Improvements in Metal Sleepers, and Means for Securing Rails thereto.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1900-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metal Sleepers, and Means for Securing Rails
thereto.
I, ELMER ULYSESS STEWART, of Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to metal sleepers and means for securing rails thereto;
the object of the invention being to provide a sleeper which will be of light,
strong, and durable construction, which will keep in place without being embedded
in ballast, and which will be provided with means whereby the railway rails can
be expeditiously secured thereto.
A sleeper, constructed in accordance with my invention, comprises a suitable
length of metal which is bent upwardly and longitudinally at points equi-distant
and on both sides of an imaginary line running midway the width of the metal
and longitudinally thereof. At a suitable height the metal is bent inwardly so
us to leave a longitudinal space between its upper edges equal in width to the
lower horizontal portion. The interior is fitted with strengthening webs and
end pieces; the former being preferably perforated for lightness. The webs
and end pieces may be flanged and bolted to the sides of the sleeper, or the sides
and bottom portion of the sleeper may be perforated to permit of tongues on the
end pieces and webs to project through and be bent over on the outside; the
bottom tongue being left to project in order to enter and grip in the soil or ballast
and prevent movement of the sleeper.
The rails are secured to a flanged lid, fitting over the top of the sleeper, by
suitable clamps, which consist of plates disposed longitudinally of the sleeper and
provided with opposite jaws to fit over the bottom flanges of the rails. The
plates, aforementioned, are prevented from separating by means of socket-plates
which encompass and engage the edges of the jaw-plates and are bolted or other-
wise secured to the sleeper.
Dated thin 24th dex of August 1899.
Improvements in Metal Sleepers, and Means for Securing Rails
thereto.
I, ELMER ULYSESS STEWART, of Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Inventor, 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 invention relates to metallic sleepers and the object of the present inven-
tion is to improve the construction of metallic sleepers and to increase their

page_text: strength, durability, and efficiency, and to provide simple inexpensive, and
efficient means for detachably securing the rails to the same.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrange-
ment of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying draw-
ings, and pointed out in the claims appended hereto.
In the drawings; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a metallic sleeper con-
structed in accordance with this invention and showing one form of locking means
for securing the rails to it. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the top and bottom portion of the sleeper.
Figs. 5 and 6 are detail perspective views of the rail clamps. Figs. 7 and 8 are
perspective views of modifications of the sleeper. Figs. 9 and 10 are longitudinal
sectional views of the same. Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of the form
of brace shewn in Fig. 1. Fig. 12 is a similar view of the end plate of the same.
Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view of the socket plate for supporting the rail-
engaging devices. Fig. 14 is a perspective view illustrating the construction for
clamping a rail-joint and a rail at a point between the ends thereof. Fig. 15
shows a modified form of end plates and braces.
Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of
the drawings.
1 designates a metallic sleeper constructed of rolled or cast steel or other
suitable material and composed of a body portion 2 and a top plate 3, provided
at opposite sides with longitudinal flanges 4, which are arranged on the exterior
of the sides 5 of the body portion of the sleeper and bolted or otherwise secured
to the same. The sides 5 may be angularly bent and bowed outward, as illustrated
in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, or, as shewn in Fig. 7 the sleeper 6
may be rectangular in cross-section and provided with vertical sides 7. The body
portion of the sleeper may, as shewn in Fig. 8, have outwardly inclined sides 8,
which diverge upwardly but in each instance the top and bottom of the sleeper
are flat or horizontal, and the top is provided with longitudinal side flanges which
overlap the sides of the sleeper. The ends of the sleeper 1 are closed by end
plates 9, conforming to the configuration of the sleeper and provided at the
bottom and sides with flanges 10, arranged at an angle to one another and fitting
against the inner faces of the sides and bottom of the sleeper and secured to the
same by bolts or other suitable fastening devices.
:
The sleeper is provided between its ends with transverse braces 11, located
beneath the rails 12 and consisting of plates having horizontal upper and lower
edges and oppositely inclined side edges to conform to the configuration of the
inner sides of the sleeper and they are provided at opposite sides with inclined
laterally extending plates or flanges 13 which are bolted or otherwise secured
to the lower portions of the sides of the sleeper. The braces are provided with
centrally arranged recesses or openings 14 to enable the operator to obtain access
to the inner portion of the sleepers, so that the fastening devices of the rail-
clamps may be readily manipulated when it is desired to remove and replace a
rail.
The rectangular sleeper, and the sleeper having straight oppositely inclined
sides are provided with end plates 15 and 16, conforming to the configuration of
such sleepers and provided with marginal flanges, which are bolted or otherwise
secured to the inner faces of the bottom and sides of the sleepers. The sleeper 8a,
which has upwardly diverging sides, is supported by transverse braces 17; but
the rectangular sleeper, which has vertical sides does not require any. The
transverse braces 17, which are constructed similar to the braces 14, consist of
plates provided with side flanges 18 and having openings 19 arranged at the
centre of the braces and at the upper edges thereof.
In order to facilitate further the manipulation of the fastening devices of the
rail clamps and other parts secured to the sleepers, the latter are provided with
openings 20, of rectangular form. located at the inner sides of the rails and
normally covered by rectangular plates 21, preferably pivoted at 22 at one of the

