IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fenton, of Low Moor, in the County of York,
Civil Engineer, William Thomson the younger, of Wakefield, in the
same County, Railway Contractor, and Thomas Snowdon, of Middlesboro'-
on-Tees, also in the same County, Ironmaster, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 9th March 1858, and dated the 10th September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fenton, William
Thomson, and Thomas Snowdon at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 10th September 1857.
We, JAMES FENTON, of Low Moor, in the County of York, Civil Engineer,
WILLIAM THOMSON the younger,. of Wakefield, in the same County, Railway
Contractor, and THOMAS SNOWDON, of Middlesboro'-on-Tees, also in the same
County, Ironmaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in forming the joint and other chairs of the permanent
way of railways of a combination of wrought and cast iron, the latter being,
cast on to the former, and the two when combined forming a joint or other
chair in one piece or mass, the arrangement being such that the rail or rails
áre held in the chair on the same principle as a piece of iron or other material
is held in a vice when being operated on by a workman; the bolts and nuts

page_text: or keys which secure the rail or rails to the compound chair are thus prevented
from slacking back or becoming loose.
The cast-iron portion of the compound chair may be cast on to the wrought-
iron portion at or about the centre of its length, or at each end of it, or both;
and the cast-iron portion may be increased in dimensions, so as to form the
sleeper or bearing, which carries the upper structure of the permanent way on
the ballast.
The novelty and value of this Invention consist in casting the cast iron
part or parts of the chair on to the wrought-iron part, by which the action of
the vice is obtained in holding the rails in the chairs; and, further, any
tendency either to elevate or depress the ends of the rails has the effect
of keeping the bolts and nuts or keys from getting loose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Fenton; William Thomson, and Thomas Snowdon in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
FENTON, of Low Moor, in the County of York, Civil Engineer, WILLIAN
THOMSON the younger, of Wakefield, in the same County, Railway Contractor,
and THOMAS SNOWDON, of Middlesboro'-on-Tees, also in the same County,
Ironmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Fenton, William Thomson, and Thomas Snowdon, Her special
licence that we, the said James Fenton, William Thomson, and Thomas
Snowdon, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said James Fenton, William Thomson; and Thomas Snowdon, our
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." IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT
WAY OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said.
James Fenton, William Thomson,, and Thomas Snowdon, or one of us, our

page_text: executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of our or their hands and seals, 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 we, the said James Fenton, William Thomson,
and Thomas Snowdon, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists in forming the joint and other chairs of the permanent
way of railways of a combination of wrought and cast iron, the latter being
cast on to the former, and the two when combined forming a joint or other
chair in one piece or mass, the arrangement being such that the rail or rails
are held in the chair on the same principle as a piece of iron or other material
is held in a vice when being operated on by a workman; the bolts and nuts
or keys which secure the rail or rails to the compound chair are thus prevented.
from slacking back or becoming loose.
,
The cast-iron portion of the compound chair may be cast on to the wrought-
iron portion at or about the centre of its length or at each end of it, or both,
and the cast-iron portion may be increased in dimensions, so as to form the
sleeper or bearing which carries the upper structure of the permanent way on,
the ballast.
The novelty and value of this Invention consist in casting the cast-iron part
or parts of the chair on to the wrought-iron part, by which an action analogous,
to that of the vice is obtained in holding the rails in the chairs; and, further,
any tendency either to elevate or depress the ends of the rails has the effect of.
keeping the bolts and nuts or keys from getting loose.
In Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed we have represented the
manner in which we apply our improvements to a permanent way constructed
with wooden sleepers, and in Sheet 2 the manner in which we apply them to
a permanent way constructed with cast-iron sleepers.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, Sheet 1, are respectively an elevation, a cross
section, a longitudinal section, and a plan of a joint chair bolted to a sleeper of
wood. In each of these Figures, A is the sleeper; B is the cast-iron portion
of the chair; and C, the wrought-iron portion, the latter constituting a box
girder, which supports the ends of the rails. This box girder has in some

