Year: 1885

page_text: CHARLES JOSEPH HOWE, Joiner, 5, Cooper Street, Monkwearmouth Sunderland,
JOHN WILLIAM PROOM, 19 Dundas Street, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, Com-
mercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature of their invention for KEYLESS
RAILWAY CHAIR to be as follows:-
The Jaws of the Chair are placed on corners of bedplate and are so shaped as to
grip the rail firmly at both sides when the chair is placed in position and secured
to Sleeper.
Our invention consists of a Railway Chair about eight inches wide which secures
the rail without the means of a Key. Two shaped Jaws about two and a half
inches wide at top are formed on opposite corners of the bedplate being made
oblique on the inside edge for the purpose of admitting the rail when the chair is
placed at about right angles to its proper position.
Holes are formed in bedplate at back and between the brackets which form the
jaw to secure the chair to the Sleeper.
When the chair is turned round and is at right angles to the Sleeper the rail is
firmly gripped and held in position by both Jaws. The chairs being secured to
the Sleeper the rail is fastened at the same time there being just sufficient space
to admit the rail when the faces of the Jaws are in a line with the rail which plaus
to accompany complete specification will show.

page_text: In applying our keyless chair to sleepers already laid with no recess to receive
the spigot P or in cases where the spigot is not deemed necessary, the chair has
a flat bottom as in ordinary chairs, and the holes for spikes or screw bolts may be
cast in the ordinary way without being fitted with adjusting canted nuts, but we
prefer that the angle of direction of the spikes or screw bolts shall be as indicate.l
on drawing which will give greater holding power. The chairs thus made will be
found perfectly efficient in the majority of cases and will be much less expensive
both in manufacture and application.
When metallic sleepers are used instead of wood the spigot will be generally
adopted but in the form of a projecting stud on bottom of chair fitting into a hole
in top of sleeper and bolts will be used to secure the chair to the sleeper.
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 construction and application or use of chairs with jaws so disposed
that being placed askew upon the sleeper, the rail can be inserted between thein
and the chair being then turned on sleeper-preferably on a centre spigot or stud-
the jaws shall grip and hold the rail firmly between them without the intervention
of a key substantially as described and shewn.
Second. In combination with such chairs, or chairs so constructed as to fix the
rail without keys by similar action, the application or use of canted nuts-or
equivalent device-so disposed that the grip of the chair upon the rail can be
increased or restored substantially as described and illustrated by drawings.
Third. The keyless chair constructed to receive the rail in a certain position
upon the sleeper and being turned and secured thereto by spikes or by screw bolts
to grip the rail between its jaws with adjustable canted nuts, or equivalent device,
to increase the grip upon rail as described and illustrated.
Dated his Aven day of February 1000.
C. J. HOWE.
JOHN WM PROOM.
0
Witness:
T. J. DANSON, F. Inst. P. Agents,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne.