IMPROVEMENTS IN STREET TRAMWAYS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederick Deacon, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STREET
TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 4th January 1878, and dated the 9th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Frederick Deacon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th July 1877.
GEORGE FREDERICK DEACON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Civil.
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STREET TRAMWAYS."
My Invention relates to the figure of the rail and of the sleepers or chairs, and
to the fastenings by which the rail is held in position, and the points by which
diverging lines are connected.
When.
In most of the tramways laid in this country the rail is fastened to the sleeper or
chair, while the sleeper or chair either simply rests upon the substratum or is
bedded in it, or is fastened to transverse sleepers which are bedded in it.
wooden sleepers are used either spikes, or screws, or dog hooks are employed to hold
the rail to the sleeper. Under heavy traffic such fastenings generally work loose;
or, if side dog hooks are placed sufficiently close to render the rail moderately firm,
it is necessary to disturb all or nearly all the adjacent pavement sets in order to
remove or relay any part of the line.
The tramways I have designed and laid in Liverpool obviate these disadvantages,
and my present Invention has for its object the improvement and simplification of
that design.
In the Liverpool system the timber sleepers instead of being used to bind the
superstructure together are employed merely as packing pieces between the rails
and the foundation of concrete. The rail is of channel section, and the fastening -
passes up from the under side of the concrete through a hole in the sleeper to the
space between the two flanges on the under side of the rail, where it is connected
with a transverse pin passing through the flanges. The fastening is divided near
the middle of its height, the two pieces being screwed with right and left handed
D

page_text: threads respectively, and coupled by a long nut. This nut can be reached by an
opening in one side of the sleeper, and when turned by a spanner the purchase is
so great that the rail may be drawn down towards the concrete bed with a pressure
at each fastening of several tons. After eighteen months use under the heaviest
traffic rails fastened in this manner still remain perfectly firm.
In order to lift a rail it is necessary to take up a few sets on one side only at
every three or four feet. I now propose to obviate the necessity of removing any
sets, and to combine the facility of laying and lifting rails under the old system
of spike or screw fastenings with the advantages of the mode of construction above
described, and to reduce the necessary cost of both the rails and fastenings.
Through the rails I drill holes vertically at fixed distances apart; into these holes
I pass bolts, which reach through the sleeper and concrete to plates or washers
placed within or beneath the concrete. Each bolt may be continuous from the rail
to the washer, and may be screwed into the washer; or it may engage at a higher
point with another bolt projecting upwards from the washier; or it may be con-
tinuous from the washer to the rail, and be fastened with a nut at its upper end.
The head of the bolt or the nut may be countersunk into the rail, and covered with
red lead or with any other material to make a perfectly water-tight joint between
it and the rail; and to prevent oxidation the bolt or the nut should be of brass,
phosphor bronze, or some such alloy. Owing to the comparative rigidity of the rail
and concrete this fastening will not be liable to work loose, as is the case when the
rigid rail is fastened to the yielding sleeper, and there will therefore be no difficulty
in preventing the material used to make a water-tight joint between the nut and
rail from becoming disintegrated.
Instead of fastening the bolt with a nut I may make it tight with a wedge or
wedges passing through a slot in the bolt at the bottom of the rail groove. In this
arrangement it is unnecessary to remove any sets in order to remove a rail, or a wedge
may be passed through the side of the rail, and even in this case only one, or at
most, two sets at each fastening need be disturbed in order to remove a rail. The
same fastenings are applicable where inetallic sleepers or chairs are used, or where
the rail rests directly upon the concrete or other foundation.
In order to render the form of the rail better adapted for the countersinking
necessary wlien the fastening passes through the upper side, and in order to reduce
its cost without impairing its strength to resist vertical pressure, I prefer instead of
employing the channel section with two shallow slide flanges to adopt a section with
onc deep central or nearly central flange. As this flange may be placed immediately
under the groove the thickness of metal on either side of the groove may be
reduced to that which is necessary for lateral strength, which it now greatly
exceeds.
I prefer to employ a central groove and central flanged wheels, after the manner
adopted in the Liverpool tramways. By this means the necessary width of the rail
is reduced, and by the double bearing the great wear of points is diminished.
I further reduce this wear, whether the central groove is employed or not, first, by
diminishing so far as possible the width of the groove at the end near the point,
and thus causing the tread of the wheel to bear upon the outer tread of the rail
before it reaches the thin part of the point; second, by raising the bottom of the
groove at and near the point, so as to touch the flange of the wheel, and thus
increase the bearing surface when the wheel is travelling over the thin part of the
point.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Frederick Deacon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8thi
January 1878.
