IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS AND FASTENINGS FOR RAILS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bewick Quelch, of Stapleton, in the
County of Durham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS
AND FASTENINGS FOR RAILS FOR RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 24th September 1870, and dated the 31st March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bewick Quelch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 31st March 1870.
T, WILLIAM BEWICK QUELCH, of Stapleton, in the County of Durham,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CHAIRS AND FASTENINGS FOR RAILS FOR RAILWAYS," to be as follows:—
The rail is of the same section as that in general use, but the web
should be shorter, say, nearly one inch, thus forming what may be
termed a dumpy rail. The chair, which it is desirable to make not less
than 1 foot 1 inches long, should be either rolled from malleable iron or
made from any suitable material. It is fastened to the sleeper with
spikes and dogs or otherwise as may be found most suitable. In section

page_text: the chair is made to fit closely on to the rail on one side and is left open
on the other, but at the outer extremity there is what may be termed a
flange of sufficient strength, having an angle of 40 degrees more or less
with the bottom of the chair and forming one abutment for the wedges
or fasteners, while the web of the rail is the other. The wedges are
made of cast iron or other suitable material and introduced between the
rail and the flange of the chair above described; they are drawn tight by
means of a bolt of suitable strength and nut or cotter as may be pre-
ferred. The chair is made to extend over the sides of the sleeper in
order that these bolts may be freely passed into the holes. It is not
necessary to have two flat sides to the wedges they may be otherwise
formed if desired. In some cases the chair may be made continuous,
especially where a single headed rail is preferred. The section of this
class of permanent way so far as the chair is concerned would be similar
to but much lighter than that required for the double headed rail when
a chair proportionally long with the strength of the rail is used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Bewick Quelch in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BEWICK QUELCH, of Stapleton, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Bewick Quelch, Ier special
licence, that I, the said William Bewick Quelch, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Bewick
Quelch, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS AND FASTENINGS FOR RAILS, FOR RAILWAYS," upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Bewick Quelch, my
executors or administrators, 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 Bewick Quelch, 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:-
The rail to be adopted can be made with one or two faces and is in
general design the same as that in common use, but in the case of the
single faced rail the web is to be made of greater thickness towards the
bottom in order to prevent its springing when once firmly seated in the
chair. The chair is made continuous with the rail, or, when great
strength is not required, it can be made in short lengths of about one
foot four inches more or less. It is fastened to the sleeper with spikes
and dogs or otherwise as may be deemed suitable. In section it is made
closely to fit the rail on one side and is left open on the other, and at the
outer extremity there is a flange of sufficient strength having an angle
of forty degrees, more or less, with the bottom of the chair, so forming
one abutment for the wedges or fasteners, while the web of the rail is
the other. It is of such form as to be easily rolled from malleable iron,
but when a light road is required cast-iron will answer the purpose.
The wedges are made of cast-iron or other suitable material and are
introduced between the rails and the flange of the chair above described.
They are drawn tight by means of a bolt of suitable strength passing
through the wedge, and the under part of the chair with nut or cotter
as may be preferred. The chair is made to extend over the sides of the
sleeper in order that these bolts may be freely passed into the holes. It
is not necessary to have two flat sides to the wedges, they may be
otherwise formed if desired. In some cases the chairs may be made
continuous, especially where the single headed rail is used. The section
of this class of permanent way, so far as the chair is concerned, would be
similar to but much lighter than that required for the double headed
rail when a chair of proportional dimensions with the strength of the
rail is used.

page_text: Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention,
and intimated generally in what manner the same is to be performed or
carried out in practice, I will now, in further compliance with the afore-
said condition in the said Letters Patent contained, proceed to further
and particularly describe in what manner the same is to be performed or
carried out in practice by reference to the Drawings accompanying these
Presents, that is to say :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, plan of the single headed or faced rail with my chairs and
fastenings applied thereto; Fig. 2, elevation of the single headed or faced
rail with my chairs and fastenings applied thereto; Fig. 3, cross section
of the single headed or faced rail with my chair and fastenings applied
thereto; Fig. 4 plan of double headed rail with my chairs and fastenings
applied thereto; Fig. 5, elevation of same; Fig. 6, cross section of
same.
In these Figures A denotes the rail; B, chair; C, the wedge; D, bolt
and nut to draw tight the wedge (C); E, spikes and dogs to fasten chair
to sleeper; F, sleeper; HI, joint of rails; J, joint of chair; K, bed
plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and in what manner the same may be
performed or carried out in practice, I horeby declare that I claim the
Invention of "Improvements in Chairs and Fastenings for Rails for
Railways," as the same is herein-before described, it being understood
that I do not claim the mere details of construction shown and described,
except as constituent parts of the said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bewick Quelch, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sovent.
Witness,
W. DENT,
Clowbeck.
W. B. QUELCH. (L.S.)