Year: 1899

page_text: I, GEORGE FILEWOOD DEWDNEY, of Dumballs Road, Docks, Cardiff, in the
County of Glamorganshire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
The supports are to serve as a connection between an ordinary railway rail
& the sleeper & such like purposes, this connection is now generally made by
means of a casting & wooden wedge or key & is generally known as a railway
chair.
The body of the chair in this invention is made from a rolled metal bar which
is cut to the required lengths & the section of the bar is such that it forms a
channel (between which the rail is placed) & a base which extends beyond the
sides of the channel the sides of the channel, & between which the rail is
placed, are formed at an angle other than a right angle to the base of the chair,
so that when the rail is in position & vertical the web of the rail & the sides of
the chair form a wedge shaped section. Keys or wedges of rolled or cast metal
are formed to suit the section between rail & side of chair & because of their
form they can be tightened on rail.
To secure the wedge in position a hole is formed in the vertical sides of chair
so as to admit a set bolt & nut, a corresponding recess is also formed in wedge
& the arrangement is such that the wedge is tightened when the bolt is screwed
down & both nut & bolt, & wedge are prevented from "working out."
Should the nut & bolt not be required in one wedge, that wedge may be
retained in position by forming a wedge shaped hole in side of chair into which
is driven a wedge shaped bolt, the end of which bolt projects into the wedge of
chair, either method of securing wedges may be applied to both, or one method
to each wedge.
The general arrangement as described can be applied should the web of rail
be formed so as to form a wedge shaped section with the side of chair, in which
case it would not be necessary to form the sides of the chair at an angle to the
base other than a right angle.
The whole can be made from castings or any suitable metal.
1
1000

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object the construction of rail supports or chairs
and fastening devices that shall more effectually secure and retain the rails in
position than the ordinary chairs with wooden keys or wedges at present in
general use.
In order that my invention may be the more readily understood I append
hereunto two sheets of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to.
Figure is an end elevation showing one of my improved chairs with the
rail secured in position therein.
Figure 2 is an elevation showing one side of the chair, and Figure 3 a
similar view showing a portion of the other side.
Figures 4 and 5 are side elevations of the respective wedges shown at
Figure 1.
Figure 6 is an elevation and Figure 6 a plan of a bolt and nut for securing
or adjusting wedge.
Figure is a side elevation and Figure 7ª an end elevation of a wedge
retaining key.
Figure 8 is an elevation of another form of retaining key.
Figure 9 is an end elevation showing the application of my invention to
another form of rail.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts:
I make the body of the chair A from a rolled steel bar of a trough or
channel section, such bar being cut into lengths corresponding with the required
length of chair. The channel sides between which the rail B is placed, are
formed at an angle other than a right angle to the base of the chair, as shown
at Figure 1, so that when the rail is in position in the trough or channel, the
spaces between the web of the rail and the channel sides are of a wedge-like
shape or section.
The dimensions of the rolled section bar are made to suit the particular
service and type of rail for which the chairs are required, as are also the wedges
and other parts.
The rail is secured within the chair or support by means of wedges preferably
such as C and D of rolled metal but they may be made of cast or malleable
cast metal, or wood, made to suit the section of rail in use. The wedge C is
preferably hollow or U-shaped as illustrated, and has a slot or aperture as c
formed in same to admit nut E. which is inserted in the wider part of the slot a
(Figure 2) in one side of the chair. The bolt F works through the nut E and
its lower end abuts against the wedge as illustrated; thus on tightening up the
said bolt the wedge C is forced between the rail and chair side, and when the
wedge is properly secured the end of the bolt will project below the bottom of
the slot a in the chair side and so both the bolt and the nut will be prevented
from working out through the said slot; the wedge C will also be prevented
from working out of the chair.
The wedge DI preferably retain in position by means of a key G of a
tapered or wedge shaped section, (as shown at Figure 7), having ears or pro-
jections g. The hole or aperture d in the wedge D is of sufficient dimensions
to admit any part of the key G. but the wedge shaped or tapered slot or recess a¹,
(Figure 3), in the side of the chair or rail support is not wide enough to admit
the upper portion of the key where the aforesaid ears or projections gare dis-
posed. But the wedge hole or aperture d is so disposed that when the wedge D
is placed in position the said aperture d projects sufficiently above the top of
the chair side to admit the projection of the kev G. The key is afterwards
driven tightly home to the position.indicated, until the projections are below
the top of chair side: neither the key or the wedge can then work out of posi-
tion when in service.

page_text: sometimes employ a key pin such as shown at Figure S, either of a circular
or angular section and tapered or straight, and fit the same into corresponding
lateral holes or apertures in the body of the chair and the wedges, (such as in
the manner shown at Figure 9); and I also employ other fastenings or retain-
ing pieces in place of those herein before described. In some cases I dispense
entirely with the use of wedge fastening or retaining devices.
After the rail has been properly secured within the chair by means of the
aforesaid wedges, any tendency of the rail to lift, to sink, or to cant over when
in service, will impart or tend to impart a corresponding movement to the
wedges, and thus owing to the inclined position of the chair sides forming the
wedge shaped spaces herein before described, the rail and the wedges will auto-
matically jamb and so become the more effectually and rigidly secured together.
To prevent creeping of the rail relatively to the chair by the action of the
rolling stock, I sometimes pass a bolt entirely through the chair body and the
rail and fastening devices thus effectually securing them together.
When constructing a joint chair in accordance with my invention, I make
the chair body of sufficient length to receive wedges that shall extend a suffi-
cient distance along the adjacent ends of each rail. No independent fish plates
are required with such a joint chair. The wedges on one or both sides of rail
may be in one or more lengths as desired.
In the construction of supports. or chairs for a rail having a tapered or
wedged shaped web A¹ as shown at Figure 9 I make the sides of the chair
vertical or at right angles with its base as shown, and employ wedges H H¹ in
the tapered or wedged shaped spaces between the web and the chair sides.
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:
1. Rail chairs or supports having bodies formed from rolled steel or other
metal with sides parallel to each other but inclined to the base at an angle other
than a right angle, substantially as described.
2. Rail chairs or supports having bodies formed from rolled steel or other
metal with sides parallel to each other but inclined to the base at an angle other
than a right angle, in combination with wedges formed to suit the spaces
between the web of the rail and the said chair sides, substantially as described.
3. In rail chairs or supports, the combination with a rail having a wedged
shaped web, of a chair body having sides at right angles with its base, and
wedges fitting tightly within the wedge shaped spaces between the web and the
said chair sides, substantially as described.
4. In rail chairs or supports, the means for locking or preventing displace-
ment of the wedges inserted between the rail and the sides of the chair, sub-
stantially as described and as illustrated.
5. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming the improved
method of constructing rail supports substantially as and for the purpose
described and as illustrated.
MARKS & CLERK,
18. Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, & 25. Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.