IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SLEEPERS, AND IN DEVICES FOR SECURING THE RAILS THERETO
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
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& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SLEEPERS, AND IN DEVICES FOR SECURING
THE RAILS THERETO." A communication from abroad by John Cristion
Rupp, James Henry Ray, and James Hassinger, all of Newark, Delaware,
United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd August 1881.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SLEEPERS, AND
IN DEVICES FOR SECURING THE RAILS THERETO." A communication from abroad
by John Cristion Rupp, James Henry Ray, and James Hassinger, all of Newark,
Delaware, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in railway sleepers, and to chairs or
devices for securing the rails thereto, and consists in various novel features in the
construction of the same, as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, in which
.
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my improved sleeper and chair with the rails
secured in position, and
Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof partly in section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line y, y, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of portions of the same.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A represents a sleeper consisting of two sections or parts a, a, one for each rail,
and preferably of I or double T beam form. Fitted on the flat head B of each
sleeper are movable or sliding cheek pieces C, C¹, which serve as a chair, and are
formed with lips d that embrace the sides of the said head and serve to guide the
cheek-pieces and hold them in position.

page_text: In order to limit the outward motion of the cheek-piece C, the head of the
sleeper is shouldered, as at e, so as to form an abutment for the said cheek-piece,
as clearly shown in Figure 4. To connect the two sections a, a, I employ rods or
bars D, D, which are crossed, and have their ends bent downwardly, and fitted in
openings in the heads B, keys or other fastenings f being passed through the said
ends for preventing any vertical displacement thereof.
In practice the two sections are properly laid in the bed or foundation of the
railway, the ballast or the like filling the spaces at the sides of the web or neck of
the sleepers and between the head and base thereof, thus securely planting or
embedding the sections. The sliding cheek-pieces C are then applied to the
heads B and the rails placed in position. The other cheek-pieces C' are then fitted
on the said heads and forced against the rails, and the coupling or connecting rods
or bars D are secured to the sections. Bolts g, if desired, are then inserted through
the cheek-pieces C and heads B of the sleepers and tightened, the several parts
being then in the position shewn in Figures 1 and 2; it will be seen that
both the cheek-picces of a section are fitted in position from the inner end
thereof.
The sleeper and chair thus produced will be found to be simple, cheap, strong,
and durable; they may be quickly and easily laid and consist of few parts, and,
as is evident, may be formed entirely of metal. The rods or bars D prevent
spreading of the sections, and serve to keep them firmly in position, and also act
as a lock for the cheek-pieces C¹.
For preventing longitudinal displacement or shifting of the rails the inner faces
of the cheek-pieces C are formed with lugs E, which are so disposed that notches
in the rails engage with the said lugs. When the ends of adjacent rails meet on
the sleeper (each rail having a notch) I employ cheek-pieces, each of which has
two lugs, so as to engage with the notch of each rail, but when the length of the
rail rests on the sleeper, the cheek-piece employed has only a single lug for the
notch of the rail.
When the rods or bars D are removed, the inner cheek-pieces C' may be
withdrawn and the rails displaced or removed. The outer cheek-piece C may be
removed, leaving the sleepers intact and preserving their I-form ready for the
reapplication of the sliding cheek-pieces to the flat heads thereof.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner_of_performing the same, I wish_it_under_
stood that I claim,-
First. The sleeper in combination with the movable cheek-pieces, substantially
as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second: The sleeper sections having the shoulders e and the movable cheek-
pieces C, C¹, combined and operating substantially as above set forth and for the
purpose specified.
Third. The sections a, a, and cheek-pieces C¹ in combination with the crossed-
bars or rods D, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The cheek-pieces formed with lugs E on their inner faces in combination
with the notched rails, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
HENRY H. LAKE. (L.S.)