IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Morison and Robert Armstrong both of Newbattle,
Dalkeith in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain for an Invention of
TERRAVEXENTS TAT mun
DEDICATENATI 714 AR DATT WIVO
AND TRAMWUAVO !!
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Morison and Robert
Armstrong at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd October
1882.
JOHN MORISON and ROBERT ARMSTRONG, both of Newbattle, Dalkeith, in the
County of Midlothian, North-Britain, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS,"
This Invention which relates to improvements in the permanent way of railways
and tramways, has special reference to novel, simple, and effective means of
securing the rails to their sleepers, with the object of reducing the first cost, and
enabling the laying, removing, and re-laying of the permanent way to be effected
much more expeditiously than usual.
In carrying out the Invention, wooden sleepers are by preference used, and are
preferably laid longitudinally immediately under the rails. These sleepers are
connected together at intervals in their length by transverse plates or tie bars of
iron or steel, the ends of which form, or are connected to, iron or steel bridges or
inverted channel plates fitting over and secured to the sleepers. In connection
with each bridge piece and transverse tie plate, is fitted a bracket or brackets
against which the outer side of the rail bears; the inner bearing face of the
brackets being shaped to the counterpart of the rail section. The brackets are
provided with stems which are passed through orifices in the bridge plates and
transverse tie plates, and are driven into the sleeper, but they may be secured by
bolts or by other means. The rail is supported and secured on the inner side by
similar brackets, which are however fitted to swivel on vertical studs working in
eyes in the transverse tie plates, or entering the sleeper. The brackets inside the
rails are fitted in pairs to bear on the web and part of the head and bottom of the
rail opposite a single bracket or a pair of brackets outside, so that the rail is

page_text: firmly secured between the fixed and the swivelling brackets,, which thus serve the
purpose of the ordinary chairs and wedges. The bearing faces of the swivelling
brackets are by preference slightly angled or tapered, so that as they are brought
to bear on the rail they act as wedges.
The swivelling brackets are fitted with short lateral webs close to the lower edge.
When the brackets are swivelled round to bear against the rail, these lateral webs
overlap, and through slots or holes in them is passed a pin or bolt which retains
them together, or a saddle piece may be fitted to catch and retain the swivelling
brackets in position. When a rail is to be removed, the pin or bolt holding the
Interal webs, or the saddle, is taken out, the inside brackets are swivelled round out
of the way, and the rail is free; and as the outer brackets are carried by transverse
plates extending across the line of rails, and are therefore fixed to suit the gauge of
the line, the rails can be re-laid without the least difficulty. This method of
securing the rail is adapted for the contiguous end joints of the rails, and for any
part of their length. When applied at the joints, the usual fish plates are dispensed
with, and the securing brackets are so arranged that a fixed bracket is opposite a
swivelling bracket at the end of each rail. Square headed or other bolts may be
passed through the web of the rails, and between or through the brackets, to
prevent greater longitudinal motion of the rail than is necessary for expansion and
contraction. The joints may however be formed outside the securing brackets, in
which case the usual fish plates may be used.
On account of the rails having a continuous solid bearing on the sleepers when
longitudinal sleepers are used, the securing brackets may be fitted at considerably
greater intervals or distances apart, than ordinary chairs are usually fitted; and to
prevent splitting of the sleeper, and partly also as a means of preventing the
rail sinking into the sleeper by the weight of rolling stock, one or more iron or
steel bridge plates are fitted across or sunk into the sleepers between each set of
securing brackets. In these bridge plates, orifices may be cut for the insertion of
the studs of additional securing brackets which may be applied when considered
advantageous or necessary.
Instead of fitting the swivelling brackets inside, and the fixed brackets outside
the rails, the converse arrangement may be adopted. The brackets may have their
bearing faces shaped to suit any section of rail.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of. the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Morison and Robert Armstrong in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st April 1883.
JOHN MORISON and ROBERT ARMSTRONG, both of Newbattle, Dalkeith, in the
County of Mid Lothian, North Britain "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS"
'
Our said Invention, which relates to improvements in the. permanent way of
railways and tramways, has special reference to novel, simple, and effective means
of securing the rails to their sleepers, with the object of reducing the first cost, and
enabling the laying, removing, and relaying of the. permanent way to be effected
much inore expeditiously than usual.
Our. Invention is illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, in which figure 1 is
a longitudinal section; figure 2 a transverse section, and figure a. plan;
representing part of a railway track constructed in accordance with one'
modification of our improvements.
Figures 4, 5, and 0 are corresponding views representing a modified arrangement.
