IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bridges Adams, of No. 1, Adam Street,
Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 4th January 1860, and dated the 13th September 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bridges Adams
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th September 1859.
I, WILLIAM BRIDGES ADAMS, of No. 1, Adam Street, Adelphi, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be
as follows:-
First, in spikes or screws for chairs, made with a square or hole, or both,
at the top to turn them round, and a washer of metal in a conical nick to
fit elastically a large-sided conical hole in the chair.
Secondly, metal keys as a substitute for wood keys, to secure rails in chairs,
which keys may be elastic to drive in without splitting or damaging the chairs;
the rail being suspended by the upper table or supported below, the sectional
form of the keys being various angles or curves, and they may be made with
a catch, or other methods of securing, and the keys may be on one or both

page_text: sides of the rail, and applied in combination with wood, both for joints and
for intimediates.
Thirdly, improvements in my girder rails, securing angle irons or brackets
to the rails by key bolts, and using the angle irons, so that both rails and angle
irons, either of cast or wrought iron, may be lightened in weight; and also
girder rails rolled in one piece, with their bearing flanges and improved joints to
connect them, the rails having either one, two, three, or four bearing surfaces;
and also a mode of forming cast-iron rails and cast-iron crossings, so that
they will not chip at the joints.
Fourthly, peculiar formed chairs of cast or wrought metal to use with one
or two keys, either to suspend or support the rails, the peculiarity being in a
notch or groove across one or both jaws of the chair to keep the key or keys
in position vertically.
Fifthly, improved forms of key bolts to connect parts of railways together;
the key bolts being of sectional form to give vertical and lateral strength, reducing
the bolts in weight, and being secured with a head and one key or with two
keys without a head.
Sixthly, improved cast-iron sleepers, with chairs cast on them, (i.e.,) the
chairs described under the fourth head are expanded into a base to dispense
with timber sleepers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bridges Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th March 1860.
TO ALL TO: WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BRIDGES ADAMS, of No. 1, Adam Street, Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Bridges Adams, Her. special licence that I, the said William
Bridges Adams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Bridges Adams, 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

page_text: 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 William Bridges Adams, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Bridges Adams, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the five Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, (that is
to say):-
First, my improvements in spikes or screws for holding chairs to sleepers
consist in forming a large-sized conical hole in the chair, and applying thereto
a spike or screw, the neck of which may be conical or cylindrical, but with a
loose collar of iron, steel, or other metal, either coned or flat, placed on the
neck of the spike, so that in driving down the spike the elasticity of the collar
will ensure a fit against both spike and chair without risk of splitting the
chair, a disadvantage which occurs with solid spikes; and in case of wear
they can be easily tightened by driving. Fig. A, Sheet I., shews in section a
spike a, with a conical neck and collar 6 in a portion of a chair c, with a
conical spike hole; the upper part of the spike. has a sunk channel round
the head for the convenience of applying a tool to extract it when required.
Fig. A 1 shews a similar arrangement, with the head flattened to take a key
or spanner. Fig. A 2 shews an arrangement of collar, with a common
rounded, top to the spike. Fig. A 3 shews a similar arrangement, with a
hole through the top of the spike. These spikes are all shewn full size, with
portions broken off, as well as the chairs.
My improvements in fastening rails in chairs consist in the use of keys of
iron or steel, either on one or both sides of the rail; the keys being driven
with elastic pressure between the rail and chair, thus preventing the splitting
of the chairs by rigid pressure, and dispensing with the ordinary wooden keys.
Fig. B, Sheet II., shews an ordinary chair and rail; the key a is of tempered
steel bent to an angle, the back pressing against the chair, and the edges
pressing in the hollow corners of the rail. The dotted curved line b shews
the ends of the key where they project beyond the jaw of the chair, so that

