Improvements in Metallic Railway Ties or Sleepers and Means for Securing the Rails thereto.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1890
COME LEID DI DUIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallic Railway Ties or Sleepers and Means for
Securing the Rails thereto.
I MAXIMILIAN FERDINAND BONZANO of 331 South Eighteenth Street in the City
of Philadelphia State of Pennsylvania United States of America Railway Super-
intendent 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 :---
One object of my invention is to so construct a metallic cross-tie that it can be
readily and cheaply made from rollel bars will be effectually retained by and firmly
seated upon, the ballast and will resist displacement of the tie in any direction.
A further object of my invention is to provide simple and efficient means for
securing the rails to the ties.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal section of the preferred form of my improved metallic cross
tie, shewing the ballast applied thereto, and illustrating one form of rail clamping
device;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tie, the rail fastenings and parts of the rails ;
Fig. 3, is a view shewing a rail, partly in elevation and partly in section, and
illustrating three ties, one of which is shewn in end elevation one in transverse section
on the line 1-2. Fig. 2, and one in transverse section through the line of the rail ;
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are transverse sections shewing modified shapes of channel iron or
steel suitable for forming the tie ;
Figs. 7 and 8 are views of modified forms of fastenings for the rails;
Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the method of making a composite tie in
accordance with my invention;
Fig. 10 is a transverse section of said composite tie;
Fig. 11 is a similar view, shewing part of the rail and the fastenings therefor ;
Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section of part of the composite tie, shewing in transverse
section the rail and its fastenings;
Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section of the end portion of the tie shewn in Fig. 9 ;
Figs. 14 and 15 are transverse sections shewing modified shapes of the composite
tie; and
Figs. 16 and 17 are transverse sections of special forms of the composite tie,
designed for increasing the strength of the tie.
The tie shewn in Figs. 1 2 and 3 is composed of a U-shaped channel bar A, in
which, at each end and at the central portion, are formed longitudinal incisions or
slits adjacent to each edge or angle of the bar, the central portion of the bar being
also cut away so that a series of tongues b and d are formed the tongues 5 being at
the ends of the tie and the tongues d being some distance inward from the
said ends.
The tongues and d are bent downward at any desired angle, as shewn, for
instance, by full and dotted lines in Fig. 1 so as to form, on the tie, rail supporting
boxes B closed at the top for the support of the rails, but open at the bottom so that,
when the tie is deposited upon the ballast and the latter is packed into, beyond and
between these rail supporting boxes, sliding movement of the tie in any direction
upon the road bed is rendered practically impossible, whilst the central portion of the
tie is open at the top, as well as at the bottom, hence no opportunity is afforded for a
central support of the tie upon the ballast and longitudinal rocking of the tie is
thereby effectually obviated.
Each rail D, rests upon the flat top of one of the boxes B, formed by the tie, and
is clamped thereto by plates f one for each side of the rail these plates overlapping

page_text: the flanges of the rail and being confined by nuts upon the upturned ends of a
U-shaped bolt g which bears upon a saddle h inserted between the looped portion of
the bolt and the underside of the tie beneath the rail.
In carrying out my invention various shapes of channel bars may be employed,
for instance, a flanged bar such as is shewn in Fig. 4, may be used and the sides of
the bar may be flared, as shewn in Fig. 5 and in many cases the top of the bar
may be grooved or corrugated to increase the rigidity of the tie as shewn for instance
by dotted lines in Fig. 4.
In other cases
a bar of H-form may be employed the central web of the bar
being cut and bent to form the fingers and d blocks c of wood or other elastic
or semi-elastic material being mounted upon the said central web for the support of
the rails as shewn in Fig. 6.
Independent bolts such as shewn in Fig. 7 may replace the U-shaped confining
bolts, if desired, and these bolts or the U-bolt may be arranged diagonally as shewn
in Fig. 8.
The formation of downwardly bent tongues at both ends of the boxes B may
sometimes be dispensed with and such tongues formed only at the outer ends of the
boxes the use of the tongues at both ends of each box being, however, preferred.
It may occasionally be advisable to make my improved tie in composite form
instead of from a single rolled channel bar or beam, and in Figs. 9 to 17 I have
illustrated how this may conveniently be done.
