IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FASTENING RAILS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Francis Clarke, of Holmer Road, Widemarsh,
in the Parish of Holmer, and County of Hereford, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FASTENING RAILS FOR RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 25th September 1863, and dated the 2nd April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Francis Clarke at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd April 1863.
I, EDWIN FRANCIS CLARKE, of Holmer Road, Widemarsh, in the Parish of
Holmer, and County of Hereford, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FASTENING RAILS FOR RAILWAYS,"
to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to the construction of the chairs and keys
employed to support and fasten the rails to the sleepers on railways, and also
to the method of fixing and securing the same. The chair is formed with a
vertical slot tapering downwards, and which is cut or formed in the inner
faces of the chair, and extends also through the bottom of the same. The
keys are cach formed with a head which fits on the side of the rail and drops
into a recess formed in the chair for that purpose, and a vertical fin projecting
from the outside, and extending downwards in such a form that when the
keys aro placed one on each side of the rail the fins meet underneath, and on
being dropped vertically (in this position) into the chair the fius exactly fit

page_text: and completely fill the taper vertical slot in the chair. The heads of the keys
are the same width as the chair, except at the joint chairs, where they are
made wider so as to act as "fish-plates." In order to keep the keys and rai!
in their position, and to prevent the rail from rising, I drill or form a hole
longitudinally (in the direction of the rails) through the chair beneath the
rail, and form a corresponding hole through the ribs of the keys (half in each)
at the point where they meet under the rail, and I drive a pin through the
chair and the keys, and thus secure the whole firmly together. The chair is
fastened to the sleeper in the ordinary manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin Francis Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
FRANCIS CLARKE, of Holmer Road, Widemarsb, in the Parish of Holmer, and
County of Hereford, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edwin Francis Clarke, Her special license that I, the said Edwin Francis
Clarke, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edwin Francis Clarke, my executors, administrators, or 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 MEANS OF FASTENING RAILS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edwin Francis Clarke, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and
seal of ono of them, 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 I, the said Edwin Francis Clarke, 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

page_text: statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that is
to say :-
These improvements relate to the construction of the chairs and keys
employed to support and fasten the rails to the sleepers on railways, and also
to the method of fixing and securing the same. The chair is formed with a
vertical slot tapering downwards, and which is cut or formed in the inner faces
of the chair and extends through the bottom of the same. The keys are each
formed with a head which fits on the side of the rail and drops into a recess
formed in the chair for that purpose, and a vertical fin projecting from the
outside and extending downwards in such a form that when the keys are
placed one on each side of the rail the fins meet underneath, and on being
dropped vertically (in this position) into the chair the fins exactly fit and
completely fill the taper vertical slot in the chair. The heads of the keys are
the same width as the chair except at the joint chairs, where they are made
wider so as to act as fish-plates.
In order to keep the keys and rail in their position, and to prevent the rail
from rising, I drill or form a hole longitudinally (in the direction of the rails)
through the chair beneath the rail, and form a corresponding hole through the
ribs of the keys (half in each) at the point where they meet under the rail, and
I drive a pin through the chair and the keys, and thus secure the whole
firmly together. The chair is fastened to the sleeper in the ordinary
manner.
In a modification of the above I dispense with the lower part of the fin,' and
drill or form a hole longitudinally through the side of the chair and the rib of
the key for the pin to go through, and in a further inodification I propose to
use only one key of the form last above described.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in the Means of Fastening Rails for Railways," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinctly
understood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof,
and have marked tho same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
In the annexed Drawing, Figure 1 shows an elevation of one modification
of my improved chair and keys, the rail being shown in section; Figure 2 is a
plan view of the chair with the keys in their position; and Figure 3 is an
elevation of the keys removed from the chair.
In this modification the chair A, A, is formed with a vertical slot a, a,
tapering downwards, cut or formed in the inner faces of the chair, and extending

page_text: also through the bottom of the same. The keys are each formed with a head
B, B, (which fits against the side of the rail and drops into a recess formed in
the upper part of the chair for that purpose) and a vertical fin b, b, which fits
into and completely fills the slot a, a, in the chair above mentioned. There is
a hole drilled longitudinally (or in the direction of the rails) through the chair
beneath the rail, and a corresponding hole c through the lower part of the keys,
half in each (see Figure 3). In fixing the rails the keys are placed, as in
Figure 8, one at each side of the rail, and the whole dropped vertically into the
chair, and secured by driving a split pin or screwed bolt d (see Figure 1)
through the chair and the keys.
Figure 4 shows a side elevation of a joint chair wherein the head B, B,
of the key is made wider than the chair, and acts as a " fish-plate."
Figures 5 and 6 show front and sido elevations of a modification of the
above, wherein the lower part of the fin b, b, is dispensed with, and the slot
does not extend through the bottom of the chair.
Figure 7 shows a section of a rail with the keys placed in position prior to
dropping them into the chair.
Figures 8 and 9 show a further modification of the same, in which only one
key is used. In both of these latter modifications it will be observed that the
hole for the split pin or screwed bolt d is made at one side of the chair (half
in the jaw and half in the back of the key), instead of beneath the rail, as in
the former instance. These modifications are also equally applicablo to joint
chairs.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for "Im-
provements in the Means of Fastening Rails for Railways, together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the improve-
ments in the means of fastening rails for railways as shewn in the annexed
Drawings, and above described, or any mere modification thereof constructed
in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Francis Clarke, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
EDWIN FRANCIS CLARKE. (L.S.)