IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF A RAZZO DOD RATT WAYS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Butterworth, of Chelsea, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF
A RAZZO DOD RATT WAYS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Butterworth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th November 1856.
I, RICHARD BUTTERWORTH, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MEANS OF SECURING THE ENDS OF RAILS FOR RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to secure the ends of the rails in such a
manner as to keep the joint perfectly level, and to prevent the possibility of
one rail rising above the other.
The ends of the rail form a "butt joint," and in the end of each rail
a semi-circular notch (about two inches in diameter) is cut in the web
of the rail, so that when the ends of the rails are placed together the two
notches form a circular hole, one half of which is in the end of each rail.
In this hole a circular key of wrought iron is placed, the said key being the
same thickness as the web of the rail. When the joint is supported in a
chair, the ordinary wooden wedge or key which secures the ends of the rails

page_text: in the chair keeps the circular key above named in its place, thus making the
joint perfectly secure. When the joints occur between the chairs and the
rails are "fished," the "fishes" are provided with three bolt holes each, the
centre bolt passing through a hole in the circular key, and the outer bolts cach
passing through a corresponding hole in the web of the rail near the end
thereof. It will of course bo evident that although the key and hole are spoken
of above as being of a circular form, the same effect would be produced by
making them of a rectangular, lozenge, hexagonal, octagonal, or polygonal
form, but for various reasons the circular form is preferable. The key also
instead of being loose may be made of one piece with the solid side of the
chair, or with one of the "fishes."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Butterworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
BUTTERWORTH, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight bundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her-
reign, did, for llerself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Butterworth, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Butterworth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Richard Butterworth, 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, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF SECURING THE ENDS OF RAILS FOR RAILWAYS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Butterworth, 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
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Butterworth, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawing, that
is to say:
The object of my said Invention is to secure the ends of the rails in such a
manner as to keep the joint perfectly level, and to prevent the possibility of one
rail rising above the other.
The ends of the rail form a "butt" joint, and in the end of each rai
a semicircular notch (about two inches in diameter) is cut in the web
of the rail, so that when the ends of the rails are placed together the two
notches form a circular hole, one half of which is in the end of each rail.
In this hole a circular key of wrought iron is placed, the said key being the
same thickness as the web of the rail. When the joint is supported in a
chair the ordinary wooden wedge or key which secures the ends of the rails in
the chair also keeps the circular key above named in its place, thus making
the joint perfectly secure. When the joints occur between the chairs, and the
rails are "fished," the fishing pieces aro provided with three bolt holes each;
the centre bolt passing through a hole in the circular key, and the outer bolts
cach passing through a corresponding hole in the web of the rail near the end
thereof. It will of course be evident that although the key and holo are
spoken of above as being of a circular form, the same effect would be produced
by making them of a rectangular, lozenge, hexagonal, octagonal, or polygonal
form, but for various reasons the circular or oval form is preferable. The
key also instead of being loose may be made of one piece with the solid side
of the chair, or with one of the fishing pieces.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention of improvements in the
means of securing the ends of rails for railways, I will proceed to describe the
same more in detail; and in order that the same may be perfectly understood,
I have caused to be annexed to this Specification a Sheet of Drawings
illustrating the application of a key of a circular form for securing the rails,
and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a side view of the ends of two rails with their notches and the
circular key, and Figure 2 shews the same when fixed in the chair.
""
Figures 3 and 4 are side view and section, shewing the adaptation of my
Invention to the "fish" joint. The ends of the rail A, A, form a "butt'
joint, and in the end of each rail a semicircular notch a, a, (about two inches
in diameter) is cut in the web of the rail (see Figure 1), so that when the

page_text: ends of the rails are placed together the two notches forin a circular hole, one
half of which is in the end of each rail. In this hole a circular key b of wrought
iron is placed, the said key being the same thickness as the web of the rail...
When the joint is supported in a chair (see Figure 2), the ordinary wooden
wedge or key c, c, which secures the ends of the rails in the chair, keeps the
circular key b in its place, thus making the joint perfectly secure, and prevent-
ing the rising of either end above the level. When the joint occurs between
the chairs and the rails are "fished" (see Figures 3 and 4), the fishing pieces
d, d, are provided with three bolt holes cach, the centre bolt passing through a
hole in the circular key b, and thus keeping the joint perfectly level.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention of
improvements in the means of securing the ends of rails for railways, together
with the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in
conclusion, that I claim as my Invention the forming a notch in the end of each
rail and inserting therein a key of suitable form and of the same thickness as
the web of the rail, for tho purpose of making the joint moro secure, and
preventing the possibility of the end of one rail rising above the level of the
other.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Butterworth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
RICHARD BUTTERWORTH. (L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE DAVIES,
Civil Engineer and Patent Agent,
1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn.