IMPROVED MEANS FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS IN THEIR CHAIRS AND AT THEIR JOINTS
Year: 1885

page_text: and at UROLL JCIES.
I, ALFRED BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON, of The Globe Steel Works, Sheffield in the
County of York, Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVED MEANS FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS IN THEIR CHAIRS AND AT THEIR
JOINTS"
to be as follows:-
I
The chief object of my invention is to provide for securing more effectually than
heretofore what are known as double-headed or "bull-headed" railway rails in
the cast iron chairs now so extensively used on railway lines.
Rails of this class are ordinarily secured in position in their chairs by the
insertion, between one jaw of each chair and the rail, of a single wooden wedge,
which, by reason of shrinkage in dry weather and of vibration, is very liable to
become loose and fall out of its place and thus endanger the lives of passengers
on the lines. But, by my invention, I obviate liability to displacement of the wedge
or wedges.
In carrying my said invention into practice, instead of using one wedge as
heretofore, I usually insert two wedges between one jaw of each chair and the
rail, in opposite directions. These two wedges are formed with suitable holes or
grooves to permit a screwed bolt to be passed longitudinally through them both
when inserted into their places so that by means of a nut placed on the end of
such bolt the said wedges may be drawn towards each other to tighten them. To
obtain the required elasticity in the support for the rail, I prefer to use solid
wedges of wood or papier maché, or hollow elastic wedges of metal, which
correspond in form with the jaw of the chair and the side of the rail and thus
afford efficient support to the rail. These wedges may be made either so that their
smaller ends pass each other within the chair when drawn together as above
specified, or so that the said ends will not reach or touch each other even when
the nut is screwed up as tightly as possible.
Ordinary bolts and nuts may be used for the tightening up of these wedges, but
as ordinary nuts are frequently loosened by vibration, a very important feature of
my invention is the use, in combination with the said wedges, of bolts and nuts
such as are described in the specifications of former Letters Patent granted for
inventions communicated by me from abroad and dated 18th April 1877, N° 1508,

page_text: and 11th December 1878, N° 5082. The said wedges are thus held in an absolutely
secure manner within the chairs, the said nuts never becoming loose on the said
bolts after they have been properly tightened. When, by reason of shrinkage, the
wedges become so loose in the cbair as to no longer afford sufficient support to the
rail, the nut can be screwed further upon its bolt and the wedges thereby again
tightened.
I prefer to make the thick ends of the wedges too thick to pass between the rail
and the chair.
Where ordinary cast iron joint-chairs, or other chairs fixed on sleepers, are used
for joining the ends of railway rails; or where elastic or spring sheaths or clips
are used for forming suspended joints of rails, I deem. it advisable to secure the
rail-ends therein by wedges, such as those above described, the smaller ends of
which will pass each other and which will act at, or about, the centre of the joint
so as to afford proper support to the extreme ends of the rails where such support
is most required; and in cases in which the sheath or clip used possesses sufficient
elastic gripping force in itself, the wedges used may be made of any kind of metal
and, with the exception of the holes or grooves required for the bolt, may be formed
of solid metal.
According to a modification of my invention only one wooden or metal wedge
is used. A projecting piece is, in this case, fixed on the smaller end of the wedge,
or on a bolt or rod passing through the wedge from the smaller to the larger end
thereof, after the said wedge has been inserted between the rail and the chair.
This projecting piece has a tapped or screw-threaded, or imperfectly tapped or
screw-threaded, bolt-hole in it, into and through which a bolt can be screwed, so as
to bear against that side of the chair corresponding with the smaller end of the
wedge. By screwing up the said bolt against the chair, not only will the displace-
ment of the wedge be prevented but the said wedge can be tightened when
required. In this modification of my invention also, I consider it important that
one of my patented locking bolts should, in each instance, be used, as it will not
become loose through vibration.