GEORGE FREDERICK DEACON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STREET TRAMWAYS."
My Invention relates to the rails of tramways, to the sleepers or chairs, to the
fastenings by which the rails are held in position, and to the points by which
diverging lines are connected.
In most of the tramways laid in this country the rail is fastened to the sleeper
or chair, while the sleeper or chair either simply rests upon the substratum or is
bedded in it, or is fastened to transverse sleepers which are bedded in it. When
the rail vibrates under traffic it is obvious that either the sleepers or chairs must
also vibrate similarly, or the fastening must be more or less loose..
In practice it is found that when newly fixed the fastenings communicate the
vibration of the rail more or less to the sleeper or chair, though sooner or later the
resistance of the sleeper or chair to vibration causes the fastening to work loose.
In the first portions of the reconstructed Liverpool tramways I have overcome
this tendency by fastening the rail to the concrete bed instead of to the sleeper, and
by forming, the fastening in such a manner that though the upper part of it may
vibrate with the rail, the lower part, being, except when under tension, independent
of the upper part, does not so vibrate; moreover, the fastening is so arranged that
by turning a nut, access to which is obtained through the side of the sleeper, the
tension may be increased, and the rail drawn down more firmly to the foundation.
The first part of my present Invention is an improvement upon the above
arrangement, by which, while maintaining the principle I at first adopted, I so
arrange the upper part of the fastening that the rail may be disengaged or drawn
down without disturbing any portion of the adjoining pavement.
The general arrangement of the fastening is such that the cost is reduced, and
that the figure of the rail to be used in conjunction with it is so modified that its
cost for any required strength is reduced also.
The Drawings hereto annexed show various modifications of my Invention.. In
each Figure A is the rail of T section.
Through the rail is drilled a vertical hole, into which a bolt B is passed. In the
full sized section, Figure 1, the upper end of this bolt has a screw thread cut upon
it, and is embraced by a covered nut C of phosphor bronze; or other hard metal or
alloy, which will not readily oxidize. For the admission of this nut the upper part
of the hole in the rail is enlarged. To allow for wear of the rail the top of the nut
is considerably below the flange of the wheel; the nut and bolt fit the rail closely,
and before being screwed up they are coated with red lead. Under these circum-
stances it is obvious that unless the lower end of the bolt is held rigidly the nut
and bolt will vibrate with the rail, so that the fastening, cannot become loosened:
The nut is turned by means of a key fitting into the grooves (shewn in the plan) on
its upper side, so that the rail may be fastened down or removed without disturbing
any portion of the pavement.
Although held down to the rigid foundation the bolt is free to vibrate
independently of that foundation; for example; in Fig. 1 the bolt passes freely
through a hole in the sleeper D, through the concrete, and through a cast-iron
plate or washer E bedded in the concrete: The hole in the concrete is formed by a
metal mould encircling the bolt, and withdrawn when thic concrete has set.
bolt is prevented from rising by a head, which abuts against the under side of the
washer.
The
So far as the effect of vibration on the joint between the rail and fastening is
concerned the circumstances are much the same as would obtain if the upper part
of the bolt were fastened to the concrete by a chain. In such a case it is obvious
that no vibration of the rail could loosen the joint.

page_text: By making the bolt head shaped, and by forming the washer so that the head
may be passed in from above, the concrete may be finished without any projecting
metallic parts. In this case instead of a hollow thimble being used to mould the
space in the concrete round the bolt a solid plug of metal is employed.
In Figure 2, which is a half size section, the plate or washer E instead of being
circular is rectangular in plan, and projects to the surface of the concrete. By this
arrangement the bolt has still more freedom of motion than in Figure I, and no
nicety of measurement whatever in setting out the work is necessary.
In laying the concrete it is finished flush with the upper side of the plate or
washer, and that within the jaw-shaped portion thereof is subsequently scraped out
with a bent chisel. The bolt head is so formed as to be easily inserted by turning
it sideways, though when vertical it cannot be withdrawn. After being inserted
the bolt is capable of being moved three quarters of an inch transversely, and three
inches longitudinally, so as to allow for any defects of setting out,
When once set
to the proper guage, and drawn down, the rail is perfectly firm.
In Figure 3, to which may be applied either the form of holding-down plate or
washer, in Figure 1, or that in Fig. 2, the head of the bolt is at the upper end. The
bolt. B formed like the nut C in Figure 1 of some alloy not casily oxidized, is
screwed into the bolt B¹, which is free to move laterally, as in the other cases.
