CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twelfth day of June, in the thirteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her especial license, full power, sole privi-
lege and authority, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Edward Newton,
my exors, adiñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," being a communication from abroad; in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said William
Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and

page_text: in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to
be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Edward Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
:-
This Invention of certain Improvements in the Construction of Railways
has for its object the construction of the permanent way of railways in a more
secure and stable manner than is usually done at the present time; and also in
arranging the two lines of rail upon which the carriages are intended to run
in such a manner that, in the event of a portion of one line getting loose
or out of order, such derangement shall not materially affect the other line,
as is now the case when both lines of rail are secured to the same transverse
sleepers.
In setting forth the Invention my correspondent says, the conditions to
be fulfilled for obtaining the greatest stability in a railway, as well as to
lessen the expences of repairs and baulage, and to obtain the greatest
durability in the permanent way, are as follows:-
First. the apparatus or sleepers intended to support the two lines of rails
must be independent of each other, in order that any part of one line of
rail, if not properly set, or in the event of its becoming loose during work-
ing, may be easily raised or lowered to any required elevation, or adjusted
or inclined according to the gauge of the wheels, without the apparatus for
supporting the opposite line of rails being in anywise deranged or put out
of order. It is also necessary that this independent apparatus should be
arranged in such manner that the instability of one line shall not neces-
sarily involve the instability of the other, as is the case with the transverse
wooden sleepers, the looseness of one end of which also involves the loose-
ness of the other. This apparatus must also be so constructed and adapted
to the intended purpose that it shall effectually and securely hold the ex-
tremities of the rails in such manner that the pressure of the wheels,
which takes place alternately upon each rail, shall not communicate a twist
to the chair, thereby causing the sleeper to oscillate in the direction of its
axis, to the great detriment of the stability of the whole system. This alternato

page_text: depression of the rails at their junction is the frequent cause of their getting
out of order, and also of the displacement of the chairs, and consequently the
cause of the carriages frequently running off the rails, the chances of which
increase as the flange of the wheel approaches by wear to a right angle with
the periphery, and is thus enabled more readily to mount upon the loose rail.
The apparatus for supporting the two lines of rails must remain firm and sta-
tionary (notwithstanding their complete independence as regards any alteration
in their inclination, or in depressing or raising them). They must remain
perfectly fixed and firm in the direction of their parallelism in order to
preserve the gauge of the rails with perfect accuracy.
Lastly, the under surface of the apparatus must have such a form that it
may be easily ballasted, and the ballast retained by it in such a manner that
it cannot be easily shaken out or removed by the vibrations communicated to
it by the passage of the carriages along the rails.
Many attempts have from time to time been made to dispense with the use
of transverse wooden sleepers, and employ, instead thereof, bearings or supports
of other materials. Cast-iron transverse sleepers have sometimes been used,
but, owing to their rigidity, they have not been found to answer the purpose.
Malleable or wrought iron transverse sleepers have also been employed, and on
these sleepers the cast-iron chairs were secured; but such sleepers, being elastic,
were found to possess some of the defects incidental to the wooden ones. One
disadvantage resulting from the use of transverse sleepers is, that neither end
of the sleeper can be touched or moved without in some measure affecting the
opposite end.
In the present improvements the use of transverse sleepers is dispensed
with, and, in place thereof, the cast-iron chair is cast on a plate of such a
forin and dimensions as to resist the downward pressure of heavy weights
as well as lateral displacement by the wheels of the carriages. In order to
preserve the rails in their parallel position, and prevent the sleepers or bearing
plate from being displaced sideways, the under surface of the said sleepers has
a cross flanges or projecting ribs cast thereon. One of these flanges or ribs runs
parallel with the rails, and, being sunk into the ballast, resists any lateral pres-
sure, while the other flange or rib runs at right angles to the rail, and serves
to give strength and stiffness to the sleeper, and also prevents any longitudinal
displacement. In order further to secure the perfect parallelism of the rails
the sleepers are connected transversely by wrought-iron rods or bars, which will
not have any other effect upon the sleepers than to prevent them from moving
asunder transversely, leaving the sleepers otherwise perfectly independent of
each other; so that if one sink it may be raised and properly adjusted without

