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

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Livesey at the Office of the
Cominissioners of Patents on the 13th October 1879.
JAMES LIVESEY, of 9, Victoria Chambers, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND
TRAMWAYS."
My Invention relates to an improved method of securing rails to iron sleepers s0
as to dispense with detached or loose parts.
For this purpose 1 employ a T shaped bolt, which is inserted whilst hot into a
hole in the sleeper near to the edge of the rail flange; the shank part of the bolt is
then bent upwards tight against the under side of the sleeper and becomes a clip
which though tight can be turned with a key or spanner.
When the rail is laid on the sleeper the T head of the bolt is put parallel to the
rail, and afterwards by giving it a quarter turn part of the bolt head is turned over
the flange of the rail, securely holding it down. In order to prevent the clip bolt
turning round by the vibration of the passing trains, a slight indent is made in the
sleeper, into which the end of the bent clip bolt springs, or two small nipples or
depressions of the plate of the sleeper may be made, over which the bolt end can be
sprung when turned by a key, and between which it rests securely in position.
According to another method, I secure a rail by means of three clip pieces, two
of which are fixed on the outside of the rail at some distance from each other, and
the third is applied to the inside of the rail, midway between the outer clips. This
third clip is made to turn partly round so as to allow the rail to be taken out or
put in, and has on one face next the rail a flat part, which, when in position, is
parallel to and abuts against the bottom flange of the rail; this flat part prevents
the clip from being turned by vibration of the road, but by using a key or spanner
it may be turned, as the rail will yield or bend sufficiently in the distance between
the two outer clips to allow the square angles of the flat part to pass. The two
outside clips may be on a single sleeper or they may be on separate sleepers, one
on each side of the sleeper with the moveable clip. When this plan is adopted an
outside clip may also be fixed on the centre sleeper, but set to rather a wider gauge
so as to allow the moveable clip to turn.
I also arrange an iron sleeper, on which is fixed a single clip to come alternately
on the inside and the outside flange of the rail on alternate sleepers. To get the
rail in position it is laid abutting against and under the inside clips of the alternate
sleepers, and resting on the top of the outside clips of the intermediate sleeper. To
get the rail under all the clips it is necessary to spring it a little. For this purpose I
....מ

page_text: employ a portable lever, the point of which enters into a hole punched in the
sleeper, and can work thereon as on a fulcrum.
To this lever near the lower end is attached an arm, the extreme end of which
is made to grip the rail. By a strain on this lever the rail is sprung under the
clip into its permanent position. The lever may have two arms working on
centres, of which the one is a little above the other. These arms grasp the opposite
rails, and by a movement of the main lever the rails are drawn together or opened
out as may be required for putting in or taking out a rail.
For securing tramway rails to sleepers or vertical chairs I employ an iron or
steel key which is driven through a hole or slot in the web or sides of the rail, and
through a corresponding hole in the iron rail bearer. This slot or hole is made
bent, twisted, or corrugated, instead of being straight, so that when the key is
driven, it is forced to assume the shape of the hole, which prevents it working
loose, whilst at the same time it holds the rail firmnly in position.
In order to dispense with bolts or other fastenings for securing iron blocks or
chairs to sleepers or base plates, a dove-tail channel is formed in the sleeper or base
plate, into which a dove-tail formed on the block or chair is driven, the dove-tail
holding it in position. In wrought iron plates the sides forming the dove-tail
channel may be cut through and bent up out of the plate.
Iron sleepers for tramways are frequently made in short detached lengths for
convenience of carriage, and also to allow the rails to bind to the curves of the
line. The continuity of the sleeper being thus broken it fails to operate as a
girder.
I unite the sleepers by means of a wrough iron flexible plate or plates, thus
forming a continuous girder for the support of the rail, and which at the same time
may be bent to suit the curves of the line. For the straight parts of the road
sleepers of this kind may be made in halves and bolted together so as to break
joint, thus forming a continuous girder bearing.
For a section of tramway rail having a central web, I provide a special groove,
rolled on the underside of the head, into which enters the web of a continuous iron
sleeper or the successive webs of separate blocks or standards.
The object of the groove is to steady the rail and so relieve the bolts and other
fastenings which secure it.
Also for an elastic corrugated metal key and sleeper or chair with a key jaw
having corresponding corrugations or indentations for the key to fit into.
The corrugations or indentations in the key may be rolled on a steel or iron
plate and afterwards bent into the required form.
Where sleepers are of wrought iron they may have a rib for holding down the
rail rolled on the outside opposite to the key jaw which may be bent over in the
form of a clip during the process of rolling; and for a portable railway having the
rails secured to sleepers at or near the ends, and working on a centre pin like the
connecting links of a parallel ruler. For convenience of transport the rails will
shut close together and be opened out when required to be laid. The rails may be
rolled of the bridge or channel section and partially closed in at the bottom so as to
form a dovetail groove. Inside the channel a corresponding shaped nut would be
inserted to receive the bolt or pin which secures the rail to the sleeper, or the
rails may be an ordinary flat bottom section and secured by a pin or bolt.