IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Newman, of Ballymena, Ireland, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR THE PERMANENT
WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 6th December 1875, and dated the 28th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Newman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th September 1875.
I, JOHN NEWMAN, of Ballymena, Ireland, Engineer, do hereby
declaro the nature of my said Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS
FOR THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
-
My Invention has for its object securing spikes, bolts, metal dogs,
screws, nails, or other fastenings, whether inserted through a hole in a
substance or placed on or against a substance so as to prevent all liability
of the fastening being shaken out or displaced by a vibration or vertical
movement,

page_text: The Invention may also be advantageously applied in other cases
where firmness and immovability are required in fastenings, and it is
specially applicable to railway fastenings.
In carrying out my Invention as applied for example to a flange rail
permanent way where the fastenings are inserted in the flange of the 5
rail the fastenings are arranged in the following manner :—
According to one modification the bolt or other fastening is widened
out or provided with a projection so arranged that by driving or
placing the fastening through a hole made to receive it in the flange of
the rail, and when driven by turning it to a position say at right angles 1
to the hole the fastening is prevented from rising, the enlargement or
projection resting against the under side of the flange of the rail.
In order further to prevent any liability of the fastening turning when
fixed I prefer to make the head of an hexagonal form, and to insert in
the cavities formed by that portion of the hole in the flange which is 1
situate beyond the head, nails, or pieces of metal or wood which I drive
through the cavities into the sleeper or substance into which the
fastening is driven so as to bear against the hexagonal sides, thus pre-
venting any lateral motion of the fastening.
As a precaution against the head being wrenched off I prefer to
employ beneath the head a washer of lead, india-rubber, felt, or other
suitable material (contained in a metal ring or otherwise).
When it is required to apply the Invention to existing fastenings
inserted through the flange of the rail, I employ a bent or L shaped
bolt, one extremity of which is placed or driven underneath the flange 2
of the rail, and on the top of the head of the fastening I place a plate,
which is made firm by means of a nut screwed on to the upper end of
the bolt, the latter passing through the plate and thereby fixing the
fastening. The plate is by preference hollowed out to fit the head of
the fastening.
3
Another modification of my Invention, which is applicable to the
fastenings now in use when inserted through the flange of a rail,
consists in placing or driving a bent plate underneath the flange of the
rail so as to cause it to grip or encircle the same and further serve the
purpose of a washer, which plate is bifurcated at its upper end so as to 3

page_text: embrace the head of the fastening, and is secured by a bar passing
through holes formed in the forked ends of the plate and resting on the
head of the fastening, in which position it is maintained by clips and
split keys or otherwise.
When the Invention is applied to a flange rail permanent way having
the spikes or like fastenings placed or driven against the edge of the
flange of the rail the arrangements are further modified in the following
manner:
According to one arrangement the fastening, the head of which has
formed in it a slot or opening, is first driven, and a clip bent or L bolt is
then placed in the opening and driven or placed underneath the flange
of the rail; a nut is then screwed up on the top of the bolt until the
spike or fastening is firmly clipped. The bolt is prevented from being
forced out by means of projecting lips on the head of the spike or
fastening and jags' or barbs on the portion of the bolt which passes
under the rail and bears upon the sleeper.
According to another modification that portion of the clip bolt which
passes beneath the rail is made in the form of a plate, and so arranged
that when the fastening (which is first driven) is in its place the plate
which was projecting outside of the rail is turned round on the centre
and placed underneath the flange, and the bolt is then tightly screwed
up; or the clip may be mounted on a horizontal centre in the head of
the spike or fastening, and after the fastening is driven be turned on its
centre so as to cause the jagged end to clip the under side of the rail
and act against the sleeper.
In lieu of the preceding arrangement the fastening may be widened
out or formed with a projection, which on being driven so as to pass
underneath the flange of the rail prevents the fastenings from rising,
the flange being gripped between the projection and the head of the
fastening. A plug of hard wood or other suitable material is inserted
after the fastening is fixed to prevent the fastening from being forced
back into the enlargement of the hole left when driving, or a bent plate
or bar having a loop or clip is placed or driven underneath the rails
either on one or both sides of the fastenings, so as to cause the loop or
clip to encircle or partially so the head of the fastening when driven,

