IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FASTENINGS POR RAILWAYS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Andrew Muir and James McIlwham, of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Machinists, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FASTENINGS POR
RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Andrew Muir
and Janies McIlwham; at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 29th December 1864.
We, MATTHEW ANDREW MUIR and JAMES MILWHAM, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FASTENINGS FOR
RAILWAYS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object to obtain fastenings for railways, which
shall be simple and economical in construction and use, applicable with new
chairs or sleeper chairs, or with old chairs or sleeper chairs of the ordinary
kind, and less liable to work loose than the various fastenings hitherto
employed. Some modifications of the improved arrangements may be substi-
tuted for the ordinary "fish" joints or end fastenings. The principal part of
the improved fastening is an improved elastic key which is formed according
to one modification by bending a narrow strip of malleable iron, steel, or other

page_text: suitable metal into a hollow coil having an external form approximately
resembling that of the common wooden key. For driving in this key con-
veniently it is preferred to provide a tool formed with a shoulder to bear on
the end edge of the coil, and with a central projecting part to enter within the
coil. The tool is of a length to be held conveniently, and is struck with a
hammer upon its outer end. The elastic coil key is by preference driven in
until its entering end projects slightly beyond the further side of the jaw;
when the part of the coil so projecting expands in consequence of its elasticity,
having been compressed in driving it in, and the expanded part prevents or
resists any tendency of the key to work backwards. If wished, the fixity of
the key may be further insured by bending or setting outwards as much of the
coil as projects beyond the side of the jaw, and this may be effected by means
of the driving tool, which for that purpose should have one end of a suitable
wedge form. The tendency to work loose when a passing train causes or
tends to cause any working or movement upon each other of the rail and
chair is neutralized or very much diminished by the elasticity of the key
which permits it to yield to slight movements without its surfaces of contact
with the rail and jaw sliding upon each other. The arrangements herein-
before described are applicable with chairs or sleeper chairs of the old or
common kind, but in making new chairs or sleeper chairs to be used with the
improved fastenings it is preferred to construct them as described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to the present applicants dated the
16th June 1864, (No. 1494) that is to say with jaws projecting up consider-
ably from their base in order to have some elasticity, and with bottom.supports
situated beyond each side of and not directly between the jaws. In the case
of sleeper chairs it is also preferred to make them of an elliptical or oval form
in plan. According to another modification the rail is suspended between two
elastic keys, and whilst the long jaws are retained they are formed with
shoulders projecting a little inwards to support the outer lower corners of the
elastic keys. The improved elastic key differs from other elastic keys pre-
viously used or proposed in being made up as it were of a number of elements
or parts partially divided across to permit of each part acting independently.
The coiling of a strip of metal into a suitable form is a simple mode of obtain-
ing such a disposition of the parts, but there are obviously many other ways
of making a key of this kind; thus two or more strips may be combined
either one within the other or so as to form a double threaded coil. The strip
or sheet of metal may be of rectangular section or more or less curved, and
when it is curved the combined surface will be undulated, and the key jaw
may be formed with a corresponding undulated surface; or the key jaw may

page_text: be formed with a recess into which one of the coils or corresponding parts
may expand. The key may be made by bending a sheet of metal into the
general form of the key, and then partially cutting or sawing it across to
subdivide its parts to enable them to act independently; or a strip or rod of
metal may be doubled backwards and forwards to form a sheet of suitable-
size, the sheet being then bent into the form of the key. Instead of making.
the elastic coil key of the general form of the ordinary wooden key, it may be
made of any of the forms that have been used or proposed, for which its.
construction may be suitable; and it may be used alone or with a bolster or-
filling piece: In one modification such bolster and the key jaw of the chair
are-shaped as described in the earlier Specification herein-before referred to,
and in this case the elastic coil key may be made of a rounded section trans-
versely but straight and slightly tapered longitudinally so that on-being-driven
in it may be strained to the form of the space between the jaw and bolster and
thus the better resist loosening action. In one modification of the arrange-
ments suitable for the end joint or fastening of the rails a sleeper chair is
formed with one broad jaw for one side of the rails, and a plate adapted to.
the other side is fixed to the jaw by a strong bolt crossing at the joint, the
rail ends being notched to clear it. Two elastic keys are inserted between
the jaw and the rail ends one on each side of the bolt, and to prevent them.
working out, projections are formed on the ends of the plate and pass through
holes formed for them in the webs of the rails so as to catch the outer ends of
the elastic keys. It is preferred to shape the plate so as to bear only near its
ends.. Bottom support is provided in the sleeper chair, and consists by
preference of a middle support at the joint and two others a little asunder,
the latter being made a shade lower than the middle one; this fastening
may be modified in various ways, as for example, by using two bolts instead.
of one, and either near together or sufficiently apart for the insertion of an
elastic key or bolster, as it may be termed in these applications, between
them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James Mollwham in. the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MATTHEW
ANDREW MUIR and JAMES M°ILWHAM, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Machinists, send greeting..

