IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Greaves, of New Palace Yard, in the City of
Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Greaves at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th May
1856.
I, HUGH GREAVES, of New Palace Yard, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a description of wrought-iron permanent way, and
to certain improved modes of jointing rails with a new form of rail, for
economizing the tyre iron.
In carrying out the first part of this Invention I employ wrought-iron
sleepers, to which the rails, whether flat-bottomed or foot rails, are rivetted
or otherwise secured. These sleepers are made of wrought iron, and in
some cases I make them round (with one or more corrugations round the
centre for giving strength), oval, or in the form of a ring; the concave side,
in all cases, I place towards the ballast when they are in the form of a ring;
they may likewise be rolled out of a ring of bar iron. These sleepers will
enclose the ballast on all sides, except when in the form of a ring, when the

page_text: ballast will be visible in the centre. In some cases I rivet a bar of iron to the
under side at right angles to the rail to strengthen the road. The rails and
sleepers forming one line of road way are connected together by tie bars to
preserve the guage and angle of the rail; cast iron of the same form may be
employed. In this case I cast a rib at right angles to the rail or parallel with
it, or insert a short bar of wrought iron, round which the metal is run in casting.
In securing the rails at the joints, instead of using three distinct wooden keys
to a three-jawed chair, as patented by me in 1852, I use one long taper wooden
key, or I use three vertical wedges, and on the fish on the inside or outside
cast a short stud, which fits into a hole in the rail to prevent its travelling, and
the fish on the other side, if of wrought iron, has a hole punched, and a short
pin inserted, or burr raised fitting the same hole or the hole in the other rail, to
prevent the fish from travelling when the key is driven home; or I use two fish
plates, two bolts, and one wooden key between them for securing the joints of
rails; or I use a double-jawed chair and two fish plates secured by a wooden
key; or I use a wood girder, each end resting on the sleepers on each side the
joint, and the ends of the rails meeting in a chair at their junction; or the joint
chair, and the chair at each side of it may all three rest on the wooden girder,
and the bolts that secure the chairs to the cross sleepers may secure the girder;
or I secure a piece of timber or a bar of iron to three wooden sleepers, namely,
the joint sleeper and the sleeper on each side of it, such piece of timber or bar
of iron being secured to the sleepers. between the chair and the ends of the
sleepers either under or over such sleepers; or the chairs may be cast to receive
such girders. The more effectually to equalize and economise the iron of the
tyres of the wheels I employ a rail, the stalk of which is out of the centre, the
inner. edge of the working surface of the rail only being employed as a guide
for the wheel flanges; or the usual section of rails may be employed with a
flange added, rising above the working surface on the outside of such rail, to
act as a guide as the wheel flanges now do, so as to bring into work that part
of the tyre which is now turned off and wasted. This is an extension of a
plan patented by me in. One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two. For
railways laid, in the streets or at those places on railways where horses are
employed, I use paving block of iron, on which chairs are cast for receiving the
rails where rails are required. These blocks will be hollow, of a square or
hexagonal or other form, flat on the surface or nearly so, and packed through
a hole in the surface of such blocks, and will be cast with projections on them
as foot-hold for the horses."

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hugh Greaves in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
November 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HUGH
GREAVES, of New Palace Yard, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Hugh Greaves, Her special license that I, the said Hugh Greaves, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hugh Greaves,
my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Hugh
Greaves, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hugh Greaves, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the.
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to a description of cast-iron permanent way, and
to certain improved modes of jointing rails with a new form of rail for
economizing the tyre iron.
In carrying out the first part of this Invention I employ sleepers, to which
the rails, whether flat-bottomed or foot rails are rivetted or otherwise secured.
These sleepers are made of cast iron, and in some cases I make them round
(with one or more corrugations round the centre for giving strength,) oval, or
in the form of a ring; the concave side in all cases I place towards the ballast;
when they are in the form of a ring they may likewise be rolled out of a ring.
of bar iron. These sleepers will enclose the ballast on all sides, except when

