IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SLEEPERS AND CHAIRS
Year: 1885

page_text: We, JAMES HOWARD, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, both of Bedford, in
the County of Bedford, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SLEEPERS AND CHAIRS" to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in railways or tramways and its chief
objects are to improve their construction and to increase their durability.
By our present improvements we construct the transverse railway sleeper with
the two chairs for the rails upon it from one strip or sheet of metal, the only
separate pieces required to secure the rails being the ordinary wedges which fasten
the rails into the chairs. We thereby dispense with rivets or bolts beretofore
generally used to fasten the chairs or parts of the chair to the sleeper, for however
well the rivetting or bolting may be done, the constant vibration of passing trains
and the corrosion around the rivets or bolts have a tendency to loosen such
fastenings.
When we make the chairs of our improved sleepers the full width of the strip or
sheet, we take a strip or sheet of any required dimensions, and we bend it by
pressure into a shape to form the cheeks and bottom of the chairs, and, if the
sleeper is desired to be trough-shaped or angular, it is, by pressure, bent to the
required form. The part which receives the rail we propose should project some-
what below the sleeper, in order to afford provision against the shifting of the
sleeper on the ballast or its bed.
When we make the chairs of our improved sleepers 'narrower than the strip or
sheet, we press out from the under side of the strip or sheet sufficient metal to
form the cheeks of the chairs; the strip or sheet in this case being rolled of
greater thickness at the two ends where the cheeks of the chairs are to be formed.
In order to give increased strength and durability to our improved sleepers, we
propose to roll the strips or sheets of metal thicker at those parts upon which the
rails are to be seated, by this means great strength and durability are attained
without increasing the total weight of the sleeper.
In some cases, we make our improved sleeper and chair for one rail only, and we
connect two such parts by a suitable tie-piece in order to preserve the gauge of the
line. This form of our improved sleeper would be specially adapted for countries
where pan or tray shaped sleepers are required.

page_text: порто
We, JAMES HOWARD, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, both of Bedford, in
the County of Bedford, Agricultural Engineers, 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:-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of sleepers and chairs for railways or
tramways, and the chief objects of the said invention are to improve their con-
struction and increase their durability.
According to our present improvements we construct transverse sleepers for
railways as follows, that is to say: each sleeper is formed from one plate, strip or
sheet of metal which is by preference arch-shaped or trough-shaped in transverse
section, the necessary receptacles or chairs for the rails being formed therein,
without doubling or folding the metal, by depressing or displacing portions of the
said plate, strip or sheet as hereinafter described.
By thus forming the sleeper and chairs we provide in a more advantageous
manner than heretofore for dispensing with the use of rivets or bolts for securing
separate chairs to the sleepor, and thus avoid the difficulties arising from the
liability of such separate parts to become loose through vibration, and the liability
to corrosion around the rivets or bolts.
The rails are fastened in the said receptacles or chairs by keys or wedges in the
ordinary manner.
An important feature of our invention is the form given to the receptacles for
the rails, whereby great strength to resist the strain is obtained, as hereinafter set
forth.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown our improvements applied to
sleepers for receiving ordinary double-headed rails and flat-bottomed rails, but we
are not limited to any particular form of rail.
Figuro 1 is a side elevation partly in longitudinal section of a sleeper having the
seatings or chairs extending throughout the full width of the body of the sleeper
and adapted to receive double-hoaded rails.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same, on the line x x Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a similar section on the line y, y, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side elevation partly in longitudinal section of a sleeper the chairs
of which are adapted to receive Bat-bottomed rails.
Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a side elevation partly in section of a modified form of our sleeper
and chairs, and,
Figure 7 is a section of the same on the line 2, 2, Figure 6.
Figures 8 and 9, are a plan and side elevation of one end of a sleeper adapted for
supporting and jointing the ends of two adjacent rails.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the aforesaid plate, strip or sheet which has preferably the form of an arch
in transverse section, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, or a trough or channel shape,
substantially as shown in Figure 7.

page_text: The chairs or receptacles b are formed by pressing, sinking, or flanging down the
plate a, in such a manner that the upper edges or corners of the sides or cheeks c, a¹
have the same, or approximately the same, form or configuration as the body of the
sleeper (see Figure 3).
It will be seen that this method of constructing the chairs or seatings does not
involve any doubling or folding of one part of the metal upon another part to
produce the sides or cheeks of the chairs, as is the case in the manufacture of other
combined sleepers and chairs. Moreover great strength is given to the chairs at
the angles or corners, and as the rails are embraced by cheaks and rest upon
seatings which have the full width of the sleeper, great durability is ensured.
A further advantage obtained by forming the seatings or chairs below the level
of 'the arched sleeper is that the chairs form projections, as shown at d, by means
of which security is provided, without additional cost, against the endwise shifting
of the sleeper upon the ballast or bed.
The lower edges of the arch-shaped plate or strip a are, in the construction
shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 continued below the rail seats or chairs, for the
purposes of forming flanges e which increase the strength and rigidity of the sleeper
at these points.
The seatings or chairs of the sleeper shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 are as above
stated adapted for receiving double-headed rails. In this case one side of each
chair is shaped to fit one side of the rail, the other side being plain and serving as
a bearing surface for the key or wedge. In the sleeper shown in Figures 4 and 5
the seatings are formed with angles or corners into one of which one flange of the
rail enters, while the other receives the key f. The keys or wedges f for securing
the rails g in the chairs may be of wood or metal.
When we make the rail-chairs narrower than the plate, strip or sheet of metal,
we, in some instances, raise a corrugation or rib h along the plate a, as shown in
Figures 6 and 7, which corrugation we call the crown of the sleeper.
In forming the receptacle or chair in this sleeper, a part i of the metal of the
corrugation or crown is pressed down so as to form an opening or gap suitable for
receiving the rail. The metal which is thus displaced from the crown is made level
with the main part or base of the sleeper, as shown in Figure 7, so that we obtain
a seating for the rail across the entire width of the sleeper. In pressing down the
part of the metal to a horizontal position it is compressed longitudinally and is
thereby thickened. The rail g is secured in this receptacle or chair by the key or
wedge f.
In some cases the sleeper is formed with a double longitudinal corrugation,
crown or rib, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9; the seating in the sleeper is of such a
width as to afford adequate support to the adjacent or abutting ends of two rails.
The said rails are secured in the chairs or receptacles by keys or wedges f, and we
make provision for conveniently tightening the said keys or wedges, by having one
rail secured with the key on one side, and the other rail with the key on the
opposite side of the chair or receptacle b as shewn. The keys therefore will not
interfere with or obstruct each other when driven home. Moreover one key can be
removed without disturbing the other key when the rails are to be disconnected.
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. A railway-sleeper made from a plate, strip or sheet of metal in which the
rail receptacles or chairs are formed by depressing, sinking or flanging down the
metal below the surface of the sleeper, without folding or doubling the metal,
substantially as described.
Second. The continuation of the lower edges of the plate, strip or sheet a below
the rail seats, in the form of flanges, substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth

page_text: Third. The modification of our invention wherein the plate, strip or sheet is
constructed with a longitudinal corrugation or crown, in which the rail receptacles
or chairs are formed, with a solid or undivided seating level and continuous with
the surface of the main portion of the sleeper, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The construction of a railway-sleeper in such a manner that it will 5
serve for jointing and supporting the rail ends as set forth with reference to
Figures 8 and 9 of the drawing.