An Improved Railway Sleeper.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1890-Accepted, 1st Mar., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Railway Sleeper.
I, ROBERT HIRSCHBERG of 7 Bentinck Terrace, Regents Park, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman (a communication to me from abroad by Michael
Hagarty, of West Bay City, in the County of Bay and State of Michigan U.S.A.,
Lumber Merchant) do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in metal sleepers for railroads, and
pertains more especially to that class of metal sleepers which are formed of two longi-
tudinal sections having laterally-extended flanges to receive and support the rails, and
provided with upwardly-projecting clutching devices for engaging with the rail-flanges
to retain the rails thereon; and the invention consists in means for retaining the said
sleepers in a proper position in relation to each other, and in the locking devices for
retaining the clutching devices in engagement with the rail-flanges, and in the
combination, arrangement, and construction of the several parts of the device, as I
hereinafter more fully describe, and especially point out in the claims.
The objects of my invention are to provide a railroad-sleeper of metal, which is at the
same time cheap and easily constructed and also durable and effective in its operation, and
also to arrange a metal railroad-sleeper with suitable devices for clamping the rail in
position, and with locking devices whereby the said clamping devices are held in position for
securing the rail to the sleeper; and a further and more important object is to provide
a railway-sleeper which is arranged to quickly clamp the rail in position or to release
the same, as desired, and which will at all times retain the rails in proper position
relative to each other, and which may be easily ballasted and supported, whereby a
great saving in labour of railway construction and repairs is obtained, and a more
lasting, permanent and substantial road is provided which greatly reduces the liability
of accident and the cost of operation.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 represents a side view, in elevation, of my improved railway-sleeper,
showing the rails clamped in position; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 represents the same with the parts in position before the rail is clamped, and
Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a sectional end view of Figure 1 on
line y y. Figure 6 is a section of Figure 1 taken at xx and showing a wrench
applied thereto. Figure 7 is a part side view of one of the sleeper sections and
showing an alternate method of clamping the rails thereto. Figure 8 is an end view
of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a sectional end elevation of an alternate form of sleeper.
Similar letters designate the same parts throughout the several views.
Referring to Figure 1, A represents a bar or plate of iron rolled to the required
thickness and with its upper edge turned outward, forming an upper flange B, at right
angles with the vertical body portion C, and, as shown in the illustration, the lower
edge is also turned outward in the same direction, and formed into a lower flange D,
the plate or bar A, being cut to the required length to form a railway-sleeper. In the
centre portion of the vertical body C, is formed a longitudinal slot E and the end
portions of the body are also provided with the oblique slots F, which for
convenience, are shown as inclined in the same direction. Through the central
portion of the upper flange B is formed a transverse slot H, and near the ends of the
sleepers are provided the raised clamping devices I which may be formed as shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 partially cutting the portion from the plate and raising it
upwardly to the required distance and bending it to conform to the side of the rail,
or, as shown in Figure 7, the clamping portion may be formed separately and
rigidly attached to the plate by bolts or rivets K. Suitable bolts L are then
passed through the upwardly turned portions I and the rails, as shown in Figure 1.

page_text: When the clamping devices are secured to the sleepers by bolts K-as shown in
Figure 7-and are of the pattern shown, it will not be found necessary to bolt
the rails to them, as they should be made sufficiently strong to grip the rail by
themselves; bolts may however, be used if desired.
The sleeper sections are preferably rolled out of steel or iron, but they may also be
cast in steel, iron or other suitable metal if desired. When cast, they may be of a
light pattern if desired, and be strengthened with webs M as shown in Figure 9.
The improved railway-sleeper is formed by placing two of the before-described
longitudinal sleeper sections, A, with the outer surfaces of their vertical body
portions C, bearing against each other and with their flanges projecting in opposite
directions. This brings the central slots E, opposite or coincident with each other,
and through these slots is passed a bolt, T which is provided with washers N and a
nut U, which is screwed to a position to hold the parts against each other, but
still allow a longitudinal movement thereof, if desired. This position of the sections A
also brings the clamping devices in a position that the clamps I of the one section A,
will reach upon or engage with one side of each rail, while the other clamping pieces
of the other section will reach upon and engage with the opposite side of the rails.
