IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS."-A communication from abroad by Asa
Bigelow, junior, and Swain Winkley, both of the City, County, and
State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 31st July 1866, and dated the 24th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th February 1866.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," a communication, to be as
follows:-
The object of the said Invention is to make an iron railway that will
combine the elements of strength and elasticity and be without the weight
of metal that has hitherto rendered the cost of such structures so objection-
able, and it consists in placing beneath the rails to be supported an extended
base of corrugated sheet or plate iron, the sections of which are connected
by light wrought-iron cross ties, to which they may be riveted or otherwise
secured. The ridges or corrugations of the said base plates are arranged
transversely across the track, and require no support in that direction; and
to prevent the crushing of the corrugations or the destruction of the series

page_text: of arches, of which the base plates may be considered as composed, the edges
of the outside corrugations are connected by a cap piece extending across
them, which serves as a tie and prevents the spreading or flatening of the
arches and the consequent weakening of the base plate in that direction.
The same end may be effected by riveting the rails to the edges of the plates,
but it is obvious that such an arrangement would be inconvenient to construct
and difficult to repair. The cap piece is formed with lips that are turned up
to grasp the foot of the rail on each side, or it may be clamped and keyed to
the rail as may be preferred, or otherwise secured by bolts or rivets. The
base plates may be made as large as may be required to sustain the pressure
to which they will be subjected, and those under the joints of the rails may
be made with advantage somewhat longer than the intermediate ones, so that
they will serve effectually to splice and strengthen the rails at these points.
It is believed that the form of the corrugations will furnish sufficient
elasticity to obviate the necessity for making the special provision for the
concussive action of passing trains that are usually required with metal or
other rigid ties or supports, but it is apparent that felt or sheet rubber may
be readily interposed, if desired, between the cap pieces and the rails.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said George Haseltine, Her special licence that I, the sid
George Haseltine, my executors, adininistrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said George Haseltine, 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 "IM-

page_text: PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Haseltine, 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 George Haseltine, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be. per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
forming part of this Specification.
:
The object of the said Invention is, to make an iron railway that, will
combine the elements of strength and elasticity, and be without the weight of
metal that has hitherto: rendered the cost of such structures so objectionable,
and it consists in placing beneath the rails to be supported an extended base
of corrugated iron, the sections of which are connected by light wrought-iron
cross ties, to which they may be riveted or otherwise secured. The ridges or
corrugations of the said base plates are arranged transversely across the track
and require no support in that direction, and to prevent the crushing of the
corrugations or the destruction of the series of arches, of which the base plates
may be considered as composed, the edges of the outside corrugations are
connected by a cap piece extending across them, which serves as a tie and
prevents the spreading or flattening of the arches and the consequent weaken-
ing of the base plate in that direction. The same end may be effected by
riveting the rails to the edges of the plates, but it is obvious that, such an
arrangement would be inconvenient to construct and difficult to repair. The
cap piece is formed with lips that are turned up to grasp the foot of the rail
on each side; or it may be clamped and keyed to the rail as may be preferred,
or otherwise secured by bolts or rivets. The base plates may be made as
large as may be required to sustain the pressure to which they will be sub-
jected, and those under the joints of the rails may be made with advantage
somewhat longer than the intermediate ones, so that they will serve effec-
tually to splice and strengthen the rails at those points. It is believed that
the form of the corrugations will furnish sufficient elasticity to obviate the
necessity for making the special provision for the concussive action of passing
trains that are usually required with metal or other rigid ties or supports,
but it is apparent that felt or sheet rubber may be readily interposed if
desired between the cap pieces and the rails.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail with a corrugated support or base
plate made of sheet or plate iron; Figure 2 is an end view of the same;
Figure 3 is an end view, shewing a base plate made of cast iron with the
corrugations in an arched form for the purpose of affording additional strength;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a cross tie which may be used instead of
the ordinary.tie.
The outer edges of the base plates a are connected and tied by the cap
pieces b extending across the corrugations. The lips 6' of these cap pieces, as
shewn in Figures 2 and 3, merely embrace the foot of the rail A sufficiently to
hold it securely in its place; but the said lips may, if desired, be extended up
the sides of the rail, so as to obtain a bearing under the head on each side
thereof which would be necessary with the H form of rail; or one side
of the rail may be left open for the reception of a key, in the manner in which
chairs are generally constructed. When the cross tie c shewn in Figure 4 is
employed the locking piece d fits under the foot of the rail A, and is secured
by the key e. In that case the cap b may be made without lips, its use in
supporting the rail being subordinate to its principal function of keeping the
corrugations of the base plate a in the relations most effectual for sustaining
the required weight. To accomplish this purpose most satisfactorily the said
base plates may be made as large and spaced as far apart as may be considered
best adapted to circumstances.
Having thus fully described the said improvements as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, and shewn how the same may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practise, I claim the Invention substantially
as herein set forth and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, J, the said George Hazeltine, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London, W. C.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.s.)