IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: Tramways.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of N° 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND
TRAMWAYS" (a communication to me from abroad by Eugéne Boyenval and Mess**
Ponsard & Co, Metallurgists, of Paris, France,) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of metallic sleepers for railways or
tramways and the attachment of the rails directly or through the intervention of
chairs to metallic plates by means of bolts or screws, screwed into blocks or pieces
of wood placed under such metallic plates in a way that affords advantages such
as attend the use of wooden sleepers as heretofore employed; the attachment may
in some cases be entirely of metal.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings examples are illustrated of portions of
metallic sleepers according to this invention and of the means of attaching rails
thereto.
Figs. 1 and 2 shew in transverse section two modifications of the metallic
sleeper having rivetted thereto plates for supporting the rails.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 shew in longitudinal and transverse section and in plan
respectively the mode of attachment of a single headed rail by means of screws and
wooden blocks to the plates rivetted to the sleeper.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew in longitudinal and transverse section the application of the
improved mode of attachment where the rail is supported in a chair.
Figs. 8 (transverse section) 9, (plan) and 10 (transverse section) shew the
application of an entirely metallic attachment.
As shewn in the drawings Figs. 1 and 2 the sleeper a is made of metal such as
iron or steel (rolled or hammered) of a ridge and furrow or corrugated form, there
being in the examples illustrated one central U shaped part and at each side
thereof a reverse or inverted U shaped part throughout the length of the sleeper,
In Fig. 2 the angles are rounded,

page_text: The central channel is when required provided with perforations, to allow the
escape of water. Upon the upper surface of the sleeper in proper position to
receive the respective rails are rivetted two metal plates c. c upon which the rails
are fixed and which, when single headed rails are used, have similar inclinations
to the bases or feet of the rails as shewn in Figs. 3 and 8. The plates are however
flat at their upper surfaces, when chairs are employed as in Figs. 6 and 10.
In order, moreover, to make the sleeper firm, bars or plates d. d may be rivetted
to the underside of the same, parallel to the plates c as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
The attachment of the rails upon the plates c is effected by the use in the
central channel of the sleeper, of wooden blocks or pieces b into which are screwed
the threaded portions of the bolts or screws e. e the blocks being thus made to
serve as nuts as clearly shewn in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7.
This arrangement may with advantage be applied to other kinds of metallic
sleepers.
It will be understood that in this manner the inclined plates c, being rivetted
upon the sleeper a form a firm and solid foundation and that the sleeper thus
formed is sufficiently elastic owing to the bolts or screws being screwed into the
prismatic wooden blocks or pieces b which are placed below the upper plates when
the permanent way is being laid down.
When a double headed rail is employed and has to be held by a chair has
shewn in Figs. 6 and 7, the mode of attachment above described can be used with
equal advantage with this difference that the upper surfaces of the plates c will
have to be flat (horizontal) as the chairs will allow for the inclination of the rails.
In Figs. 8 and 9 is represented an entirely metallic attachment of the rails to the
plates e; this is effected by the employment of cramping irons, one of which fis
rivetted to each plate c, another h being removable and secured to the plate by
means of a bolt g.
Where chairs are employed, they may be fixed to the plates c each by means of
two bolts as shewn in Fig. 10.
It is to be understood that the number of ridges and furrows or channels or
corrugations of the improved sleeper may be varied according to the required
width.
In connection with the above described attachments, pieces or layers of linoleum
to form resisting and sufficiently elastic cushions may be interposed between the
plates c and the rails in order to soften the rolling action of vehicles.
Di orth dow of November 1901