page_text: and thereby prevent it from rising. A spring may be employed to
maintain the clip in its place.
In applying my Invention to the fastenings, now used in a chair road
permanent way I employ according to one modification a bent bar or
clip, the lower part of which is placed or driven underneath the chair, 5
whilst the upper part bears upon the head of the fastening, upon which
it is bent down after the lower part is driven beneath the chair. This
arrangement is also applicable to a flange rail permanent way when the
fastenings are inserted through the flange.
•
In lieu of the preceding arrangement the fastening may be secured by 1
means of a bar passed through a hole formed in a lug cast on the chair,
such bar bearing upon the head of the fastening, in which position it is
maintained by pins, cutters, nails, or other suitable means.
In order to prevent the wooden keys or wedges used in a chair road
permanent way from becoming loose and falling out I employ according 1
to one arrangement a horizontal bar passing along on the top of the
chair, and formed with two vertical pendent projections, one of which is
placed at each side of the chair to prevent lateral movement. The ends
of the bar are bent round so as to overlap the ends of the key or wedge,
and are provided with holes for the reception of nails or pieces of metal, 2
which are driven into the keys or wedge, thus preventing any appreciable
vertical movement of the same.
For greater security the vertical projections may be placed at the edge
of the chair, and their ends may be driven into the sleepers.
The bar may be arranged so as to pass underneath and clip the bottom 2
of the chair, or be bent in such a manner that one end clips the rib of
the chair, whilst the other end is driven into the key or wedge.
The arrangement of the projections, bolts, bars, and other portions of
my improved fastenings may be otherwise modified, according to the
particular purpose to which they are to be applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Newman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NEWMAN, of 3, Arundel Place, Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
late of Ballymena, Ireland, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eight day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Newman, Her special
license that I, the said John Newman, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Newman, my executors,
administrators, or 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 FASTENINGS FOR THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND OTHER LIKE
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Newman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly 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 John Newman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:—
My said Invention has for its object securing spikes, bolts, metal
dogs, screws, nails, and other like fastenings, whether inserted through
a hole in a substance or placed on or against a substance so as to prevenţ
all liability of the fastening being shaken out or displaced by a vibration

page_text: or vertical movement, as also securing fastenings in other cases whore
firmness and immovability are required.
. In describing the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I shall take fastenings
for the permanent way of railways as examples illustrative of the
application of my Invention from which the mode of adapting the
Invention to other like purposes will be readily understood by competent
persons conversant with the subject.
The Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings to which I shall now
proceed to refer represent various modifications of my Invention as
applied to the securing of railway fastenings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
In the several Figures of the Drawing A is the bolt, pin, spike, or
other fastening for securing the rail or chair (as the case may be) to the
sleepers; B is the rail, a its flange when a flat bottomed rail; O is the
chair; D is the sleeper.
In carrying out my Invention as applied, for example, to what is
technically known as a flange rail permanent way in which the rails are
secured to the sleepers without the intervention of chairs the fastenings
are arranged in various ways.
Figure 1 represents a transverse section, and Figures 2 and 3 are
sectional plans of a flat bottomed rail attached to a sleeper according
to one modification of my Invention as applied to a flange rail
permanent way when the fastenings are inserted through holes formed
in the flange of the rail. In this arrangement the bolt or pin A is ?
widened out or provided with a projection 6 (shewn in transverse section
in the detail, Figure 4), arranged in such a manner that by driving or
placing the bolt or pin A through an elongated hole c made for its
passage in the flange a of the rail B, as shewn in Figure 2, and when
driven or placed therein by turning it to a position, say at right angles 8
to the hole c, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the bolt or pin A is prevented
from rising, the enlargement or projection 6 resting against the under
side of the flange a of the rail.
In order further to prevent any liability of the bolt or pin A turning
when fixed, I prefer to make the head d of a hexagonal form and to 3
insert in the cavities formed by that portion of the hole c in the flange a
2

