IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of said invention for
" IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to railway chairs which are inserted between the bottoms
of rails and the ties or sleepers upon which they rest for the purpose of securing
the said rails in place, and has for its object to provide a chair for the purposes
described which need not be engaged with the foot of the rail by being slipped
over the end thereof; which does not require wedges or other devices to confine it
in place; and which may be engaged at any point between the two ends of the
rail at an obtuse angle thereto, and after such engagement be turned to a position
at right-angles to the length of the rail, rigidly clasping the same. When the
chair has been moved into the latter position it may be secured to the tie or
sleeper.
The said invention consists in the novel construction hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved chair.
Figure 2 is a modification of the same.
Figure 3 is a section of a rail and a tie or sleeper and shows the method of
securing the chair.
A indicates a plate of metal which forms the base of the chair; upon which base
are two lips a, b, diagonally opposite to each other, and which may be either
forged on to the plate, or cut out and struck up as shown in Figure 2. This plate
is also provided with holes c, through which the necessary screws or spikes pass to
secure it to the tie or sleeper.
It will be observed that the edges of the lips a, b are curved by which means
the same chair may be applied to rails having webs of different thicknesses, leaving
a comparatively broad surface to bear against the web of the rail owing to the
curved shape, whereas, if the lips are square on the edges they must be made to
exactly fit the rail, or otherwise only a corner of the lip will bear against
the rail.

page_text: In practice, the distance between the two lips must be sufficient to allow the
chair to be engaged with the foot of the rail from the bottom by being turned
diagonally to the length of the rail. By turning the chair, at right angles to the
length of the rail, one lip will engage with the foot of the rail on one side and the
other lip with the foot of the rail on the opposite side; when in this position the
.chair is bolted to the tie as shown in Figure 3.
By this construction a cheap and perfect chair is made which is easily and
readily engaged with or detached from the rail, and which will hold the latter
rigidly in place so long as the said chair is kept in engagement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
.
First. A chair for railway rails provided with lips diagonally opposite to each
other the said lips having curved bearing edges and being adapted to slip on to the
foot of a rail when in a diagonal position thereto, and to bear against the web of
the rail when turned at substantially right angles to it, substantially as, and for
the purposes, set forth.
b
Second. The railway chair herein before described made of wrought metal, and
having inclined curved cuts made from the side edges of the plate inwardly in
opposite directions to a point beyond the centre of the said plate to form lips a
each having a curved bearing edge, the space between the cuts being sufficient to
allow the insertion of the foot of the rail and the said lips being arranged to
embrace the rail above the foot when the said chair is turned in one direction, as
set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.