page_text: when driven in the projecting ends will prevent the keys from getting out
again, unless driven back by the workmen, and the jaw of the chair may be
.either parallel or wedge form, as the elastic key will adapt itself to the shape
of the chair, or it may be stamped to either form. Fig. B 1 shews a similar
arrangement with the rail not seated below, but suspended above. Fig. B 2
shews a similar arrangement with the rail seated below, but with the key
formed at a different angle to give the bearing a lower position against the
chair jaw, and thus diminish the leverage on it. Fig. B 3 shews an iron
key made of angle iron, the back bearing in a notch across the face of the
chair jaw b. The dotted lines c, c, indicate that the entering end of the angle
iron is slightly curved on its two faces, thus slightly narrowing them, and by
a cheap and simple process converting the piece of parallel rolled angle iron
into an accurate elastic wedge. Fig. B 4 shews a steel key similar to
Fig. B 2, but with the jaw of the chair grooved across to receive the key with
a rounded edge. Fig. B 5 shews a peculiar chair, with both jaws grooved
across b, b, and fitted with two angle-iron keys a, a, suspending the rails.
Fig. B5 a shews the same in plan, the chair having four separate jaws con-
nected by the bottom table, or as though two intermediate chairs were
connected by a bottom table was to connect and support the joint of the rails
between the jaws; but, if preferred, the jaws of the chair may be continuous.
The jaws may be made tapering, but I prefer them parallel, and to make the
angle irons taper by the curving process described at Fig. B 3. In this
mode, driving the angle-iron keys in opposite directions, they act like folding
wedges, but with elastic resilience, and produce a far better and firmer joint
than by the process of fishing with solid fishes formerly patented by me, and
never used on account of the practical difficulty of accurate fitting, and the
tendency to split the chairs in driving. Fig. B6 shews a similar chair, with
steel keys of a different form, bearing lower down in the jaws; the dotted
lines b, b, indicating the spring action of the lower side of the key between
the rail and chair. Fig. B 7 shews a similar arrangement with a rib b, b;
rolled at the back edge of the keys. Fig. B 8, Sheet I., shews another form
of angle-iron keys suspending the rail with the angles reversed. Fig. B 9,
Sheet III., shews a rail fastened in an ordinary chair by an angle-iron key a,
with a groove, which groove may be rivetted, if preferred, across the face of a
supplementary jaw b, used to narrow the space between rail and chair.
Between the chair and supplementary jaw may be placed a slip of wood. or
leather, or other yielding or elastic substance c, which will permit of very hard
driving of the key without damaging the chair, and the keys thus hold very
tight. Fig. B 10, Sheet II., shews an angle key of iron, full size, with a

page_text: .
rounded corner, the dotted lines b, b, indicating the process of forming the
taper by curvature. Fig. B 11 shews a steel key, full size, in section, and
Fig. B 11 a, a side view of the same. Fig. B 12 shews a ribbed iron key,
full size, in section, and the dotted lines b; b, indicate the mode in which the
curve may be reversed, and as a variation from these elastic metal keys, I use
keys of wood a, with a covering of metal plate b, folded round them to
prevent wear, see Fig. B9 a, Sheet III.
My improvement in cast-iron sleepers consists in the extension of the bases
of the various improved chairs before described, so as to form a sufficient
bearing in the ballast, making every chair its own sleeper; also Fig. C, Sheet I.,
shews the arrangement in which the jaws b, b, of my improved chair rise from
a flat plate c, ribbed below and connected by a tie bar d to form the gauge of
way. The ribs cross each other and maintain the position in the ballast, while
they are easily pecked. And note, all the Figures with the improved keys are
shewn half size, except the keys before mentioned as full size B 10, B 11,
.B 11a, and B 12.
My improvements in my girder rails consist, first, in a double-headed rail of
.the ordinary form as regards the tables or running surfaces, but rolled with
wide central flanges of sufficient area to bear on the ballast without the aid of
sleepers, being an improvement on a former patent of mine, where similar rails.
-bear on sleepers. This is shewn in section at Fig. D, Sheet III. To connect
the joints, a bent plate a, twelve inches or more or less in length, is slipped
-over the adjoining ends, and a key is driven between the rail and plate to
tighten it. The rail and joint are seen in plan at Fig. Da, Sheet IIII., and
in side elevation at Fig. D b. A similar rail is shewn at Fig. D 1, Sheet III.,
in section, and at Figs. D 1a, and D 16, in Sheet IIII., plan and side elevation,
but the joint is secured by a pair of rolled or cast metal clips a, a, nipping the
lower tables of the rails, and held together by bolts passing, through below the
rail as indicated by letters b, b, b. To keep the gauge of way, the lower tables
of the rails are notched into cross ties of timber c, c, c, c, which ties may be of
iron, if preferred; Fig. D 2, Sheet III., shews a rail for light purposes with
four wearing surfaces and a joint plate, similar to Fig. D. At Fig. D 3 is
shewn a rail with two plain tables, and a similar joint plate Fig. D 4, shews a
four-tabled rail of cast iron in section, D 4 a being a portion of the elevation
5 shewing the joints, which occur at about every three feet, and are connected by
an internal timber a, a, a, or metal may be used instead of timber, or the joints
may be formed by fillets and recesses cast on and in the interior ends of the lengths
. of rail. As a variation from this mode of connection, the rails may be cast in
halves and bolted together, break joint, as shewn at Fig. D 5, Sheet V., but in this