page_text: which is situate beyond the head d, nails or pieces e, e, of "metal or wood,
which I drive through the cavities into the sleeper D or substance into or
in which the bolt or pin A is driven, or placed so as to bear against
the hexagonal sides, thus preventing any lateral motion of the bolt
or pin.
As a precaution against the head & being wrenched off, I prefer to
employ beneath the head a washer of lead, india-rubber, felt, or other
suitable material (contained in a metal ring or otherwise).
When it is required to apply the Invention to existing fastenings
inserted through the flange of the rail, I employ a bent or L shaped
bolt (as shewn in the transverse section and sectional plan Figures 5
and 6 respectively), the extremity f¹ of which bolt is placed or driven
underneath the flange a of the rail B, and on the top of the head d of
the bolt or pin A I place a plate 9 which is made firm by means of a
nut & screwed on to the upper end of the bolt f, the latter passing
through the bolt g, and thereby fixing the bolt or pin A. The plate g
is, by preference, recessed or hollowed out so as to fit and overlap the
head of the bolt or pin A to be secured.
If preferred the recessed plate 9 may be made in the form of a wedge
block so as to be jammed or pressed between the head of the rail B, and
the head d of the bolt or pin A (as shown in the transverse section and
plan, Figures 7 and 8 respectively), in which case the bolt
nut & is dispensed with.
with its
Another modification of my Invention which is applicable to the
fastenings now in use when inserted through the flange of a rail is'
illustrated in the transverse section, sectional plan, and sectional elevation,
Figures 9, 10, and 11 respectively. This arrangement consists in placing
or driving the end f¹ of a bent plate ƒ underneath the flange a of the
rail B, so as to cause the plate to grip or encircle the same, and further
serve the purpose of a washer. The plate ƒ is bifurcated at its upper
end at ƒ³, ƒ³, so as to embrace the head d of the bolt or pin A, and is
secured by a bar i passing through holes formed in the forked ends ƒ³, ƒ³,
of the plate, and resting on the head d of the bolt or pin A, in which
position it is maintained by split keys k, k, or otherwise.
When the Invention is applied to a flange rail permanent way having
the spikes or like fastenings driven or placed against the edge of the

page_text: flange of the rail, the arrangements are further modified in various
ways.
"
According to one arrangement, which is illustrated in the transverse
section and sectional plan, Figures 12 and 13 respectively, the spike A,
the head d of which has formed in it a slot or opening 1, is first driven,
and a clip or a bent or L shaped bolt fis then inserted in the opening 2,
its end f¹ being driven or placed underneath the flange a of the rail B,
after which a washer m is placed on the end of the bolt f, and finally a
nut n is screwed up on the top of such washer until the head d of the
spike A is firmly clipped. The bolt fis prevented from being forced
out by means of projecting lips o, o, formed on the head d of the spike A
opposite the position of the washer m, and also by means of jags or
barbs formed on the portion f¹ of the bolt f which passes under the rail
and bears upon the slecper.
According to another modification, which is illustrated in the similar
views, Figures 14 and 15, the portion of the clip bolt which passes
beneath the flange a of the rail is made in the form of a plate arranged
in such a manner that when the spike A or similar fastening (which is
first driven) is in its place, the plate f¹ which was projecting outside of
the flange a of the rail, as shewn by the dotted lines No. 1, in Figure 15,
is turned round on the centre and placed underneath the flange a in the
position shewn by the full lines in Figure 14, and by the dotted lines
No. 2, in Figure 15, and the nut is then tightly screwed up. Or the
clip f may be mounted on a horizontal centre pin p in the head d of the
spike or fastening A, as shewn in the transverse section and sectional
elevation, Figures 16 and 17 respectively, and after the spike A is driven
be turned on its centro p so as to cause the jagged end f' to clip the
under side of the flange a of the rail and act against the sleeper. Or in
licu of the preceding arrangements the modification shewn in transverse
section and sectional plan in Figures 18 and 19 may be adopted. In
this case the spiko A which is widened out or formed with a projection 6
is driven into the sleeper D in the angular direction, indicated by the
dotted lines in Figure 18, after which it is driven towards the rail so as
to cause the projection 6 to pass underneath the flange a of the rail,
whereby the spike A is prevented from rising. A plug 7 of hard wood
or other suitable material is inserted after the spike is fixed in order to
prevent the spike from being forced back into the enlargement of the
hole left when driving. Or the spike A with its projection 6 may be

