IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Warren, of 75, Old Broad Street, in the City
of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 17th August 1854, and dated the 22nd April 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Warren at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
April 1854.
I, JAMES WARREN, of 75, Old Broad Street,. in the City of London, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS" to be as follows:-
These improvements consist of forming each railway bar with three or.
four bearing surfaces, so that when one is worn, another may be brought up
to become the bearing and wearing surface for the time being. These rails
may be made of cast iron, and hollow, with a view to obtain lightness, or
they may be made of wrought iron. The bearing surfaces, which for the
time being are not in use, offer great facility for fixing such forms of rails
in constructing a railway. In making switches, two rails on either side. of a.
way are combined together on a plate or otherwise; these two rails on.
either side of a railway come up to and are in guage at one end with the
two lines of railway with which they are to communicate, and at their other
end they are capable of being made to range with a single line of way,.in

page_text: some cases using fixed and in other cases moveable guards, and in both
cases dispensing with the ordinary moveable facing points heretofore used. In
fixing rails in chairs, in some cases, wedges are introduced under the rails, to
raise and fix-them-in their chairs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Warren in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WARREN, of 75, Old Broad Street, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Warren, Her special licence that I, the said James Warren,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Warren, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Warren, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 James Warren, 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 thereof (that is to say) :-
:-
In the first place I claim a method of constructing a permanent way, as
described in Figures 1 to 6, Drawing No. 1, to be composed of a series of tubes
or angular blades of cast or wrought iron, joined together by flanges and bolts
or any other way, so as to connect the ends to form upon the angles a con-
tinuous longitudinal sleeper and rail, for the passage of locomotive stock, and
conveyance of passengers, cattle, and merchandize usually conveyed upon rail-

page_text: ways, either indurated (chilled) on the carriage bearing surface or not; or, if
advisable, to leave an aperture in the bearing surface of the angle, as repre-
sented in cross section in Figure 1, for the insertion of a wrought-iron rail, or
any. other metal or composition which may be thought advisable, to form an
efficient bearing surface; but in reference to Figures 2 and 5, Drawing No. 1,
supporting lugs a, a, would be cast on at intermediate distances for the better
supporting the blades.
I also claim the making of switches by two rails on either side of a way,
combined together on a plate or otherwise. These two rails on either side of
a railway come up to and are in guage at one end with the two lines of rail-
way with which they are to communicate, and at their other end they are
capable of being made to range with a single line of way; in some cases,
using fixed guards for protecting the ends of rails or bars of iron, whichever
may be used in their construction, but as shewn in Figures 2 and 3, Drawing
No. 3. In Figure 3, I make use of two fixed points, protected and covered by
moveable guard rails a, a; also the means of moving the line of railway to
form a continuous permanent way, and to protect the points.
The crossings are so made as to allow to be turned over and used on each
face of the rail; the section of point c, Figure 1, being shewn in cross section
of b, placed and secured by a new description of chairs; Figures 1 and 2,
Drawing No. 2, to be secured and fastened together, and so formed as to
dispense with the use of wooden keys; but in lieu thereof, to introduce pieces
of iron tapered on both sides, to act upon a similar surface cast upon the chairs
on each side, to act as a fish or bar to secure the rails and double chair,
Figure 2, to be brought together by screws, longitudinally or otherwise, as may
be deemed advisable, as shewn in Drawing No.. 2.
The chair a is applicable also as a joint chair on straight lines by modifying
the shape of the tapered fishing bars.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Warren, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
JAMES WARREN. (L.S.),