IMPROVEMENTS IN THE POINTS. SWITCHES..AND CROSSINGS OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clay, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Iron Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
POINTS. SWITCHES..AND CROSSINGS OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 18th May 1858, and dated the 19th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clay at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
November 1857.
1. WILLIAM CLAY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Iron Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE POINTS, SWITCHES, AND. CROSSINGS OF THE PERMANENT WAY. OF
RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the points, switches, and crossings of
the permanent way of railways consists in manufacturing such parts of the
permanent way of railways of steel bars rolled into the required form. By
the employment of rolled steel bars for such purposes greatly increased
strength and durability against wear and tear or abrasion is obtained.
An obvious modification of the above consists in making the above articles
from a compound bar composed partly of steel and partly of iron, or of a
material known as homogeneous metal, or a mixture of iron and steel made
into an ingot and rolled down to the required form.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clay in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLAY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,, Iron Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give nud grant unto
me, tho said William Clay, Her special license that I, the said William Clay,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Clay, 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 Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE POINTS, SWITCHES, AND CROSSINGS OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clay, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and scal, 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 dato
of the said.Letters Patent.
'
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clay, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
:-
My Invention of improvemonts in the points, switches, and crossings of the
permanent way of railways consists in manufacturing such parts of the per-
manent way of railways of steel bars rolled into the required form. This
object I effect in the following manner :-I take a bloom, ingot, pile, billet,
or bar of steel heated in the usual manner, and roll it down into a taper forni
such as is required for points, switches, and crossings of the permanent way
of railways, by means of a rolling mill and apparatus such as is described in
the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date December
Sixteenth, One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight. It will be evident
that by thus rolling down the steel point, saitch, or crossing into the required

page_text: form direct from the bloom, ingot, pile, billet, or bar, not only is a considerable
economy of labour and material effected, but the article produced will be
found to be of a superior quality, inasmuch as the metal will be of a denser,
more compact, and durable character than when points, switches, and
crossings are made in the usual way. By the employment of rolled steel bars
for the above-mentioned purposes greatly increased strength and durability
against wear and tear or abrasion is obtained, as compared with the points,
switches, and crossings now generally employed on the permanent way of
railways. Although I prefer to use the mechanical arrangement shewn, and
describo in the Specification of my former Patent above referred to, for rolling
the points, switches, and crossings into the required form, I would observe that
the object may be effected by means of other mechanical contrivances which
are applicable for rolling iron or other metal of a taper form; I do not
therefore mean or intend to confine myself to the use of any particular
construction of rolling apparatus.
An obvious modification of the above consists in making points, switches,
and crossings from a compound bar composed partly of steel and partly of
iron. Various modes may be devised for combining iron and steel for the
above purpose; but in order to produce an useful article it is necessary that
the two metals should be so combined that when the finished article is
produced the outer surface, or that part thereof which will be liable to
abrasion and considerable wear and tear, shall be composed of steel. To
effect this object I take a slab, ingot, bar or bars of steel, and combine it or
them with a slab, bar or bars, or bloom of iron, by rolling the pile together
in a heated state, care being taken that when rolling the combined metals
or compound bar into the required form to produce points, switches, and
crossings, as above mentioned, the steel shall be always kept on that portion
of the outer surface which will be subjected to wear and tear.
If preferred,
a compound bar or bloom may be first prepared in any known and ordinary
manner, and this when subsequently heated may be rolled down into the
required form to produce a point, switch, or crossing with a bard steel surfaco
where required. It is evident that the material known as homogeneous metal,
or a mixture of iron and steel made into an ingot, may in like manner be
rolled down into the required form to proluce the points, switches, and
crossings of the permanent way of railways.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the points,
switches, and crossings of the permanent way of railways, and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim the mode
above described of producing points, switches, and crossings of the permanent

page_text: way of railways of steel or a combination of steel and iron, whereby these
articles are made of an improved and superior quality, and of a denser, moro
compact, and durable character than by the ordinary processes..
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clay, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness;
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM CLAY. (La.)