Improvements in Means for Securing Keys or Wedges in Railway Chairs.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1883
Complete Specification Left, 22nd July, 1889-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Securing Keys or Wedges in Railway
Chairs.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM HANCOCK of 2 Eastern Road, West Ham Lane in the County
of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention has for its object improvements in means for securing keys or wedges
in railway chairs, whereby, if, from any cause, the keys or wedges should become
loose, they cannot fall out of the chairs.
In carrying my invention into effect I form the key or wedge with a groove or
channel therein and with a slot along one side of the key or wedge leading into the
said groove or channel. I also form the latter at an inclination with the side of the
key or wedge so as to form the lips of the groove or channel of gradually increasing
thickness, the thicker ends being at the smaller end of the key or wedge.
I form a hole in the outer cheek of the chair and I pass a bolt through such hole
with the head of the bolt inwards, so that when the key or wedge is inserted in the
chair the head of the bolt will enter the groove or channel therein, and, after the key
or wedge has been driven home, I apply, and tightly screw up, the nut of the
bolt, or the bolt may be secured by means of a cotter.
By these means the key or wedge is securely held in the chair, as even if it were
violently struck, for the purpose of removing it from the chair, it could not be
knocked out until the nut or cotter of the bolt was loosened as the gradually
increasing thickness of the lips of the groove or channel in the key or wedge would
act to retain the latter firmly in the chair. I propose also to make the nut of
the bolt of a peculiar form so as to necessitate the use of a specially formed key to
turn the same, thereby preventing, to a great extent, any risk of tampering with the
same. The keys or wedges may be made either of wood or metal, but preferably of
the latter, as they would not be liable to shrinkage and become loose from the effects
of the weather.
By the aid of my invention I obviate the necessity for much of the supervision
now required of the permanent way and thereby effect a great saving in the.
expenses of such supervision.
Dated this 20th day of October 1888.
GEORGE WILLIAM HANCOCK.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Securing Keys or Wedges in Railway
Chairs.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM HANCOCK of 2 Eastern Road, West Ham Lane, in the
County of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention has for its object improvements in means for securing keys or
wedges in railway chairs, whereby, if from any cause, the keys or wedges should
become loose, they cannot fall out of the chairs.
In carrying my invention into effect, 1 form the key or wedge with a groove or
channel therein, and with a slot along one side of the key or wedge leading into the

page_text: said groove or channel. I also form the latter at an inclination with the side of the
key or wedge, so as to form the lips of the groove or channel of gradually increasing
thickness, the thicker ends being at the smaller end of the key or wedge.
I form a hole in the outer cheek of the chair and I pass a bolt through such hole
with the head of the bolt inwards, so that when the key or wedge is inserted in the 5
chair, the head of the bolt will enter the groove or channel therein, and after the key
or wedge has been driven home, I apply and tightly screw up the nut of the bolt, or
the bolt may be secured by means of a cotter..
By these means the key or wedge is securely held in the chair, as even if it were
violently struck for the purpose of removing it from the chair, it could not be i
knocked out until the nut or cotter of the bolt was loosened, as the gradually
increasing thickness of the lips of the groove or channel in the key or wedge
would act to retain the latter firmly in the chair. I propose also to make the nut of
the bolt of a peculiar form, so as to necessitate the use of a specially formed key to
turn the same, thereby preventing to a great extent any risk of tampering with it. 1
The keys or wedges may be made of wood, metal, or other suitable material, but
preferably of metal, as they would not be liable to shrinkage and become loose from
the effects of the weather.
By the aid of my invention, I obviate the necessity for much of the supervision
now required of the permanent way, and thereby effect a great saving in the expenses
of such supervision.
And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully to
describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 is an end view, and Figure 3 is a plan, showing a
railway chair, and rail with the key or wedge secured in position according to my
invention, and Figure 4 is a face view of my improved key or wedge, Figure 5 is a
horizontal section thereof drawn on the line 1. 1 of figure 4, and Figure
section thereof drawn on the line 2. 2 of figure 4.
is a cross
a is the chair, the rail, and c my improved wedge, which latter, according to my
invention, is formed with a groove or channel c¹ therein, and with a slot calong one
side thereof leading into the said groove or channel c¹. I also form the latter at an
inclination with the side of the key or wedge, so as to form the lips c³ of the groove
or channel of gradually increasing thickness, the thicker ends being at the smaller
end of the key or wedge.
I form a hole a² in the outer cheek a¹ of the chair, and I pass a bolt d through
such hole with the head of the bolt inwards, so that when the key or wedge cis
inserted in the chair, the head d¹ of the bolt will enter the groove or channel c', and
after the key or wedge c has been driven home, I apply and tightly screw up the nut e
or if desired the bolt may be secured by means of a cotter.
To facilitate the passage of the bolt through the hole a', the latter is formed as a
slot, the height of which is greater than the width.
If desired the nut e may be made of a peculiar form, so as to necessitate the us
therewith of a specially formed key to turn the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sai
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare tha
what 1 claim is :---
1. The improved means for securing keys or wedges in railway chairs, substantiall
as herein shown and described.
2. In means for securing keys or wedges in railway chairs, a key or wedg
formed with a longitudinal inclined groove or channel, and held in position by a bo

page_text: passed through a hole in one cheek of the chair and having its head located within
the said inclined groove or channel, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1889.
GEORGE WM. HANCOCK.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
GEORGE WM. HANCOCK.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.