IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING THE NUTS OF SCREW BOLTS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Cunliffe, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY CHAIRS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING THE NUTS OF SCREW BOLTS
Sealed the 9th July 1875, and dated the 21st January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Cunliffe at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st January 1875.
I, RICHARD CUNLIFFE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING THE NUTS
OF SCREW BOLTS FOR RAILWAYS AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in railway chairs consist in securing the rails to the
chair by means of a wedge which is pressed downwards by a screw that
passes through the wedge and through the chair into the sleeper; the
taper of the wedge bears against the taper jaw of the chair. In joint
chairs the wedge must be long enough to overlap the ends of the rails,

page_text: thus answering for the usual fish plate. The screws are tapered with
the larger diameter near the point to obtain a firm hold in the wood.
My improved apparatus for locking nuts is particularly applicable to
locking the nuts of the bolts passing through the fish plates of railway
joints, but it may be applied for other purposes. When applied to fish
plates two or more holes are punched in a strip of wrought iron which
is placed over the ends of the bolts, and the edges of the strip are
notched out to the size of the nut. When the nuts have been screwed
home they are prevented from becoming unscrewed by driving a chisel
or wedge between, the fish plate and the strip, thereby causing the corner
of the notch to start up and come against the side of the nut, thus
effectually preventing the nut being unscrewed or even getting loose.
By making the notches on both edges of the strip it can be reversed
when required, or a notched plate, one edge resting against the head of
the rail or other fixture may be applied to cach bolt. The notches are
made of an oval form to enable both the edges to be started up when
the nut is screwed home.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Cunliffe in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th July 1875...
7
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
CUNLIFFE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard Cunliffe, Her
special licence that I, the said Richard Cunliffe, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Cunliffe, my 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 lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
'
·
.

page_text: -
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING THE
NUTS OF SCREW BOLTS FOR RAILWAYS AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon-
-the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Cunliffe, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Cunliffe, do hereby declaró
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, (that is to say):
My improvements in railway chairs consist in securing the rail to the
chair by means of a wedge which tightens itself by gravity, or which is
pressed downwards by screws; the taper of the wedge bears against the
taper jaw of the chair. In joint chairs the wedge must be long enough
to overlap the ends of the rails, thus answering for the usual fish
plate.
My improved apparatus for locking nuts is particularly applicable to
locking the nuts of the bolts passing through the fish plates of railway
joints, but it may be applied for other purposes. When applied to fish
plates two or more holes are punched in a strip of wrought iron which is
placed over the ends of the bolts, and the edges of the strip are notched
out to the size of the nut. When the nuts have been screwed home
they are prevented from becoming unscrewed by driving a chisel or
wedge between the fish plate and the strip, thereby causing the corner
of the notch to start up and come against the side of the nut. or a
notched plate, one edge resting against the head of the rail; or other
fixture may be applied to each bolt.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily.
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Shoot
of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Fig. 1 is an elevation; and Fig. 2, a plan of a railway chair con
structed according to my Invention,

page_text: a is the ordinary double headed rail, and b, the chair in which it is
fixed. The chair consists of an inner jaw b¹ which is made as usual, and
an outer jaw which is tapered to correspond with the taper of the
cast-iron wedge c. The wedge is prevented moving endwise by ribs on
each end fitting into recesses in the chair.
.
.
In laying the rails it is most convenient to place the rail in a diagonal
position on the chairs, as shown in dotted lines, and to put a wedge over
each chair, the attendants then by levers, cause the rail to assume a
vertical position, and in so doing the wedges drop into their places, and
then by striking gently upon them they bind the rail against the inner
jaw b'. When the rails are properly laid it is impossible for the wedges
to work loose, for if any. play should take place the wedges drop by
their own gravity along the taper jaw b and consequently continue to
bind them against the rail. :
Figs. 3 and 4 are an clevation and plan of a joint chair, constructed
according to my Invention. In this case the ends of the rails a meet in
the chair b, and the wedge'e is long enough to project beyond the ends
of the chair, to which are cast the projections e which are recessed to
hold the heads of the bolts f; these bolts pass through holes in the
wedge and are held down by nuts which are tightened up when required.
In order to lock these nuts after they have been screwed home I place
under each a plate or washer g, the front edge of which is notched out,
as shown in Fig. 4, and the back edge rests against the rib on the
wedge c to prevent it turning round. When the nut has been screwed
up the attendant by means of a chisel or wedge causes the corner of the
notch in the plate g to start up, as shewn in Fig. 3, thereby preventing
the nut from coming loose.
Figs. 5 and 6 represent an elevation and plan of another of my
improved joint chairs. In this case the wedge c, shewn detached in
Fig. 7, is locked by means of a second wedge c¹ which enters in a slot
in the jaw 63 of the chair b; the side slot ³ in the jaw b is to insert a
lever or other instrument to slacken the wedge c¹ when required.
Fig. 8 represents another of my improved apparatus for locking nuts.
g is a strip of wrought iron which fits over the ends of two or more
bolts, and the edges of the strip are notched out and turned up to lock
the nuts, as before described. The shape of the slots or notches can be

page_text: varied, and the locking plates can be applied to other purposes besides
railways.
Having thus described the nature of. my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not
intend to limit myself to the details given, and that I claim,—
First. Securing railway rails in their chairs by means of vertical
wedges which are tightened up by their own gravity, or by screws, or by
a second wedge, as shewn and described.
And, Secondly. Locking the nuts of screw bolts used for railways and
for other purposes by starting up the edge of a slot is a plate placed
under the nut, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Cunliffe, have hereto set
my hand and scal, this Seventecth day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.
RICHARD CUNLIFFE. (L.S.)