IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTING AND FIXING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Normandy, of 67, Judd Street, Brunswick
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTING AND FIXING THE RAILS
OF RAILWAYS."-A communication from Louis D'Aubréville, of 36, Rue
de l'Echiquier, Paris, Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 29th July 1856, and dated the 25th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Normandy at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th February 1856.
I, LOUIS NORMANDY, of 67, Judd Street, Brunswick Square, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTING AND FIXING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS, being a com-
munication from Louis D'Aubréville, of 36, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, Civil.
Engineer, to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in substituting cross and longitudinal rolled iron
sleepers to the wooden cross sleepers now in use in railways, such sleepers
resting directly on the ballast.
To apply my system to the railways now in existence, the rails should be
laid directly on the longitudinal sleepers, and mantained thereon either by
cast or wrought iron side brackets bolted fast on the under sleepers; the
brackets should be fixed on the sleepers opposite to each other on both sides

page_text: of the rail, so that the rail may be fastened between them by a bolt, the
rail being thus clamped between them, as in common chairs.
In constructing new railways, the rails might be of different shapes, with
appropriate longitudinal sleepers, such as are represented at S, S, Fig. 1 and 2,
in the annexed Drawing. In Fig. 2, the rail is represented in the form of
a wedge at the lower part, and enters a longitudinal grooved rib of the
sleeper. In Fig. 1 the sleeper is represented with a longitudinal straight
upper rib. In, both instances, the rails.are fastened to the ribs by means
of bolts or rivets, placed at suitable distances, so as to form with the sleeper
a rigid structure. The sleepers on both sides of the way are united together
by wrought-iron cross sleepers, bolted also from place to place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Louis Normandy in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
15th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LOUIS
NORMANDY, of 67, Judd Street, Brunswick Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Louis Normandy, Her special licence that I, the said Louis Nor-
mandy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Louis Normandy, 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 INVENTION FOR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTING AND FIXING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS,
being a communication from Louis D'Aubréville, of 36, Rue de l'Echiquier,
Paris, Civil Engineer," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Louis Normandy, 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

page_text: 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 Louis Normandy, 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 :-
The Invention consists in substituting longitudinal rolled iron sleepers to the
wooden cross or longitudinal ones now in use, for laying the rails in the con-
struction of the permanent way of railways, such sleepers being united from
place to place by cross sleepers or transoms, made also of suitably I-shaped
rolled iron, the whole forming a compact body resting directly on the ballast.
The annexed Drawing shows the application of this system to the several
kinds of rails in actual use in the existing railways, and also a different shape
of rails for the new lines which may be built according to that system.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, represent various cross sections.
For the existing lines, the form or shape of the rails as they now are would
be preserved, and for the double-headed rails the arrangement shown on
Figure 2 and 3 might be adopted. In Figure 2 the rail R is attached to the
sleeper L by means of cast-iron brackets C, C, which are fastened to the longi-
tudinal sleepers by bolts B, B; the brackets clasp the rail between their
jaws, as is the case with the common chairs, and they are fastened to it
by one or more bolts A, as the case may be. In Figure 3 wrought-iron
brackets are used instead of cast-iron ones. Figure 5 shews this system
applied to Vignoles' rail; and Figure 6, to Brunel's rail. Figure 1 and 4
show two different ways of applying this system to a new line. In Figure 1
the rail is wedge-shaped at its lower face D, which enters a longitudinal
groove suitably shaped, and placed at the top of the sleeper L. In Figure 4
the sleeper L is provided with a rib projecting in the middle of its upper
face. In both cases the rails are fastened from place to place to the sleepers
by rivets or screw bolts.
Figure 7 is the side view or elevation of the double-headed rail, seen in
section on a larger scale in Figure 2 and 3; this rail is placed on the longi-
tudinal sleeper L, to which it is fastened by brackets C, C; and the sleeper,
which is laid directly on the ballast, is, besides, fastened by bolts or any other
suitable means on cross sleepers T, T, of rolled iron.
Figure 8 is the plan of a railway constructed with the kind of rails shewn
in cross section, Figure 1 or 4; Figure 9 is a side elevation of the same rail
set upon a longitudinal sleeper L, the latter resting on cross iron sleepers T, T;
the adjoining sleepers and rails are united together by splints, shown at J.

page_text: The advantage of such arrangements consists in the facility of replacing
worn out rails without replacing the longitudinal sleepers, and because it is
thus possible to use for the rails rough steel or iron of a harder kind than is
commonly employed; and, moreover, in the new lines to be established, the
rails (for instance those of Figure 4; which I prefer,) are much lighter than
those in ordinary use.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Normandy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered in the
presence of
.
A. NORMANDY.
LOUIS NORMANDY. (L.s.)