IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Wagstaff Smith ab
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd September 1883.
SAMUEL WAGSTAFF SMITH of Penley House near Coventry "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent way of
railways.
At the joints of the rails I employ double chairs that is to say chairs resembling
two ordinary chairs each on its own sleeper with their sides connected together by
a bridge plate. This plate serves as the fish plate and the ends of the rails may
be bolted to it.
To give greater security the plate may have at its centre a jaw, encircling the
rail and provided with a wooden key-I prefer to make the connecting or bridge
plate of such a form that the rails have a bearing upon it along its whole length
from chair to chair.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Wagstaff Smith in the Patent Office on the 21st March
1884.
SAMUEL WAGSTAFF SMITH of Pinley House near Coventry
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent way of
railways.
At the joints of the rails I employ double chairs that is to say chairs resembling
two ordinary chairs each on its own sleeper with their sides connected together by
a bridge plate. This plate serves as the fish plate and the ends of the rails may
be bolted to it.
To give greater security the plate may have at its centre a jaw encircling the
rail and provided with a wooden key. I prefer to make the connecting or bridge
plate of such a form that the rails have a bearing upon it along its whole length
from chair to chair.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an elevation in perspective representing one of my double chairs
supported upon-two sleepers. -
Figure 2 is a similar view of the other or inner side of the same chair.
Figure 3 shows the double chair with the rails in place.
The two extremities a. a. resemble ordinary chairs; their jaws are connected on
the inner side by a bridge plate, the upper part of which at b takes the form of
the ordinary fish plate and by bolts c. c. the ends of the rails d. d. may be bolted
to it. The parte of the bridge piece forms a bearing for the under side of the rail
and it may be provided with an additional jaw to receive a wooden key or
wedge g locking the ends of the rails against the plate b. h. h. are the keys in
the ordinary chair jaws. The bolts c. c. may be dispensed with, the wedge g alone
being relied on to lock the ends of the rails or if these bolts be retained the chairs
may in some cases be made without the jaws f.
Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the manner of
performing the same I would have it understood that I claim as my improvements
in the permanent way of railways.
First Securing the rails, where their ends abut together, upon double chairs
each having jaws one pair at either end of the double chair and also having a
bridge plate connecting these pairs of jaws; the whole serving to retain and
support the ends of the rails substantially as described.
Second-The double chair with jaws at either end and bridge piece forming a
practically continuous bearing for the bottom and side of the rails-between the
pair of jaws substantially as described.
Third-The double chair with jaws at either end, the bridge piece and the jaw
upon the bridge piece receiving a key bearing on the two rail ends substantially
as described.
In witness whereof I the said Samuel Wagstaff Smith have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighteenth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.