IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS AND THE MODE OF CONNECTING THE SAME
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Henderson, of 44, Great Russell Street,
Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, Sydney Clulow
Child, of the Grove, Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, and
William Lundi Duncan, of 26, Hunter Street, Brunswick Square, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS AND THE MODE OF CONNECTING
THE SAME."
Sealed the 8th August 1864, and dated the 12th February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Henderson,
Sydney Clulow Child, and William Lundi Duncan at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th February
. 1864.
We, JAMES HENDERSON, of 44, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, SYDNEY CLULOW CHILD, of the Grove,
Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, and WILLIAM LUNDI
DUNCAN, of 26, Hunter Street, Brunswick Square, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for

page_text: "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS AND THE MODE OF
CONNECTING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
These improvements in rails for railways and tramways consist in inserting
the end of one rail into the other, and with the assistance of the chair and
wedge or other means in holding them the rails will be kept firmly together;
the said end of the rail to be by preference of a V or dovetailed shape, so
that when fitted together the rails will be prevented from lifting up or
drawing apart, and by this means do away with the fish plates and bolts now
in use, thus effecting a great saving of metal and labor. Instead of having
the top and bottom or side ends of the rails of a V or dovetailed shape to fit each
other, a dovetailed shaped slot or slots may be formed in the ends of each
rail opposite each other, and a double dovetailed key or keys may be inserted
in the said slot or slots, thus fastening the rails together. The said key or
keys to be secured with the assistance of the chair or other means..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Henderson, Sydney Clulow Child, and William
Lundi Duncan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th August
1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
HENDERSON, of 44, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, SYDNEY CLULOW CHILD, of the Grove, Clapham, in
the County of Surrey, Gentleman, and WILLIAM LUNDI DUNCAN, of 26,
Hunter Street, Brunswick Square, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engi-
neer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, [for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said James Henderson, Sydney Clulow Child; and William Lundi
Duncan, Her special licence that we, the said James Henderson, Sydney
Clulow. Child, and William Lundi Duncan, executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such; others; as we, the said James Henderson, Sydney
Clulow Child, and William Lundi Duncan,, our 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
.

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS AND THE
MODE OF CONNECTING THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said James Henderson, Sydney Clulow Child, and William Lundi
Duncan, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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.
1 NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Henderson, Sydney Clulow
Child, and William Lundi Duncan, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to fasten the rails of railways and tramways
together without fishplates and bolts, thereby effecting a saving in inetal and
labour, and with the assistance of the chair and wedge now in use or other
means the rails will be kept firmly together. For this purpose we have
different means for effecting the same object: First, on the end of one rail a
tongue or web is formed, by preference of a V or dovetailed shape, and in the
end of the other rail a corresponding slot or socket is formed, so that the
tongue or web may be placed from the top in this socket. Second, on
the side of one rail at the end is formed a tongue or tongues, by preference of
a V or dovetailed shape, and in the end of the other rail a corresponding
socket or sockets; so that the tongue or tongues of one rail may be placed and
fitted in the socket or sockets of the rail. Third, in the ends of each rail and
opposite each other a slot or slots are formed, by preference of a V or dove-
tailed shape; so that when the two ends are placed together a double dove-
tailed shape wedge or wedges, or key or keys, may be placed in from the side,
and fit the slot or slots in each of the rails: Any other convenient shape than
V or dovetailed can be adopted.
In order to make the Invention more fully understood we will in this
description refer to the annexed Drawings, showing the rails with one tongue
and socket only and one key, in the various Figures of which corresponding
parts are indicated by the same letters of reference!
Fig. 1 represents a side view, and Fig. 2 a plan view of the end portion of

page_text: two rails a and b. Upon the end of one rail a a tongue or web c is formed
for its whole depth of a dovetailed shape, and in the end of the other rail bis
formed a corresponding slot or socket d, so that the tongue c of the rail a may
be placed and fitted in it from the top.
Fig. 3 represents a cross section, and Fig. 4 a plan of the end portion of two.
rails a and b placed together, with the tongue c of the rail a in the socket on
rail b. In order to secure the joint the ends of each rail are supported in the
chair e, and the key or wedge f being driven in between the chair e and the
ends of the rails, the chair being fixed to the sleeper 9, the rails will be
prevented from lifting up, and from the dovetailed shape of the slot will be
secured from drawing apart.
Fig. 5 represents a side view, and Fig. 6 a plan of the end portion of two
rails a and b. Upon the end of the rail a a tongue c is formed for a portion`
of its depth of a dovetailed shape, and in the end of the other rail b is formed a
corresponding slot or socket d, so that the tongue c of the rail a may be placed
in it from the side and fit it.
Fig. 7 represents a cross section, and Fig. 8 a plan of the end portions of
two such rails a and b placed together. In order to secure the joint the ends
of each rail are supported in the chair e, and the key or wedge f being driven.
in between the chair e and the ends of the rails, the chair being fixed to the.
sleeper g, the rails will be prevented from lifting up, and from the dovetailed
shape of the slot will be prevented from drawing apart.
Fig. 9 represents a side view, and Fig. 10 a plan of the end portions of two
rails a and b. In the end of each rail and opposite each other a slot c is
formed of a dovetailed shape, so that when the two ends are placed in contact.
with the slot in the end of the one opposite that in the end of the other, a
double dovetailed shape wedge or key d may be placed in from the side, and
fit the slots c, c, in the ends of the rails a and b.
Fig. 12 represents a plan view of the end portions of two rails a and b
placed together, with the key or wedge d in the sockets in the ends of each
rail:
Fig. 11 shews a transverse sectional view through the centre of the
wedge d and joint of rails. In order to secure the joint the ends of each rail
are supported in the chair e, and the key or wedge f being driven in between
the chair e and the ends of the rails, they and the wedge d are thus secured,
and the chair being fixed to the sleeper g, the rails will be prevented from
lifting up, and from the dovetailed shape of the slots will be prevented from
drawing apart.

page_text: Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same can be brought into practical effect, we wish it to be under-
stood that what we claim as novel is as follows, the means of joining the rails
in the way or manner as above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Henderson, Sydney Clulow
Child, and William Lundi Duncan, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
JAMES
HENDERSON.
(L.S.)
SYD. CLULOW CHILD. (L.S.)
W. L. DUNCAN.
(L.S.)
Witness,
GEO. WHITE.
JAMES HENDERSON.
(L.S.)
SYD. CLULOW CHILD. (L.S.)
W. L. DUNCAN.
(L.S.)