page_text: case only two tables will be available for running on. At Fig. D 4 a, Sheet III.,
is shewn an important peculiarity indicated by letters b, b, b, the edges being
rounded, which prevents the cast iron from chipping and wearing into a hole,
as is the case with square sharp edges, and this principle I apply also to cast-
iron crossings, where they connect with rails, and the wrought iron may be
made to lap over the round of the cast iron, or a wedge of wrought iron may
be placed in the joint to prevent any jolt as the wheels pass over. At Fig. D 6,
Sheet III., is shewn, in section, one of my deep girder rails with wrought-iron
half sleepers a, a, for bearing on the ballast attached by key bolts b, b, with
double keys so placed that the key bolt is made to support the horizontal web
of the sleeper. The intermediate sleepers, which are in discontinuous lengths
of about four feet, do not fill the whole space of the channels between the
tables of the rail, but are bolted with or without timber packing against. the
vertical web, but the joint sleepers are made to bear firmly against the top and
bottom tables, to prevent any movement of the rails up and down. The
dotted lines d, d, in Fig. D 6 shew the full extent of the joint sleeper section;
Fig. D 6 b, Sheet IIII., is an elevation, and Fig. D 6 c, a plan, shewing the
divisions of the sleepers; tie bars of iron are denoted by letters d, d, and the
letters e, e, shew how wooden cross ties may be applied below the rails. The
object of dividing the sleepers, instead of making them continuous, and break
joint as in my former plans, is to afford greater facility for curving and for
removing and replacing rails. The object in making the intermediate sleepers
of less depth than the half joint sleepers is simply to save metal, and they may
be full depth if preferred, and they may be used with the key bolts below, and
these sleepers may be made to bolt flat against the central web of the rail, so
as to slide up and down, being either of cast or wrought iron, with the upper
edge prepared to receive a fillet of india-rubber, or cork, or other elastic
substance for the rail to rest on, and in such case the joints of the rail may
be simply fished and suspended by the sleepers. At Fig. D 7 Sheet III. is
seen a section of cast-iron half sleeper for bearing on the ballast; Fig. D 7 a,
Sheet IIII., is a side elevation, and Fig. D 7 b, a plan of the same. The rail
is suspended on the sleepers a, a, which are of triangular or Y-section, the two
members which bear in the rail channels, being nearly at a right angle with
each other, and the third horizontal. Where the key bolts c, c, pass through
to attach the sleepers to the rails, a rib d, d, is raised in the horizontal table
to reinforce round the hole, and a groove may be formed in the edge of the
cast sleeper, to keep the keys of the bolts in position, and with a curvature in
it to make the key bear at the ends; and not in the middle, so as to keep it in
elastic tension, or an elastic washer may be used with the same object. The