page_text: cases two cast-iron portions or supports cast upon it, as shown in Figures 5
and 6, Sheet 1, which are respectively an elevation and a longitudinal section.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, Sheet 1, are respectively a side elevation, a cross
section, a plan, and an end elevation of an intermediate chair bolted to
a sleeper of wood. In each of these Figures also A is the sleeper; B is the
cast-iron portion of the chair; and C, the wrought-iron portion, the latter con-
stituting a saddle piece, which gives an extended support to the rail. In
Figure 7, D is a loose or movable wrought-iron jaw, which is entered into the
mortice or recess a (Figures 7, 8, and 9) after the rail is in its place.
Figures 11 and 12, Sheet 1, are respectively a side elevation and a plan of
a portion of our improved permanent way complete, with the joint and inter-
mediate chairs and the rails secured in their places.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 2, are respectively a side elevation, a plan, and
a section of a joint chair for a cast-iron road, in which A is the cast-iron
portion of the chair, and B the wrought-iron portion.
.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, Sheet 2, are similar views of an intermediate chair for
a cast-iron road, in which also A is the cast and B the wrought-iron portion of
the chair, B¹ being a loose or movable jaw, similar and similarly fitted to that
shewn in Figure 7 of Sheet 1.
Figures 7 and 8, Sheet 2, are respectively a side elevation and a plan of
a portion of our improved cast-iron road complete, with the joint and inter-
mediate chairs, the tie bolts and the rails secured in their places. Under
ordinary circumstances we have found one tie bolt every three yards sufficient."
Although we have represented certain forms of chairs, sleepers, and rails in
the Drawings just described, we desire it to be understood that we do not
confine ourselves to these or any other particular forms, in so far as the
cast-iron portions are concerned; and the wrought-iron box girder, saddle-
piece, and jaws may be formed to suit any desired sections of rails. We form
the wrought-iron box girders, saddle pieces, and jaws out of plate and bar iron,
but these may be rolled at once into the requisite forms.
In laying down a line of railway the wrought-iron box girder, when formed
or rolled to fit the particular section of rail for which the compound joint chair
or sleeper is intended, is placed in a moulding box along with the model
or pattern of the cast-iron part or parts, the sand is then rammed up in the
usual manner, the model or pattern, or models or patterus, are withdrawn, and
the molten cast iron run into the moulding box around or partly around the
wrought-iron box girder. The saddle piece in the intermediate chair or
sleeper is dealt with in a similar manner, except that the wrought-iron part is

page_text: introduced into the moulding box after the model or pattern is withdrawn.
This mode of producing the required result may, however, be varied without
departing from the principle of our Invention. The bolt and other holes in
the wrought-iron parts may be punched or drilled in the ordinary way.
It will be observed that in both the joint and intermediate chairs and in the
sleepers the principle of the vice is fully carried out, there being a constant
tension between the heads of the bolts and the nuts, effectually preventing the
latter from getting loose or "slacking back." In Figure 2, Sheet 1, for
example, the side of the joint chair marked 6 represents the fast jaw of the
vice, and that marked c the loose or movable one. In the intermediate chair,
Figure 7, Sheet 1, the jaw piece D represents the loose or moveable jaw; but
in neither case does the top of the loose jaw when screwed up bite against the
rail. The molton cast iron is run through taper holes in the wrought-iron
box girder and saddle piece, to insure their firm adherence to each other.
Our compound joint chair or sleeper not only enables the rails to be made
as strong at the joint as at any other part, but gives an equal amount of
elasticity throughout the whole length of road.
The wrought-iron saddle piece is cast into the intermediate chair and
sleeper, partly for the purpose of extending the bearing of the rail in them,
but both the joint and intermediate chairs, the wrought-iron box girder in the
one and the wrought-iron saddle-piece in the other, by their elasticity, perform
the important function of preventing the under side of the rail from being
galled or cut, which is invariably the case when it rests on the cast-iron chair
direct; they also prevent that jar or harshness of motion which is so
objectionable in running over the cast-iron roads now in use. When it
becomes necessary to turn a rail the under side will present as smooth and
even a surface as when first laid down, instead of being indented at every
chair.
Our compound girder joint chair possesses an amount of safety which it is
believed no other joint chair possesses, for if every bolt should get broken or
taken out the joint would still remain absolutely safe, as the rails could then
neither lip "laterally nor vertically to a dangerous extent.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as our improve-
ments in the permanent way. of railways,-
.
First, the construction of railway chairs partially of wrought and partially of
cast iron, the two being combined in such manner that the rails supported by
such chairs shall be held firmly between the jaws of the same, while the said

page_text: jaws shall at the same time have a tendency to separate at their upper parts,
whereby the nuts which confine them shall be kept tight, all as herein-before
described.
Second, the methods of constructing railway chairs partially of wrought and
partially of cast iron, and of combining such chairs with other portions of
permanent ways, all as herein-before described, and represented in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fenton, for myself, and on behalf
of the said William Thomson and Thomas Snowdon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
JAMES FENTON. (L.S.)