In carrying out the Invention according to the. modification shown in figures. 1,
2 and 3, wooden sleepers A, A, are by preference used, and are preferably laid
longitudinally immediately under the rails B, B.
These sleepers are connected together at intervals in their length by transverse
plates or tie bars C of iron or steel, the ends of which form, or are connected-to,
iron or steel bridges or inverted channel plates D fitting over and secured to the
sleepers A. In connection with, each bridge piece D, and transverse tie plate C, is
fitted a bracket or brackets E against which the outer side of the rail B bears,
the inner bearing face of the brackets E being shaped to the counterpart of the rail:
section.
The brackets E are provided with square or other stems e², which are passed
through orifices in the bridge plates D, and transverse tie plates C, and are driven
into the sleeper, and they are secured as shown by bolts è or by other means. The
rail B is supported and secured on the inner side by similar. brackets E', which are!
however fitted to swivel, as indicated by the dotted. lines, on vertical studs e!
working in eyes in the transverse tie plates C, or entering the sleepers A. The
brackets E' inside the rails B may be fitted singly or in pairs to bear on the web
and part of the head and bottom of the rail B, opposite a single bracket E or a.
pair of brackets outside, so that the rail is firmly secured between the fixed
brackets E, and the swivelling brackets E which thus serve the purpose of the
ordinary chairs and wedges.
The bearing faces of the swivelling brackets E' are by preference slightly
angled or tapered, so that as they are brought to bear on the rail they act as
wedges. The brackets E, E¹, are shown enlarged in elevation and plan in
figure 7.
The swivelling brackets El may be secured in position, bearing on the inside of
the rail in several ways. A lateral wing E³ may be formed on each side of the
bracket, and pins or bolts e bearing on them, may be passed down through the
bridge plates D and into the sleeper A, or when two swivelling brackets E' are
fitted side by side they may be fitted with short lateral webs close to the lower
edge, and when the brackets are swivelled round to bear against the rail, these
lateral webs overlap. Through slots or holes in the webs is passed a pin or bolt
which retains them together, or a saddle piece may be fitted to catch and retain
the swivelling brackets in position. When a rail is to be removed, the pins or

page_text: bolts e holding the lateral webs are taken out, the inside brackets E' are swivelled
round out of the way, and the rail is free. As the outer brackets are carried by
transverse plates extending across the line of rails, and are therefore fixed to suit
the gauge of the line, the rails can be relaid without the least difficulty. This
method of securing the rail is adapted for the contiguous end joints of the rails, and
for any part of their lengths. When applied at the joints, the usual fish plates
may be dispensed with, and the securing brackets so arranged that a fixed bracket
is opposite a swivelling bracket at the end of each rail. Square headed or other
bolts may be passed through the web of the rails, and between or through the
brackets, to prevent greater longitudinal motion of the rail than is necessary for
expansion and contraction. The joints may however be formed outside the securing
brackets, in which case the usual fish plates may be used.
On account of the rails having a continuous bearing on the sleepers when
longitudinal sleepers are used, the pairs of securing brackets E, E', may be fitted at
considerably greater intervals or distances apart than ordinary chairs are usually
fitted.
To prevent splitting of the sleeper, and partly also as a means of preventing the
rail sinking into the sleeper by the weight of rolling stock, one or more iron or
steel bridge plates D are fitted across or sunk into the sleepers between each pair
of securing brackets.
In these bridge plates D orifices may be cut for the insertion of the studs of
additional securing brackets E which may be applied as shown in figure 3 when
considered advantageous or necessary.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show the arrangement it is preferred to adopt for railways in
bot climates where wooden sleepers are not usually employed. The sleepers A are
formed of hollow metal boxes connected together by transverse tie bars C, and the
rail is secured on the sleepers A by fixed brackets E outside, and swivelling
brackets E' inside. The studs e on which the inside brackets E' are made to
swivel, pass down into or through the sleeper, and the bolts e which secure the
brackets E, E' are screwed and fitted with nuts or cottar pins underneath the
hollow sleepers.
Instead of fitting the swivelling brackets inside, and the fixed brackets outside
the rails, the converse arrangement may be adopted.
'
The brackets may have their bearing faces shaped to suit any section of rail.
Having now described our said Invention, and the manner in which the same
is to be performed, we declare that what we claim as our Invention is,―
First. The arrangement and combination of parts of permanent way of railways,
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
Second. As means for securing rails of permanent way to their sleepers, the
combination of fixed brackets and swivelling brackets gripping the rail between
them, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
In Witness Whereof, We the said John Morison and the said Robert Armstrong,
have hereunto set our hands and seals this nineteenth day of April, in tho
year of our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and eighty three."