IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS, AND IN THE MODE OF FORMING THE JOINTS OF THE SAME
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Corbet, of 69, Upper Gardiner Street, in
the City of Dublin, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILS FOR RAILWAYS, AND IN THE MODE OF FORMING THE JOINTS OF THE
SAME."
Sealed the 9th June 1863; and dated the 13th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Corbet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
December 1862.
I, CHARLES CORBET, of 69, Upper Gardiner Street, in the City of Dublin,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILS FOR RAILWAYS, AND IN THE MODE OF FORMING THE JOINTS OF THE SAME,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new form of rail and combined chair, and fish
plate to be used therewith, for forming the junctions of the rails, and consists
in the use of a bridge rail made wider at its upper part or head than at the
lower part or base, the sides being curved inwards at such part. Into the
hollow of this peculiar rail there is fitted accurately a correspondingly shaped
chair or fish plate, or chair and fish plate combined, which enters some little
distance into each end of the rail, the peculiar shape of which prevents all
chance of the rail moving up or down at the joint. .

page_text: It is further proposed to form the chair or fish plate with a base plate having
raised ribs at each side for the purpose of preventing any expansion of the
base of the rail, the edges of the flanges of which abut against the raised ribs
above mentioned. When used between the sleepers the rail is bolted down
upon the base plate of the fish or chair by special bolts, but when used upon a
sleeper the bolts or spikes which fasten down the chair to the sleeper only
need be employed. In some cases bolts are used, the nuts of which project
partly over the flange of the rail, and so effectually prevent all tendency to
rise from the chair. That portion of the chair which acts as the internal fish
plate may be bolted into one rail, and merely slipped into the end of the
other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Corbet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CORBET, of 69, Upper Gardiner Street, in the City of Dublin, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Corbet, Her special license that I, the said Charles
Corbet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Corbet, my executors, administrators, or 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
Jawfully 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 IN THE MODE OF
FORMING THE JOINTS OF THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Charles Corbet, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Corbet, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon; that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a new form of rail and combined chair, and
fish to be used therewith, for forming the junction of the rails, and consists
in the use of a bridge rail made wider at its upper part or head than at
the lower part above the base, the sides being curved inwards at such part
and then curving outwards to form the base. Into the hollow of this peculiar
rail there is fitted accurately a correspondly shaped chair, or chair and fish
combined, which enters some little distance into each end of the rail, the
peculiar shape of which prevents all chance of lateral or vertical motion at the
joint.
It is further proposed to form the chair or chair and fish with a base plate
having raised ribs at each side for the purpose of preventing any expansion of
the base of the rail, the edges of the flanges of which abut against the raised
ribs above, mentioned. When used between the sleepers the rail is bolted
down upon the base plate of the fish, or chair and fish, by special bolts with
washers, but when used upon a sleeper the two bolts and washers which
fasten down the chair or chair and fish to the sleeper only need be employed;.
in all cases bolts are used, the nuts or heads of which project partly over the
flange of the rail, and so effectually prevent all tendency to rise from the
chair or chair and fish. That portion of the chair which acts as the internal
fish may, if desired, be bolted into one rail, and merely slipped into the end of
the other. Iron plates will be used under the rail on every sleeper or on
every second or third sleeper as desired, in order to give bearing surface to
the rail, and to prevent it from sinking into the timber. These plates will be
made wider than the flange of the rail, and have holes in the centre to take a
spike or bolt with a washer of peculiar shape made to take the flange of the
rail and the head of the bolt.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a section of my improved rail with the
combined chair and fish in its place; Figures 2 and 3 represent respectively
in section and plan the combined chair and fish intended to be used at the
joints detached; Figure 4 shows the mode of securing the rails to the inter-

page_text: mediate sleepers; Figure 5 is a plan of the rails and joint chair; and Figure 6
is a detached plan of the rails at the joint, showing the notches left for the
bolts.
- A. is the rail, which rests at the joints upon the chair B; this chair has a
fish C formed upon it, which enters into the contiguous ends of the two rails,
and being of a dovetailed shape prevents all tendency to vertical or lateral
motion of the rail ends; D, D, are raised ribs formed on the chair of the same
height as and fitting closely against the edges of the base of the rail. The
bolts E, E, enter notches F, F, (Figure 6) formed on the end of each bearing
flange of the rail, and pass through the base plate of the chair down through
the sleeper, if the joint be made over a sleeper, but if it be a hanging joint
special bolts are used for bolting the flanges of the rails to the base of the
chair; G (Figure 4), is a flat iron plate which may be placed under the rail
at any one or more of the intermediate sleepers according to the amount of
the traffic; H, H, are washers which rest partly upon the plate G, and partly
upon the surface of the flange or base of the rail; and I, I, are other washers
placed under the bolt heads E.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,--
First, the general construction of rails for railways, and the mode of
securing the same at the joints, as herein-before described.
Second, the peculiar construction of combined chair and fish, and the appli-
cation of the same to the securing the ends of rails for railways, substantially
as herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar mode of fishing the joints of rails for railways, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Corbet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three.
CHAS. CORBET. (L.S.)