IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTERS PAT
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolphus Vogt and Augustus Figge both of No. 14 Baker
Street in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LETTERS PATENT to Adolphus Vogt and Augustus Figge both of No. 14 Baker
Street in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolphus Vogt & Augustus
Figge at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st August 1882.
ADOLPHUS VOGT and AUGUSTUS FIGGE both of No. 14 Baker Street in the
County of Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
AND TRAMWAYS.
"
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This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent way of
railways and tramways.
We employ sleepers of a form which is approximately bell like, and such that
when the sleeper is bedded in ballast it can by turning it be made to screw itself
upwards out of the ground to correct the level of the rail.
Although this sleeper is approximately bell form it is more accurately a double
screw, having two broad and diametrically opposite wing like threads inclining
downwards at a considerable angle and making each somewhat less than half a
turn around a central cylindrical and hollow boss.
The hollow boss is provided with an inwardly projecting flange forming a flat
top with an aperture in the centre. Upon the flat top a chair or rail holder
seated and a boss upon its under side enters the central circular aperture.
Thus the chair or rail holder (except when locked as hereinafter described) can.
turn freely upon the top of the sleeper.
A flat footed rail is generally used; it stands upon the rail holder, in a groove
formed to receive the foot.
The whole is secured by means of two dogs or fastenings and a wedge. The
dogs are passed through holes provided for them in the rail holder on opposite
sides of the rail. The dogs are double headed one head overlaps the flange or foot
of the rail whilst the other engages beneath the flange of the sleeper. The under
surface of this flange is conical and the dogs bear upon the conical surface points

page_text: diametrically opposite. The key is driven down by the side of one of the dogs
which is thus thrust along the rail and away from the opposite dog. It results
that both dogs are simultaneously tightened upon the conical flange of the sleeper
and upon the foot of the rail.
When from time to time it is required to raise the sleeper to compensate for
settlement or from any other cause, the | rocess is to slacken the fastenings by
removing the key then to turn the sleepers round by means of levers until it is
sufficiently raised, in the ballast and then to consolidate the ballast by ramming
through the opening in the top of the sleeper and on either side of the rail and
chair holder. When all is in place the key is again driven home.
It is obvious that similar sleepers may be made but with more than two
downwardly inclining screw wings. Other means may also be resorted to for
securing the rail to the sleeper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Adolphus Vogt and Augustus Figge in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st February 1883.
:
ADOLPHUS VOGT and AUGUSTUS FIGGE both of No. 14 Baker Street in the
County of Middlesex " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
AND TRAMWAYS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the permanent way of
railways and tramways..
We employ sleepers of a form which is approximately bell like, and such that
when the sleeper is bedded in ballast it can by turning it be made to screw itself
upwards out of the ground to correct the level of the rail.
Although this sleeper is approximately bell form it is more accurately a double
screw, having two broad and diametrically opposite wing like threads inclining
downwards at a considerable angle and making each somewhat less than half a
turn around a central cylindrical and hollow boss.
The hollow boss is provided with an inwardly projecting flange forming a flat
top with an aperture in the centre. Upon the flat top a chair or rail holder is
seated and a boss upon its under side enters the central circular aperture. Thus
the chair or rail holder (except when locked as hereinafter described) can turn
freely upon the top of the sleeper. A flat footed rail is generally used, it stands
upon the rail holder, in a groove formed to receive the foot.
The whole is secured by means of two dogs or fastenings and a wedge. The
dogs are passed through holes provided for them in the rail holder on opposite
sides of the rail. The dogs are double headed, one head overlaps the flange or foot
of the rail whilst the other engages beneath the flange of the sleeper. The under
surface of this flange is conical and the dogs bear upon the conical surface at
points diametrically opposite. The key is driven down by the side of one of the
dogs which is thus thrust along the rail and away from the opposite dog.
It results that both dogs are simultaneously tightened upon the conical flange of
the sleeper and upon the foot of the rail.
When from time to time it is required to raise the sleeper to compensate for
settlement or from any other cause, the process is to slacken the fastenings by,
removing the key, then to turn the sleeper round by means of levers until it is
sufficiently raised in the ballast and then to consolidate the ballast by ramming
through the opening in the top of the sleeper and on either side of the rail and
chair holder. When all is in place the key is again driven home.
It is obvious that similar sleepers may be made but with more than two
downwardly inclining screw wings. Other means may also be resorted to for
securing the rail to the sleeper.
In order that the said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
:
Figure 1 represents a plan and Figure 2 a section of a permanent way made in
accordance with this Invention.
Figure 3 represents to a larger scale a plan and Figure 4 a section of a screw
sleeper made in accordance with this Invention.
Figure 5 represents a plan of the bed plate or chair.
Figure 6 represents a section of the bed plate or chair with the fastenings and
part of the sleeper.

page_text: Figure 7 represents a cross section of bed plate or chair with the rail clamped to
it by the fastenings.
a is the boss or upper portion of the screw sleeper; it is cylindrical and has at
its top a flange a flat upon the upper surface and conical on the under surface
at axax a a² are the two wings or screw blades of the sleeper. They
are similar the one to the other, and are symmetrically arranged. Together
they compose a portion of a double screw and these forms may be developable or
such as admit of being laid flat without distortion. B is the bed plate or chair, it
is suitably recessed or grooved to receive the foot of the rail c which rests in this
groove between raised borders b b.
•
The openings d d in this bed plate or chair serve to receive the dogs or double
hooks e, e and the wedge f.. The openings g g serve to ram the interior of sleeper
with suitable ballasting material. The lower portion of the bed plate or chair ĥas
a circular projection b¹ which fits within the flange a' of the sleeper.
To fasten or connect the rail with the screw sleeper the bed plate or chair B is
first placed on the top of the sleeper in the position shown with the circular
projection entering within the inner limit of the flange a¹. After the rail has been
placed into groove in the bed plate or chair the double hooks,e e are inserted into
the openings d d';, after giving these hooks a slight turn their lower conical part is
brought to press against the conical surface a whilst their upper broader parts
clutch the foot of rail c. The wedge f is 'then inserted and a single stroke of the
hammer on this wedge suffices to jam the lower conical portions of both hooks in
opposite directions tightly against the inner conical surface a¹× 'and so fastens the
rail securely on to bed plate and sleeper.
When it is desired to raise or lower the sleeper, the wedge f is first withdrawn,
whereupon the hooks e e become immediately loosened and cease to press against
the conical surface a*. The bed plate or chair thus becoming disengaged from
the sleeper retains its hold upon the rail but enables the sleeper to turn freely
round the bed plate or chair. The rotary motion of the sleeper can be produced
by means of a spanner fitting to projections a³ arranged on the outer part of the
sleeper, or by any other suitable device.
Having now stated the nature of our Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, we claim :-
First. Our bell shaped screw sleeper with downwardly inclining symmetrical
screw wings substantially as herein described.
Second. The combination of the screw sleeper and the bed plate or chair in
which the sleeper when unlocked is able to turn freely about the bed plate or
chair whilst these parts otherwise retain their relative positions substantially as
described.
Third. The means of securing the parts by the dogs or double hooks e é 'and 'the
wedge f substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Augustus Figge have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty fourth day of January in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.