in the Permanent Way of Railroads.
Year: 1888

page_text: in the Permanent Way of Railroads.
We, KARL LOUIS GOCHT, Architect, and MATTHEE PAUL HERFURTH, both of
Chemnitz in the Kingdom of Saxony and German Empire, 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 :—
The Invention hereinafter described relates to the securing or fixing of iron or steel
rails on metallic sleepers, by the application of clasps or chairs so arranged as to secure
rail and sleeper together with or without the use of wedges.
The Invention is illustrated under three modifications on the accompanying drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 showing one method, figures 3 and 4 a second method and figures
and 6 a third method, figures 1, 3 and 5 being cross sections and figures 2, 4 and 6
longitudinal elevations partly in section of the arrangements.
In the modification figures 1 and the iron or steel rail a is secured to the metallic
sleeper by an iron or other metallic chair c which is shaped on its upper part to fit
the base of the rail a and which projects into the slot e in the sleeper b, the chair
having a groove d into which one edge of the slot e enters and prevents the
chair from slipping out. In fixing the rail in position the required number of
chairs are strung on its base and the rail is theu canted as shown in dotted lines
at figure so that the side of the chair having the groove projects first into the
slote of the sleeper. This being effected the rail which is slightly loose in the chairs
is pressed over to the left until the groove d in the chair and the edge of the slot e
in the sleeper bare opposite each other after which the chair with the rail is pushod
sideways until the edge of the slot e enters the groove d.
C
The chair e is fixed to the sleeper b in this position and in order to provent shifting,
the space in the groove g between the sleeper and the chair is filled by a wedge f
which is passed horizontally into the groove g and afterwards pressed down vertically
into the slot e.

page_text: In order to prevent springing up of this wedge in case of vibration, a split pin h
is passed through a hole in the upper part of the chair the lower part of the pin pro-
jecting down to the wedge. One leg of the pin is bent up so that the other is forced
against the wedge and prevents springing up. The disengaging of the rail from the
sleeper is effected in the following manner :-
The split pin being removed, the wedge can be raised and horizontally drawn
out. The chair with the rail a is then pushed sideways until the edge of
the slot e in the sleeper is free of the groove d when the rail and chair can be lifted
out.
The proper adjustment of the gauge at curves in the line is attained by placing
small iron plates of two to three millimetres thickness in the grooves d or g.
Under the arrangement illustrated by figures 3 and 4 the chair consists of two
clasps or jaws m, m, each of which passes through a slot or slots n in the sleeper bas
in the former case, each clasp or jaw having a groove d into which when the adjust-
ment is effected one edge of the slot n is entered. When the clasps or jaws are
in position the rail is canted as shown in dotted lines at figure 3 and its baso
entered between the clasps, after which the rail is wedged up by means of a
block of wood or other clastic material which is forced in between the base or
sole of the rail and the sleeper. The sliding back of this block under vibration is
prevented by passing nails or spikes through the clasps m into the block.
As a pre-
ventative against decay the wooden blocks may be treated with any suitable chemical
preservative substance and the amount of wood required for them being small the
cost would be very moderate. Great advantages are obtained in using wood as in
consequence of its clasticity it gives smoother travelling. In order to prevent the
wood block from being crushed it is or may be encased in an iron band 1, the top of
which is a little lower than the upper surface of the block so that the rail may not
rest upon the band, but only on the block i. The proper adjustment of the gauge at
curves in the line is in this case also easily effected by the employment in the grooves d
or in the slots n of small iron plates of two to three millimetros thickness as before
stated.
Under the modification illustrated by figures 5 and 6 and which is a combination
of the two previously described arrangements the chair is placed into the sleeper b
from beneath and the rail a rests upon an iron or other frame g open at top and
bottom the wood block employed under the previous modification being dispensed
with. The frame is held in position by pins passing through from side to side of
the chair as shown. Endwise movement of the frame in the chair p is or may be pre-
vented by forming projections u, u on the ends of the frame one projection having a
heel which catches on the side of the sleeper b whilst a split pins passos vertically
through the other projection.
The Invention herein before described is of considerable importance for railroads as
whilst it affords means for fixing the rails which can only be destroyed by tearing
asunder, crushing or shearing the mechanism is very simply applied and easily dis-
engaged, the use of spikes, bolts and wedges as with ordinary wooden sleepers being
dispensed with and by resting the rail upon wood as with the arrangement illustrated
by figures 3 and 4 much smoother travelling is afforded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. On railroads the arrangement and combination of apparatus for securing or
fastening the rails to the sleepers, substantially as described with reference to figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying, drawings.
2. The arrangement and combination of apparatus for fastening rails to sleepers in
railroads substantially as described with reference to figures 3 and 4 of the appended
drawings.
3. The application of a distance piece of wood or other elastic material surrounded

page_text: by a metallic frame between the sleeper and the base of the rail and whereby smooth
travelling is obtained substantially as described with reference to figures 3 and 4 of
the annexed drawings.
4. The arrangement and combination of apparatus for fastening rails to sleepers in
railroads substantially as described with reference to figures 5 and 6 of the accom-
panying drawings.
Data in Thi inih do of Ano 1988
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.