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James McIlwham Her special
licence that we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James McIlwham, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Matthew
Andrew Muir, and James M'Ilwham, our 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 AND RELATING TO FASTENINGS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James
McIlwham, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and seals 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 date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James
Mellwham, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
Our said Invention has for its object to obtain fastenings for railways which
shall be simple and economical in construction and use, applicable with new
chairs or sleeper chairs, or with old chairs or sleeper chairs of the ordinary
kind, and less liable to work loose than the various fastenings hitherto
employed. And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood we have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing what
we at present believe to be the best practical modifications of our arrange-
ments. The principal part of our improved fastening is an improved elastic
key, one modification of which is shown in side view and partly in section
in Figure 1, and in end view in Figure 2. This elastic key 1, is formed by
bending a narrow strip of malleable iron, steel, or other suitable metal into a
hollow coil having an external form approximately resembling that of the
common wooden key. For driving in this key there may be used a tool

page_text: formed with a shoulder to bear on the end edge of the coil and with a central
projecting part to enter within the coil, such tool being of a length to be held
conveniently, and being struck with a hammer upon its outer end. Figure 3
is a plan showing a portion of a rail 2, as held by our elastic coil key 1,
between the jaws 3, 4, of a sleeper chair 5. Figure 4 represents the chair 5,
in longitudinal vertical section, whilst Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section
as taken across the jaws 8, 4. The elastic coil key 1, is by preference driven
in (from the side 6) until its entering end projects slightly beyond the further
side 7 of the jaw 4, when the part of the coil so projecting expands in
consequence of its elasticity, having been compressed in driving it in; and the
expanded part prevents or resists any tendency of the key to work backwards.
If wished, the fixity of the key may be further insured by bending or setting
outwards as much of the coil as projects beyond the side 7 of the jaw, and this
may be effected by means of the driving tool which for that purpose should
have one end of a suitable wedge form. The tendency to work loose when a
passing train causes or tends to cause any working or movement upon each
other of the rail and chair is neutralised or very much diminished by the
elasticity of the key which permits it to yield to slight movements without its
surfaces of contact with the rail and jaw sliding upon each other. The
arrangements herein-before described are applicable with chairs or sleeper
chairs of the old or common kind, but in making new chairs or sleeper chairs
to be used with our improved elastic coil key or fastening, we prefer to
construct them to a certain extent as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to us dated 16th June 1864 (No. 1494) that is to say with
bottom supports 8, 9, situated beyond each side of and not directly between
the jaws. We also prefer to make the sleeper chair of an elliptical or oval
form in plan as shown in the Drawing. According to another modification
shown in plan in Figure 6, and in transverse vertical section in Figure 7, the
rail 2 is suspended between two elastic keys 1, 1, whilst the jaws 3, 4, are
formed with shoulders 10, 11, projecting a little inwards to support the outer
lower corners of the elastic keys 1, 1. Our improved elastic key differs from
other elastic keys previously used or proposed, principally in being made up
as it were of a number of elements or parts partially divided across to permit
of each part acting independently. The coiling of a strip of metal into a
suitable form is a simple mode of obtaining such a disposition of the parts, but
there are obviously many other ways of making a key of this kind. Thus two
or more strips may be combined either one within the other, or so as to form
a double-threaded coil as shown in side view in Figure 8. The strip or picce
of metal may be of rectangular section as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or it may

page_text: be more or less curved as shown in Figures 8 and 9; and when it is curved
the combined surface will be undulated, and the key jaw 4 may be formed
with a correspondingly undulated surface; or the key jaw may be formed with
a recess into which one of the coils or corresponding parts may expand. The
key may be formed by bending a sheet of metal into the general form of the
key and then partially cutting or sawing it across to subdivide its parts to
enable them to act independently; or a strip or rod of metal may be doubled
backwards and forwards to form a sheet of suitable size, the sheet being then
bent into the form of the key. The elastic-coil key may be made in a speedy
manner by means of a small forging machine modified for the purpose. In
this machine there is a slightly tapered round mandril revolving at a slow rate
which is provided with a sliding clutch acted on by a lever. The strip of
metal being heated it is held by one end, and the other end is applied to the
mandril and gripped by the clutch, and as the mandril turns it winds the strip
upon itself into a round coil. The clutch is then released and the coil is
taken off the mandril and is inserted between two rollers which have parts of
their circumference shaped like opposite dies, and as these parts come round
they carry through the coil and compress it from its primary round form into
the square like form of the finished key. Instead of making the elastic coil
key of the general form of the ordinary wooden key it may be made of any
of the forms that have been used or proposed for which its construction may
be suitable, and it may be used alone or with a bolster or filling piece. In
one modification such bolster and the key jaw of the chair are shaped as
described in the earlier Specification herein-before referred to; and in this
case the elastic coil key may be made of rounded section transversely, but
straight and slightly tapered longitudinally, so that on being driven in it may
be strained to the form of the space between the jaw and bolster, and thus the
better resist loosening action. When the rail 2 has its bottom supports at 8
and 9, apart from the jaws on each side, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, if it is
considered desirable to impart some elasticity to these supports elastic coils
like the key 1 may be advantageously used for that purpose as shown in
Figures 10 and 11, which are respectively a transverse vertical section and a
plan. The sleeper 5 is formed with cavities 12 to receive the elastic coils 1-8
at the parts where the bottom support is given. Instead of these coils 13,
various other forms of spring supports may be used, and will contribute
towards the general elasticity of the rail support and fastening which we have
in view.
In our Provisional Specification relative to the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent we described fastening arrangements for the end joints

page_text: of the rails embodying modified applications of our elastic coil key; we do not
now however consider those arrangements to be of sufficient utility, and it is
unnecessary to describe them since we do not make any claim regarding
them.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, we have to state that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that
what we believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured
to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The constructing and arranging of the holding or supporting and fastening
details for the rails of railways substantially in the improved manner herein
described and delineated; and more particularly the employing of an elastic
coil or its equivalent as a key or fastening, the same being made and applied.
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James
McIlwham, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
MATTHEW A. MUIR. (L.S.)
JAMES MILWHAM.
(L.S.)