Year: 1886

page_text: I, JOHN TIPPING GARDNER, of Dowlais, in the County of Glamorgan, Civil
Engineer, 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:-
According to my invention I secure rails to metallic sleepers by the following
arrangement.
On one side of the rail I provide a rigid support or jaw against which the web of
the rail bears, and which may be of any suitable construction but preferably of the
construction hereinafter described. On the other side of the rail I provide an
elastic jaw formed of a curved plate of steel, the lower part of which is formed
with a hook on its underside so as to hook into a hole in the sleeper or chair, and
thus afford the requisite purchase for its spring action, while its upper end is
brought into a horizontal position and butts either directly against the web of the
rail or preferably against a plate fitting the web and having a notch or recess into
which the end of the jaw fits.
The upper part of the spring jaw has shoulders or projections so that by means
of a lever or other tool bearing against these it can be sprung back sufficiently to
allow the said plate to be inserted between it and the web of the rail, after which
it is allowed to spring forward and exert sufficient spring pressure against the
plate to hold the rail securely in position.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing shews an elevation and Fig. 2 shews a plan
of my improved fastening as applied to a flange rail.
A is the rigid jaw, preferably applied to the outer side of the rail, and provided
with a hook A' on its underside which hooks into a hole in the sleeper D, and
thus, in combination with the tail bearing on the sleeper, affords the requisite
purchase for withstanding the side pressure on the rail. B is the spring jaw also
provided with a hook B' hooking into a hole in the sleeper and extending backward
from the hook to afford the requisite purchase for the spring action. C is the
plate fitting the side of the rail and having a notch into which the upper end of
the spring jaw fits as shewn. B³ B³ are the shoulders on the spring jaw against
which a forked lever E, shewn in dotted lines, is made to bear while its lower end
takes a purchase in the hole of the sleeper; by this means the jaw can be sprung
back sufficiently after it has been inserted in its place to allow of the insertion of

page_text: the plate C between it and the rail, while when released it will bear with sufficient
spring pressure against the plate to hold the rail securely in position.
Fig. 3 shows an elevation of the improved fastening as applied to a double
headed rail. In this case the rigid jaw A is made to extend under the bottom of
the rail so as to form a seat for the same, its hook A¹ being made to enter the same
slot in the sleeper as that into which the spring jaw B hooks. The spring jaw B
and plate C are constructed in the same manner as in the previous arrangement.
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. The use for securing rails to metallic sleepers or chairs of a rigid jaw fitting
against the one side of the rail in combination with a steel jaw having spring
action, bearing either directly or with the intervention of a plate against the other
side of the rail, the said spring jaw having a hook on its under side which hooks
into a hole in the sleeper so as to afford it the necessary purchase for its spring
action, substantially as herein described.
2. The combination with a metallic sleeper of a rigid jaw A bearing against the
one side of the rail, and having a hook A¹ hooking into a hole in the sleeper, and
a spring jaw B bearing with spring pressure against the plate C on the other side
of the rail, and having a hook B₁ hooking into a hole in the sleeper, the jaw B being
provided with shoulders or projections B serving as a purchase for springing it
away from the plate C substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1
and 2 of the drawings.
3. The combination with a metallic sleeper of a rigid jaw A forming a seat for
the rail, and having a hook A' hooking into a hole in the sleeper, and a spring
jaw B bearing with spring pressure against the plate C and having a hook B¹
hooking into the same hole in the sleeper into which the jaw A hooks, substan-
tially as herein described with reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 11th day of August 1886.