page_text: Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways and
Tramways.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND
TRAMWAYS" (a communication to me from abroad by Eugene Boyenval and Messrs
Ponsard & Co Metallurgists of Paris, France,) 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 the construction of metallic cross sleepers for railways
or tramways and the attachment of the rails directly or through the intervention
of chairs to metallic plates by means of bolts or screws, screwed into blocks or
pieces of wood placed under such metallic plates in a way that it affords
advantages such as attends the use of wooden sleepers as heretofore employed; the
attachment may in some cases be entirely of metal.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings examples are illustrated of portions of
metallic cross sleepers according to this invention and of the means of attaching
rails thereto.
Figs. 1 and 2 shew in transverse section two modifications of the metallic sleeper
having rivetted thereto plates for supporting the rails.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 wherein the sleeper is shewn in longitudinal and transverse
section and in plan respectively illustrate the improved mode of attachment of a
single headed rail by means of screws and wooden blocks to the plates rivetted to
the sleeper.
Figs. 6 and 7 are corresponding views to Figs. 3 and 4 shewing the application of
the improved mode of attachment where the rail is supported in a chair.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 shew the application of an entirely metallic attachment, the
sleeper being represented in longitudinal section in Figs. 8 and 10 and in plan in
Fig. 9.
As shewn in the drawings Figs. 1 and 2 the sleeper a is made of metal such as
iron or steel (rolled or hammered) of a ridge and furrow or corrugated form, there
being in the examples illustrated one central U shaped part and at each side
thereof a reverse or inverted U shaped part throughout the length of the sleeper.
In Fig. 2 the angles are rounded.
The central channel is when required provided with perforations, to allow of the
escape of water. Upon the upper surface of the sleeper in proper position to
receive the respective rails are rivetted two metal plates c upon which the rails are
fixed and which, when single headed rails are used, have similar inclinations to
the bases or feet of the rails as shewn in figs. 3 and 8. The plates are however
flat at their upper surfaces when chairs are employed as in figs. 6 and 10.
In order, moreover, to make the sleeper firm, bars or plates d d may be rivetted
to the underside of the same, parallel to the plates c as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
The attachment of the rails upon the plates c is effected by the use in the
central channel of the sleeper of wooden blocks or pieces b into which are screwed

page_text: the threaded portions of the bolts or screws ee the blocks being thus made to
serve as nuts, as clearly shewn in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7.
This arrangement may with advantage be applied to other kinds of metallic
sleepers.
It will be understood that in this manner the plates c being rivetted upon the
sleeper a, form a firm and solid foundation and that the sleeper thus formed is
sufficiently elastic owing to the bolts or screws being screwed into the prismatic
wooden blocks or pieces b which are placed below the upper plates when the
permanent way is being laid down. When a double headed rail is employed and
has to be held by'a chair has shewn in figs. 6 and 7, the mode of attachment
above described can be used, with equal advantage with this difference that the
upper surfaces of the plates c will have to be flat (horizontal) as the chairs will
allow for the inclination of the rails. In figs. 8 and 9 is represented an entirely
metallic attachment of the rails to the plates c; this is effected by the employment
of cramping irons one of which fis rivetted to each plate c, another being
removable and secured to the plate by means of a bolt g.
When chairs are employed, they may be each fixed to the plates c by means of
two bolts as shewn in fig. 10.
It is to be understood that the number of ridges and furrows or channels or
corrugations of the improved sleeper may be varied according to the required
width.
In connexion with the above described attachments, pieces or layers of linoleum i i
to form resisting and sufficiently elastic cushions may be interposed between the
plates c and the rails or chairs in order to soften the rolling action of vehicles.
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 metallic cross sleeper of corrugated or alternate ridge and furrow form, with
top and bottom plates such as c and d the construction and arrangement being
substantially such as described above and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the
drawings annexed.
2. The mode of securing rails upon the metallic sleepers by the use of screws e in
conjunction with prismatic wooden blocks b arranged in the sleepers below the
plates c substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated.
3. Providing between the sleepers (or plates c) and the rails or chairs, cushions or
supports each consisting of a layer or layers of linoleum as described.
4. Constructing and arranging the permanent way of railways as shewn
respectively in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, in figs. 6 and 7, and in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 of the
drawings.