page_text: interfering with the sleeper at the opposite end of the transverse rod or bar.
It is not, however, absolutely necessary to employ this tie rod, and therefore it
may under some circumstances be dispensed with.
Having briefly described the object of the present improvements, I will now
proceed to point out and explain more in detail the construction of the various
parts as shewn in the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a
vertical section of the improved sleeper and chair intended to support the joint
between two adjoining rails.
Fig. 2 is a similar view of a chair and sleeper for supporting an intermediate
part of the rail.
Fig. 3 is a plan view, or horizontal section, taken in the line A, B, of
Fig. 1. The jaws of the joint chair are constructed in such a manner that the
two rails may be secured separately in the chair by means of separate keys,
quoins, or wedges, as seen best in Fig. 3. For this purpose the outer jaw of
the chair is divided into two parts D and D*, so that the ends of the rails A
and A may be secured in the chair means of separate keys, quoins,
or wedges B and B*, in order that either rail may, if required, be- removed
without disturbing the other, as is now the case. I would here remark, and
wish it be distinctly understood, that although the chair is constructed in
the manner just described, still it is only one single chair. This chair may
also be applied to ordinary sleepers, that is, instead of having a chair of the
peculiar form just described, cast on an iron sleeper, the chair may be cast
separately, as usual, and secured to a wooden or other sleeper in the ordinary
manner.
Fig. 4 is a view of the under side of the sleeper, and represents a section
taken in the line C, D, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of an intermediate sleeper taken through the
chair in the line A, B, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a joint sleeper and chair taken in the line E, F,
of Fig. 1, and M, N, Fig. 4.
Fig 7 represent a longitudinal or side view, and also an end view, of one of
the transverse bars which connect two opposite chairs together. The ends
of this transverse rod or tie bar are formed with a head, which, being dropped
into a socket in the chair, securely holds the two chairs together without any
other fastening. A is the rail shewn in section in Fig. 1, and secured in the
chair by a wooden wedge B. C is the inner jaw, and D the outer jaw of the
chair; the outer jaw in Fig. 3 being divided as already described. E is a
socket or hole for receiving the head of the transverse bar. e, e, is a space
or opening made in the inner jaw of the chair, and into which the end of the

page_text: transverse bar, Fig. 7, must be introduced in order to allow the T-shaped head
of the bar to drop into its place. F is the table or horizontal part of the
sleeper. G is a deep feather or projecting rib formed on the under side of the
sleeper for strengthening it, and causing it to resist any shocks that might
otherwise break it or cause any longitudinal displacement. H is another
projecting feather placed at right angles to the former, and is intended to
prevent the sleeper from slipping or moving sideways. J is a feather or pro-
jecting edge formed on the upper side of the sleeper for the purpose of
strengthening the same, and supporting the jaws of the chair.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me as
aforesaid, and the best means with which I am acquainted for carrying the
same into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I am aware that cast and
wrought iron sleepers, having chairs cast or secured thereon, have been hereto-
fore used for supporting the rails of railways; I do not, therefore, intend to lay
claim to the exclusive use of sleepers and chairs cast in onc piece, except
when they are constructed and applied according to the present improvements;
nor do I intend to claim the exclusive use of transverse iron bars or tie rods.
But that which I consider to be new in the above-described improvements in
the constructions of railways, and therefore wish to claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
The peculiar form and construction of the cast-iron sleeper or bearing plate
shewn in the Drawings, with a chair cast thereon.
I claim particularly dividing one of the jaws of a joint chair into two parts
in order that the ends of the two rails may be held or fastened separately, and
in a more secure manner than by the ordinary modes of fastening, so that if
one rail should require to be removed, this operation might be effected without
interfering with the other rail.
I claim this mode of constructing chairs, whether employed in conjunction
with the other improvements herein set forth or adapted to any of the
ordinary kind of sleepers.
I also claim connecting two opposite bearing plates or sleepers together by
means of a transverse bar or tie rod, the ends of which, by taking into holes or
sockets made in the sleepers, will thus securely hold them together without any.
other fastening.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
W. E. (L.S.) NEWTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid William Edward Newton came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and speci-
fied, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.