page_text: corners thereof. The plates are adapted to be readily swung on their pivots to
uncover and cover the said openings 20.
The rails 12 are secured to the sleeper 1 by clamps 23 consisting of plates 2+
and 25, disposed transversely of the rails and provided with oppositely disposed
jaws 26, located at the sides of the rails and engaging the bottom flanges
thereof. The plates or sections 24 of the rail engaging clamp are bolted or
otherwise secured to the top of the sleeper and their adjacent longitudinal edges
are interlocked, being provided with transverse tongues 27 and similarly arranged
recesses 28. The tongue of the plate or section is arranged adjacent to the jaw
thereof and is disposed opposite the recess of the opposite section, and the match-
ing portions thus formed fit together, and by being interlocked in this manner
are firmly held against longitudinal movement independent of each other, whereby
the jaws are retained in engagement with the rails and are absolutely prevented
from spreading.
The outer side edges of the sections of the rail clamp are provided with longi-
tudinal recesses 29 and are engaged by oppositely disposed substantially
rectangular socket plates 30. The socket plates 30 are composed of parallel sides
and connecting portions, and they form yokes for embracing and connecting the
ends of the plates or sections. The outer portions of the plates or sections are
perforated for the reception of bolts, and the transverse portions of the socket
plates are provided with similar perforations and are bolted to the top of the
sleeper.
Intead of forming the rail clamp of sections disposed longitudinally of the
sleeper a rail clamp may be composed of sections 32, disposed at opposite sides
of the rails and arranged transversely of the sleepers, being provided at their
inner edges with jaws for engaging the bottom flanges of the rails. These
plates 32, which are bolted to the sleeper are arranged within and supported by
socket plates, and they are also adapted for engaging the fish-plates, as clearly
shewn in Fig. 12 of the accompanying drawings.
The rails may be secured at intervals by clamps 33, consisting of small
plates having jaws at their inner edges, and it is designed to arrange the small
and large clamping plates at intervals to secure the necessary strength and
stability of a track.
In the modified form shewn in Fig. 15 the end plates, and also braces where
such are used, are formed with short projections 34 on each of the side angles, and
a longer projection 35 on the bottom. The body portion of the sleeper is provided
with registering slots. The projections 35 are passed through their corresponding
slots and the sleeper body plate then bent round the end plates and braces so that
the projections 34 enter their corresponding slots, the parts being bound by the
top covering plate. The projections 35 are adapted to enter the ground and
serve as ties against sideways movement of the track.
The invention has the following advantages: The sleeper and the rail engag-
ing devices, which are simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction,
possess great strength and durability, and while they are practically indestructible
they may be readily separated and quickly assembled to permit a rail to be
removed and replaced or renewed.
Changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within
the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the
spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
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) A device of the class described comprising a sleeper composed of a body
Fortion having a bottom and sides, a top provided with flanges overlapping the
sides, and the end plates arranged within, conforming to the configuration of
and supporting the sleeper substantially as described.

page_text: (2) A device of the class described comprising a sleeper consisting of a body
portion having a bottom and sides, a top provided with longitudinal side flanges
overlapping and secured to the sides of the sleeper, and the ends arranged within
and conforming to the configuration of the top, bottom and sides of the sleeper
and provided with opposite flanges secured to the sides of the sleeper substantially
as described.
(3) In a device of the class described, a sleeper comprising a body portion
having a bottom and inclined sides, a top supported by the sides, and the trans-
verse braces located beneath the rails and conforming to the configuration of the
top, bottom and sides of the sleeper, and supporting the same, substantially as
described.
(4) In a device of the class described comprising a body portion having inclined
sides, a top portion supported by the sides, and a transverse brace consisting of a
plate conforming to the configuration of the top, bottom and sides, provided with
an opening and having opposite flanges secured to the sides of the sleeper,
substantially as described.
(5) In a device of the class described, a sleeper composed of a body portion
having a bottom and sides, a top provided with side flanges overlapping the sides
of the sleeper, end plates conforming to the configuration of the sleeper and
provided with flanges secured to the same, and transverse braces consisting of
plates provided with openings and having flanges secured to the sleeper, sub-
stantially as described.
(6) In a device of the class described, the combination with a sleeper, of
clamping plates mounted thereon, and socket plates secured to the sleeper and
forming yokes receiving the clamping plates and supporting the same, sub-
stantially as described.
(7) In a device of the class described, the combination with a sleeper, of a rail
clamp composed of clamping plates disposed longitudinally of the sleeper, pro-
vided with opposite jaws and having their inner edges interlocked, and the socket
plates forming yokes receiving the ends of the plates and holding the same against
lateral separation, substantially as described.
(8) In a device of the class described, the combination with a sleeper, of clamp-
ing plates arranged longitudinally of the sleeper and provided with opposite
jaws, and the socket plates forming yokes and receiving the adjacent ends of the
clamping plates, substantially as described.
(9) In a device of the class described, the combination of a sleeper, a pair of
clamping plates disposed longitudinally thereof and having their inner edges
interlocked and provided at their outer edges with recesses, said plates having
rail engaging jaws, and the substantially rectangular socket-plate forming vokes
and consisting of sides fitting in the said recesses, and connecting pieces arranged
at the outer ends of the sides, substantially as described.
(10) In a device of the class described, a sleeper composed of a body portion
having a bottom and sides, a top provided with side flanges overlapping the sides
of the body-portion, the body portion provided with slots in its bottom portion
and sides, end plates and transverse braces conforming to the configuration of
the body portion of the sleeper and provided with projections adapted to pass
through the said slots and rest therein and project therethrough, substantially as
described.
1
0011 1
1000