page_text: driven into the sleeper D in the position shown in the sectional plan,
Figure 21, and then turned round at right angles into the position
shown in the transverse section, Figure 20, and the sectional plan,
Figure 22, in a manner similar to that herein-before described with
reference to the arrangement of bolt or pin shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4; or I employ a bent plate or bar having a loop or clip for main-
taining the spike or other fastening in its place f. Figures 23, 24, 25,
26, and 27 represent a bent plate or bar of this description forming a
loop or clip r, and having either two under extremities ƒ', ƒ³, as shewn
in the sectional plan and sectional elevation, Figures 24 and 25 respec-
tively, or one under extremity f¹ only, as shewn in the sectional elevation
and sectional plan, Figures 26 and 27 respectively. The extremity or
extremities f¹ is or are driven underneath the flange a of the rail, and
the loop or clip is caused to encircle the head d of the fastening, as
shewn in Figure 25, or partially encircle the same, as shewn in Figure 26,
and thereby prevent it from rising. A spring & may be employed in
order to maintain the clip r in its place.
In applying my Invention to the fastenings ordinarily employed for
securing the chairs to the sleepers in what is technically known as a
chair road permanent way in which the rails are carried in chairs
attached to the sleepers, various modifications may be adopted.
Figure 28 is an end view of a chair shewing the bolts or pins attaching
it to the sleeper, arranged in accordance with two modifications of my
Invention; Figures 29 and 30 are plans of the same. The arrangement
shewn on the right-hand side of these Figures consists of a bent bar or
clip f, the lower part 1 of which is placed or driven underneath the
chair C whilst the upper part bears upon the head d of the bolt or
pin A upon which it is bent down after the lower part f¹ is placed or
driven beneath the chair. This arrangement is also applicable for
securing the fastenings inserted through the flange of the rail in a
flange road permanent way. To the bolt or pin A shewn on the left-
hand side of these Figures I have applied the arrangement of the
projection 6, herein-before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4, and to Figures 20, 21, and 22, as employed with modified forms
of fastenings.
Figure 31 represents an end view of a portion of a chair with

page_text: a further modification of my Invention; and Figure 32 is a corre-
sponding plan of the same, with the rail shewn in section. I cast on
the chair C a lug t, and I make the head of the bolt or pin A of a shape
similar to that shewn, so that the bolt or pin A may be inserted with its
head d in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figures 31 and 32,
and then turned round to the position shown by the full lines in order to
pass beneath the projecting lug t.
It will be understood that in carrying out the various modifications
herein-before described suitable recesses should be provided in the
wood of the sleeper where necessary for the passage of my improved
fastenings.
In fixing my improved fastenings when formed with an enlargement
or projection it is preferred to temporarily place under the flange of the
rail (for example) before driving the fastening a bar or plate or a piece
of wood of about the thickness of the enlargement or projection, which
temporary support is to be withdrawn when the fastening has been
driven to nearly the requisite depth and turned, after which the fastening
is to be driven completely home, whereby the enlargement or projection
will become imbedded in the sleeper and prevent the fastening from
turning.
It is obvious that the fastenings may be constructed of any suitable
material, and that the arrangement of the projections, bolts, bars, and
other portions thereof may be modified in other ways than those herein-
before described, according to the particular purpose to which the
fastenings are to be applied.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The securing fastenings of the before-mentioned description by
the aid of projections formed thereon, and which are caused to engage
or interlock with the article or articles to be fastened by a further
movement of the fastenings after the latter are driven or inserted, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
2ndly. The employment in combination with fastenings of the before-
mentioned description of a plate or its equivalent, which is caused to

page_text: engage with the head of the fastening after such fastening is driven or
inserted, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
3rdly. The combination with the head of a fastening of the above-
mentioned descriptions of the clip or bolt for preventing the rising or
back motion of the fastening after it is driven or inserted, substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
4thly. The peculiar construction and arrangement of hinged clip,
which is caused to engage or interlock with the article or articles to be
fastened by its movement after the fastening is driven or inserted, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and as illustrated
by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Newman, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.