AN IMPROVED METHOD OF JOINTING RAILS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bradford Leslie, of Surbiton, Surrey, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of AN IMPROVED METHOD OF JOINTING
RAILS."
Sealed the 28th February 1873, and dated the 2nd September 187.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bradford Leslie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd September 1872.
I, BRADFORD LESLIE, of Surbiton, Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
JOINTING RAILS," to be as follows:―
This Invention has particular reference to the jointing of flat footed or
commonly called "Vignoles" rails, and consists in bolting a piece of
iron of a tee shaped section, or an inverted piece of the rail itself, to the
under side of the rails so to be connected by means of screw bolts or
cotter pins, or by rivets passing through holes in the top of the tee iron,
or inverted rail, and in the bottom flanges of the rails to be connected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bradford Leslie in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BRADFORD
LESLIE, of Surbiton, Surrey, Civil Engineer, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Bradford Leslie, Her special licence that I,
the said Bradford Leslie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Bradford Leslie, 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 "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF JOINTING
RAILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Bradford
Leslie, 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 Bradford Leslie, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference
marked thereon (that is to say);—
-
This Invention has particular reference to the jointing of flat footed or
commonly called "Vignoles" rails, and consists in bolting a piece of iron
of a tee shaped section, or an inverted piece of the rail itself to the under
side of the rails so to be connected by means of screw bolts or cotter pins;
or by rivets passing through holes in the top of the tee iron or inverted
rail, and in the bottom flanges of the rails to be connected.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation, and
Fig. 2 a cross section shewing the ends of the ordinary flat footed or
"Vignoles" rails A, A', connected by means of a piece of iron B of a tee
shaped section of requisite strength and secured to the under side or foot
of rails by headed pins C and cotters D.
Figs. 3 and 4 are a longitudinal elevation and cross section respectively
of a similar arrangement of rail joint; A, A¹, being the rails; B, the tee
iron joint plate which is secured to the under side or foot foot of rails by
means of screw bolts and nuts C, which may be put in from above or from
below the rail foot. This method of jointing rails I have found to be a
stronger form of fastening or joining the ends of the rails than the common
"fish plate" placed one on each side of the rails.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
I claim, the improved method of jointing rails, substantially as herein
described and shown on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bradford Leslic, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and covents than
BRADFORD LESLIE. (L.S.)