IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Vignoles, of 15, Delahay Street, in the City of
Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY
OF TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 18th April 1879, and dated the 3rd February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Vignoles at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd February 1879.
« IM-
HENRY VIGNOLES, of 15, Delahay Street, in the City of Westminster.
PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS."
The
This Invention has especially for its object to provide a more durable permanent
way with fish plate joints for street tramways, or for tramways or railways upon
which steam or other locomotive engines may be used for hauling the cars.
tram rails I form, as shown in the Drawing annexed, with a longitudinal groove in
the head for the flanges of the car wheels to run in and with a plain vertical
descending stem. The chairs for holding these rails I form with a single jaw or
upright, which fits to one side of the rail and the underside of its head. The rail
may either be bolted to the stem or upright of each chair by a single bolt or by a
pair of bolts, as shown in the Drawing. The chairs are formed with a ledge for
the bottom edge of the rails to rest on, and also it may be with a projection rising
up from this ledge to come on the side of the web or stem of the rail, as shewn.
Where the ends of the rails abut they will be secured to one another by ordinary
fish plates intermediate of the chairs: Or a chair may be placed at the joint and
a single fish plate be placed against the rail ends on the opposite side of the stem
of the rails to that which fits and rests against the jaw or upright of the chair. In
this case the fish plate may be made with a narrow flange to pass below the stem
of the rails. The fish plate may be held by the same bolts as those that hold the
rails to the chairs.
The chairs can be of cast iron or wrought iron, but by preference of malleable cast
iron, whilst the rails are of wrought iron or steel.
The chairs are to be fixed to transverse sleepers, which rest upon a solid bed or
foundation of concrete. The sleepers and the lower portion of the chairs may also
be embedded in concrete, over which may be a layer of asphalte, more especially
if wooden paving blocks are to be used for paving the surface of the roadway.
Or the chairs may be fixed to asphalte 'or concrete blocks by means of bolts
embedded in either.
17"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance-of-the-conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Vignoles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st August
- 1879.
« IM-
-
HENRY VIGNOLES, of 15, Delahay_Street, in the City of Westminster.
PROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS."
This Invention has especially for its object to provide a more substantial and
durable permanent way for street tramways and for tramways or railways upon
which horses or steam or other locomotive power may be used for hauling
purposes.
"
The tram rails I form, as shown on the Drawings hereunto annexed, with a
longitudinal groove in the head for the flanges of the tram car wheels to run in
and with a plain vertical web, but for railways the groove would not be
necessary.
The chairs for holding these rails I form with an upright piece fitted against onė
side of the web and under the head of the rail.
The rail is bolted to the upright piece of each chair either by a single bolt or
by a pair of bolts, as shown on the Drawing, spring washers being used to keep the
bolts tight.
The chairs may be formed with a ledge for the web of the rail to rest on, and
also it may be with a projection rising up from this ledge to come against the side
of the web, as shown.
Figure 1 shows a cross section, and Figure 2 a side view of a rail and chair
attached to a cross sleeper; Figure 3 shows a cross section on a smaller scale of a
roadway with a tramway of this construction laid along it. a is one of the cross
sleepers; b, a chair; c, the rail; d, a layer of concrete; e, e, ordinary paving
blocks, which as the Drawing shows can be laid close up to the sides of the head
of the rail.
Where the ends of the rails abut they can be secured to one another by ordinary
fish plates, each rail joint coming intermediate with two chairs.
Or two chairs can be placed in close proximity to each other at the joints, the
rails being bolted to each chair about 3 to 4 inches from the end of each rail which
for horse traction would make a perfect joint, while for steam traction one fishi
plate about a foot in length can be placed, as shown at Figures 4, 5, and 6, on the
inside of the rail and made to rest on the projection of each chair, whilst the top of
such fish plate fits under the head of the rails; the holding bolts at each of these
chairs will pass through the chair through the web of the rail and through the fish
plate, thus securing a solid joint equal in strength to any part of the rail.
Figure 4 is a cross section taken through a joint formed in this manner;
Figure 5 is a side-view of the joint; and Figure 6, an opposite side view on a
smaller scale."
"
a are the cross sleepers; b, the chairs; c, the rails; f, the fish plate.
Instead of the fish plate being made to bear on its under side upon the chair, as
shown, the rail might be made with a projecting flange along the bottom of the
web and the under side of the fish plate made to bear upon this flange. The flango
may be on the inside only of the rail, or if desired it might be on both sides.
Figure 7 shows a cross section, and Figure 8 a side view of a joint formed in this
manner.
Whichever way is adopted of securing together the ends of the rails the paving
blocks of the ordinary roadway can, as shewn by the Drawings, be laid close up to
both sides of the rail, as neither the chair, the fish plates, nor the heads of the bolts
project beyond the sides of the head of the rail.
The chairs can be of cast iron or wrought iron, but by preference of malleable
cast iron, whilst the rails are of wrought iron or steel.

page_text: The chairs are to be fixed to the sleepers by means of bolts or coach screws,
as shown on the Drawings. If longitudinal sleepers are to be used in place of
transverse sleepers, then the base or foot of each chair is made of a proper form for
attaching to such sleepers.
Or the chairs may be fixed to asphalte or concrete blocks by means of bolts
embedded in or passing through such blocks.
The sleepers may also be embedded in concrete over which may be a layer of
asphalte, more especially if timber paving blocks be used for paving the surface of
the roadway, thus protecting the sleepers from the destructive effects of the changes
of temperature.
For light railways or tramways, where the rails are macadamized and not paved,
the chairs will be made of less height than shewn in the Drawing.
I claim,―
First. The construction of tramways, substantially as herein before described and
shown in the Drawing annexed.
Second. The combination in tramways or railways of rails having a vertical web
with chairs having an upright formed to fit against one side of the web and under
the head of the rails, the uprights of the chairs being secured by bolts to the webs
of the rails, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Third. The connecting together of the abutting ends of the rails by chairs in
close proximity to one another, and by a fish plate extending from one chair to
another, such fish plate being applied to the opposite side of the rails to that which
is bolted to the uprights of the chairs, and the fish plates also being formed to fit at
their top to the underside of the head of the rails, and at their bottom to rest on a
ledge or projection on the chairs or on a flange at the bottom of the web of the rail,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Vignoles, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
HENRY VIGNOLES. (LS.)