IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH RAILS AND SLEEPERS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Andrew Ramsay Main and John Dick both of
Glasgow in the County of Lanark North Britain for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH RAILS AND SLEEPERS FOR
RAILWAYS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Andrew Ramsay
Main and John Dick at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
8th September 1883.
JAMES ANDREW RAMSAY MAIN, and JOHN DICK, both of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark North Britain, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH RAILS AND
SLEEPERS FOR RAILWAYS
"
This Invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construction and
manner of combining rails and sleepers for railways. The improvements are
applicable to permanent railways but have been designed more especially for
application in the making of portable railways.
In carrying out the Invention transverse iron or steel sleepers are employed of
an inverted trough-like or similar section. Depressions are formed in the tops of
the sleepers to receive the bottoms of the rails, and the sides of such depressions
confine the rails and by receiving a large part of lateral strain considerably
diminish the strains acting on the fastenings. For fastening the outer side of each
rail a claw piece is used which is made with a shauk to be entered down into a
hole punched in the sleeper for the purpose. The shank is made with one or more
projections to engage under the sleeper at the hole after the claw piece has been
entered and turned round or moved transversely or sideways. For fastening the
inner side of the rail after the outer edge of the bottom of the rail has been engaged
under the claw piece already described, there is provided a locking piece made
with two forked projections to enter down into two slots or holes punched in the
sleeper. The locking piece is in an arched or bent form when its projections are
being entered into the slot, and it is afterwards straightened by means of a hammer
or other suitable tool, whereupon it becomes securely locked one forked projection
clamping the rail and sleeper together and the other forked projection engaging
with the edge of the sleeper at the slot. Or the locking piece may be arranged so

page_text: as to become locked by a lateral or partial turning movement after being entered
into its place, a small key or wedge being applied to prevent it from becoming
loose. The wedge or key may be inserted between the locking piece and an angle-
iron or other piece riveted to the sleeper; or the wedge or key may be driven into
the slot in the sleeper after the locking piece has been moved into its holding
position. One of the slots for the locking piece may be dispensed with the locking
piece being made with only one forked or hooked piece to engage in the single slot.
The locking piece may be attached to the sleeper by a rivet upon which it can turn
or slide the rivet being either in a fixed position or in a slot in the sleeper, to suit
the arrangement of the wedge or key. Instead of the fastening for the outer side
of the rail being movable as hereinbefore described, it may be formed on or
permanently riveted to the sleeper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Andrew Ramsay Main and John Dick in the Patent Office on
the 5th March 1884.
JAMES ANDREW RAMSAY MAIN and JOHN DICK, both of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH RAILS AND
SLEEPERS FOR RAILWAYS
•
"
Our said Invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construction
and manner of combining of rails and sleepers for railways. Our improvements
are applicable to permanent railways but have been designed more especially for
application in the making of portable railways.
In carrying out our Invention transverse iron or steel sleepers are employed of
an inverted trough-like or similar section. Depressions are formed in the tops of
the sleepers to receive the bottoms of the rails, and the sides of such depressions
confine the rails and by receiving a large part of the lateral strain considerably.
diminish the strain acting on the fastenings. Our Invention comprises various
modes of fastening the rails which modes will be most readily understood from the
accompanying explanatory drawings and the following particular description.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a plan showing portions
of a sleeper and rail with modifications of our improved fastenings for the outer
and inner sides of the rail. Figure, 2, is a vertical section corresponding to figure, 1,
and figure, 3, is a cross-section of the sleeper. Figures, 4, and 5, are a plan and
vertical section showing a second modification of the fastening for the inner side of
the rail. Figures 6, and 7, on sheet, 2, are a plan and vertical section showing a
second modification of the fastening for the outer side of the rail and a third
modification of the fastening for the inner side; and figures, 8, and 9, are a plan
and vertical section showing a fourth modification of the fastening for the inner
side of the rail. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark
the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The rail, 10, used in carrying out our Invention is of the flat bottom kind and
is placed in a slight depression or seat, 11, formed across the sleeper, 12. In the
modifications shown in figures, 1, to 5, the fastening for the outer side of the rail is
a steel or iron claw piece, 13, made with a shank to be entered down through a
hole punched in the sleeper for the purpose. The shank of the claw piece, 13, is
made with one or more projections, 14, to engage under the sleeper at the hole after
the claw piece has been entered and turned round, or moved transversely or side-
ways. The fastening for the inner side of the rail, 10, shown in figures, 1, and 2,
consists of a locking piece, 15, made with two forked projections, 16, 17, to enter
down into two slots or holes punched in the sleeper, 12. The locking piece, 15, is
in an arched or bent form as indicated by dotted lines when its projections are
being entered into the slots, and it is afterwards straightened by means of a
hammer or other suitable tool, whereupon it becomes securely locked, one forked
projection, 16, clamping the rail and sleeper together, and the other forked
projection, 17, engaging with the edge of the sleeper at the slot. The locking
piece, 15, may be arched or bent horizontally as indicated by dotted lines in
figure, 4; and it may be straightened or partly straightened so as to lock the parts
by means of a wedge, 18, driven down against its couvex side into a slot or notch
in the sleeper.
In the modifications shown in figures, 6, to 9, the fastening for the outer side of
the rail is a claw piece, 19, permanently riveted to the sleeper, 12. The arrange-
iment shown in figures, 6, and 7, for fastening the inner side of the rail comprises a
claw piece, 20, secured to the sleeper by a rivet, 21, on which it can turn or move

page_text: the hole through which the rivet passes being elongated. Or the rivet, 21, may be
fixed to the claw piece, 20, and may be fitted loosely in a round or elongated hole
in the sleeper. When the rail, 10, is in its place and the claw piece, 20, has been
turned or moved into its holding position it is fixed by a wedge, 22, driven in
between its outer edge and a piece, 23, permanently riveted to the sleeper, 12. In
the modification shown in figures, 8, and 9, the fastening for the inner side of the
rail consists of a claw piece, 24, made with a return projection, 25, formed on a
downwardly projecting part at its outer edge. The return projection is entered
down through a slot in the sleeper and afterwards a wedge, 26, is driven into the
slot and forces the claw piece, 24, toward the rail and the return projection, 25,
engaging under the sleeper at the inner end of the slot causes the claw piece to
hold the rail securely.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention and the manner of
performing the same we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated but that what we believe to be novel
and original and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :-
The improved combination of rails and sleepers for railways the sleepers being
made with slight depressions or seats for the rails and the rails being fixed to the
sleepers by any of the improved fastenings herein before described.
In Witness whereof I, the said John Dick, on behalf of the said James Andrew
Ramsay Main and myself have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourth day of
March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-four.
JNO. DICK. (L.S.)