page_text: :
Improved Means for Securing Railway Rails in their Chairs
and at their Joints.
I, ALFRED BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON, of the Globe Steel Works, Sheffiel, in the
County of York, Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The chief object of my invention is to provide for securing more effectually than
heretofore what are known as double-headed or "bull headed" railway rails in
the cast metal chairs now so extensively used on railways.
Rails of this class are ordinarily secured in position in their chairs by the
insertion, betweone jaw of each chair and the rail, of a single wooden wedge,
which, by reason of shrinkage in dry weather and of vibration, is very liable to
become loose and fall out of its place, and thus endanger the lives of passengers.
But, by my invention, I provide efficient means for tightening the wedges and
preventing their displacement.
In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated various modifications of my
said invention.
Figure 1 is a plan, partly in horizontal section, shewing a rail secured in a
chair by means of two wooden wedges and a bolt and nut, as hereinafter described.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the chair, shewing the rail in transverse section.
Figure 3 is a plan shewing a modification of my invention wherein the two
wedges overlap each other.
Figure 4 is a plan, and
Figure 5 a side elevation, partly in section on the line x, x, Figure 4, shewing a
modification of my invention wherein I employ two hollow metal wedges.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the said hollow wedges and the bolt and nut for
tightening the same and securing them in place.
The remaining figures of the drawings are hereinafter referred to.
a is the chair, b the rail.
In Figures 1 to 6, c, c¹ are the wedges, which are inserted at opposite sides of
the chair a; d is a screw-bolt which is passed through holes in the said wedges
and is provided with a nut e, whereby the said wedges can be drawn towards each
other to tighten them.
To ensure the required elasticity in the support for the rail, I prefer to use
wedges of wood or papier maché, or hollow elastic wedges of metal, of such form
that they will fit between the jaw of the chair and the side of the rail, and thus
afford efficient support to the rail. The wedges c, c' are, in some instances, made as
shewn, in Figures 1 and 2 or as in Figures 4, 5 and 6, so that they cannot meet or
touch each other within the chair and thus prevent their being tightened. In
other instances, they are made as shewn in Figure 3, so that, when inserted in
place, their smaller ends will pass or overlap each other within the chair.
I prefer to make the larger ends of the wedges too thick to pass between the
ril and the chair.

