IMPROVEMENTS. IN RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1862

page_text: 3.
LETTERS PATENT, to William Bridges Adams, of Holly. Mount, Hamp"
stead, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS. IN RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS."
Sealed the 23rd June 1863; and dated, the 31st December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bridges Adams
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 31st December 1862.
I, WILLIAM BRIDGES ADAMS, of Holly Mount, Hampstead, -in--the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said lavention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS," to be 'as follows:
.
My improvements are in sleepers, rails, and fishes. My improved metal
sleepers are of cast or wrought iron, in short lengths, say two feet, more or
less, so. arranged that they receive rails in a deep channel in which they are
keyed or otherwise fastened, the rails resting on the whole length of the
sleepers either on the upper and lower table, or on both combined, with or
without the. intervention of wood, caoutchouc, or other similar substances
between the rail. and sleeper; and the rails, when single-headed, are to be
rolled with recesses for fishes, which may partly enter their sleepers, and the
same system is applicable to chairs placed on sleepers. And in some cases I
make the cast sleeper in the form of a T, with the chair bolted on it so as to
replace the wood sleeper in ordinary use.
My improved brackets are of cast or wrought iron bolted laterally to the
rails, with a horizontal bearing surface for the ballast or sleepers. My
improved fishes are constructed of unusual depth to support the rail joints,
and with inside abutments to the rail tables. My improved longitudinal
timbers are cut diagonally to bolt to the rails laterally.
;

page_text: My elastic permanent way consists in applying continuous longitudinal
Limbers on the ordinary cross sleepers, and placing the rails on them in chairs
or brackets over the hollow spaces, with or without caoutchouc or similar
substance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bridges Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BRIDGES ADAMS, of Holly Mount, Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Bridges Adams, Her special licence that I, the said William
Bridges Adams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Bridges Adams, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Bridges Adams, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Bridges Adams, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say:-
:
Figure 1 shews, in section, my channel sleeper, which may be of wrought
or cast iron. a is the rail; b, b, the horizontal surface of the sleeper, which
is about the mid height of the channel. The length of the sleeper is about

page_text: two feet, more or less, and the rail, which has a large table above and a small
one below, rests on the tops of the sleeper channel with its rebated edges at
c, c, a projection of the vertical web on either side keeping the rail in lateral
position with the sleeper, the channels on each side the rail web serving to
apply fishes if required. One, two, or more round iron keys d, tapered, to a
point to enter easily, are driven through the two sides of the sleeper channel
and the rail web, in the mode commonly known as "draw bore," and hold the
rail firmly these sleepers are placed at intervals, or close to each other along
the line of rail, and each pair or cach alternate pair are connected together
and to the opposite rails by an angle iron tie bar e to form the gauge. A
boss is formed round a hole on the lower side of the sleeper on which the
upper edge of the tie bar is notched. A bolt f, with one end bent into a
hook which passes into a hole in the horizontal web of the tie bar secures it
to the sleeper with the right pitch for the rail; the dotted lines g
sleeper shew how a keel may be formed to hold into the ballast.
shews, in section, the rail a and a pair of fishes h, h, to apply to the rail joints.
the upper edges of the fishes bearing on the rebate of the rail top. and with
internal ribs i, i, below to take the rail table. Figure 1 shews the side view
of the fishes and bolt holes, deepest in the middle, to strengthen the joint:
and in some cases I use no fishes to the joints, but abut the rails at the centre
of a sleeper, keying them down with four or more keys "draw bore."
".
below the
Figure 1
Figure 2, shews a similar arrangement with a double-headed rail a, and
the upper lips c, c, of the sleepers b. b. turned inwards for the rail to rest on.
This rail, like Figure 1, is suspended from the upper table, but, like that, it
may bear on the bottom, or on both bottom and top. The rail in Figure 2
must be passed endwise into the sleeper. . The dotted lines g. 9,
The tie bar e and bolt f and
shew how it
may be keyed into the ballast.
round keys i
are similar to Figure 1. Figure 2 shews the rail a with the fishes in
section. The outer fish is about in. thick, and is of an arched form,
increasing in width in the middle nearly to the depth of the rail, with a pair
of internal wedge ribs h, h. Figure 2b shews the side view with the taper.
The inner fish has two internal ribs i, i, on the arched plate, and a lower
flange i, tapered at the end and deep in the middle, to the bottom of the
rail. As the bolts tighten the arch plates flatten and press firmly against
the rail tables, the heads of the bolts inside being prevented from turning
round by the projection of the flange; an elastic fit is thus produced, and
the fishes keep, tight. These fishes can be manufactured by stamping or
pressing, or rolling and shearing, and by the increased depth of the fishes the
joints of the rails are prevented from deflecting. Figure 2° shews the rail