The tie shewn in Fig. 9 consists of a pair of angle bars A' A¹ the top flanges of
which, at, and near, each end of the tie, are connected by transverse plates B¹ rivetted
to the said top flanges and forming the supports for the opposite rails the end portion
of each plate B being bent downward as shewn at m (Fig. 13) so as to close the
outer end of the tie and give the same a lateral bearing upon the ballast the inner end
of the plate being also, if desired, bent downwards between the opposite bars A' as
shewn by dotted lines at m¹ in Fig. 13, so as to form a tie, the central portion of
which is open at top and bottom the tie having at each end a box closed or partially
closed on all four sides and at the top but open at the bottom as in the tie shewn
in Figs. 1 to 3.
The angle bars A¹ can be more readily procured in some localities than the channel
bar constituting the tie shewn in Fig. I while the plates B' can be made from old
boiler iron or other scrap which can be cheaply obtained.
In Fig. 14 I have shewn bars A¹ having flanges at an obtuse angle so as to form a
composite tie with flaring sides and in Fig. 15 I have shewn the plate B₁ provided
with a central groove or depression n thus forming a strengthening rib or corrugation
which may extend throughout the length of the plate.
One of the main advantages however of the composite tie is that it provides for the
convenient manufacture of a tie having flanges which add to the longitudinal rigidity
of the tie and enable it to better resist the vertical thrust, or strain, to which it is
subjected in use.
In the tie shewn in Fig. 16 the opposite side bars A¹ have internal flanges at the
top for connection with the top plates B' and external flanges at the bottom each top
plate projecting laterally beyond the side bars so as to form, in effect, external
flanges s but it is preferable to form the opposite bars with internal flanges both at top
and bottom as shewn for instance in Fig. 17 these two forms of tie being such that
they could not well be rolled in one piece.
Each rail D is supported upon one of the plates B¹ of the tie a block of wood or
other elastic or semi-elastic and sound-deadening material being, if desired, interposed
between the base of the rail and the plate B₁ and the rail is confined to the plate by
clamps which are held in place by nuts adapted to bolts g as in the former case.
In Figs. 9, 11 and 12 however I have shewn a different form of fastening web 9 the
latter passing through the clamp and through the plate B¹ and upper flange of the
bar A the lower end of each bolt being hooked for engagement with the side flange
of the bar and this side flange being preferably notched or slotted as at t for the
reception of the hooked end of the bolt as shewn in Figs. 12 and 17,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
First The hereinbefore described metallic railway tie consisting of a bar or
beam having a transverse web and depending side webs or flanges the said trans-
verse web having depending tongues between the opposite side webs or flanges so
as to form open bottomed ballast receiving boxes with top bearings for the support
of the rails the central portion of the tie being open both at top and bottom
substantially as herein before described.
Second-The herein before described metallic railway tie consisting of a bar or
beam having a transverse 'web and depending side webs or flanges the said
transverse web having depending tongues between the opposite side webs or flanges
so as to form open bottomed ballast receiving boxes closed, or partially closed, at
both ends and presenting top bearings for the rails the central portion of the tie
being open both at top and bottom substantially as hereinbefore described.
Third: A metallic railway tie consisting of opposite angle bars and rail supporting
plates connecting the said bars at each end of the tie and for.uing open bottomed
ballast receiving boxes or chambers at the ends of the tie the central portion of
the tie being open both at top and bottom substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth A metallic railway tie consisting of opposite angle bars having flanges
both at top and bottom and rail supporting plates bolted or rivetted to the upper
flanges of the bars at the opposite ends of the tie, in such manner that the tie has
both at top and bottom, lateral flanges for stiffening it and resisting deflection by
vertical thrust upon the tie substantially as herein before described.
Fifth-The combination of a metallic railway tie consisting of a transverse web
having depending side webs, or flanges, a rail baving its bearing upon the top of
the tie, clamps bearing upon the flanges of the rail, a saddle plate on the under side
of the tie beneath the rail, and a U-shaped bolt the loop of which has a bearing
upon the said saddle plate and retains the same in place beneath the tie, the
upturned ends of the bolt having nuts hearing upon the rail clamps substantially as
bereinbefore described.
Sixth-The combination of the tie having a transverse web and depending side
webs or flanges the rail, the clamps therefor, and the clamp-retaining bolt having
hooked ends engaging with the side webs of the tie and nuts bearing on the clamps,
substantially as herein before described.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.