Improvements in Railway Sleepers or Cross Ties.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Sleepers or Cross Ties.
Wo, CHARLES Augustus Gildemeyer, of Haddonfield, New Jersey United
States of America, Inventor, and OSCAR TWITOHELL, of Haddonfield, Camden
County, New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention aud in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to construct of angle iron or steel a metallic
railway sleeper or cross tie which will be of simple and economical character, as
hereinaftor more fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railway sleeper or cross tie constructed in
accordance with this invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same ou the line 1, 2, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a similar section on the line 3, 4, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a modification.
Figure 5 is a detached perspective view of the device for securing the rail to the
sleeper or tie.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
The cross tie is formed preferably of two sections of angle iron bent in the
manner illustrated in Figure 1 so that the shorter arms a will abut at or about the
centre of the tie, and form a continuous or practically continuous bar extending
diagonally across the sleeper or tie while the longer arms a' extend on each side of
the short arms, and aro tapered at the extreme ends, so as to fit snugly against the
short arms, as shown.
The opposite onds of the tie are bent in any desired manner preferably so as to
form enlarged or rounded portions in which may be secured cover plates o-to
provent the displacement of the ballast. The angle iron employed for this purpose
is preferably so shaped as to have its flanges at an obtuse angle, no that the sleeper
or tie will have inclined sides and will have a firmer seat than if the sides were in a
vertical line. The two sections of the said sleeper or tie are locked together by
transverse bolts d which extend through from side to side of the sleeper or tie, as
shown in Figures 2 and 3.
In Figure 4 is shown a modification of the tie illustrating another form of sleeper
or tie with rounded ends and the use of filling plates c The two sides of this
sleeper or tie are substantially parallel, the opposite ends of the two sections of
augle iron abutting at or about the centro and being secured together by a cross
piece 9.
For the purpose of securing the rails to a sleeper or tie of this character a bent
plate m is employed, having pockets m' for the reception of the body portion of two
bolts n, n, having heads n adapted to the base flange of the rail, and grooved at
their lower ends to embrace a portion of the lower edge of the bent plate m. A
bolt & is employed to hold the plate in place in contact with the side of the sleeper
or tic as shown in Figure 1.
A sleeper or tie of this character may be readily tamped after the rails have been
secured in place, and after the ballast is in position the inclined sides of the sleeper
or tie will to a great extent prevent the same from being moved out of position, us
will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A railway sleeper or cross tie formed of two or more sections of angle iron

page_text: bent into suitable shape, and so disposed that the shorter arms of the bent portions
will abut and form a bar extending diagonally across the said sleepor or tie, and
overlapping longer arms extending substantially parallel to each other on either
side of said diagonal bar, substantially as described.
2. A railway sleoper or cross tio formed of two or more sections of angle iron
bent into suitable shape and so disposed that the shorter arms of the bent portions
will abut and form a diagonally extonding bar, and longer arms extending on either
*side of the diagonal bar, said longer arms being tapered at their extreme ends to fit
snugly against said diagonal bar, with transverse bolts for securing the sections
together, substantially as described.
3. A railway sleeper or tie formed of angle iron and having enlarged end portions,
with covering plates adapted to fit within such enlarged end portions below the
upper flange of the angle iron, substantially as described.
4. The combination in a sleepor or cross tie made of angle iron, having an
inclined body portion, and an internal flange extending around the upper edge,
with covering plates for the opening formed between the flanges, substantially as
described.
5. The combination of a sleeper or tie, the rail, a bent plate having bolt-receiving
pookets, headed bolts adapted to said pockets, the heads of said bolts being adapted
to engage with the lower flange of the rail, and a securing bolt for holding said
plate to the side of the sleeper or tie, substantially as described.
Dated this 31st day of January 1803
"
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.