IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY RAILS AND IN SPIKES FOR SECURING THE SAME, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Whight, of Ipswich, in the County of
Suffolk, Machine Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY RAILS AND IN SPIKES FOR SECURING THE SAME, AND FOR OTHER
LIKE PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad by William Bolton
Rogerson, of Paterson, New Jersey, United States of America.
Sealed the 1st January 1874, and dated the 15th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Whight at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th July 1873.
I, GEORGE WHIGHT, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Machine
5 Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY RAILS AND IN SPIKES FOR SECURING THE SAME, AND

page_text: The said Invention relates, secondly, to a peculiar locking spike for
securing the said rail or other railway rails or chairs upon the sleepers
or cross ties.
My improved railway rails are constructed as follows:-The upper or
bearing part of the rail has a T shaped cross section, the corners being
curved or filleted to give the required strength to the same. The bottom
or base has also a T shaped cross section, but the central portion or web is
channelled longitudinally to receive the central portion or web of the
upper part of the said rail. The two parts of the rail are fitted together
by inserting the web of the upper part into the channel in the lower
part, and the two webs are secured together by bolts passed through
them.
The base or lower part of the rail may be made of ordinary rolled iron.
I prefer to make the upper or bearing part. of steel or chilled or hardened
iron, but this part also may be made of ordinary wrought iron, if desired.
Both parts of the said rail may be manufactured by the ordinary process
of rolling. The said rail will be found very strong and durable, and in
all respects equal to compound rails manufactured by welding a steel
bearing part upon a soft metal base; and, furthermore, it will be more
cheaply manufactured than such rails, and when the upper or bearing
part is so worn or injured as to be no longer servicable it may be readily
removed and replaced without disturbing the lower part. The latter is not
exposed to any wear or other ordinary destructive agency, and will there-
fore, except in case of accidental injury or natural decay, never require
renewal, and thus the interruption to traffic in case of repairs is greatly
diminished. Moreover with this improved rail fish plates and other
fastenings at the joints and chairs for supporting the rails are dispensed
with.
I modify my Invention by making the upper or bearing part of the
rail with its web recessed longitudinally to receive the web of the base
or lower part, that is to say, the said upper part is formed with a head of
the proper cross sectional area, and from this head extends a double web,
or a web consisting of two sides. The base part has its web properly
formed to fit the aforesaid longitudinal recess or space in the web of the
upper parts, and the two parts of the rail are sécured together by bolts
passed through them, as above described.
My improved locking spike for securing the rails to their sleepers is
constructed and applied to the rails as follows: -I make a spike with

page_text: the head and shank of the ordinary form or nearly so, and just under the
head I make through the spike a narrow oblique or inclined slot or
aperture; into this slot I fit a thin spike or nail, whereby the first-
mentioned spike is locked in the following manner:-The said spike is
driven into the sleeper or cross tic outside the rail flange, with its head
overhanging, and bearing upon the said flange, in which position the
aforesaid slot inclines downward towards the plane of the centre of the
rail. Then the aforesaid thin spike or nail is inserted through the said
slot, and driven into the sleeper, so that its head covers that of the main
or slotted spike. The latter will be by this means securely locked or
fastened, and will not be displaced or slackened by the vibration and
concussions to which the rails are subjected, and which so quickly
displace the ordinary spikes and other fastenings hitherto employed on
railways and for similar purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Whight in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WHIGHT, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Machine Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Whight, Her special
licence that I, the said George Whight, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Whight, 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
RAILWAY RAILS AND IN SPIKES FOR SECURING THE SAME, AND FOR OTHER LIKE
PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by William Bolton
Rogerson, of Paterson, New Jersey, United States of America, upon the

page_text: rail, or may be of any other desirable sectional form which will give it
the required strength. The bottom or female portion 6 of the said rail
has a T shaped cross section, its base or foot 6¹ being considerably wider
than the top a.
The central portion or web 62 of the part 6 is channeled
longitudinally to receive the central vertical portion or web a¹ of the
upper or male part a of the said rail. The two parts a, b, of the rail are
fitted together by inserting the web a¹ of the upper part into the channel
in the part b, and the two webs are secured together by bolts c passed
through them, and provided with nuts c¹, as shown in Figure 1.
The lower part 6 of the rail may be made of ordinary rolled iron. I
prefer to make the upper or bearing part a of steel or chilled or hardened
iron, but this part also may be made of ordinary rolled or wrought iron,
if desired. Both parts, a and b, of the said rail may be manufactured by
the ordinary process of rolling. The said rail will be found very strong
and durable, and in all respects equal to compound rails manufactured
by welding a steel bearing part upon a soft metal base; and, further-
more, it will be more cheaply manufactured than such rails, and when
the upper or bearing part is so worn or injured as to be no longer
serviceable it may be readily removed and replaced without taking up or
disturbing the lower part. The latter is not exposed to any wear or
other ordinary destructive agency, and will therefore, except in case of
accidental injury or natural decay, never require renewal, and thus the
interruption to the traffic for repairs will be greatly diminished. More-
over, with this improved rail, fish plates and other fastenings at the
joints and chairs for supporting the rails are dispensed with.
I modify my Invention by making the upper or bearing part a of the
rail with a longitudinally channeled web or vertical portion to receive
the web of the base or lower part of the rail, that is to say, the said
upper part a is formed with a head of the proper cross sectional area,
and from this head extends a double web a³, or a web consisting of two
sides, with a channel or groove. between them, as shown in Figures 3
and 4. The lower part 6 has its web 6³ properly formed to fit the longi-
tudinal channel or space a' in the web of the upper part, and the two
parts a, b, of the rail are secured together by bolts c passed through
them, and provided with nuts, as above described.
Figures 5 and 6 show side and edge views of my improved locking
anilen dotached. The coid looking snike is constructed and annlied to the

page_text: Fifth. A railway rail secured upon its sleepers by the aforesaid locking
pikes in the manner above specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Whight, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
W. ROB. LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
GEORGE WHIGHT. (L.S.)