page_text: and fishes in section full size, and Figure 2d shews a section of rail of light
but strong section, particularly adapted for steel rails with fishes straight on
the sides, which may be used if preferred, though I think the arch form best.
The dotted lines at Figures 2ª and 2° shew how these fishes may be formed
into brackets with bases.
Figure 3 shews a similar kind of channel sleeper for a double-headed rail,
so formed that the rail will enter from above and rest on the edge of the
inner upper lip a suspended, though it may also bear on the bottom. To
keep it in position, pieces of wood or iron b in one or more lengths are placed
in the outer side channel of the rail, and taper screws c are turned in between
these filling pieces and the outer jaw of the sleeper, for which purpose the jaw
of the sleeper may be formed in grooves forming screw threads, so that the
screw may be placed at any part of the length; the tie bar is similar to
Figures 1 and 2. Figure 3 shews a side view of the sleeper and rail with
the tops of the taper screws c, c, and the horizontal bearing flanges of Figures
1, 2, and 3 may be placed higher or lower on the sleeper channel to suit
convenience, and the higher they are placed the easier will the sleeper be
packed, and the less will it be disposed to rock by the action of the trains.;
but as it might be subject to lift vertically, that may be prevented by lower
flanges keying into the ballast, as indicated at Figures 1 and 2, 9, 9, g.
.
Figure 4 shows, in section, a rail a, with angle brackets b, c, applied
laterally in the rail channels, and bolted to and through the rail. I have
before used angle brackets to what I call my girder rails, both continuous and
detached in short lengths, but it was needful to have rails of great extra depth
in the heads in order to clear the wheel flanges, as the bearings on the ballast
both inside the rail and out were on the surface; but in the present case I
make a new arrangement, turning the bearing of the inner angle iron b
downwards and that of the outer angle c upwards, and so bolting them, by
which means I can use the ordinary rail. The tie bar d is shown below
fastened by the hook bolt, and the angle irons may be in any convenient
lengths continuous or detached.
Figure 5 shews, in section, a shallow rail with a bottom flange like a
contractor's rail, but with a dovetail rib a rolled below; a pair of angle
irons b, b, are rolled to clip this dovetail. Where they join at the vertical
webs below the dovetail they are bevilled below, and two square or oblong
washers c, c, through which the bolt d passes, are bevilled to fit them.
As the bolts tighten a wedging action takes place, and all the parts are
clipped firmly together. The tie bar e is cranked at the end to take the
bolt head. The angle irons break joint with each other in any convenient

page_text: tengins; the dotted lines below 1, 1. indicate how the angle irons may be
flanged out to key into the ballast.
And in all these plans, from Figure 1
the principle of a keel descending
which I have always advocated for
Figure 6 shews in section one of my girder base plates a with a keel
below, and an ordinary chair b with a rail placed in it. The girder. or keel
plate a may be of wrought or cast iron in lengths of two feet, more or less;
it is bolted on one side at c, and the hook bolt d with, the tie bar takes the
opposite side of the chair and sleeper.
to 6 inclusive, it will be seen that I use
below the bearing surface on the ballast,
iron permanent way.
Fig. shews in section a mode of bolting diagonal timbers laterally to a
deep double-headed rail with horizontal flanges below the heads.
shews the mode of applying deep parallel fishes to the rail with the ends
thickened, and wedging in between the tables and flanges.
.
Figure 7
Fig. 8 shews in section an arrangement of diagonal timbers bolted through
the rail channels, so that an ordinary rail may, be used with clearance for the
wheel flanges; the dotted lines below indicate how the timbers may be
deepened. I have heretofore used flat or square timbers, and have found
that such timbers so bolted to ordinary rails get cut to pieces by the wheel
flanges, which difficulty is avoided by the diagonal form.
Fig. 9 shews a similar arrangement with the bolt passing below the rail.
.
Fig. 10 shews an arrangement similar to Fig. 7, but with a single-headed
rail. Fig. 10 shews deep fishes internally ribbed, as before described; the
dotted lines indicate the bracket, which may be made in a similar manner.
Fig. 10 shews a side view of the outer fish.
I now proceed to shew various methods of forming elastic bases for the
rails to rest on so as to prevent the effect of blows caused by rails striking
chairs, and chairs striking sleepers, and sleepers striking ballast, which hardens
by constant percussion.
One method is shewn at Figure 11, as a chair of peculiar form b, with
an enlarged internal base, in which are placed two or more plates of tempered
steel c, on which the rail rests transversely, and there is room between the
top of the chair and the rail table for the rail to descend as the springs play
under pressure of the wheels, and a hollow space below the springs serves for
the same purpose. The springs are five to six inches long and three to five
inches wide. The wood key d is faced with an inner plate to prevent wear
with the slide of the rail, and the lower edge presses on the spring plates to
keep them down; spring plates of various forms may be used.
Fig. 12 shews a keel base plate a similar to Fig. 6, with tempered steel

