IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING RAILS TO METALLIC SLEEPERS
Year: 1883

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Raphael Hunter Brandon of N° 1 Rue Laffitte Paris,
France, Engineer and Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ATTACHING RAILS TO METALLIC SLEEPERS communicated to him by Emil
Tölcke of Elberfeld, Germany, Engineer, and Carl Eichhorn, of Papierfabriken
near Julich, Germany, Manufacturer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Raphael Hunter Brandon
"
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1883.
RAPHAEL HUNTER BRANDON, of N° 1 Rue Laffitte, Paris, France, Engineer and
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING RAILS TO METALLIC SLEEPERS
(A communication to me by Emil Tölcke of Elberfeld, Germany, Engineer, and
Carl Eichhorn, of Papierfabriken near Julich, Germany, Manufacturer)
This Invention relates to certain improvements in attaching rails to metallic
sleepers, and tho annexed drawings are illustrative thereof. Fig 1 is a plan of the
sleeper at the part where the rail is to be attached, Fig 2 is a similar plan with
the rail attached. Fig 3. is a sectional elevation through C. D. Fig 2. of the sleeper
with the rail attached to the same, and Fig 4 is a sectional elevation through A. B.
Fig 2 of the rail attached to the sleeper.
The means of attachment consist of four mechanical agents, one of which is a
hooked plate 1, which holds one Hango of the rail 3, to the sleeper 4. 2, is a
second hooked plate which is placed on the other side of the rail and is caused to
hold its other flange hard against the sleeper, by means of a short hooked lever 6,
which is raised by a key 5, and together hold the rail solidly in place fixed on the
sleeper. For the passage of the parts 1, 2, and 6, corresponding holes 7, 8, and 9,
are made in the sleeper as shown in Fig. 1.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Raphael Hunter Brandon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th December 1883.
RAPHAEL HUNTER BRANDON of N° 1 rue Laffitte, Paris, France, Engineer and
Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING RAILS TO METALLIC SLEEPERS (a
communication to me by Emil Tölcke of Elberfeld, Germany, Engineer and Carl
Eichhorn-of Papierfabriken, near Julich, Germany, Manufacturer.
This invention relating to the attachment of rails is based mainly on the use of
a key in conjunction with a lever; in order that it may be clearly understood, I
will describe the same in conjunction with the 9 figures of the two accompanying
sheets of drawings in which, Fig: 1 is a plan of the same; fig: 2 'a front elevation
in section through A, B fig: 1; Fig: 3 a lateral elevation in section through C. D
fig: 1 and fig: 4 a plan of the cross sleeper, at that part where the rail is attached
thereto; fig: 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 are five fractional views of the main parts drawn to
double tlie size shown in the 4 first figures.
The inner flange of the rail is held fast on the sleeper by the combination of
three parts, viz. the staple-hook a, the guide piece b and the key or wedge c,
whilst the outer flange of the rail is held down on the sleeper by a staple d.
In the ordinary permanent lines, the strain exerted laterally against the inner
face of the head of the rail, produced even in the normal state of the line by the
unavoidable trepidation of the vehicles tends to tilt-the-rails-outward whereby the
inner flange is raised from the sleeper; this together with the wear & tear of the
trains causes friction between the said inner flange and the staples or other agents
used to hold it down, whereby little by little an injurious amount of play occurs
between these two parts. This initial play is the cause of the general loosening of
the attachment and the consequent increase of the gauge of the line; this gives
rise to excessive wear and tear of the outer attachment as well as of the rest of the
permanent way. The construction of a rational attachment for the inner side of
the rails is subject to the following conditions:
1. Mainly avoiding the tilting of the rails by their fast and durable connexion
with their sleeper at the outer flanges so as to counteract forcibly any play which
might arise. 2. To this end and to prevent as far as possible, the trepidation by
the passing trains producing a play in the locking agents themselves and in their
connexion with the rail and the sleeper, it is desirable to make use of a simple
device capable of holding the rail-flanch fast with great force-3. The taking up
of any play in the readiest, most certain and perfect manner-4. The arrangement
of the individual or separate parts should be such that a direct contact of the rails
with the fastening device does not take place.-5. The fastening devices should
not be affected or deranged either by the usual operations of raising the way by
packing it with earth both as a natural foundation & as a rectification of the rails,
or by the longitudinal and vertical displacement of the rails with regard to the
substructure. 6. All intermediate parts between the rail and the sleeper are to
be avoided because they are detrimental to the fastening by producing play.
When the great wear and wear of the rails by the passing trains is taken into
consideration, there can be no doubt that the wedge is the most suitable agent for
attaching rails and it is unhesitingly [sic] to be preferred to all other simple agents
in laying down and taking up lines as well as for renewing the same.-Guided by
the above considerations, we have based our system on the application of a
horizontal wedge in combination with a lever.