page_text: sleepers are about two feet long, more or less, and there are spaces about three
feet apart, more or less, at the centres, and though only one key is shewn in
the intermediate sleepers, two or more may be used. The dotted lines in the
section b, b, Fig. D 7, Sheet III., and the elevation, Fig. D 7 a, Sheet IIII.,
shew a reinforcement of the castings descending below the rails to strengthen
the sleepers at the joints of the rails with two bolts, though one or more may
be used. And note, I do not prefer cast iron for these sleepers, but with
such a sectional form in wrought iron, it is difficult to manage the attach-
ments.
:
It will be seen that in this mode the rails may be reversed upside down or
side for side, without removing any of the sleepers save those at the joints;
unless the intermediates be reinforced below, similarly to the joints. Letters c, d,
Fig. D 7 b, denote iron tie-bars to connect the opposite line of rails; c being
a round bar, and d a flat bar cranked at the ends. Fig. D 8, Sheet III.,
shews a deep rail with cast-iron sleepers, similar to Fig. D 6 and Fig. D 8 a,
Sheet IIII., shews an elevation of the same. Fig. D 9, Sheet III., shews
a similar plan with the rail much deeper in the heads; and Fig. D 9a,
Sheet IIII., is the elevation. It will be seen that on none of these sections
Figs. D 6, D7, D8, or D 9, can screw bolts be used to fix the sleepers to the
rails for want of space to turn them in screwing up. Fig. D 10, Sheet III.,
is a section of a deep rail with timber side sleepers h, h, discontinuous, and in
lengths of four feet, more or less, and bolted by key-bolts in the side channels.
Fig. D 10 b, Sheet IIII., is the elevation; Fig. D'10 c is the plan. The
dotted lines a, a, in the section and in the plan, shew how a pair of edge
plates are applied to support the joints; a space being cut in the timber to
admit them, and they are secured by the pressure of the timber against them,
held by the key-bolts i, i, and, if preferred, bolts may pass through them and
the timber. The plates may also have a wood packing between them and the
rails. Letters b, b, b, in section, plan, and elevation, shew a timber cross-tie
O secured to the rail timbers by staple bolts c, c; and letters d, d, in plan and
elevation shew a cross tie held down by spikes. The lower table of the rail
is notched into the cross ties. And note, these cross ties are not intended to
act as sleepers, as in my former system of longitudinal timber sleepers, but
merely as ties to keep the gauge, for which reason none are especially required
5 at the joints. In my former system, the timber of the longitudinals is stopped
at the joints, and a cross sleeper supplies the place beneath the bracket joints,
but my present plan is to carry the longitudinals through the joints, and thus
support them. Fig. D 10 a, Sheet III., shews'a mode of using an iron cross-
tie instead of timber. Letter a is a portion of the rail; b is the iron tie, an
-

page_text: edge bar, into which the rail is notched; and c is a hook bolt, holding the
rail to the longitudinal d, and fixing the pitch of the rail. Fig. D11, Sheet V.,
is a cross section, and Fig. D 11, a longitudinal elevation, of my deep rail,
fastened to my wooden bracket blocks by diagonal bolts passing through a
cross sleeper of T iron, similar to those used longitudinally in my former
Patent of 1851, thus forming a new combination. A hollow a is made in the
iron cross sleeper to adjust the gauge of rail. The sectional Drawings from
Fig. D to Fig. D 11 are to a scale of one-half full size.
My improvements in rail fastenings consist also in sectional forms of key
bolts shewn by Fig. E, E: 1, E 2, Sheet I, being practically small beams or
rails with a vertical web and upper and lower table, giving facility for
punching the slots for the wedge keys. Fig. E3 shews the elevation a, with
the key band washer c; Fig. E 3 a shews the end of the key bolt a, with the
key and the washer, which latter may be either square, as the dotted line, or
round; Figs. E 4 and E 4 a shew the key bolt, full size, longitudinally in plan,
made in a serpentine form, so that when the keys are driven, there will be an
elastic tightness; Fig. E 5 shews the application of a similar principle to fish
or bracket bolts, used on unyielding materials; the letter a represents the web
of a rail; b, b, the fishes; c, the bolt, which is bent in the midlength; the
holes are made oblong or oval, so that the bolt will pass into position, the oval
arrangement being provided to permit expansion and contraction of the rails.
By this bend the bolt is prevented from turning in the act of screwing up as
efficiently as though the head were placed in a recess or.groove, or made with
a square neck, and by the bent form the nut will be retained in elastic tension,
and will not get loose. Fig. E 6 is a similar plan, sbewing a serpentine bend.
The Drawings of Fig. E to Fig. E 6 are full size.
My improvements in the application of fishes are shewn in section at Fig. F,
Sheet I., where the fishes are light and curved, and are secured upon a
packing of wood, which keeps the bolts tight. Figs. F a, F b, and Fc, denote
brackets with similar arrangements, and the various improvements before
described may be applied to single-headed as well as to double-headed rails.
Having now described my said improvements, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that what I claim as original is,-
Firstly, the construction and application of spikes or bolts with metal collars
'between them, and the conical holes in chairs to fix them to sleepers, as
herein-before described, and illustrated by Figs. A to A 3.
Secondly, the construction and application of angle keys, of steel or iron, to
secure rails in chairs, suspended or supported either singly or in pairs, either
for joints or intermediates, such angle keys being, when rolled parallel, formed