page_text: plates boverlying the central hollow, and the rail resting on them. To. keep
the rail in position, a pair of brackets c, c, are bolted down to, the base plate
pressing on the upper side of the lower table of the rail; one bolt is a hook
bolt which takes the tie bar. The springs enter hollows of the brackets at
the ends, and the brackets may be shaped to take the sleeper hollow with
projecting edges outside the springs to keep them firmer..
Fig. 13 shews a pair of sleeper castings bolted together to form a sleeper,
the lower parts a, a, having side lips to key them down in the ballast. The
bolts b, which may be two or more, pass through from side to side below, the
hollow, over which the springs c lie. The castings. are about two feet long,
and the upper parts d, d, which clip the rail, may be of the same length or
shorter. The nut of the bolt b is recessed in the sleeper so as
and the head has a collar and square neck beyond it to turn it by. The bolts
may also, if preferred, pass below the bearing flanges; the tie bar and bolt
are as before described at Fig. 1.
not to turn,
Fig. 14 shews a side view, with one side removed to shew the section, a
cast-iron sleeper a; the rail is shewn in section at b, the brackets c, c, abutting
against the ribs d, d, on the sleeper tope, on flat springs on which the rail
rests over a hollow space below; f, f, are bolts hooked below, and passing
into holes on the angle iron tie bar g. Fig. 14" shews the same sleeper in
plan, and Fig. 14 shews the rail sideways and the sleeper in cross section
with the same letters of reference.
A space is left between the rail, and the
tops of the brackets for the play of the rail'; the size of the springs may vary
from six inches long to five or six inches wide, or more or less, and about a
quarter of an inch in thickness, varying according to the load on the wheels:
h, h, in the plan shews a hollow on the sleeper top below the rail, and i, i,
shew two holes in the sleeper for surface packing.
Fig. 15 shews a similar rail b in side view and sleeper a in section; the
springs care curved upwards length long with the rail, and abut at their ends
against recesses in the sleeper. Fig. 15 shews the same in plan, with letters
of reference similar to Fig. 14, and, if preferred, the curvature of the springs
may be transverse to the rail; or they may be curved downwards instead of
upwards, or they may be square or circular plates supported all round, either
rising in the centre or with a boss placed on them to support the rail.
Fig. 16 shews a deep channelled sleeper b, b, two
with springs e below for the rail a to rest on; these
arched, or bearing against abutments at the ends.
laterally by pieces of wood or metal d, d, fitting the
detached pieces or the whole length of the sleeper.
feet long, more or less,
springs may be flat or
The rail a is supported
side channels either in
If of wood, they should

page_text: be lined with iron to prevent wear against the rail. Holes are formed in the
sleeper, rail, and channel pieces, and a tapered key or keys c is driven through
all "draw bore," as, before described at Fig. 1, but below the bearers.
hook bolts and tie bar are as before described, except that the nut is recessed
into the top of the sleeper to be out of the way of the wheel flanges.
The
Fig. 17 shews a sleeper b, b, with horizontal bearers, with the jaws pressing
against the web of the rail a, but with space between the tops of the jaws and
the rail table. The sleeper is spread out wide below for the springs c, on
which the rail rests with a hollow below, and is fastened down by the lower
jaws of the sleeper; the rail enters the sleepers endwise.
Fig. 18 shews in section a cast-iron sleeper of the hollow bowl kind. A
solid jaw a is cast over the sleeper on one side, wide at the base to admit the
spring plates on which the rail rests; a bracket jaw babutting against a
rib is bolted down and holds the rail in position while it can follow the
springs in their deflection.
Fig. 19 shews, in side view, another method of obtaining elastic action for
rails equable and continuous throughout. a, a, a, a, shew the ends of cross
sleepers of the ordinary kind bedded in ballast; b, a longitudinal timber, which
may be of the same scantling as the cross sleepers or larger, the joints of the
longitudinals being placed at the middle of a cross sleeper, and trenailed or
bolled down so as to form a large framing. On these longitudinals ordinary
chairs c, c, c, are fixed intermediately between the cross sleepers, and the rails
are keyed in in the usual way, so that this rail does not come in contact
with the longitudinal, but only the chairs. The cross sleepers are firmly
packed in the ballast, but the longitudinals are not packed, but are hollow
below in this mode the longitudinals form a continuous clastic base for the
chairs and rails. Brackets or diagonally cut timbers may be used instead of
chairs, and the cross sleepers being fast to the longitudinals do not roll fore
and aft in the ballast. In this mode the pressure of the wheel is always
distributed over two or more sleepers, and is never on a single sleeper, as is
the case in the ordinary non-elastic method. Figure 19 shows the end of the
longitudinal with the rail key and chairs, with bolts passing outside the
timbers to secure it.
Figure 20 shews a rail bolted between two diagonal timbers similar to
Figure 8; cross blocks a, a, a, connect it with the elastic base. b. Another
set of blocks c, c, c, c, support the elastic base on stone sleepers d, d, d, d;
thus the timber may be kept out of the ground, and the stone blocks may be
bedded in concrete, and ordinary ballast be dispensed with.
Figure 21 shews a foot rail a without chairs fixed on blocks b, b, b, on the

