Improvements in Chairs for the Permanent-ways of Railroads and Tramways.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1888.
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Nov., 188
Improvements in Chairs for the Permanent-ways of Railroads and
Tramways.
I FRANCIS SANDERS MORRIS of Chandos Chambers Adelphi London W.C. in the
County of Middlesex Consulting Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the Chairs for the permanent-
ways of Railroads, Tram-lines and the like.
In constructing the joints and connections of the parts of permanent-ways, whilst
retaining the principle of the draw-joint Chair, the novelty of my Invention lies, not
so much in that, as in the additional improvements hereinafter described, and without
which any previous railway Chairs that may have been on the draw-joint principle, are
devoid of the elasticity necessary to make those inventions a practical success.
Moreover, many Patentees have introduced various contrivances to secure better
efficiency, and overcome the many objections of the wooden wedge or key commonly
employed for securing Rails in their Chairs, but their Inventions have not hitherto
been productive of great or universal success; as either, by their complication or
undurable nature, they have failed to satisfy the requirements. By this Invention, 1
introduce an inexpensive, durable, and most efficient Chair, constructed on the draw-
joint principle in a different manner than heretofore.
My Improvements consist, in the employment of a wedge-or similar shaped piece-
or its equivalent, of metal, fitted into one side of the Chair, and capable of being
drawn up tightly against the Rail by means of a draw-joint and pin. Now to provide
this wedge or gripping-piece with the required amount of elasticity, I core, or channel
out, the metal of the wedge-piece, or its equivalent, in such a manner as to allow the
part immediately pressing against, or gripping, the rail, a certain amount of play, by
reason of the elasticity of the material employed, which may be either of Steel
(tempered) or wrought iron (case-hardened) or of any other preferable material.
The Channel or space left in the wedge-piece, or its equivalent, allows the part next
the rail free resilient play, and whilst thus providing for the required amount
of elasticity, it, at the same time, enables the rail to be securely gripped and
fastened.

page_text: The elastic portion of the wedge-shaped piece, or its equivalent, must always be
constructed in such a manner, as to give the Rail the full benefit of its elastic pressure,
and inherent resiliency, and (when necessary) its form must be altered to suit, the
shape of the Rail employed.
If thought desirable, a piece of felt may be introduced to form a bed between the
Rail and Chair, but in most cases, the wedge-piece will accommodate itself to any
inequalities, and irregularities in the Chair Castings or Rails.
Sometimes, I prefer to insert a separate elastic piece of Steel or other material,
made concave towards the Rail, and convex towards the Chair, in the moveable wedge-
piece, which wedge-piece may be drawn up tightly against the Rail by the draw-joint
as before described. Further, the same object may be attained by inserting a similarly
shaped elastic piece in the opposite side of the Chair to the wedge-piece, but I do not
consider it so good or desirable as the before mentioned contrivance.
Besides the adaptability of the form of Chair with its modifications and my Improve-
ments as herein described, to Railway permanent-ways, in place of the Common Chair
and wooden Key with its attendant disadvantages, this Invention (provided the bearing
or gripping surface in contact with the Rail be made of sufficient width) will serve
the purpose of fish-plates, and entirely abolish the necessity for their use, thereby
rendering the laying down of permanent-way, and its subsequent maintenance, cheaper
and more durable than heretofore.
I have described the principle of my Invention with the above modifications, but
there are others, which, although embodying slight difference of detail, require no
explanation here, but will be referred to at length in the Complete Specification.
Dated this Twentieth day of January 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chairs for the Permanent-ways of Railroads and
Tramways.
I, FRANCIS SANDERS MORRIS, of Chandos Chambers. Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, 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 chairs for the permanent ways of railroads and for tram-
lines and the like.
Many attempts have heretofore been made to overcome the various objections to
the wooden wedge or key in common use for securing rails in their chairs but they
have not met with great success in consequence of their complicated or undurable
nature, and railway chairs, as hitherto constructed on the draw-joint principle
described in the Specifications of former Letters Patent dated January 11th A.D. 1884,
No. 1222, and November 17th A.D. 1885, No. 14026, are devoid of the elasticity
necessary to render them efficient. The chief object of my invention is to provide an
inexpensive, durable, and efficient chair having the required elasticity and constructed
on the draw-joint principle.