page_text: I cast a rib on the
in the form of a ring, when the ballast will be visible in the centre. In some
cases the rails and sleepers forming one line of roadway are connected together
by tie bars, to preserve the guage and angle of the rail.
sleeper at right angles to the rail or parallel with it, or insert a short bar of
wrought iron, round which the metal is run in casting. In securing the rails
at the joints, instead of using three distinct wooden keys to a three-jawed chair
as patented by me in One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, I use one long
taper wooden key; or I use three vertical wood wedges, also patented by me in
One thousand eight hundred and fifty two, and on the fish in the inside or
outside I cast a short stud, which fits into a hole in the rail to prevent its
travelling, and the fish on the other side, if of wrought iron, has a hole punched
and a short pin inserted, or burr raised, fitting the same hole or the hole in the
rail, to prevent the fish from travelling when the key is driven home; or I use
two fish plates, two bolts, and one wooden key between them for securing the
joints of rails; or I use a' double-jawed chair and two fish plates secured by a.
wooden key. In order the more effectually to equalize and economize the iron
of the tyres of the wheels I employ a rail, the stalk of which may be out of the
centre, the inner edge of the working surface of the rail only being employed.
as a guide for the wheel flanges, or the usual section of rails may be employed
with a flange added, rising above the working surface on the outside of such
rail, to act as a guide as the wheel flanges now do, so as to bring into work
that part of the tyre which is now turned off and wasted. This is an extension
of a plan patented by me in One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two. For
railways laid in the streets, or at those places on railways where horses are
employed, I use paving blocks of iron in which the rails rest (where rails are
required). These blocks will be hollow, of a square or hexagonal or other form,
flat on the surface or nearly so, and packed through a hole in the surface of
such blocks, and will be cast with projections on them as foot-hold for the
horses.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
My improvements consist, first, of a 'peculiar application of brackets or
strengthening ribs to sleepers, of the application of a tie bar to the same,
and in the peculiar position of the rail to the sleepers.
Figure 1 of my Drawings is an end view of a sleeper, rail, and tie bar, the
curved dotted lines shewing the form of the sleeper. a is the rail; b, the
wood key; c, the sleeper; d, the tie bar; and e, another method of tieing
the sleeper to the opposite one when the bar d is not employed;
are
;f, f, an

page_text: strengthening ribs. Figure 2 is a side view, and Figure 3 is a plan, the
same letters referring to the same parts in each Figure.
Figures 4 and 5 represent in end and side elevation an improved method
of jointing rails. a is the chair as now used, or it may be made a little wider
in the jaw; b, the rail; c, a splicing plate or fish; d, a wood key; e, e, screws
tapped into the rail. In some cases the screws and screw bolts may be dis-
pensed with, and when the fish plate is of cast metal, a stud d, as shewn at
Figure 5, may be cast on the same, and if of wrought iron a short pin is
inserted to prevent the rail from travelling or moving endwise in the chair.
In Figure 4, I shew the screw screwed into the rail; and in Figure 6, I shew
a washer e fitting the recess in the rail and secured by a nut, or the bolt may
be screwed into the washer e and the nut may be dispensed with. In some
cases the key, as shewn in Figure 6, may be made of cast iron instead of
wood, and it and the fish plate may be cast in one piece, and secured by
a bolt or screw or bolts and screws. When the fish plates are used unsup-
ported, the screw or bolt may pass through a plain hole in the outer fish
and be screwed into the rail, then pass through a plain hole in the inner
fish, and finally through a nut to retain the inner fish in its place.
In Figures 7 and 8 I shew a modified form of sleeper, a similar form
being represented at Figures 18 and 19; this sleeper (Figures 7 and 8) is
strengthened on the bottom by a wrought-iron tie bar, shewn at a, a, which
is placed in the mould previous to casting the sleeper, and the cast metal is
run round the ends of such tie bar; by this means the fracture of the sleeper
in a line with the rail is prevented. is a long jaw cast on the sleeper, which
will be herein-after more fully described in reference to Figures 21, 22,
and 23.
Figure 9 shews my improved form of rail for economizing the iron of which
the wheel tyres are made. a is a section of a tyre; b, my improved rail,
having a flange c rolled upon it as a part of the rail, which flanges acts as a
guide, in the manner usually effected by the inside edge of the rail and the
flange of the wheel; this enables the part of the tyre which is now turned off
to be used, instead of wasted as is now the case. The stalk of the rail may
be placed out of the centre, as shewn by the dotted lines, so as to receive the
pressure perpendicularly over it; the dotted line in the tyre shews the way in
which the tyres usually become worn.
Figure 10 is a plan of my improved cast metal roadway or pavement,
shewing a line of railway laid down therewith. a, a, are the hollow cast metal
boxes, which may be of a hexagonal, square, or other form, with the opening
or hollow space placed downwards, such boxes having holes, as shewn at