page_text: The fastening agents are placed in the following order and manner through
holes made in the sleeper: first, the guide-piece b is introduced and pressed down
nearly to its head, when once in position, the staple-hook a is inserted and lastly
the wedge c is laid on the sleeper. The effect produced by the connection of these
parts as regards the attachment of the rail to the sleeper and the taking up of the
slack are as follows: by driving the wedge, the upper arm of the staple-hook is
raised by the guido-pieco which is capable of moving up and down in its holo cut
through the sleeper, the lower arm of the staple-hook raised against the under-
face of the sleeper and against the shank of the guide-piece, the shoulder of the
said staple-hook which is opposite the rail bears upon the flange of this latter.
The rail and the sleeper are pressed in contact by the driving of wedge, the action
of which is principally vertical and thereby wo ensure a considerable force which
prevents the tilting of the rails. Any play that might occur vertically as well as
all surface inequalities in the rail flanch and the sleeper are taken up rapidly and
completely by a blow on the wedge. The wedge likewise neutralises any vertical
slack as well as any horizontal play between the clamping agents. In order to
facilitate the motion or action of the staple-hook and for the purpose of fixing
more accurately its bearing point, the lower arm of the clamp is rounded off at its
upper face and at its end bearing surface. The displacement of the rail towards
the inside of the line is materially impossible in consequence of the direction of
the inclination of the upper arm of the staple-hook and also in consequence of tho
lower arm of the staple-hook acting against the shank of the vortical guide piece
and more generally on account of the locking nature of the attachment. As shown
in section, the clamp is constructed so that its bearing surface against the lower
tangential point of the rounded part of the rail flanch at which any play is likely
to occur in the first instanco and its bearing point against the guide-piece and
finally its bearing point against the sleeper, form a triangle of certain dimensions,
which dimensions depend upon the size of the rail flanch, sleeper and guide-piece, as
well as upon the shape of the wedge. The peculiar form of the staple hook
facilitates the introduction of the fastening devices into the holes cut in the
sleeper. These holes are made accordingly and in accordance with the requisite
increase of width where curves exist and the corresponding direction of the rail
in the interest of the fixity, these dimensions should however be reduced as far
as it is possible.-The guide-piece serves, first as an intermediate agent between
the wedge and the staple-hook; Second to prevent any lateral deviation of the
upper arm of the staple-hook; third to prevent as large and as invariable friction
surface for guiding the wedge, and fourth to prevent any lateral displacement of
the wedge. In order, that during the motion of the staple-hook requisite for
taking-up the play, the upper arm of the samo should not bo gripped against the
guide-piece, this latter is slightly curved towards the rail on its upper surface
against which this arm of the staple bears. Whilst taking up the play, the upper
arm of the staple moves on this rounded part at that point which is to be con-
sidered a fixed point; whilst it is rising it moves laterally towards the rail. The
bearing point on the flanch of the rail is pressed downwards (with a very slight
horizontal action) and the bearing point against the sleeper moves slightly towards
the guide-piece in consequence of the rounded part of the lower arm of the staple-
hook. In order to effect a more intimate connection of the fastening devices
between themselves, the bearing surface of the upper arm of the staple-hook on
the guide-piece can be limited laterally as well also as the bearing surface of the
lower arm of the said staple-hook, as shown in dotted lines. In practice however,
this complication of the construction will be found superfluous. One of the great
advantages of this system of fastening is that the action of packing the earth
under the permanent way and the horizontal displacement of the sleepers against
the ground not only produce no effect on the security of the attachment, but on
the contrary the tendency is to produce a contrary effect, for this packing of the
line tends to raise the guide pieces and thereby augments the efficacity of the
attachment. It is of importance to state that any slack which may occur in the

page_text: holes cut in the sleeper is hardly worth taking into account, insomuch as the
lateral pressure of the vehicles, as regards the inner attachment, is not exerted on
the said holes, but on the contrary, on the upper surface of the sleeper. The
object of the attachinent of the rails on the outer side is, substantially to provide
for a resistance against the lateral pressure exerted against the inner side of the
rails. For such outer attachment, a simple Vautherin clamp is therefore made use
of, the shape of which, as well as its relation to the holes cut in the sleeper have
been improved. The outer clamps hitherto used have the disadvantage of being
thrown out of their holes when great vertical trepidation of the sleepers takes
place and when the rails are curved towards the inside of the line, especially when
the inner attachment slackens. To prevent this occurence which is dangerous for
the traffic, the clamp has been provided at its lower part and externally with a
projection which, in the case of such trepidation bears against the sleeper. In
order to facilitate the passing of the clamp into its hole and in order to provide
for the same size of the latter, both as regards the normal gauge of the line and
an increase of the same, the clamp is curved correspondingly at the inside.
I claim as the improvements constituting the present invention :
First. In an inner attachment of rails upon iron longitudinal and cross sleepers
by means of horizontal wedges, the combination of the staple-hook and guide-piece
with the wedge placed upon the sleeper parallelly with the rail and,
Second. In an outer attachment of rails upon iron longitudinal and cross sleepers,
the outer clamp, firstly with an under outer projection and a corresponding curve;
secondly in its form adapted to improved (made of) holes in the sleeper (with
rounded corner and increased bearing surface) in combination with such holes.
In Witness whereof, 1 the said Raphael Hunter Brandon have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 19th day of December in the year of our Lord 1883
י
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