IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
We, JOHN MORISON of Newbattle Colliery, Dalkeith, in the County of
Midlothian, Agent, and ROBERT ARMSTRONG of the same place, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS;" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved fastenings or devices to be used, in
substitution of the ordinary railway chairs, for securing the rails to the sleepers
of permanent way.
The improved fastenings consist of light brackets of iron or steel which are fixed
at intervals in pairs, one on each side of the rail to be secured, and which are
formed at their inner bearing faces to fit the web and lower flange of the rail,
which may be of any section. The under bearing surface of the brackets are
formed with webs, feathers, or flanges, adapted to fit into corresponding retaining
grooves, channels, or notches formed in flat bearing plates or tie plates of iron or
steel, which are fitted between the rail and sleeper. The ordinary wooden sleepers
may be used whether fitted longitudinally or transversely to the lines of rails, and
the securing brackets are bolted thereto by ordinary railway spikes or bolts which
pass through the brackets and through holes cut in the flat bearing plates on which
the brackets rest. The brackets on one side of the rail may be forined with their
under webs, feathers, or flanges in lines parallel to the rail, but the brackets on the
opposite side are formed with their under webs, feathers or flanges slightly inclined
to the longitudinal line of the rails, the grooves or notches in the bearing plates
being correspondingly inclined, the object being that these securing brackets may
be fitted from the side and driven up tight. The bearing plates may extend across
the line in the form of tic bars to servo for both rails, in which case, the retaining
grooves or notches are formed in such positions as to determine tho guage of the
line. The grooves or notches may be formed in the brackets, aud the webs or
flanges formed on the bearing plates to retain the brackets.
The rails may be secured at their end joints in a similar manner with or without
the use of fish-plates, by using securing brackets of extra breadth. The outer
brackets, which should generally be broader than the inuer brackets, are by
preference formed with side flanges which embrace the bearing plates, so that they
may not be displaced by "creeping" of the rails. Two bolt holes are formed
horizontally in the inner bearing faces of the brackets to receive the ordinary fish
bolts, one being passed through the end of each rail and through the outer bracket
and secured by the usual nuts outside. In connection with the securing bolts a

page_text: lock nut arrangement is used, which consists of a flat pin or plate inserted vertically
into the bracket at the side of each nut after the nut has been screwed up tight.
Any ordinary nut-lock may however be used.
The use of the movable side brackets described, for securing the rails of
permanent way, offers several advantages over the employment of ordinary cast
iron chairs, in point of first cost and maintenance, lightness, and facility with which
the metals can be laid and re-laid.
For mountain roads and light railways for military purposes, this mode of
securing the rails is especially adapted. In such cases the sleepers may be used in
sections, a block being fitted under each fastening on each side of the line, and an
interinediate block between the rails, the guage being fixed by using cross tie bars
or plates as hereinbefore described. Or the sleepers may be formed by short
transverse wooden blocks connected by longitudinal blocks below each line of rails,
the securing brackets being fitted on and secured to the bearing plates or tie bara
as before described, these plates being fitted on the transverse blocks. As the rails
have thus a continuous bearing, the rails may be made of a lighter section, and of
shorter lengths than usual.