For this purpose I employ a wedge or similar shaped gripping-piece or its equivalent
of metal which is fitted in and forms one side of the rail receptacle of the chair, and is
adapted to be drawn up tightly against the rail by means of a pin, the requisite
amount of elasticity being given to the said gripping-piece by coring or channelling
it so as to form a groove or recess in such a manner as to allow the part which
immediately presses against or grips the rail, a certain amount of play. The gripping
piece is advantageously made of tempered steel, but it can be made of other suitable
material.
Instead of rendering the gripping-piece flexible as herein before described, I some-
times insert a separate flexible piece or spring of steel or other suitable material made
concave towards the rail and convex towards the chair, in the side of the chair opposite
to the wedge-piece. Or the said separate flexible curved piece can be inserted in the
moveable wedge which can be drawn up tightly against the rail by the draw-joint as
herein before described.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood, I will describe how it can
be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is an elevation of a railway chair constructed according to my invention
and shewn applied to a rail, which latter is represented in cross section.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, and
Figure 3 is a side elevation with the gripping-piece removed.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 are side views of three different forms of gripping-
pieces.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation illustrating my improvements where I employ a
separate flexible piece inserted in the side of the chair opposite to the gripping-
piece, and
Figure 8 is a horizontal section on the line A B of fioure 7

page_text: Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.
a is the body or base of the chair having one jaw b formed integral therewith, and
c is the gripping-piece which is fitted to the base of the chair and forms the other
jaw. This gripping-piece is adapted to bear against the web of the rail d and to grip
the same by being drawn up tightly against the rail by means of a draw-joint and
pin e in the manner shown and described in the Specifications of the aforesaid
patents.
f(figure 1) indicates the groove or channel which I now form in the gripping-piece
to give it the requisite amount of elasticity, the said channel extending through the
whole width of the jaw. This gripping-piece must obviously be made in such a manner
as to give the rail the full benefit of its elastic pressure and its shape must be adapted
to suit the shape of the rail employed. Figures 4, 5, and 6 illustrate examples of
three different forms of gripping-pieces, 9, 9 being the holes through which the draw
pins e are inserted.
The channel or space f in the gripping piece c or its equivalent allows the part h
thereby formed and situated immediately against the rail d, free resilient play, and
whilst thus providing the required amount of elasticity allows of the rail being securely
gripped and fastened.
If found desirable a piece of felt can be introduced between the rail d and the
chair to form a bed or packing, but in most cases the gripping-piece c will be found to
accommodate itself to any inequalities and irregularities in the rails.
In the modification of my invention shown in figures 6 and 7, 1 employ the flexible
curved piece i between the rail d and the side of the jaw opposite the gripping-piece
instead of coring or channelling the said gripping-piece as herein before described and
shown in figures 1, 4, 5, and 6.
The manner in which the flexible curved piece i can, as hereinbefore stated, be
applied to the gripping-piece c instead of to the jaw b, will be well understood without
illustration.
The forms of chairs shown in the drawings with their modifications and my
improvements as herein described are applicable to railway permanent-ways not only
to replace the common chairs and their wooden keys with the attendant disadvantages,
but also (provided the bearing or gripping surface in contact with the rail be made of
sufficient width) to serve the purpose of fish-plates, thus entirely dispensing with the
necessity for their use and thereby rendering the laying down of the permanent-way
of railways and its subsequent maintenance cheaper than heretofore and also rendering
it more durable.
Having now particularly described 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 is :-
(1.) A railway chair having a groove or recess formed in one of its jaws, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
(2.) In a railway chair of the kind herein before described, a gripping-piece
having a groove or recess formed therein, substantially as described with reference to
figures 1, 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings.
(3.) The modification of my invention wherein a separate spring-piece is employed,
substantially as described with reference to figures 7, and 8 of the drawings.
1
c
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.