IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEEPERS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hamilton Lindsay Bucknall, of No. 13, Chepstow Place,
Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SLEEPERS FOR RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 7th May 1878, and dated the 4th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hamilton Lindsay Bucknall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th March 1878.
HAMILTON LINDSAY BUCKNALL, of No. 13, Chepstow Place, Bayswater, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEEPERS FOR RAILWAYS."
My Invention consists in the construction of railway sleepers of glass, the object
being to provide a strong and durable material, such as is not liable to decay, nor
subject to climatic influences or the ravages of insects. For this purpose I cast the
sleeper in glass to the desired form and dimensions, and carefully anneal it. I pro-
vide in the sleeper suitable bolt holes for fixing down chairs to support the rails,
and when bolts are used for this purpose I prefer to case them in sleeves of wood or
soft fabric, such as pitched felt, and I also prefer to bed their heads or washer plates,
and the chairs or cushions of wood or fabric, so as to avoid actual contact of the
metal with the glass. For flange rails' clips may be employed cast on and as parts
of the sleeper, or secured by bolts passed through holes in the sleeper. The sleeper
may be toughened or hardened by any of the known methods for that purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Hamilton Lindsay Bucknall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd September 1878.
HAMILTON LINDSAY BUCKNALL, of No. 13, Chepstow Place, Bayswater, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEEPERS FOR RAILWAYS."
My Invention consists in the manufacture of railway and tramway sleepers of
glass, the object being to provide a strong and durable material, such as is not liable
to decay, and not subject to climatic influences nor to the ravages of insects. For
this purpose I cast the sleepers in glass to the desired forms and dimensions, and
carefully anneal them.
The accompanying Drawings shew some of the forms of glass sleepers which I
thus manufacture.
Fig. 1 represents a pot sleeper having ribs on its under side, and a chair cavity
formed in the upper side to receive a flanged rail and a wooden wedge for
securing it.
Fig. 2 represents a similar sleeper having the cavity at the top made to receive
a wedge on each side of the rail so that the gauge can be slightly varied as at
curves by varying the thickness of the two wedges.
Fig. 2a represents a pot sleeper hollowed out below and cast with a stiffening rib
to strengthen the wedge cheek.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent end portions of transverse sleeper extending across the
line to take both rails.
Fig. 5 is a side view, and Fig. 6 a transverse section of a longitudinal sleeper.
Two such sleepers may be lap-jointed together, as shewn in Fig. 5, and clamped by
an iron strap secured by a wooden wedge underneath. The longitudinal sleeper
may be made with a rail head so that sleeper and rail form one piece, as shewn in
transverse section at Fig. 7, the lengths being lap-jointed and secured by hoops and
wedges, as shewn in the side view, Fig. 8.
Instead of casting the sleepers solid, they may, for the sake of lightness and
economy of material, be cast with cavities underneath, as shewn in the side view,
Fig. 9, and plan looking from below, Fig. 10.
For tram rails continuous sleepers of glass are made, as shewn in the side view,
Fig. 11, transverse section, Fig. 12, and plan looking from below, Fig. 13, the rails
being fastened by clamps driven into pieces of wood inserted in holes cast through
the sleeper. According to another arrangement shewn in side view at Fig. 14, and
transverse section, Fig, 15, the rail is held down and the jointing of the sleepers is
secured by iron bands screwed to the sides of the rail and passed under the sleeper
and tightened by wooden wedges. The tram rail and sleeper may be made in one
piece of glass, as shewn in the side view, Fig. 16, and transverse section, Fig. 17,
the jointing being secured by iron hoops tightened by wooden wedges.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim the manufacture of railway sleepers of glass, sub-
stantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hamilton Lindsay Bucknall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.