page_text: We JOHN MORISON, of Newbattle Colliery, Dalkeith, in the County of
Midlothian, Agent, and ROBERT ARMSTRONG, of the same place, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention relates to improved fastenings or devices to be used in substitu-
tion of the ordinary railway chairs for securing the rails to the sleepers of
permanent way.
In the accompanying drawings, figure 1 shows in elevation a modification of our
improved rail fastenings or chairs, as adapted for securing the rails to wooden
sleepers. Figure 2 is a plan of the same. Figures 3 and 4 are plans of other
modifications, and Figure 5 is an elevation corresponding to figure 4. Figure 6G is
an elevation of a modification of the improved rail fastening as adapted for uso
with metallic sleepers. Figures 7 and 8 are plans of the same, the former showing
the rails secured at their end joints.
The improved fastenings, as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, consist of light
brackets A, A¹, of iron or steel, which are fixed at intervals in pairs, one on each
sido of the rail R to be secured, and which are formed at their inner bearing faces
to fit the web and lower flange of the rail, which may be of any section. The
under bearing surface of the brackets aro formed with webs, feathers, or flanges a, a'
adapted to fit into corresponding retaining grooves, channels or notches b, b', formed
in flat bearing plates B or tie plates of iron or steel, which are fitted between the
rail R and sleeper S. The ordinary wooden sleepers may bo used whether fitted
longitudinally or transversely to the lines of rails, and the securing brackets are
bolted thereto by ordinary railway spikes or bolts C which pass through the
brackets A, A, and through holes cut in the flat bearing plates B on which the
brackets rest. The brackets A on one side of the rail may be formed with their
under webs, feathers, or flanges a in lines parallel to the rail, but the brackets A¹
on the opposite side are formed with their under webs, feathers, or flanges a¹ slightly
inclined to the longitudinal line of the rails, the grooves or notches b' in the bearing
plates B, being correspondingly inclined, the object being that these securing
brackets may be fitted from the side and driven up tight The bearing plates B
may extend across the line in the form of tie bars B¹ to serve for both rails, as in
the modification shown in figure 3, in which case the retaining grooves or
notches b, b¹ are formed in such positions as to determine the gauge of the line.
The grooves or notches may be formed in the brackets, and the webs or flanges
formed on the bearing plates to retain the brackets, or the flanges b, b¹ may be
formed on the ends of the plates B to retain the brackets A, A, between them.
In this example, the inner spikes or bolts are formed on the ends of transverse tio
bars B which serve to determine the gauge.
The rails may be secured at their end joints in a similar manner, as shown in
figure 3, with or without the use of fish plates, by using securing brackets A, A,
of extra breadth. The outer brackets, which should generally be broader than the
inner brackets, are by preference formed with side flanges below which embrace
the bearing plates B, so that they may not be displaced by creeping of the rails.
Two bolt holes are formed horizontally in the inner bearing faces of the brackets
to receive the ordinary fish bolts D, one being passed through the end of each rail
and through the outer bracket A, and secured by the usual nuts outside. In

page_text: connection with the securing bolts D a lock-nut arrangement is used, which consists
of a flat pin or plate D¹ inserted vertically into the bracket A at the side of each
nut after the nut has been screwed up tight. Any ordinary nut-lock may however
be used.
The use of the movable side brackets described, for securing the rails of
permanent way, offers several advantages over the employment of ordinary cast-
iron chairs, in point of first cost and maintenance, lightness and facility with
which the inctals can be laid and relaid.
For mountain roads and light railways for military purposes, this mode of
securing the rails is especially adapted. In such cases, the sleepers may be
used in sections, a block being fitted under each fastening on each side of the
line, and an intermediate block between the rails, the gauge being fixed by using
cross tie bars or plates as hereinbefore described, and as illustrated in figures 3, 4
and 5. Or the sleepers may be formed as shown in the drawings by short
transverse wooden blocks S connected by longitudinal blocks S¹ below each line of
rails, the securing brackets A, A¹ being fitted on and secured to the bearing plates
or tie-bars B as before described, these plates being fitted on the transverse blocks.
Longitudinal bearing plates B may also be fitted under the rails. As the rails
have thus a continuous bearing, the rails may be made of a lighter section and of
shorter lengths than usual.
In adapting the improved fastenings for metallic sleepers or blocks, as illustrated
in figures 6, 7 and 8, the outer bracket A is by preference cast on the bearing
block S, and the plate (B) is dispensed with. The inside bracket A' is mado
movable as in the other modifications, and is fitted to bear against the flange b¹
cast on the block S. A slip of oak S' is fitted under the rail to avoid direct contact
between the rail and the metallic blocks S. The brackets A in figure 7 are fitted
with projections D to fit into the sides or slois formed in the web of the rail near
the end joint.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said.
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is,-
First. The improved fastenings for securing the rails of permanent way,
substantially as described and illustrated.
Second. The combination of the bearing plates or tic-plates Band brackets A, A',
secured on each side of the rail, grooves or notches and webs or flanges being
formed between the brackets and the bearing plates, substantially as herein
described and illustrated.
Third. The combination with a bearing plate or block of the movable bracket A¹,
grooves or notches and webs or flanges being formed between the bearing surfaces,
to provide for tightening up and securing the rails in place, substantially as
set forth.
Datel this Ninth day of Ontation 1001