IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS." A communication from abroad by
Henry Reese, of the City of Baltimore, in the County of Baltimore, and
Warwick Price Miller, of Spencerville, in the County of Montgomery, both
in the State of Maryland, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th May 1879.
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAIL-
WAYS." [A communication from abroad by Henry Reese, of the City of Baltimore,
in the County of Baltimore, and Warwick Price Miller, of Spencerville, in the
County of Montgomery, both in the State of Maryland, United States of
America.]
This Invention relates to the permanent way of railways, and consists in the
employment of cross ties or sleepers provided with permanent clamping logs arranged
in the manner hereinafter described, together with locking devices which co-operate
with the clamping Jugs to hold the rails.
The ties or sleepers are preferably made of wrought iron with a central pendent
bracing flange, and with edges dipping downwardly; and in the top surface of
these ties permanent lugs are cut from the thickness of the metal and bent up.
The foot of the rail engages at one side beneath this lug, and at the other side is
clamped by the special locking device consisting of a clamp having a toe which
after being passed through a slot in tie or sleeper enters at the underside the slot left
by the upturning of the permanent lug, said clamp also having a shoulder at back
beneath which a special form of spring locking bar is seated. The spring locking bar
consists of a rigid bar which fits beneath two upwardly turned lugs in the tie or
sleeper similar and opposite to the permanent lug before described, said bar having a
notch at one end which embraces one of the lugs, and after passing beneath the
other lug is returned or bent upon itself in the form of a spring which rests beneath
the shoulder of the clamp. This locking spring being all made in one piece prevents
any rattle or noise between the parts, and while the notch in its end prevents
accidental displacement its curved section by its elasticity holds the clamp tightly
against the rail to securely confine the latter between the clamp and the permanent
lugs

page_text: These spring locking devices may be either upon the inside or upon the outside
of the rail. In laying the track in accordance with this Invention I cause the
spring locking bar of one set of ties to be on one side of the rails, and the spring
locking bar of the alternate set of ties to be upon the opposite side of the rails, so
that the permanent lugs are made to alternate upon the opposite sides of each rail.
I may alternate either every adjacent tie or every adjacent pair or more of ties as
may be found most advantageous. The object of this arrangement is that the rails
shall be held with absolute firmness by the permanent lugs on each side, the same
effect being practically produced as if said permanent lugs were in opposite sides of
the rail at each fastening. This arrangement also prevents any possibility of an
alteration of the gauge, and obviates the necessity for extreme care in laying the
rails as it is only necessary that the permanent lugs in the manufacture of the ties
should be placed a distance apart equal to the gauge of the road, and as this distance
cannot be changed the gauge must be always unaltered. I do not limit the
Invention to any particular form of spring, as any kind that co-operates with the
permanent lug to hold the rail and yet is removeable to permit the rail to be seated
in its place may be employed. Instead of the spring being detachable from the
clamp it may be made in one piece therewith, and I may also further modify the
spring locking device by forming the spring bar with a key at one end having a
toe or bit so that when the key is inserted in a slot cut in the tie, and the toe or bit
slipped under the lower edge of the tie the spring bar is securely held in place
without the lugs on the tio or sleeper.
Rubber springs may be used in the place of the metal if found desirable, and the
ties may be made of any other form better adapted to the purpose.
The distinctive feature of the Invention depends not simply upon the mere
alternation of the permanent luge upon the opposite sides of the rails, but upon said
alternate arrangement when both of the permanent lugs of one tie project in the
same direction, i.e., one inwardly and the other outwardly with respect to the centre
of the track.
The advantages which are secured are as follows :-
First. The ties are all alike, and but one pattern of the same is required, the
interlocking effect being produced by reversing the alternate ties end for end.
Secondly. Moderate variations in the width of the rail base involve no alteration
in the tie nor change in the gauge.
Thirdly. The track is easily laid by laying the rails upon one set of ties whose
lugs all point in one direction, and then adjusting the alternate ties endwise up to
the said rails so that their lugs which all point in the opposite direction co-operate
with the oppositely pointing lugs to secure the rails.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
5th November 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAIL-
WAYS." A communication from abroad by Henry Reese, of the City of Baltimore,
in the County of Baltimore, and Warwick Price Miller, of Spencerville, in the
County of Montgomery, both in the State of Maryland, United States of
America.
This Invention consists mainly in a track formed by rails and ties in which the

