IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."-A communication from
abroad by Henry Warren Warner, of Greenfield, Massachusetts,
United States of America.
Sealed the 25th May 1866, and dated the 11th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th December 1865.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," a communication,
to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to a method of supporting the ends of railway
rails, whereby the space between the said ends is bridged or filled up and
a continuous bearing surface is afforded to the wheels in passing over the
joints. The rails are thus rendered more durable, and the unpleasant
shaking or jolting caused by. the passage of the wheel from one rail to
another is obviated.
The said improvements consist chiefly in the construction of the chairs
for supporting the ends of the rails, and in the manner of fitting and

page_text: securing these ends to their places in the said chairs. The bed plate of
the chair, which may be secured to the sleepers or cross ties in any con-
venient manner, is formed with a projecting ledge on each side of the top
surface, between which the lower flange of the rails is secured. A vertical
back piece is formed or fixed upon the top of this bed plate having a
central rib or projection on one side. This rib, which lies between the
ends of the rails, serves to strengthen the back piece. The side of this
back piece is formed to correspond with the form of the rails, the said
back piece and rails being made thereby mutually to strengthen and
support each other. The ends of the rails may be made either square or
bevelled, but in either case the back piece must be of a corresponding
shape. Near the end of each rail-a longitudinal slot is formed correspond-
ing with a bolt hole in the back piece. Through these slots and holes
bolts are passed for securing the rails to the chairs. The nuts of these
bolts are screwed up sufficiently tight to hold the rail firmly in its place,
and yet offer no resistance to the expansion and contraction of the said
rails caused by the variation of temperature. If the ends of the rails are
secured to the chair when the weather is hot a close joint should be made,
but if the weather is cold a slight space should be left at the ends of
the rails to allow, the said, rails, to expand without binding on: the rib.of
the back piece. The slots formed for the bolts in the end of the rails
will allow this expantion to take place without any tendency to lower the
chair. from its seat on the cross tie. The back piece being-extended for
a certain distance on each side of the centre of the chair forms a. support
to the wheel as it approaches the end of the rail. As the wheel passes
from one rail to another the entire weight carried by the said wheel is
supported by the back piece. The wheel and its load are thus.carried
steadily over the joints without injury to the ends of the rails,.and without
causing any concussion to the said wheel or to the carriage or other vehicle
supported thereby.

page_text: :
WHEREAS Her-most Excellent Majesty Queen Victòria, by Her Letters:
Patent; bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unid
me, the said: William Robert Lake, Her special licence that I, the
said. William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others' as I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,' an
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I; the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings making a part of this Specification.
The said improvements relate to a method of supporting the ends of
railway rails, whereby the space between the ends of two adjacent rails is
bridged or filled up and a continuous bearing surface is afforded to the
wheels of the locomotive and carriages in running over the joints. The
rails are thus rendered more durable, and the unpleasant shaking or jolting
caused by the passing of the wheels over the space between the ends of
the rails is entirely obviated.
The said improvements consist chiefly in the construction of the chairs
for supporting the ends of the rails, and in the manner of fitting and
securing the rail ends to their places in the said chairs.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair.with the end of a rail secured
therein; Figure 2. is a plan of the same; Figure 3 represents the end of a

page_text: rail; and Figure 4 is a plan shewing a rail end and chair of a modified
form. Like letters refer to corresponding parts in each of the Figures.
The bed plate A of the chair may be secured to the sleepers or cross
ties by screws or in any other convenient manner. The said plate is formed
with a projecting ledge a on each side of the top surface, and the lower
flange (of the rail when properly secured) rests between these projecting
Jedges. A vertical back piece B is formed or fixed upon the top surface of
the bed plate and has a central rib or feather b on one side. This rib,
which lies midway between the ends of the rails, serves to strengthen the
back piece. The contiguous surfaces of the back piece and rails C are
made of corresponding form and are fitted together in such a manner as to
mutually strengthen and support each other. The ends of the rails C may
be made beveled, as represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or square, as in
Figure 4, but in either case the back piece B must be of corresponding
shape. The longitudinal slots c in the end of each rail are formed to
correspond with the bolt holes d in the said back piece. The bolts D,
which secure the rails and chair together are passed through these slots
and holes, as represented in Figures 2 and 4. The nuts E of these bolts
are screwed up sufficiently tight to hold the end of the rail in its place
firmly and closely up to the back piece B, and yet to offer no resistance to
the longitudinal expansion and contraction of the said rails caused by
the variations of temperature arising from changes in the condition
of the atmosphere. If the ends of the rails are secured to the chairs
during the height of summer, or at any other time when the temperature
of the atmosphere is very high, a close joint may be made between the ends
of the said rails and the rib or feather b, as represented in Figure 2, but if
the rails are laid during cold weather a space should be left between the
end of each rail and the said rib or feather, as in Figure 4, to allow the
rails to expand freely in case of any temporary elevation in the surrounding
temperature. This method of securing the rails to the back piece B allows
the expansion and contraction of the former to take place without any
tendency to lower the chair from its place on the cross tie or sleeper, as
the slots c allow the bolts D to move with the end of the rail when the
latter expands or contracts, so that the chair is perfectly free from dis-
turbance no matter what changes take place in the length of the said rail.
The back piece B is extended on each side of the centre of the chair a
sufficient distance to form a steady support to the wheel of the locomotive
or carriage when approaching the end of the rail in either direction, and as
the wheel passes from one rail to another the entire weight carried by the

page_text: said wheel is borne by the back piece B. The wheel and its load being
thus supported are carried steadily over the joints without those concus-
sions which have been found so injurious to the carriages, the ends of the
rails, and other portions of the permanent way where other methods of
securing the rails are employed.
Having thus described the said improvements as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-
First, a railway chair having the back piece B, by means of which in
combination with the similarly formed rail ends a close joint is formed,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Second, the combination of the back piece B with the rib or feather b
on a railway chair, for the purpose and substantially in the manner set
forth.
Third, the construction of a railway chair having the bed plate A, back
piece B (with beveled or square surfaces), and rib or feather b, for the
purpose and substantially in the manner set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)