Improvements in Railway Chairs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Sept., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Chairs.
"We, JOHN CÆSAR CRAINE of 5 Crescent Road, Cheetham Hill, Manchester,
Traveller, and JOHN AMES of 23 Cheetham Street, Openshaw, Manchester,
Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to railway chairs for securing rails to their sleepers and
has for its object to construct a chair which will automatically grip and secure
the rail without the use of a wedge.
In accordance with our invention we form the chair in two portions and hinge
such portions together at a point directly beneath the rail. The inner faces of
the jaws of this improved chair are normally closer together than those of ordinary
chairs, or are at such a distance apart as is less than the thickness of the rail web.
To place the rail in the improved chair and secure it to the sleeper the jaws of the
chair, turning on the hinge aforesaid, are opened out or separated until sufficiently
far apart to admit of the rail passing between them and until the bottom of the rail
rests upon the bosses of the hinge. Owing now to the weight of the rail, or the
downward pressure thereof, acting upon the hinge, the jaws of the chair close upon
and grip the sides of the rail and consequently the greater the weight of the rail,
the greater the grip of the chair jaws and more perfect the securing of the rail.
As soon as the rail is in position the chair is bolted to the sleeper in the ordinary
manner.
The underside of the chair fitting against the sleeper has about an eighth of an
inch clearance so that the chair has a constant grip on the rail and any additional
pressure, such as the weight of a train passing over the chair only serves to increase
the grip of the chair jaws..
It will be obvious that this improved chair may be used for joining the ends.
of rails together, in lieu of, or in addition to, the ordinary fish plate connection.
The gripping faces of the jaws may be faced with india-rubber or other yielding.
material, and such faces may be packed or enlarged to increase the gripping
effect on the rail.
Dated this 20th day of December 1894.
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
Agents.
Improvements in Railway Chairs.
We, JOHN CESAR CRAINE of 5 Crescent Road, Cheetham Hill, Manchester,
Traveller, and JOHN AMES of 23 Cheetham Street, Openshaw, Manchester,
Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained' in
and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to railway chairs for securing rails to their sleepers, and
has for its object to construct a chair which will automatically grip and secure the
rail without the use of a wedge.

page_text: In accordance with our invention we form the chair in two portions, and hinge
such portions together at a point by preference directly beneath the rail. The
inner faces of the jaws of this improved chair are normally closer together than
those of ordinary chairs, or aré at such a distance apart as is less than the thickness
of the rail web. To place the rail in the improved chair and secure it to the
sleeper the jaws of the chair, turning on the hinge aforesaid, are opened out or
separated until sufficiently far apart to admit of the rail passing between them,
and until the bottoni of the rail rests upon the bosses of the hinge. Owing now
to the weight of the rail acting upon the hinge, the jaws of the chair close upon
and grip the sides of the rail, and consequently the greater the weight of the
rail, the greater the grip of the chair jaws, and more perfect the securing of
the rail. As soon as the rail is in position the chair is bolted to the sleeper in the
ordinary manner.
And in order that our said invention shall be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect we have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings and will
Dow proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the various figures and
letters of reference marked thereon.
On Sheet 1. Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a railway chair constructed in
accordance with our invention, and with a rail mounted therein. Fig. 2. is an
inverted plan.
On Sheet 2. Figs. 3. 4. and 5 shew the parts of our improved chair separately.
In accordance with our invention (A), (A') are the two halves or portions of
our improved railway chair, the half or jaw (A) being formed, as shewn more
clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, with the hinge bosses (B), and the half or jaw (A') with
the hinge boss (C). Each boss is formed with a hole (D) for the reception of the
hinge pin (E) (see Figs. 1, 2 and 5) which should be of a moderately good fit.
These half portions of the chair when hinged together and placed on a sleeper
cause the gripping faces (F) to come together to an extent that is slightly less
than the thickness of the rail which the chair is intended to carry, hence when
such rail is introduced into the chair (which is done by separating the jaws, or by
sliding the rail in endwise), and the rail comes to rest upon the bosses (B) and (C)
of the hinge, the downward pressure (acting on the hinge pin and the resistance
offered by the sleeper to the corners or sides of the chair base) causes the
jaws (A), (A') to close, and so grip the rail.
In the setting of our improved chair we prefer to arrange for the under-face of
the chair to lie flush with the top-face of the sleeper the instant the rail is gripped,
and so release the pin (E) of a great amount of strain, but if desired it may lie
clear of the sleeper at its centre for a very slight distance (say and or 16th of
an inch) so, that, when a train passes over, an additional grip is put on the rail.
In our Provisional Specification we contemplated using india-rubber or similar
packing for affording a yielding effect at the moment of a train passing over the
chair, but we have found it not necessary or desirable, as the wooden sleeper on
which the chair rests affords sufficient elasticity against any undue strain, and the
chair naturally beds itself into the wood according to the pressure.
We do not,
however disclaim the use of india-rubber or other suitable material, as there may
be instances where it may be used, nor do we disclaim the use of metal to pack the
faces of the jaws, as the differences in the shapes or sizes of rails, or a nicety of fit
may sometimes require it.
We have found that metal-to-metal is essentially the best for gripping the rail,
and we find that once the rail is gripped the pressure acts upon the entire chair.
The improved chair may be used for joining rail ends in place of, or in addition
to the ordinary fish plates.
It will be obvious that the hinging of the two parts of our improved chair need
not be directly beneath the rail, but may be at either side.
The bolt or hinge-piu (E) is prevented leaving the chair by a split-pin, or cotter
but these are not absolutely necessary as the pin is held in the chair by the friction
on its sides.
.f

page_text: Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-
1st. A railway chair formed in two portions and so hinged together as to
automatically grip the rail when placed between them as set forth.
2nd. A railway chair composed of parts (A) and (A'), (B), (C) and (E), with
the distance between the gripping faces (F) (when the chair is empty and resting
upon a flat surface) slightly less than the thickness of a rail web, and with or
without said jaws faced or packed, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 19th day of September 1895.
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
55 Market Street, Manchester, Agents.