IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY CROSSINGS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Mansbridge, of Staines, in tho County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY CROSSINGS."
Sealed the 21st August 1875, and dated the 4th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Mansbridge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th March 1875.
I, HENRY MANSBRIDGE, of Staines, in the County of Middlesex,
5 Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY CROSSINGS," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide railway crossings that will
This end I
possess greater endurance than those at present in use.
attain first by ensuring a better interlocking of the main and splice rails

page_text: than heretofore, whereby their working the one upon the other as they
alternately bear and are released from the passing load is provented;
and 2nd, by shaping these rails without resorting to the reheating of
the same.
The Invention applies to various sections of rails, but I will explain it
in connection with the ordinary double headed rail section. Instead of
bending the main rail to obtain the line of divergence to the angle of
the crossing, the head of that rail is simply chamfered on its opposite
sides in a planing machine to form the taper point. The head of the
splice rail is chamfered both to allow of the web fitting against the web
of the main rail, and also to complete the taper point. To provide for
the interlocking of the rails, so much of the head of the splice rail as
remains after the chamfering is grooved or channelled to fit closely to
the head of the main rail and the base of the splice rail is similarly
channelled to fit against the bace of the main rail and embrace its near
flanges. The rails are secured together by transverse bolts with or
without the use of a fish plate. As the abutting portion of the webs of
both rails are retained at their full thickness the strength of the inter-
locked crossing will be ensured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lotters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Mansbridge in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
MANSBRIDGE, of Kepler House, Staines, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Mansbridge, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Mansbridge, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Mansbridge,

page_text: linc A, B, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view taken in the line C, D, of
Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is another section taken in the line E, F, of Fig. 1.
Instead of bending the main rail a, a, to obtain the line of divergenoo
to the angle of the crossing, as is sometimes the case, the head of that
rail is simply chamfered on its opposite sides in a planing machine so as
to form the taper point, as shown at a* in Fig. 1. The head of the
splice rail is chamfered on both sides to allow of the web fitting
against the web of the main rail, and also to complete the taper point.
In order to provide for the interlocking of the rails a and b, so much of
the head of the splice rail as remains (after the chamfering operation)
is grooved or channelled, as shewn at Fig. 2, so as to fit closely to the
head of the main rail a. The base of the splice rail b is similarly
channelled to fit against the base of the main rail a and to embrace its
lower flange. The rails a and b are secured together by transverse bolts
with or without the use of fish plates. I however prefer to use fish
plates, as shewn at c, c, in Figures 1 and 3. As the abutting portions
of the webs of both rails are retained at their full thickness the strength
of the interlocked crossing will be ensured, and neither of the two rails
can be depressed or have any vertical motion, and be thereby displaced
by the weight of a passing train, as such weight will be distributed over
or divided between the main and splice rails, and the pressure will be on
a lino with the webs of the two rails forming the crossing.
By means of my Invention the objectionable practice of cutting the
main rail a in order to form a shoulder for the end of the splice rail to
abut against is avoided, and the bottom of the main rail a remains intact
throughout its entire length, thereby greatly adding to the strength of
the angle or point of the crossing and giving a larger bearing surface on
the chair or sleeper.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the manu-
facture of railway crossings, and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set forth of shaping the ends of the
splice rail and main rail of crossings so that they shall be made to fit
against cach other and be interlocked, and thus prevented from working
on each other as is now the case, and so that both rails may be made to

page_text: take a fair share of the pressure or weight of the trains that pass over
the crossing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Mansbridge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.