IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PER- MANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Honiball Tozer, of 19, Salisbury Street, Strand,
London, Metal Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PER-
MANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
aled the 5th January 1877, and dated the 25th July 1876.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Honiball Tozer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th July 1876.
JAMES HONIBALL TOZER, of 19, Salisbury Street, Strand, London, Metal Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
These improvements consist in the use or employment of mechanical means for
trussing and strengthening the joints of rails, as also the intermediate portions
therefor, between the sleepers, and to supersede the use of fish plates and the bolts
and nuts usually employed in connection therewith.
For such purposes I employ longitudinal wedge pieces of suitable transverse
sections made of iron or steel, but preferentially of steel, and I insert them as
folding wedges between suitably raised ribs or projections specially rolled or formed
on the rails for that purpose so as to form a inore firm or solid bearing between
the heads of double-headed rails, or between the head and the foot of a single-
headed rail; and I avoid the weakening caused by drilling or punching the middle
body or web of the rail and the fish plates. The action of these folding wedges
being to form a truss between the upper and the lower portions of the rail when the
wedge pieces are driven home, as they are thereby caused to expand.
The exterior portions or outer edges of these folding wedges may be suitably
formed to take into the projections formed on the rails, whilst the contact faces of
the wedge pieces may either be formed as plain surfaces or be made to take into
one another.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Honiball Tozer in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 8th
January 1877.
JAMES HONIBALL TOZER, of 19, Salisbury Street, Strand, London, Metal Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
These improvements consist in the use or employment of mechanical means for
trussing and strengthening rails and the joints thereof, and are intended to super-
[Price Gd.]

page_text: sede the use of holed fish plates with the bolts and nuts usually employed in
connection therewith.
For such purposes I employ longitudinal wedge pieces of suitable transverse
sections made of compressed wood, iron, steel, Bessemer or other suitable metal or
material by which the strain is extended or distributed more equally over a greater
longitudinal length and surface.
I insert such longitudinal wedge pieces, as folding wedges, between the head
and foot of the rails either by themselves or in combination with a joining plate
or joining plates, which may constitute or inake one portion of the folding wedge
so as to form a more solid bearing between heads of double headed rails or between
the head and the foot of a single headed rail, and by this means I avoid the
weakening caused by drilling or punching the middle body or web of the rails,
and also in the fish plates and dispense with the use of bolts and nuts. The action
of the folding wedges being to form a truss between the upper and the lower
portions of the rail when the wedge pieces are driven home as they are thereby
caused to expand by the draught upon them due. to their taper.
The rails may be made plain and smooth in the ordinary manner, or they may
be specially formed with suitably raised ribs or projections thereupon, or with
grooves or recessings to receive the wedges. The exterior portions or outer edges
of these folding wedges may be either plain to suit the rails or suitably shaped
to take into the projections from or groves formed in the rails, whilst the contact
faces of the wedge-pieces may be either formed as plain surfaces or be made to
take into one another. I do not propose to confine myself to any particular form
of wedges or joint plate or plates, nor do I intend to confine myself to the dimen-
sions of the wedges or joining plates, the length and depth of one or both may be
varied according to circumstances and according to the strength and ability to
resist that is required of them; they may be made of different materials.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn a method by which in order to
avoid the possibility of the wedges becoming loose and unfastened, I lock them by
splitting or cutting the thin ends or points that are overdriven and project, and
binding them over and so form as it were split cotters, or I may adopt some other
or equivalent means to the same end for firmly securing the wedges in their places
and preventing their retiring.
Whilst I claim that this system of wedging or trussing by means of folding
wedges is especially applicable to the joints of rails, it may in like or similar
manner be applied as a "joint chair," or as ordinary sleeper chairs for the support
of the solid portions of rails, whether such chairs be made of cast or wrought iron
or steel. By this plan the rail throughout its entire length may be suspended, and
thereby save the under head of a double headed rail from being injured by the
concussions against the chair.
In the accompanying 2 sheets of illustrations Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side cleva-
tion of two rail ends secured by my improved joint. Figure 2 is a transverse
section on the line x-x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse section showing a modification of the form of the joint.
Figures 4 and 5 are transverse sections shewing the application of the joint to
flanged or single-headed rails. Similar forms of wedges, as in Figure 5, may be
applied to double-headed rails, as shewn by dotted lines, whilst in Figure 4 a
variation in the form of the wedge is shown by c
Figures 6 and 7 show, in plan and sectional elevation respectively, portions of
the wedge of the form employed in Figures 1 and 2.
Figures 8 and 9, Sheet 2, are longitudinal elevations or side views of my im-
proved joint and sleeper chairs. Figure 10 is a transverse section on line x-x, of
Figure 8. Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings:
A, A, are the rails, B represents the joining plates, and C, C, the wedges. The
joining plates are so constructed that they embrace the rail as closely as possible at
its web and shoulder, whether the rails be plain or shaped as shewn by letters h, h,
Figures 2, 3, 4. The wedges C, C, may be formed so as to have their exterior

page_text: portions or outer surfaces to fit between the shoulders of the rails, plain or shaped ;
and the surface of the joining plate B, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 at the
points indicated by the letters d, e, whilst the contact faces may either be formed
as plain surfaces, shewn at f, or may be made to take into one another, as at g,
Figure 3.
In Figure 1, e represents the split end of the wedge, the dotted lines at c² shew
the same when opened. The joining plates may be made in two separate parts
terminating as indicated. by dotted lines j-j, in Figure 3. These variations are
shown merely as examples adapted to the particular case, and I wish it to be clearly
understood that I do not restrict or confine myself to a particular form or con-
figuration of the joining plates, nor do I confine myself to the several dimensions of
the parts thereof as shown, as the same may of course be varied.
In Figures 8 and 9 (Sheet 2) B, B, represent' my improved joint and sleeper
chairs respectively. Figure 10 is a transverse section of the same on line xx.
The rail A, A, is secured by the wedges C, C, and the whole is fixed firmly to
sleepers by means of ordinary spikes or treenails 7, l.
Having now described my said Invention of improvements in the permanent
way of railways, and illustrated some of the modes in which I prefer the same to be
put into practice, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is,-
1st. The application of a folding wedge or a pair of folding wedges acting
between the head and foot of the rails either by themselves or in combination with
a joining plate or plates of any suitable form for the purpose of trussing or sup-
porting the rails and the joints thereof.
2nd. The improvements in the permanent way of railways herein described and
set forth or any mere modification thereof.
3rd. The mode of effecting the trussing of railway bars and the joints of rails, as
herein described and illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed, or any mere
mechanical equivalent for parts thereof.
4th. The combination of a wedge or wedges for the purposes herein set forth
with joining plates, whether the latter be of an old and well-known form or other-
wise when applicable to the trussing of rails or joints thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Honiball Tozer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord 1877.
.i
35 Witness,
WILLIAM SMITH, C.E.,
18, Salisbury St., Adelphi,
Strand, W.C.
JAMES HONIBALL TOZER. (L.S.)