In Figure is shown the same description of fastening applied to a rail supported
by a cast-iron sleeper or chair.
In Figure 5 a balk of timber is substituted for the concrete, the plate or washer E
being fixed on its under side. This plate or washer may however be secured on the
upper side of the timber.
The fastening may be employed in a similar manner to Fig. 5, where transverse
sleepers are used instead of the longitudinal balk, or the plate or washer E may, if
the natural substratum forms a sufficiently good foundation, be simply placed below
the longitudinal sleeper.
In Fig. 6 is shown the application of the principle to a cast-iron chair, the lower
part of which is let into the foundation. The bolt B passes through a slot in the
casting, and may be removed by drawing it out at the open end of the slot.
Similarly the principle may be employed to hold the rail down to the foundation
without the intervention of a sleeper or chair.
A link in the bolt, such as will render it possible for the upper part to vibrate
independently of the lower part, may be employed instead of or in conjunction with
the loose lower end.
In the six Figures above referred to the rail has a T section, which is perhaps
under all the circumstances the best form, but the fastening may be adopted wherever
there is a sufficient bulk of metal to enclose the nut or bolt head.
In Fig. 1 the fastening is applied to an ordinary side grooved Trail.
In Figs. 2 to 6 the groove is central, and the wheels to be used on the latter rails
have central flanges and double treads; as in this form the whole surface is utilized,
the width of the rail for any given width of tread is considerably less than in tlie
ordinary side grooved rail.
The use of the central grooved rail has been proposed before, but has not, so far
as I know, been tried except in Liverpool.
When the sleepers are of timber the grooves therein are made wider than the
webs of the rails, as indicated by the space between the sides of the webs and the
timber. This space, as well as the space around the bolt, should be filled up with a
bitumenous composition poured in hot, and of such consistency that when dry it will
be still soft.
The space between the cast-iron sleepers and the rail, or beneath the rail and
between the cast-iron chairs, as well as the points between the sets and the rail
should be filled with a bitumenous composition.
In the points of tramways the central groove has an obvious advantage, as one of
the treads of the wheel bears upon one side of the point in all positions, whereas
with the ordinary side grooved rail the whole pressure from one wheel bears upon

page_text: certain narrow parts near the tongue of the point. This causes great wear and tear,
and is a source of much trouble and expense.
The last part of my Invention relates to the means by which this excessive wear
and tear may be reduced, whether central or side grooved rails are used.
Fig. 7 is a plan of an ordinary tramway point, and Fig. 8 of the improved point
in which the transverse scale is larger than the longitudinal scale, in order to show
more distinctly the differences to be explained. In Fig. 7 the tread of a wheel
moving in the direction of the arrow bears upon the shaded portions of the rail.
Between the points A and B the bearing surface is less than in the straight rails,
and at and near the point C the aggregate width of bearing surface is exceedingly
small.
I increase the bearing surface by diminishing the width of the groove at and near
the point C, as in Figure 8, and by raising the bottom of the groove at and near that
point in such a manner that the flange of the wheel may bear upon it. By this
means the bearing surface, as indicated by the shaded portion at and near the
point C, may be made as wide as at any other part, and the wear of the points may
be thereby greatly increased. The narrowing of the grooves is effected by curving
the outer edges of the grooves, as in Figure 8, whereby also a better lead is given to
the wheel from a curved to a straight line. The points being short, as compared
with the rails, which are moreover seldom absolutely straight, are much more easily
set to an exact guage, so that diminishing the width of the groove nearly to that of
the wheel flange produces no inconvenience in practice.
Having thus described the nature of iny Invention, I claim as my improvements
in street tramways,-
First. The fastening, substantially as described, used in combination with any
tramway rail, sleeper, or chair, by means of which a nut and bolt or other similar
combination employed to hold down the rail is so arranged that nicety of work-
manship in laying the foundation sleepers or chairs is unnecessary, and that
although the joint between the nut or bolt and the rail cannot become loose under
vibration, or permit the passage of water to the under side of the rail, the rail may
be fastened down or removed without disturbing any portion of the pavement.
Second. The rail at the joint so formed or drilled out, substantially as described,
that the nut or bolt may be let into it in such a manner that the upper surface of
the nut or bolt shall not be subject to wear.
Third. The combination of a central grooved rail of T section with a grooved
timber sleeper, and with the fastenings, substantially as described.
Fourth. The arrangement, substantially; as described, by means of which the
bearing surface is increased at and near the thin parts of the tongues of tramway
points.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Frederick Deacon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
GEORGE F. DEACON. (L.S.)