A New or Improved Sleeper for Railways and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Sleeper for Railways and the like.
We, PAUL CZIGLER, of Mura-Kiraly, Hungary, Railway Inspector, SÁNDOR
HIRSCHMAN, of Csàktornya, Hungary, Merchant, FRANZ GRUNBAUM, of Zalaegers-
zeg, Hungary, Merchant, JAKOB WERTHEIMER, of Mura-Csàny, Hungary, Mer-
chant, FERDINAND FRIEDRICH, of Mura-Csàny, Hungary, Merchant, LUDWIG
ROSENBERG, of Csàktornya, Hungary, Merchant, and HERMANN KOHN, of Csak-
tornya, Hungary, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:
--
The rapid growth of railway traffic and the continuous increase of speed in
travelling have so enlarged the claims on the maintenance of the permanent way
that such maintenance has ceased to be able to fully answer the requirements.
This applies more particularly to the sleepers, ordinarily of wood, which have
the great defect that in consequence of the rotting of the wood, the sleepers
require frequent renewals which greatly increases the cost of maintenance.
The object of this invention is to substitute for the sleepers hitherto used
other devices answering in every respect the present requirements and capable
of being easily manufactured, while at the same time surpassing in elasticity
and durability the wood and iron sleepers hitherto used and being on account of
their extraordinary power capable of bearing the greatest weights or loads.
This new sleeper is produced in a press from a plastic mass which becomes
hard and has outwardly a similar shape to that of wooden sleepers but is hollow
inwardly and is strengthened by a wire netting.
This improved sleeper is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the sleeper, Figure 2 is a cross
section thereof and Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
The cross section of the sleeper has the shape of a trapezium which is more
particularly adaptable to consolidate the permanent way, this shape is the same
outwardly and inwardly. The hollow part is provided, at the parts where the
rails a or the chairs b are laid, with elastic supporting plugs or pieces c. As the
walls increase in thickness at the top and towards the centre, the hollow part
has a conical shape on both sides so that the elastic supporting plugs or pieces c
can be tightly driven in. The wire netting which is placed in the centre of the
wall thickness surrounds the hollow part like a culvert and consists of closed
arched ribs d which brace up the sleepers and impart a considerable amount of
elasticity thereto. These ribs d are interlaced or bound together by longitu-
dinal wires in order to increase the resistance of the sleeper to traction. The
longitudinal wires e are suspended at their ends to the ribs d. The material of
the sleeper consists of a mixture of Portland cement and coarse cinders, and
river sand which can be readily moulded in presses and forms after it is dry
a firm and exceedingly tenacious mass. The supporting plugs or pieces c which
are used to receive the rail spikes f consist of a peculiar elastic mass composed
of about 45% asphalt, 15 % tar and 30% river sand to which is added about
10% of pig hair or of other animal hair. A protecting sheath i of the same

page_text: elastic mass surrounds the whole of the outer wall of the sleeper for the purpose
of protecting the latter and prevent it from being squashed or to protect it
from the effects of concussions or of other outwardly injurious damaging influ-
ence. The elastic supporting parts c are held or fastened on both sides by a
layer formed of the same material as the sleeper and which prevents the
undesirable expansion of the elastic supporting parts c. The holes g for the
spikes extend as far as the supporting parts c and are bored or drilled in the
body of the sleeper before the latter is subjected to pressure (Fig. 3). As already
stated the sleepers herein described are made by presses and are originally hollow
throughout. The wire netting d, e, is first suspended in the press mould and is
temporarily fixed by means of removable nails which are withdrawn after the
necessary pressure has been exerted in the moulds. In the middle of the wire
netting is arranged before compression takes place a core having for its object
to form the hollow space r. This core is composed of a number of parts or
sections having a cruciform shape and is withdrawn at both ends after com-
pression from the finished sleeper. After the sleeper has hardened, the web
pieces or plugs c are driven in position. The whole mass forms after petrifying
or hardening a thoroughly tenacious and elastic sleeper wherein no warping can
take place as with wooden sleepers, while owing to the particular manner in
which it is manufactured it has a much more regular form than the wooden
sleepers hitherto used. The web pieces c hold the driven spikes firmly in con-
sequence of the elasticity of the material and have moreover the advantage that
after removing the spikes the holes close themselves again, so that a new spike
can be driven again in the same place whereas a spike cannot be driven twice in
the same place in wooden sleepers and hence the latter soon becomes useless.
The wire netting imparts considerable elasticity and tenacity to the sleeper, so
that the latter cannot be possibly torn asunder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A sleeper for railways characterized by a hollow body braced up or
strengthened by ribs or wire netting (d, e,) having a shape resembling that of
ordinary sleepers and a hollow space reduced internally and increasing at both
sides wherein, below the rail flange, is inserted a supporting piece or plug c of
highly elastic material for the purpose of fixing the spikes therein.
2. In sleepers for railways such as above claimed, an arched rib or wire
netting surrounding the hollow space and provided with longitudinal wires e
plaited around the ribs d.
3. For the manufacture of sleepers of the kind above claimed a process con-
sisting in forming by compression a hollow sleeper body of a mixture of cement,
coarse cinders, and river sand placed around a wire netting or steel or iron ribs
and driving in this hollow and conical body a supporting piece consisting of
about 45 % asphalt, 15% tar, animal hair (pig's) 10% and sand 30 %, the whole
sleeper being surrounded by this elastic mass to produce a protective sheath.
4. In sleepers of the kind above claimed the arrangement of strengthening or
propping up blocks or wedge pieces h, h, on both sides of the elastic web pieces
wherein the spikes are driven for the purpose of preventing them from expanding
too much.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents for the Applicants.