page_text: at or near the surface, through which they may be packed or beat up without
breaking the roadway or stopping the traffic; 6, 6, represent the rails; and
d, d, projections or ribs cast on the boxes as foot-hold for the horses. These
cast-iron paving boxes may be cast slightly tapered towards the lower part,
so that when in their places they will form an arch, supported by the ballast
or material used as a bed or foundation. These boxes, on which the rail rests,
I cast in halves, as shewn in Figure 11, leaving room for the flange of the
wheel to work. When cast slightly tapered or smaller in diameter at the
lower side, the tendency of the traffic will be to keep them tightly pressed
together, excluding the moisture, and forming one compact mass. The ribs
or projections d, d, may be cast on an iron plate, or "chilled," to increase
their durability. I may here observe, however, that I lay no claim to a cast-
iron pavement, nor to the use of cast-iron boxes, excepting when such boxes
are made with a hole or aperture at the top for the purpose of packing or
beating them up when depressed.
In Figure 12, a is the part of the base of a railway chair through which
the treenail or spike is driven to secure it to a wood or other sleeper; b is the
spike or treenail; and c is a piece of leather or other soft material, but I
prefer leather. The hole for the spike is about three-eighths of an inch
larger than is now usual, and I take a piece of rectangular leather, insert it
in the hole and drive in the iron spike, which, being tapered towards the
head, as shewn, thoroughly excludes the moisture, and makes a very secure.
fastening.
Figure 13 is a surface-packed iron sleeper, patented by me in One thousand
eight hundred and forty-six, but shewn as cast in two halves; a being the rail;
b, the sleeper, cast in two halves, with a long jaw c cast with each half, and
secured to the rail by a bolt or bolts & passing through the two jaws and rail.
The two halves are secured by a bolt e at the bottom of the sleeper, passing
through lugs cast on each half, as shewn in the Drawing. Figure 14 is a plan
of the same sleeper; and Figure 15, a vertical section with the rail jaws and
bolts e removed. f, f, are ribs cast on the outside of the sleeper; and g, g,
are similar ribs cast on the inside thereof, whereby I gain a much greater
strength with a much less amount of metal. The sleepers, shewn in Figures
1, 2, and 3, may also be cast in two halves, as herein last described. The
intermediate sleepers may likewise be cast in two parts, but in this case the
jaws will not be so long, and will be secured by one bolt passing through the
rail and jaws. I do not confine myself to the use of bolts for securing the rail
to the sleeper at the joints, nor for holding the two halves together at the
bottom of the sleeper, as other well-known methods may be employed. I am.

page_text: aware that sleepers have been cast in two halves, but they have not been
secured in the manner shewn.
Figure 16 shews a modification of the method of securing the rail in the
chair or sleeper chair, patented by me in One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two, by the employment of a vertical wood key, but in that case the part
shewn at d was cast with the chair. Now, the object of this Invention is to
apply the same method of securing rails in chairs not specially cast for this
mode of fastening, by the addition thereto of the moveable part d. Figure 17
is a plan of the parts c and d, and of the vertical key e.
Figure 18 is a plan of another iron sleeper c. Figure 19, a section of the
same along the line 1 and 2. In this case the sleeper is in the form of a
curved or hollow ring, and is made of cast iron; strengthening ribs may be
cast internally and externally; as shewn at d and e, and a rib may be cast
across the central opening c at right angles to the rail, or a wrought-iron bar
may be inserted, as shewn at Figures 7 and 8; if made of wrought iron the
strengthening ribs will not be necessary; if made of cast iron, two chairs or
parts of chairs may be cast thereon, being opposite to each other; and if of
wrought iron, a flat-bottomed rail may be secured to it by bolts, or rivets, or
other known methods.
Figure 20 is a modified plan of a joint chair with three jaws, patented by
me in One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two; but whereas in that Patent
I claimed and shewed three distinct wood keys, I now use one long wood key c,
bearing against a splicing or fish plate b, such plate having short studs a cast
on it, as shewn in Figure 5ª, entering the hole in the rail if made of cast
metal, but if made of wrought iron short pins are inserted, and on the bottom
of the plate 6 lugs or ears fare made to clip over and come slightly below the
sole of the chair to prevent the plate from travelling. a is the rail; b, the
plate; c, the wooden key; d, the three-jawed chair; e, the sleeper; and f, the
lugs or ears.
Figure 21 is a modified form of a one-jawed chair for jointing rails, for
which a Patent was granted to me in One thousand eight hundred and forty-
six. In the first arrangement, the part marked a was cast with. the chair,
rendering it impossible for the rail to bear on the seat of the chair when the
rail was turned or reversed; but I now cast this part in three pieces, as shewn
at Figure 22, wherein the chair is removed, and. on the inside I use a
splicing or fish plate (as shewn at Figures 23), secured by a bolt e, as in
Figure 21. This plate may either be of wrought iron or cast metal. The
chair may either be used in connection with a wood or stone sleeper, or be
cast as a part of an iron sleeper, or be cast distinct from an iron sleeper, but