page_text: two permanent clamping lugs of any one tie project in the same direction with each
other, but are arranged upon the opposite side of the rail from the permanent lugs
of the next tie, together with locking devices, whereby certain important advantages
are secured as hereafter described, and also in the peculiar locking devices which
co-operate with the permanent clamping lugs to hold the rails more securely.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a tic with
its lugs and fastening, showing also in horizontal section the relation of the rail;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same taken in the direction of the length of the
tie; Figure 3 is a cross section of the track; Figure 4 is a plan view of the track;
Figures 5 and 6 represent modified means for securing the spring locking bar to the
cross tie.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents a T shaped railway tie made of wrought iron with a central pendent
bracing flange, and with its edges dipping downwardly.
In this tie are formed the permanent lugs a cut from the thickness of the metal
and turned up as shown. B is the rail whose base extends upon one side beneath
the permanent upturned lug a, and whose base upon the other side is clamped by
special locking devices. These consist of a clamp C having a toe b that enters the
slot left by the upturning of the permanent lug a, and having a shoulder c beneath
which a special form of spring locking bar is seated. The spring locking bar consists
of a rigid bar of metal d having a notch đ³ in one end that seats itself about a
lug e formed on the tie, which bar extends to another lug e¹ and thence is returned
or bent upon itself in the form of a spring d' which rests beneath the shoulder of
the clamp C. This locking spring d, d', being all made in one piece prevents any
rattle or noise between the parts, and while the notch in its end prevents accidental
displacement its curved section by its elasticity holds the clamp tightly against the
rail to securely confine the latter between the clamp and the permanent lugs a.
These spring locking devices may be either upon the inside or upon the outside of
the rail as shown in Figure 3.
In laying the track in accordance with this Invention (see Figure 4) I cause the
spring locking bar of one set of ties to be on one side of the rails, and the spring
locking bar of the alternate set of ties to be upon the opposite side of the rails so
that the permanent lugs a are made to alternate upon the opposite sides of each rail.
I may alternate either every adjacent tie or every adjacent pair or more of ties as
may be found inost advantageous. The object of this arrangement is that the rails
shall be held with absolute firmness by the permanent lugs on each side, the same
effect being practically produced as if said permanent lugs were on opposite sides of
the rail at each fastening. This arrangement also prevents any possibility of an
alteration of the gauge, and obviates the necessity for extreme care in laying the
rails, as it is only necessary that the lugs a in the manufacture of the ties should
be placed a distance apart equal to the gauge of the road, and as this distance
cannot be changed the gauge must be always unaltered.
A track once laid with this arrangement of ties is a solid and substantial structure
not liable to any alteration, or at most to more than the minimum amount caused
by wear from the passage of trains. The impossibility of any accidental change of
gauge it will be seen reduces the proportion of accidents, while another important
advantage is the freedom from danger of the rails being tampered with by malicious
persons. In the arrangement of the ties and rails just described I would have it
understood that I do not limit the Invention to any particular form of spring, as
the Invention comprehends any form of spring that co-operates with the permanent
lug a to hold the rail, and yet is renovable to permit the rail to be seated in its
place. In practice I prefer the form of spring locking bar shown, but even this
inay be modified with good results, for instance, instead of making the spring
detachable from the clamp c it may be made in one piece therewith to produce the
same effect. I may also further modify the spring locking device, as shown in
Figures 5 and 6; in such case the spring bar d' is formed with a key at one end,
having a toe or bit d³ so that when the key is inserted in a slot cut in the tie, and

page_text: the toe or bit slipped under the lower edge of the tie, the spring bar is securely held
in place without lugs e, e'.
I do not limit myself to any kind of materials either in the construction ofthe
ties or other parts, although the Invention has special value in connection with
wrought iron ties as described.
Rubber springs may also be used in the place of the metal one, and the ties may
be made of any other form better adapted to the purpose.
The distinctive and valuable feature of the Invention depends not simply upon
the mere alternation of the permanent lugs upon the opposite sides of the rails, but
upon said alternate arrangement when both of the permanent lugs of one tie project
in the same direction, i.e., one inwardly and the other outwardly with respect to the
centre of the track.
The distinctive advantages which are secured thereby are as follows:-
1st. The ties are all alike, and but one pattern of the same is required, the
interlocking effect being produced by reversing the alternate ties end for end.
2ud. Moderate variations in the width of the rail base involve no alteration in
the tie nor change in the gauge.
3rd. The track is easily laid by laying the rails upon one set of ties whose lugs
all point in one direction, and then adjusting the alternate ties endwise up to the
said rails so that their lugs, which all point in the opposite direction, co-operate with
the oppositely pointing lugs to secure the rails.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. A railway track composed of rails, cross ties having permanent lugs, and lock-
ing devices with the permanent lugs of one set of ties pointing in one direction and
arranged upon one side of the rails, and the permanent lugs of the alternating set of
ties pointing in the opposite direction and arranged upon the opposite side of the
rails, substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.
2nd. A set of wrought iron cross ties having permanent lugs a, which permanent
lugs in each alternate tie, or pair or more of adjacent ties, in the length of the track
point in the same direction, that is, both or all to the right, or both or all to the left
with reference to the centre of the track, while the permanent lugs of the alternate
ties or sets of adjacent ties point in the opposite direction, the same being in com-
bination with the rails and locking devices, substantially as set forth.
3rd. The combination with the shouldered clamp G and the lugs e, e', of the
spring locking bar d, d', seated against the lugs e, c', and then returned upon itself
so as to bear against the clamp as described.
4th. The locking devices shown in Figures 5 and 6 consisting of the spring bar d'
having a key with a bit or toe d' in combination with the slotted tie and the rail
clamp as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.