page_text: elastic base c, which bears on sleepers d, d, d, d, which are transverse iron
troughs, similar to Figure 14, packed at the ends or through surface holes.
The bearings of the rail are intermediate to the sleepers.
Figure 22 shews a double-headed rail bolted between brackets a, a, a,
fastened to an elastic base plate of ribbed iron b, one rib being at the middle,
or one at each end, as Figure 22ª. The base plate is fixed on iron trough
sleepers c, c, c, c. Figure 22 shews in section a rail a, applied..with
brackets b, b, on an elastic timber base; this figure shews the rail sufficiently
elevated not to bear on the timber base.
Figure 23 shows two longitudinal bases a and b connected to opposite
longitudinals by cross ties c, c, c, c, all being trenailed together. The rail d
is enclosed in diagonal timber, as seen in section at Figure 8, and is spiked
down on blocks f, f, f, interspaced between the cross ties c, c, c, c. The lower
longitudinal a and the cross ties c, c, c, c, are packed, firm in the ballast ;the
upper longitudinal b is left as an elastic base to the rails and blocks ft, he
Figure 24 shews, in section, a pair of brackets c, c, as before described;
these brackets are connected together by a bolt b, or bolts passing below.the
spring hollow, and clip the rail a between them. They are spiked down to
the elastic timber base d, seen in section; the brackets do not touch the rail
at top.
Figure 25 shews similar brackets with the rail a rosting on spring plates,
and spiked down to the elastic timber base d, but the brackets c, c, are held
together by a collar bolt 6 passing through them and the rail web, the hole in
the rail being large enough to allow play.
Figure 26 shews a hollow cast-iron sleeper a of square or round pyramidal
form with vertical edges below, and with surface holes for packing if required.
Between ribs b, b, on the top is placed an elastic timber base d, shewn. end-
wise, and bolted down to it.
And though I have shewn this elastic system with one chair or rail bearing
between each pair of sleepers or ballast supports, I do not confine myself to
that, but use one, two, or more, spacing the sleepers farther apart, and instead
of sleepers of iron or timber, piles of timber or cast iron screw piles may be
used. And the advantage gained by this system is, that the sleepers being
secured to the longitudinals do not move or roll in the ballast, and no. single
sleeper can receive the full weight of a wheel as in the ordinary system, but
the weight must be distributed on two or more, and that through the elastic
base; and thus the rails and fastenings and other materials may be lighter,
and the cost need not exceed the ordinary structure, though of course for
increased loads and speeds it is not adviseable to stint the material. So, also,

page_text: in the substitution of steel for elastic timber, the greater the quantity and
length of steel used for springs the better may be the result; and instead of
the steel springs plates of wrought-iron may be used in such mode as to leave
hollows beneath them, the object being to prevent the direct blow of the rail
on the seating. And instead of the springs or iron plates, before described, as
giving an elastic base to the rail, the rail itself may be made elastic by a thin
vertical web slightly curved or corrugated and supported on the solid base so
ns to yield under the load, the curvature coming in contact with the lateral
support to limit the action. The dotted lines a,.
Fig. 2 indicate this
arrangement.
Having now described my said improvements, I wish it to be understood
that I claim the form of rail shewn at Figure 1, with the fishes, Figure 1*
and 1 and the channel sleepers shewn at Figures 1, 2, 3, 3, 16 and 17, with
the taper screw and side key, and the fishes and brackets 2º, 2º, 2º, and 2ª,
and the tie bars with hook bolts.
Also the system of angle brackets, Figures 4 and 5, and the arrangement
of rail and fishes, and diagonal timbers, Figures 7 and 7a, the arrangement of
diagonal timbers. Figures 8, 9, and 10, and the fishes and brackets to foot
rails, Figure 10° and 10°.
Also, the spring chair and metal-faced key, Figure 11.
Also, the keel sleepers, brackets, springs, and tie bar. Figure 12, and the
sleepers in two halves, with springs and collar bolts, and recessed nut,
Figure 13.
Also, the trough and box sleepers, Figures 14, 14, 14, 15 and 15º, 18,
21, 22, and 26.
Also, the arrangement of timber elastic bases, as shewn at Figures 19, 19,
20, 21, 22, 22, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26.
And also the arrangement of springs in chairs, brackets, and sleepers, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bridges Adams, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
YYY
dבנחתת
ADAMS
WILLIAM BRIDGES
ADAMS
MS.