page_text: used in connection therewith; or, one such piece, as shown at a, Figure 21,
may be used for intermediate sleepers, thereby enabling a rail of a different
section to be used without, as is now the case, condemning the whole chair.
In this case one bolt only will be used. The more securely to retain the rail
in its place, the jaw may be inclined, as shewn by the dotted lines.
Figure 24 is a side view of another of my improved chairs; and Figure 25,
a plan of the same, with a short length of rail in each. The object of this
improvement is to obtain a greater base for the chair to rest on the sleeper,
and a longer base for the rail to rest on the chair, without increasing the
weight of such chair, and rendering it stronger. I prefer to make them round
at the base, as shewn, but do not confine myself to that figure, the Invention
consisting in the peculiar disposition of the metal of which the chair is com-
posed, the chair being considerably reduced in thickness at the base, but
rendered stronger by its connection with the base of the jaws and the seat of
the rail, giving a bearing across the whole of the sleeper, preventing the
splitting of the sleeper from the bearing, as is now the case, wherein the chair
bears upon the centre of the sleeper only. The spikes, it will be seen, are
thrown further apart, thereby clamping the sleeper together and greatly in-
creasing its durability.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the hereiu-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,--
First, the general constructions and arrangements of permanent ways of
railways, as herein-before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second, the systems or modes of tieing sleepers of the construction and form
shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3, as herein-before described, with reference to
Figure 1; also, the application and use of the strengthening ribs or
brackets f, f, on the upper and under side of such sleepers, as herein-before
described.
Third, the systems or modes of securing rails at their junctions, as herein-
before described, and illustrated at Figures 4, 5, 5, and 6 of my Drawings.
Fourth, the systems or modes of strengthening cast-iron sleepers of the form
shewn at Figures 7, 8, 18, and 19, as herein-before described, and illustrated
by Figures 7 and 8 of my Drawings.

page_text: Fifth, the application and use of a vertical flange rolled on the rail, in the
manner and for the purpose herein-before described, and illustrated by Figure 9
of my Drawings.
Sixth, the peculiar mode of adjusting or packing cast-iron boxes for iron
pavements, and the "chilling" or hardening of the projecting ribs, and the
method of securing rails in such boxes, as herein-before described, and illus-
trated by Figures 10 and 11 of my Drawings:
Seventh, the system or mode of securing a chair to a wooden or other
sleeper, as herein-before described, and illustrated by Figure 12 of my
Drawings.
Eighth, the casting of surface-packed sleepers, and also the sleepers shewn
at 1, 2, and 3, whether used for joint sleepers or intermediate sleepers, in two
halves, such halves being connected by bolts; also the mode of securing the
rails to such sleepers, and the application thereto of internal and external
strengthening ribs, as herein-before described, and illustrated by Figures 13,
14, and 15 of my Drawings.
Ninth, the system or mode of securing rails in their chairs, as herein-before
described, and illustrated by Figures 16 and 17 of my Drawings.
Tenth, the peculiar construction and arrangement of sleepers, as herein-
before described, and illustrated by Figures 18 and 19 of my Drawings.
Eleventh, the application and use of one long wooden key, in connection
with a three-jawed chair, and bearing against a splicing or fish plate, such
plate being fitted or formed with studs, for the purpose of securing the joints
of rails, as herein-before described, and illustrated by Figures 20 and 5* of my
Drawings.
Twelfth, the system or mode of securing the ends of rails at their junction,
as herein-before described, and illustrated by Figures 21, 22, and 23 of my
Drawings.
Thirteenth, the peculiar construction and arrangement of chairs, as herein-
before described, and illustrated with reference to Figures 24 and 25 of my
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said IIugh Greaves, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Fifteenth day of November, One thousand eight hundred
H. GREAVES. (L.S.)