the gib-piece, and I obtain a firm hold on the wedge by means of the
projections or indentations on the face of the gib-picce, which produce corresponding
indentations in the wooden wedge according to the pressure applied, and so that
a removal of the wedge must be accompanied by the shearing off or depression of
all projections due to the pressure exerted upon it.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more
particularly to describe the method. of operating the same having regard to the
accompanying Drawings. Fig. 1 is a view of a gib piece according to my Invention,
shewing what I have called the face; Fig. 2 is a view of the same pieco, shewing
what I have called the back, and Fig. 3 is a plan of the same shewing the outline
of both back and face. The face it will be observed is serrated with teeth C, C,
all inclined in one direction, namely, from A to B, the back is plain with the
exception of two projections D, d.
I construct this gib-piece in any convenient form as regards the shape of its
projections and either in metal or wood, but preferably of wrought iron. The
distance between the projections D, d, on the back varies with different chairs, but
is such as that when the gib-piece is laid into the side of the railway chair where
the wedge is now driven the projections fit casily over the side of the chair. The
depth of the gib-piece is about the depth of the wedge, which would ordinarily be
used, and its thickness simply adequate in regard to the material of which it is
composed to ensure its stability. I insert this gib-piece in the railway chair on
the side to which the wedge is to be applied with the back towards the chair and
the face towards the rail, and when the rail is in its place I insert the ordinary
wedge or a somewhat thinner than usual wedge at the end A and drive it forwards
in the usual way. The pressure due to this driving causes the projecting teeth on
my gib-piece to sink more or less deeply into the wedge, and to hold it firmly in
its place; the projection a prevents displacement of the gib-piece while driving in
the wedge, and the projection D prevents both gib-piece and wedge slipping back.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed I claim as my Invention, the use of the gib-piece with

page_text: holding parts on back and face for securing wedges in railway chairs whether of
the exact form I have described, or of any other form if for the same purpose and
similarly used.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Carr Barker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty seventh day of August 1880.
Witness,
J. JAMESON,
Printing Court Chambers,
Akinside Hill,
Newcastle on Tyne.
GEORGE CARR DAKKEK. (L.S.)