IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CROSSINGS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Arthur Biddell, of Ipswich, in the County of
Suffolk, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY CROSSINGS."
Sealed the 28th January 1863, and dated the 1st August 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Arthur Biddell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st August 1862.
I, GEORGE ARTHUR BIDDELL, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Mecha-
nical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY CROSSINGS," to be as follows:-
These improvements have reference to the construction and manufacture of
"chilled" cast-iron railway crossings, for which Letters Patent were granted
to me bearing date 19th September 1855, No. 2113. It has been found that
when the chilling of the upper wearing surface of the crossings is carried quite
up to the rail ends of the crossing, as in my former Patent, the extreme end
edges of the chilled wearing surfaces are liable to chip or break off in small
fragments from the weight and action of the wheels of the engines and car-
riages running over such crossings; it has also been found that the "point" in
these chilled crossings (where it is found as a portion of the main casting and
chilled upon all its upper wearing surface, thus being made hard and brittle),
is sometimes liable to be broken off by a side blow from the wheel flanges,
and thus, besides being unsightly; the sharp edges caused by the fracture
occasionally cut the wheel tyres running against them. Now the object of

page_text: these improvements is to remedy the defects and inconveniences above set
forth. This I propose to do by proventing the chilling action taking place quite
up to the extreme ends or point of the upper wearing surface of the crossings.
This will leave the parts which have been found liable to clip and break off
less brittle, more tough, and much less liable to clip or break than when
chilled at those parts as heretofore. This effect is produced by the proper use
of "cores," or sand or other suitable material, in connection with the iron or
chill producing portions of the mould previous to casting the crossing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Arthur Biddell in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 81st January 1863,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ARTHUR BIDDELL, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Mechanical Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
clid, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Arthur Biddell, Her special licence, that I, the said George Arthur
Biddell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
"said George Arthur Biddell, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY CROSSINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Arthur Biddell, my executors or administrators; by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands, and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 George Arthur Biddell, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the samo is to bo per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: These improvements have reference to the construction and manufacture of
"chilled" cast-iron railway crossings, for which Letters Patent were granted
.to me bearing date 19th September 1855, No. 2118. It has been found that
when the chilling of the upper wearing surface of the crossings is carried quite
up to the rail ends of the crossing, as in my former Patent, the extreme end
edges of the chilled wearing surfaces are liable to chip or break off in small
fragments from the weight and action of the wheels of the engines and car-
riages running over such crossings; it has also been found that the "point" in
these chilled crossings (where it is formed as a portion of the main casting and
chilled upon all its upper wearing surface, thus being made hard and brittle),
is sometimes liable to be broken off by a side blow from the wheel flanges,
and thus, besides being unsightly, the sharp edges caused by the fracture
occasionally cut the wheel tyres running against them. Now the object of
these improvements is to remedy the defects and inconvenience above set
forth. This I propose to do by preventing the chilling action taking placo
quite up to the extreme ends or point of the upper wearing surface of the
crossings. This will leave the parts which have been found liable to chip and
break off less brittle, more tough, and much less liable to chip or break than
when chilled at those parts as heretofore. This effect is produced by the
proper use of "cores," or sand, or other suitable material, in connection with
the iron or chill producing portions of the mould previous to casting the
crossing.
And in order that my Invention may be properly understood I will now
describe the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a mould in which my patent crossings
are cast; and Figure 2 is a plan of a crossing mado according to my present
Invention.
"
In Figure 1 a and b are the boxes or flasks which contain the entire mould;
c is the lower or iron portion of the mould for producing the "chilling action'
on the upper or wearing surface of the finished crossing; & and e are" cores,"
of sand or other suitable material, for preventing the chilling action taking
place at the extreme ends of the wearing surface; and f is a similar "core
for forming the point of the crossing. The rest of the mould is formed with
ordinary moulding sand g. In Figure 2, h, i, j, are the portions which have
been found liable to chip and break off, and are therefore formed by the cores
d, e, f, which prevent the chilling action and leave those parts more tough and
less liable to chip or break than when chilled as heretofore.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the method I prefer
for carrying out the improvements, I would have it understood that I do not

page_text: confine myself to the precise mode of performing the same herein described;
but what I claim in the manufacture of chilled cast-iron railway crossings is,
preventing the chilling action taking place quite up to the extreme ends or
point of the upper wearing surface of the crossings, so as to form the parts
which have been found liable to chip and break off less brittle, more tough,
and much less liable to chip or break than when chilled at those parts as
heretofore.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Arthur Biddell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
GEORGE ARTHUR BIDDELL. (L.S.)
JOHN ROBERT JEFFERIES,
Ipswich.