IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY, CHAIRS, AND FASTENINGS OF TRAMWAYS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Kincaid, of Great George Street, Westminster, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PERMANENT WAY, CHAIRS, AND FASTENINGS OF TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 19th April 1876, and dated the 6th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Kincaid at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patent on the 6th January 1876.
JOSEPH KINCAID, of Great George Street, Westminster, in the County of Middle-
sex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY, CHAIRS, AND
FASTENINGS OF TRAMWAYS."
This Invention relates to improvements in the form of the cast-iron supports or
chairs used for supporting the rails of tramways, and known as "Kincaid's Patent
Chairs," and in the method of fastening the rails to the chairs. For this purpose,
according to one part of my improvements, I make the top surface of the chair with
a projecting shoulder instead of a level surface, so that a lighter rail may be used.
The horizontal hole for the wood plug is so arranged that the rail is fastened to the
chair by passing a spike or dog horizontally through the side flanges of the rail and
into the wood plug. Shoulders are formed on the vertical or curved sides, so that
the sides of the chair will be flush with the sides of the rail, and the dog or spike
can be driven home against the rail and the chair.
I also form the chair, as shown in the Drawing annexed, so as to present vertical
sides parallel to the sides of the rail, by which arrangement the road paving can be
better laid close alongside the rail.
Similar improvements are made in the form of chair used at the joints of the
rails, the length of the chair being much greater than its width, so that the top
surface is sufficiently long to support a short distance at the end of each rail, leaving
room for expansion.
A modified form of a similar chair is also employed, adapted to support the rails
when forming a crossing of two rails.
A modified form of a similar chair is also made to be used at the joint of the rail
and the point required at the junction of two tramways. The top surface is formed
at two levels, the lower one to support the thicker cast iron or steel point, and the
upper to support the thinner rail.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Joseph Kincaid in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th June 1876.
JOSEPH KINCAID, of Great George Street, Westminster, in the County of Middle-
sex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY, CHAIRS, AND
FASTENINGS OF TRAMWAYS."
My said Invention relates to the cast-iron supports or chairs employed for sup-
porting the rails of tramways, and known as "Kincaid's Chairs," and to the mode
of fastening the rails thereto; and it consists of certain improvements, herein-after
described, in the form of the chairs and in the arrangement of the fastenings,
whereby I am enabled to use a lighter rail, and increased facilities are afforded for
the efficient laying of the road paving by the side of the rail, and other advantages
are obtained.
.
The form of the chair is varied, according as it is required to be used as an inter-
mediate chair or joint chair on the main portions of the line or at points and
crossings, examples of which modifications are shewn on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and which I shall now proceed to describe by the aid of the
letters and figures marked thereon, the same letters indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a transverse vertical section of an inter-
mediate chair of the improved construction with the rail fastened thereto in
accordance with my Invention; Figure 2, is a side, elevation of the same; and
Figure 3 represents a plan of the chair with the rail and fastenings removed.
a is the chair, which is provided with a flat base a¹ to rest upon concrete, and
with an opening or cavity a into which concrete passes in the act of laying the
line, so that the chair becomes enclosed and solidly embedded in the concrete, which
forms its supporting medium. The upper part as of the chair constitutes a bearing
for the rail, but in lieu of forming this part flat or with a level surface as heretofore,
I construct it with a projecting shoulder, as shewn at b, whereby I am enabled to
use a lighter rail than is admissable with the ordinary construction. c represents a
rail adapted to be used with these improved chairs, and which it will be seen is
formed with a recess at c¹ to fit over the projection b, and with side flanges o³, of,
which overlap the upper portion a³ of the chair a.
The rail c, according to my Invention, is fastened to the chairs a in the following
manner In the body of the chair below the level of the extremities of the
flanges c, c, of the rail, I form a transverse hole extending through the thickness
of the chair, in which hole I drive a wooden plug d; I also form holes at e, e,
through the pendent flanges c², c³, of the rail c, and I connect the rail to the chair
by means of two spikes or dogs f, of a shape, the pointed ends f¹ of which are
driven into the plug d in opposite directions, whilst the other extremity f2 of each
of such spikes or dogs enters one of the holes e formed in the flanges c2, c, of the
rail, recesses being provided in the upper portion a³ of the chairs at a, a, to aḍmit
of the inward protrusion of the ends f2 of the spikes or dogs f. The upper part a³
of the chair is made of reduced width, forming shoulders at as, ab, so that the sides
of the chair, which are continued straight or approximately so down to the base a¹,
come flush with the external sides of the flanges c³, c³, of the rail, which arrange-
ment admits of the body f of the spike or dog being driven home against the rail
and the chair, and also enables the road paving to be laid more closely to the side
of the rails than is otherwise attainable.
In the case of joint chairs to be employed for connecting together two contiguous
lengths of rails, I make the chair of about the width shewn in the case of the inter-
mediate chair, Figures 1 and 3, but of increased length, as shewn in the side
elevation of a joint chair, Figure 4, so that the top surface is sufficiently long to
support a short distance at the end c³ of each rail, allowing space at g for expansion.
The rails c are secured to the chair a in a manner similar to that herein-before
described with reference to the intermediate chair, Figures 1, 2, and 3, the holes in

page_text: the chair and the plugs d being however larger, and two plugs d being employed,
which each receive on each side the pointed ends f¹ of two spikes or dogs f, in lieu
of one only, as in the case of the intermediate chair, Figures 1, 2, and 3.
When the improved chairs are to be employed as supports for crossings where
two rails intersect, the crossing may be secured to the chairs in a similar manner as
shewn in the vertical section, Figure 5. In this case the chair is made of increased
width, and its upper portion a³ is in duplicate for the reception of the two rails c, c,
constituting the crossing.
My improved chairs of a modified construction are also adapted for use where
the junction of a point with a main rail occurs for supporting and securing the point
rail and the main rail, and connecting the two together. This arrangement is illus-
trated in Figures 6, 7, and 8, which represent a toe chair with the point and the
main rail attached thereto, Figure 6 being a longitudinal section, and Figures 7
and 8 vertical sections taken respectively along the lines 1, 2, and 3, 4, Figure 6.
The top surface of the chair is formed at two levels h and i, the lower surface h
being intended to support the thick cast-iron or steel point rail k, and having
a recess, into which enters a projection k¹, formed on the under side of the point
rail, whilst the upper surface receives the thinner main rail c. Both the point
rail k and the rail c are attached to the chair in a similar manner to the rails in the
arrangements previously described, the point rail being provided with recesses k³, k³,
for the reception of the extremities f³, fs, of the spikes or dogs f
The heel chair may be arranged in a similar manner, the shape of the upper
portion being suitably modified to adapt it to the shape of the point rail at that part.
In the case of intermediate chairs for points, the upper surface of the chair may
be made flat without any projection, the point rail being secured to the chair in the
manner herein-before described.
The details may be otherwise modified in various ways, according to the par-
ticular purpose to which the chairs are to applied, the mode of carrying out
which modifications will be well understood by competent persons without further
explanation.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the mode or method of supporting and securing the rails of tram-
ways by the employment of chairs having their upper portion made of less width
than the body, so that the side of the chair shall become flush or level with the side of
the rail, and provided with a projection or projections on the top in order to admit
of the use of a lighter rail, and also made with straight or flat sides for the purpose
of enabling the road paving to be laid close to the side of the rail, and further fitted
with horizontal wooden plugs for the reception of the fastening spikes or dogs, the
whole being arranged substantially in the manner herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Kincaid, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of June One thousand eight
JOSEPH KINCAID. (L.S.)