page_text: Ordinary screw-bolts and nuts may, if desired, be used for tightening, and
preventing the displacement of, the wedges, but, as ordinary bolts and nuts are
liable to become loosened by vibration, a very important feature of my present
invention is the use, in combination with the said wedges, of bolts and lock-nuts
such as are described in the specifications of former Letters Patent dated 18th April, 5
1877, N° 1508, and 11th December, 1878, N° 5082. By these means the said
wedges can be held in an absolutely secure manner within the chairs, as the said
nuts can never accidentally become loose on the bolts after they have been
properly tightened thereon. If, by reason of shrinkage or other cause, the wedges.
should become so loose in the chair as to no longer afford sufficient support to the 1
rail, the nut can be screwed further upon its bolt and the wedges thereby again
tightened.
Where ordinary cast iron joint-chairs, or other chairs fixed on sleepers, are used
for joining the ends of railway-rails; or where elastic or spring sheaths or clips
are used for forming suspended joints of rails, I prefer to secure the rail-ends in
the said chairs, sheaths, or clips by means of wedges, such as those above described,
the smaller ends of which will pass or overlap each other, as shewn in Figure 3,
and which are so formed that they will bear against the rails and chair at, or
about, the centre of the joint, and thus afford adequate support to the extremities
of the rails, where such support is most required. In cases where an elastic sheath
or clip is employed, the wedges used may be either of wood or of metal, and may
be solid, with the exception of the holes or grooves required for the bolt.
When I employ only one wedge in each chair, I sometimes form the said wedge
with a longitudinal groove c² and pass the bolt d through the said groove, between
the chair and the wedge, as shewn in plan and elevation in Figures 7 and 8. The
bolt & is, in this case, made with an excentric head d¹ which bears against the
large end of the wedge, and which is, in some instances, fitted within a recess or
cavity in the wedge. A plate or washer fis placed upon the bolt d, so that, when
the nut e is tightened, the said plate or washer will bear against the side of the
chair. The said wedge can be tightened by screwing up the nut e; or it can be
tightened by means of a hammer, and then the bolt and nut will be used merely
for the purpose of retaining the wedge in place when thus tightened.
In some instances, I provide the washer or plate f with an extension f¹, as
shewn in plan and elevation in Figures 9 and 10. When the nut e is tightened,
the said plate bears against the side of the chair and its extension f¹ bears against
the rail; the said plate, therefore, constitutes a very rigid bearing surface either
for the head of the bolt, as shewn in Figures 9 and 10, or for the nut in cases
where the position of the bolt is reversed.
When a hollow metal wedge is employed, the bolt d is sometimes rivetted
thereto, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, of which Figure 11 is a plan, partly in
horizontal section, and Figure 12 a side elevation partly in section on the line x, x¹,
Figure 11; or the said bolt may, if desired, be otherwise attached to the wedge.
Figure 13 is a plan, and
Figure 14, a side elevation, partly in vertical section, shewing a modification of
my invention wherein I use a wooden wedge c and a wood-screw d³, which is
passed through a hole in the washer or plate f and is screwed into the small end
of the wedge, as shewn.
Figure 15 is a plan, and
Figure 16 a side elevation, partly in vertical section, shewing another modifi-
cation of my invention wherein I use a wooden wedge and a wood-screw d³ having
an excentric head d. This screw is inserted in the small end of the wedge, and,
when the said wedge has been tightened by means of a hammer, is screwed up until
its head bears tightly against the side of the chair as shewn. It, therefore, serves
to prevent the displacement of the wedge.
Figure 17 is a plan and Figure 18 a side elevation partly in vertical section,
showing a modification of my invention wherein a projecting piece g is attached to
the smaller end of the wedge. Or the said projection may be fixed or secured on

page_text: a bolt or rod passing through the said wedge. The projecting piece shewn in
Figures 17 and 18 has in it a tapped or screw-threaded, or imperfectly tapped or
screw-threaded, bolt-hole, through which a bolt d is screwed. This bolt bears
against the side of the chair, in which I sometimes form a recess to receive the end
of the bolt and thus prevent the displacement of the projecting piece g.
By screwing up the said bolt against the chair, the displacement of the wedge is
prevented, and the said wedge can be tightened when required. In this modification
of my invention, it is important that the bolt and the screw-threaded hole in the
projection should be formed relatively to each other as described in the said
former specifications.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The employment of a screw or screw-bolt and nut for securing a wedge
in a railway chair, sheath, or clip, in the manner above described.
Second. The combination of a pair of wedges with a railway-rail and a chair,
sheath, or clip, and with means for tightening, and preventing the displacement of,
the said wedges, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Third. The combination, with the wedge or wedges, of a locking bolt and nut
such as those described in either of the above named former specifications, for the
purpose above specified.
Fourth. The combination, with the chair a and rail b, of the wedges c, c¹, the
bolt d, and the nut e, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2,
or to Figure 3, or to Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The combination, with a wedge for holding a railway-rail in its chair,
sheath, or clip, of a bolt passing through a hole or groove in the said wedge and
provided with a washer or plate and a nut, substantially as described with
reference to Figures 7 and 8, or to Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings, for the
purpose specified.
Sixth. The modification of my invention wherein the bolt is rivetted or other-
wise attached to the wedge, substantially as described with reference to Figures 11
and 12 of the drawings.
Seventh. The modification of my invention wherein I employ a wood-screw,
with or without the washer or plate, substantially as described with reference to
Figures 13 and 14, or to Figures 15 and 16 of the drawings, for the purpose
specified.
Doted thin 60th
3000