IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD TIES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gideon Wesley Cottingham, of the City of Denison, in the
County of Grayson, and State of Texas, United States of America, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD TIES."
ealed the 4th October 1878, and dated the 29th July 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Gideon Wesley Cottingham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th July 1878.
GIDEON WESLEY COTTINGHAM, of the City of Denison, in the County of Grayson,
and State of Texas, United States of America. "IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD
TIES."
The nature of my Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a
railroad tie, a clamp for holding the rail on the tie, and in the combination of parts
as will be herein-after more fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my Invention appertains to
make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation,
referring to the annexed Drawing, which forms a part of this Specification, and in
which,―
•
Figure 1 is a plan view of my Invention; Figure 2 is a bottom view of the same.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figures 4 and 5 are transverse sections on the lines y, y, and z, z, respectively of
Figure 1.
Figures 6 and 7 show a modification of my Invention as adapted to bridges and
trestle-work.
"
The entire metallic railroad tie is constructed of wrought-iron bars or straps of
suitable dimensions. A represents the bottom bar of the tie, which has its ends
turned upward at an angle as shown at A¹. Each end of this bar is then turned
outward, forming a horizontal part A², and the extreme end is turned downward at
an angle forming the foot A³.
Over each part A² is laid a bar B, the ends of which are turned downward at an
angle forming the feet B¹, B', as shown.

page_text: C is the top bar of the tie, which extends over and lies across the bars B, B, and
the ends of the bars C are turned downward at an angle to coincide with the feet
As as shown at C¹.
The parts A, B, B, and C, which form the tie, are united and held together by
means of a clamp and wedge key at each end, which also fastens the rail to the tie.
F, F, represent the rails made in the usual form. Each clamp is made in two
parts which fit over the foot of the rail, one on each side, and the lower portion of
each part of the clamp projects downward through slots in the three parts of the
railroad tie, as shown. The lower ends of the two parts of the clamp are turned
inwards, and a wedge-shaped key G is inserted underneath, which locks the three
parts of the tie together, and the rail to the tie, as shown.
At the points where two rails join together, the two parts of the clamp are
extended at their upper ends to form the elongated bars a, a, which project up
along the web of the rail, and take the place of the usual fish bars.
It will thus be seen that the different parts of the tie are united together by the
same clamps which hold the rails to the tie, and at the joints the clamps form the
fish plates. There are no bolts and nuts in any part to work loose and cause
accidents. The tie is very strong and durable, and forms, as it were, a pillar or
four inclined feet at each end for supporting the rail, thus bracing the same in every
direction.
For bridges and trestle-work, the feet A³ and B¹, B¹, are formed at their lower
ends with flanges d, d, as shown to be bolted to the woodwork, and the turned-
down ends of the bar c are extended downward the entire length of the feet A³, and
bolted with the same bolts as said feet to the woodwork.
Having thus fully described my Invention, what I claim as new, and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,-
1st. A railroad tie made of metal in several parts as described, and united
together by clamps, substantially as set forth.
2nd. A railroad tie made of metal in several parts as described, and united
together by the same clamps which fasten the rails to the tie, substantially as set
forth.
3rd. A bisected clamp with wedge key for securing the rail to a metallic tie
made of several parts, and said parts united by the same clamp, substantially as
herein set forth.
4th. A bisected clamp having its upper portion extended to form fish bars, in
combination with the rails and a wedge key, substantially as herein set forth.
5th. The combination of the metallic railroad tie made in several parts, the rails,
bisected clamps, and wedge keys, all constructed substantially as set forth.
6th. A metallic railroad tie constructed to form a pillar or four inclined feet at
each end, substantially as herein set forth.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 29th day of
June, A.D. 1878, at the City of Washington, District of Columbia, United
Witnesses,
CHARLES LEOPOLD EVERT.
FRANK HERBERT DUFFY.
GIDEON WESLEY COTTINGHAM. (L.S.)