Improvements in and relating to Railway Ties or Sleepers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Railway Ties or Sleepers.
1. WILLIAM HENRI ADDICKS, of South-east corner of Chestnut and Fifth
Streets, in the City of Philadelphin, State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America, Attorney-at-Law, 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
My invention relates to that class of railway ties or sleepers in which the tie is
especially shaped for the purpose of securing the rails in position, its object being
to provide an economical construction of tic which, in connection with auxiliary
fastening devices of simple character, may be employed to secure the rails in place,
as more clearly hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying diawing .-
-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line 1-1 Figure 2 of a railway tic
constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the tie or sleeper proper, and
Figure 4 is a similar view of one of the rail fastening keys.
Referring to the drawing A represents the tie or sleeper provided with two lower
depending flanges, a, so as to form a chaunel bar, and with a centially located
rih a', on its upper surface extending longitudinally of the tie and being interrupted
o cressed at the points where the rails lay in order that the base of the rails may
rest directly upon the broad upper surface of the main body of the tie.
The rib, «, is cut away, and at bis recessed to conform to the contour of one
side of the base and web of the railway rails near each end of the tie. Extending
through the upper portion of the main body of the tie are slots each having a
portion, p, extending parallel with the length of the tic, aud a portion, p', extending
at an angle thereto.
The securing key, E', 1s formed of a broad inetallic plato so shaped at one end
as to bear firmly upon the upper portion of the base and one side of the vertical
web of the rail, its opposite end being slit at and being provided also with a
projection,, extending somewhat beyond the end of the plate. Near the centre of
the plate 18 a tongue, e, connected to the plate by a shauk or neck, f, of a length
somewhat greater than the thickness of the metal which forms the upper surface of
the tie so that when the tongue, f, is passed through the inclined portion, pl of the
slot the said tongue will be below the main body of the tie, and when forced into
the position shown in Figure 1 the plate will be prevented from raising and will
himly lock the base of the rail to the upper surface of the tic.
In order to prevent any movement of the key, after it has been forced into the
locking position, the rib, a', is provided with a slot or recess, c', at a point
immediately above the upper surface of the body of the tie, the distance between
the rear wall of the slot or recess, c', and the web of the rail to be fastened in
position being about equal to the length of the keying plate and when the end of
the key is forced into this recess the projection,, being of such length as to
prevent its passing through the recess will impinge upon one side of the rih, a', and
prevent any further movement of the key in that direction. The slit, 1, 18 then
about in line with the opposite side of the rib, a', and that portion of the end of the
key beyond the side of the rib may be bent upward, as shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1, and so prevent movement of the key in the opposite direction.

page_text: A key and tie constructed in accordance with this invention may be readily
placed in position, and the key be secured in place in a comparatively short time,
while the key will act effectually to lock the rail in position owing to the contact of
the tongue, e, with the underside of the main body of the tie and the contact of the
neck, with the end wall of the slot, p, and the contact of the end of the key with
the end wall of the recess, c', forming a positive abutment.
Where it becomes necessary to employ a guard rail, as at bridges, cuives or
switches the recess in the rib may be made sufficiently wide to receive the two rails
and an auxiliary spacing block be placed between the main rail and the guard tail,
as described more fully in my Application No 9544 May 14th 1895
It is clear that in my improved construction herein described the necessity is
obviated for the employment of spikes, screws, and the like as in former con-
structions which are always hable to work loose under the vibrations consequent
upon the passage of the trains, also that the parts necessary to the complete
construction of my invention are reduced to a minunum, and these parts are
constructed so as to be interchangeable and readily replaced. It is also clear that
in this construction the line and gauge of the rails so adjusted will be accurate and
positive and can be thus readily set into position without loss of tune and labom,
at, for instance not only in original construction of the line but in case of accidental
destinction or derangement of the line
Having now particularly descubed and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim 18-
1. The combination of the railway tie having on its upper surface a recessed rib,
one wall of each recess being adapted to partially embrace one side of the rail,
there being through the upper surface of the main body of the tie an inclined slot
extending at an angle to the length of the tie, with a locking key having a tongue
adapted to enter and be confined in position by said slot, and one end of said key
being adapted to partially embrace and confine in position the railway rail, and its
opposite end being adapted to be secured to the recessed rib, substantially as
specified
2 The combination of the railway tie having an upper recessed rib, al, one wall
of which at b, is adapted to receive and partially embrace one side of the rail,
slot, p, p, provided through the upper surface of the main body of the tie, with a
locking key, El, having a tongue, adapted to enter and be confined in saul slot,
one end of said key being provided with a slit, 1, and a projection, a', for securing
said end of the key to the rib, a', substantially as specified.
3 The combination of the railway tie having on its upper surface a recessed
rib, a, one wall, b, of each recess adapted to receive and partially embrace the rail,
and the opposite wall having a recess or slot, c', theic being in the upper surface of
the main body of the tie two slots, p, p, situated one near each end of said tic, a
locking key, E', a tongue, e, thereon adapted to said slot, a neck portion, f
connecting the tongue and key, one end of said key having a slit, z, aud a
projection,, substantially as specified.
Dated this 14th day of May 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, WC, Agents for the Applicant.