page_text: to a taper by curving or indenting, or other methods, the surfaces at one end,
so that they will answer as folding wedges, also wooden keys sheathed. round
with iron plate, also single or double headed chairs or supplementary jaws of
chairs, with grooves across their faces to receive the back edges of the angle
keys, also the forming such chairs with extended bases, to constitute sleepers
as herein-before described and illustrated by Figs. B to B 12 and Fig. C, and
berein-before described.
Thirdly, the construction and application of girder rails formed-with double-
headed rails and broad central flanges to bear on the ballast without timber
sleepers, with joints clipping the lower table, and bolted together below it, or
with clip plates stretching from the lower table to the flanges, and with ties of
timber or iron to keep the gauges; also similar joints to plain headed rails,
and rails and joints with four wearing surfaces, as illustrated by Figs. D to D 3;
also four or two-tabled rails of cast iron, in short lengths, connected by internal
timbers, or equivalent means, or break joint in two halves; also the peculiarity.
of casting these rails with rounded edges at the joints, to prevent chipping,
filled in or not with a wedge, and the application of the same plan to cast
crossings, as illustrated by Figs. D 4 and D 5; also the longitudinal, cast, or
wrought-iron sleepers, in discontinuous lengths, with key bolts to attach them,
or with the rail bearing on india-rubber, or cork, or other elastic substance at
the upper edges; also the triangular or Y-shaped sleepers of cast-iron, and
deep or ordinary rails connected by long key bolts, or by screw bolts, as
illustrated by Figs. D 7 to D 7 b; also the cast-iron sleepers as illustrated by
Figs. D 8 to D 9; also the deep rail with discontinuous sleepers of timber
connected to the rails by long key bolts or by screw bolts, with tie bars of
timber, connected by bolts, or staples, or trenails, or with iron tie bars,
connected by hook-head bolts; also the iron plates recessed into the joint
timbers to uphold the rail joints, and prevent wear of the timber, as illustrated
by Figs. D 10 to D 10 d; also the combination of my wooden bracket
blocks with cross sleepers of T-iron and diagonal bolts, as herein-before
described.
Fourthly, the construction and application of the key bolts as illustrated by
Figs. D 11 and D 11 a, and herein-before described, plain or ribbed, used in
the attachments before described; also the key and screw bolts, made in a
curved or serpentine form to give elastic resilience, as illustrated by Figs. E
to E 6, and herein-before described.
Fifthly, the arrangement of wood or other elastic packing between light
wrought-iron fishes and rails, or between light wrought-iron brackets and rails,

page_text: in order to keep the bolts elastically tight, as illustrated by Figs. F to Fc, and
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bridges Adams, have hereunto
set
my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
WILLIAM BRIDGES ADAMS. (L.S.)