IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Joseph Liebisch at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th June 1855.
I, JOHN JOSEPH LIEBISCH, of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS" to
be as follows:
My Invention consists of making each rail in two parts, the bottom part
having a groove longitudinally, and the top part fitting into the said groove.
The bottom part of the rails, being laid on sleepers transverse or longitudinal,
may be fastened to them either with or without chairs; but I have no doubt in
practice they will be found unnecessary, as there will never be a joint com-
pletely through the rail, the top parts being so placed that their ends will join
about the centres of the bottom parts, thus forming a solid continuous rail; and
to prevent the top parts lifting out of the grooves, I put screw bolts or pins
through both parts transversely.
*The principle of this Invention will be clearly understood by reference to
the accompanying outline Drawing; in which, a represents the bottom part of

page_text: the rail, the top part, and c the bolts or pins. Fig. 4 merely shews a modi-
fication of construction of the bottom part, by which a saving in the weight of
metal may be effected. The advantages of this plan are numerous, and will
be obvious to any practical mind; not the least of which will be the facility
and economy of repairing the rails when out of order, because when the top
flange of any rail becomes worn, it may be taken out of the longitudinal
groove and replaced with a new one without disturbing the bottom part at
all, and which will be accomplished with very trifling labour and expense.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Joseph Liebisch in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th December 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JOSEPH LIEBISCH, of London, Engineer, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Joseph Liebisch, Her special licence that I, the said John Joseph
Liebisch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Joseph Liebisch, 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 "IMPROVE-
'MENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Joseph Liebisch, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Royal Letters Patent.
د ديد جد
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Joseph Liebisch, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):
My Invention consists of making each rail in two or more parts longi-
tudinally, the bottom part having a longitudinal groove for the top part to fit
3

page_text: into; or the bottom part may be made in halves to clip the top part; or the top
part may have a groove in the under side of it for the bottom part to fit into,
so that the said top part, on which the principal wear takes place, may be
easily taken off and renewed without disturbing the bottom part. The bottom
part of the said rails, being laid on either transverse or longitudinal sleepers,
be fastened to them either with or without chairs; but I have no doubt
may
in practice they will be found unnecessary, as by my arrangements of the
parts of which the rail is composed there will never be a joint completely
through it, the top parts being so placed as to extend over the joints of the
bottom parts, thus forming a solid continuous rail; and in order to prevent
the top parts lifting out. of the grooves of the bottom parts, I put screw bolts
or pins through both parts transversely, and thus make the several parts into
one solid rail.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings and the letters of reference thereon; in which,
Figs. 1 and 2 are elevations of parts of my improved rail; Fig. 6 being an
elevation of one entire length of rail on a reduced scale; Fig. 3, a section,
shewing the top part fitting into a groove in the bottom part; Fig. 4, a
section, shewing the bottom part in halves clipping the top part; and Fig. 5,
a section, shewing the bottom parts fitting into a groove in the under side of
the top part.
A represents the top parts of the rail; 'B, the bottom parts. The top part is
shewn in Figs. 3 and 4 of the T section, in which the web c is made to fit
accurately into and between the lips d, d, of the bottom part. The said lips
d, d, with the flange e, form the bottom part of the rail. The parts are fastened
together by means of rivets, pins, bolts, and nuts, or similar contrivances, iLS
shewn in all the Figures at 6, in such a manner that for every joint two, four,
or more rivets, pins, or bolts are used; whilst the ends of the rails are so
arranged, that at every joint of the bottom part of the rail there is a continu-
ation of the top part, and at every joint of the top part there is a continuation
of the bottom part, by which a breaking or crossing of the joints is obtained.
I also use rivets, pins, or bolts at certain distances, as shewn at C, Fig. 6.
In Fig. 4 the top part is made to fit over the web of the bottom part, and
secured as already described, being in fact only reversing Fig. 3, so that the
top part is made the bottom part, and vice versa. In Fig. 4 the bottom part
of the rail is made of angle iron, fixed to the sides of the top part by rivets,
pins, or bolts, and also arranged so that the joints on either sides are broken
or crossed with each other and with those of the top parts.
It is evident that my said improved rail may be used with or without chairs.

page_text: If used with chairs, the under side of the bottom part must be shaped to suit
the chairs; if used without them, the flange of the bottom part may rest
directly on the longitudinal or cross sleepers;, and to prevent the edges cutting
into the sleepers, 1 make the bearing flange of the rail so broad that the
bearing surface of the rail for cross sleepers will be equal to that of a chair;
'and if used without either sleepers or chairs, I make the flange of the bottom
rail large enough to rest directly on the ballast of the roadway.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
'and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein
set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the prin-
'ciple thereof; but I claim as my Invention, and which, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used within this realm, the
arrangement and construction of rails for railways in two or more longitudinal
parts, so that the top part, or that which is most subject to wear and tear, can
be easily removed and renewed without disturbing the bottom part or parts,
the said parts being so arranged as to form one continuous rail, without
having a perfectly through joint in any part of its entire length, as such
improvements are herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying. Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Joseph Liebisch, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN JOSEPH LIEBISCH. (L.S.) *
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-named
John Joseph Liebisch, in the presence of
RICHARD WOOFENDEN.
FRITZ SIEMENS.