Improvements in Keys for Securing Railway Rails in their Chairs or Seatings.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 23rd Sept, 1887
Complete Accepted, 18th Nov., 1887
Improvements in Keys for Securing Railway Rails in their Chairs
or Seatings.
GEORGE FREDERICK WILLIAMSON Ironfounder Midland Road Wellingborough
Norths. do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KEYS FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS IN THEIR CHAIRS OR SEATINGS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a new form of Key for securing Railway Rails in their
chairs or seatings.
This Invention is designed to obviate the difficulty of Railway Rail Keys becoming
loose and dropping out and consists of a steel or other suitable metal socket of oblong
or other suitable shape with round ends and of suitable depth having a small raised
boss at each end to form a seating for a bolt head & nut, the purpose for which I shall
hereafter describe..
Through the centre of the key & passing through the two Bosses is a bolt with a nut
screwed upon one end outside the end of key.
In applying this key it is first driven in the Chair tight in the usual manner then the
nut upon the bolt is screwed up, contracting the ends of key towards each other &
thereby forcing the key to expand in the centre & so bind against the Chair Jaw &
the Rail Web, making it impossible for the key to drop out either from vibration or
any other cause, whilst to remove the said Key the nut has simply to be unscrewed to
allow the Key to contract to its original shape when it can easily be knocked out.
This form of Key can be applied to almost all kinds of Railway Rail Chairs at
present in use but in making new Chairs it is advisable to make the Jaw next to Key
slightly hollow on the inside so that in tightening the nut the said key expands & beds
itself into such hollowed part.
It is obvious that I may further modify the construction herein before described
without departing from the nature of my Invention.
Dated this 31st day of December 1886.
GEORGE FREDERICK WILLIAMSON.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION...
Improvements in Keys for Securing Railway Rails in their Chairs
or Seatings.
GEORGE FREDERICK WILLIAMSON Ironfounder Midland Road Wellingborough Norths.
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYS FOR
SECURING RAILWAY RAILS IN THEIR CHAIRS OR SEATINGS" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This Invention relates to a new form of Keys for Securing Railway Rails in their
Chair or Seatings.
The invention is designed to obviate the difficulty of Railway Rail Keys becoming
loose & dropping out and consists of a steel or other suitable metal socket of oblong or
other suitable shape with round ends and of suitable depth having a small raised boss
at each end to form a seating for a bolt head & nut the purpose for which I shall
hereafter describe.
Through the centre of the key & passing through the two Bosses is a bolt with a
nut screwed upon one end outside the end of Key.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a plan.
Fig. 2 is a Bolt with square neck.
Fig. 3 is a section through the key.
In applying the said key it can either be put in the chair with the Bolt through the
key or the said key can be placed in the chair and the Bolt inserted afterwards & by
screwing up the nut upon such Bolt the ends of the key are drawn or contracted
towards each other thereby expanding the key against the Rail Web and Chair Jaw
which owing to the formation of the key makes it impossible for the key to become
loose or drop out either from vibration or any other cause whilst to remove the key
for replacing Chairs &c. the nut upon the Bolt has to be unscrewed which allows the
key to contract to its original shape & so enables it to be easily removed.
:-
Amongst the advantages afforded by my Invention I will mention the following
viz. The key is elastic, very durable, & can be easily inserted and removed to allow
rails to be renewed or taken out, or for other purposes. It can be made to suit any
existing Rail or Chair. It forms a very secure fastening which cannot be loosened,
or fall out as wooden keys do, especially in tropical climates. Its action is not
affected by weather or change of climate. The same shaped key but with solid ends
can be used without the bolt.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said Invention & in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The above described method or manner of providing for the retention of keys
between Railway Rails and their Chairs or Seats by expansion of the said key as
specified.
Second. The said description of key with solid ends but without the Bolt as
described.
Dated this 22nd day of Sontember 1887