When the sleeper-sections are moved to a position for securing the rails, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2, and in which position also, the oblique end slots F in the one
section A cross the oblique slots in the other section A, and which of course incline
in the opposite direction and leave free openings at the crossings of the slots through
both portions C, and through which when the rails are clamped in position, are passed
the bolts O provided with suitable washers Q, and nuts P, which are screwed tightly
down to retain the plates rigidly in position for holding the rails in place.
In practice the improved sleepers are placed in position upon the road-bed, and
resting upon the lower flanges with the bolts O removed and the sections A moved to
the position shown in Figures 3 and 4. The rails are then laid in position between
the clamping devices, a wrench S provided with downwardly-projecting lugs Ris
placed with the lugs R in engagement with the slots H which on operating the
wrench in the required direction moves the sleeper sections endwise in opposite
directions and closes the clamping devices I upon the sides of the rails. This position
of the sleeper-sections then provides openings at the crossings of the oblique slots F
through which the bolts O are passed, and the nuts P then being tightly screwed in
place the parts are firmly locked and held in position, the oblique slots being so
arranged that no matter what reasonable variation may exist in the rail-flanges they
will cross each other and form a free opening for the bolts O which, when in position,
firmly lock the sleeper-sections, as the oblique form of the slots prevents any longi-
tudinal movement of the sleeper-sections so long as the bolts are in position and the
rails and clamping devices prevent any vertical movement of the sleeper-sections.
It will be seen of course, that by forming the sleeper-sections A as set forth, a
great advantage is gained in the manufacture and shipping of the parts, as only one
set of punches and dies is required to construct the sections, both being the same,
and that no especial care and attention are needed to put the parts together to form
the sleeper complete, and the sleeper-sections and bolts can be forwarded separately
to their destination and put together as needed for use.
Another and great advantage is the ease with which a railway can be constructed
with the improved sleepers and the effective and permanent support afforded by the
clamping devices, and the sleeper-surface for the rails, all of the clamps closing
firmly against the lateral edges of the rail flanges, as well as over the same, so that a
more solid and uniform support for the rail is obtained, and the sleeper-sections being
all of the same pattern, when the rails are secured to the sleepers they are at once
brought to a uniform gauge, from which there is no liability or chance of departure.
The width of the lower flanges D, may be regulated to suit the circumstances in
which they are placed and the material of the road-bed, and, as shown in Figure 6 may
be made quite narrow to permit the ballast to be tamped beneath the upper flanges in
order to level and support the rails, or may be formed wider, so that they will operate
to support the rails upon the road-bed independently from the upper flanges.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. As a new article of manufacture, a railway-sleeper-section consisting of a rolled-
metal plate having the vertical body portion C. provided with the central longitudinal
slot E and the oblique end slots F, and having the upper horizontal flange B provided
with the cut-out and raised clamping devices I for the purpose of holding rails of the
kind shown, and the central transverse slot H and having the lower horizontal flange D,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination in a railway-sleeper of the vertical longitudinal sections
secured together side by side and capable of a longitudinal movement in relation to
each other, and provided with laterally-projecting upper flanges and locking devices,
as the diagonal slots cut through the said vertical sections and crossing each other,
and the bolts passed through the crossings of the said slots for retaining the said
clamping devices in engagement with the rails, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination, in a railway-sleeper of the sleeper section A, having in its
body portion the longitudinal slot E and the oblique slots F and having the longi-
tudinal flange B provided on its upper surface with the rail-clamping devices I with
the other sleeper-section A placed with its side against the side of the first named
section A and baving in its body portion a slot E, coincident with the said slot E in
the first named section and the oblique slots F, crossing the slots F in the first named
section, and provided with a flange B, having the raised clamping devices I, and the
bolt T passed through the said slots E of the two sections, and the bolts O, passed
through the said oblique slots, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. The sleeper-sections cast in iron or steel and having flanges and D and a vertical
portion C, slots E and oblique slots F, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. The sleeper-sections A, consisting of rolled iron or steel, or cast in iron or other
metal, and having a vertical portion C with flanges C and D, slots E and oblique
slots F in combination with chairs I secured to the sections A by bolts K, all
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
ROBERT HIRSCHBERG.
By his Agents,
Horn & Son.