Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
I, WADE HAMPTON SMITH, Mechanical Engineer, of No 9 Victoria Buildings
Barford Road, Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS to be as follows:
I .
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1st In fixing, and securing the Rail in the iron Chair, and 2ndly A suitable, cast
iron chair, for the use of my Invention. To do this, I use an iron key, as
hereafter described, either of cast iron, wrought iron, or any suitable metal, but in
preference I use cast iron, and apply the same in the following way. After putting
the Rail into the Chair, in the space between the side of the Rail, and the horn of
the chair, I place in my key of metal, the head of which is made to fit the recess
in the body of Rail; fitting close up to, or so arranged to stand away from same,
forming a recess, in which recess when required, place a piece of steel, or other.
material, to act as a cushion, or spring against the Rail, in form most convenient
to allow a suitable action to the spring, upon which head is a snug or teat, of
suitable length (so as to slip sideway easily into the space,) the snug may be either
round, oval, or square, or oblong, the head and snug being in one piece. In the
snug, or teat, is a slot or key bed, for a key, I call a fastening key, the use of
which I will now explain. Having placed the main key in the space between the
Rail side and the horn of the Chair, I drive the fastening key home in the slot or
key bed, the key bedding on the end of the slot and against the chair horn,—the
effect of which, is to secure the main key in position, and to wedge the Rail
perfectly fast against the other horn of the chair upon which it rests.
I also provide a loose plate, (through which the end of the snug or teat passes,)
with return flanches to slip over the chair horn, which prevents the creeping of the
main key, against which, when used the wedging key beds, and not against the
chair horn.
Altho, my invention as above described, is suitable for the present permanent
Railway, I claim that by making the chair, with a space or gap in the Chair hora
to admit the snug or teat which can then be any required length, great advantages
are gained; doing away with the creeping plate; at once placing the main key in
position; and at once driving up the fastening key. The fastening key' I secure
when driven in, by preference useing a set pin, but I confine myself to no particular
form or plan or arrangement, by which the set pin is secured or made immoveable
in the main key.

page_text: Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
I, WADE HAMPTON SMITH, Mechanical Engineer, of N° 9 Victoria Buildings,
Barford Road, Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
Firstly. In fixing, and securing the Rail in the commonly used Railway Chair.
. Secondly A. suitable cast iron Chair for the use of my Invention.
In carrying out 'my Invention, I use a metal key, which I hereinafter call the
main key, as hereinafter described, either of steel, wrought iron, cast iron, or any
suitable metal, and apply the same in the following way. When the Rail is in the
Chair, in the space between the side of Rail and horn of the Chair, I place my
main key, which is made to fit into the recess of the body of the Rail, and so
arranged to stand away from same forming a recess upon which is a snug or teat
of suitable length so as to slip sideways easily into the space between the Rail and
Chair horn, the snug or teat may be either round, oval, square, or oblong, the head
and snug being in one piece; and forming the main key, in the formed recess when
required, I place a piece of steel or other material to act as a cushion or spring
against the Rail, in form most convenient to allow a suitable action to the spring.
In the snug or teat is a slot having a suitably tapered inclined or parallel bed,
may be arranged either in the mainkey the Chair horn or in the creeping plate,
which I herein after call the anticreeping plate, for a suitably tapered key, which
I call the fastening key, the use of which I will now explain-Having placed the
inain key in position, I drive the fastening key home in the slot or key bed, the
key bedding on the end of the slot which has a tapered plane, equal to the plane
either in the main key, chair horn, or anticreeping plate; and against the chair
horn, the effect of which is to secure the mainkey in position, and to wedge the
Rail perfectly fast against the other Chair horn upon which it rests.
I also provide a loose plate, I call the anticreeping plate, which if preferred is
tapered equal to the taper on the fastening key, into or through which the snug or
teat passes, having returned flanges to lap over the sides of the chairhorn, which
prevents the creeping of the mainkey and against which when used the fastening
key or wedging key beds, and not against the Chair horn, the fastening key is
fastened in the mainkey, by the grip of the horns or sides of the key bed of the
main key and is kept perfectly secure, and immoveable; the elasticity given to
the slot in the main key the tighter the fastening key is driven in the consequent
greater grip of the horns upon the sides of the fastening key.
Altho my Invention, as above described as applicable for the present permanent
Railway Chairs, I claim, that by making a Chair with a space or gap in the Chair-
horn which space or gap may be inclined or parallel to the horn face to admit the
snug or teat of the main key, and the fastening key which can they be any
required length,-great advantages are gained,-
, as doing away with the anti-
creeping or loose plate, at once placing the mainkey in position, and at once
driving up the fastening key.
"

page_text: The fastening key is secured when driven home as herein before described but
I confine myself to no particular form, or plan, or arrangement by which the set
pin, or fastening key is secured, or made immoveable in the main key.
In order that my said Invention may be fully understood and carried into effect,
I will proceed to describe the drawings hereto annexed.