IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAIL- WAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Livesey at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 16th April 1879.
JAMES LIVESEY, of 9, Victoria Chambers, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAIL-
WAYS AND TRAMWAYS."
My Invention relates to an improved method of securing rails to iron sleepers
so as to dispense with detached or loose parts.
For this purpose I employ a T" shaped bolt which is inserted, whilst hot, into
a hole in the sleeper near to the edge of the rail-flange, the shank part of the bolt
is then bent upwards tight against the underside of the sleeper, and becomes a clip
which though tight can be turned with a key or spanner; when the rail is laid on
the sleeper, the head of the bolt is put parallel to the rail, and afterwards by
giving it a quarter turn part of the bolt head is turned over the flange of the rail,
securely holding it down. In order to prevent the clip bolt turning round by the
vibration of the passing trains a slight indent is made in the sleeper into which
the end of the bent clip bolt springs, or two small nipples or depressions of the
plate of the sleeper may be made, over which the bolt end can be sprung when
turned by a key, and between which it rests securely in position.
According to another method I secure a rail by means of three clip pieces, two
of which are fixed on the outside of the rail at some distance from each other, and
the third is applied to the inside of the rail midway between the outer clips. This
third clip is made to turn partly round so as to allow the rail to be taken out and
in, and has on one face next the rail a flat part which when in position is parallel
to and abuts against the bottom flange of the rail; this flat part prevents the clip
from being turned by vibration of the road, but by using a key or spanner it may
be turned, as the rail will yield or bend sufficiently in the distance between the
two outer clips to allow the square angles of the flat part to pass.
I also arrange an iron sleeper with a fastening for one side of the rail, only
these fastenings are clips fixed alternately for the inside and the outside flange of
the rail.
To get the rail in position it is laid abutting against and under the inside clips
of the alternate sleepers and resting on the top of the outside clips of the inter-
mediate sleeper, it is necessary to spring the rail a little so as to get it under the

page_text: outside clips; for this purpose I employ a portable lever, the point of which enters
into a hole punched in the sleeper and can work therein as on a fulcrum.
To this lever near the lower end is attached an arm, the extreme end of which is
made to grip the rail. By a strain on this lever the rail is sprung under the clip
into its permanent position. The lever may have two arms working on centres,
of which the one is a little above the other.
These arms grasp the opposite rails, and by a movement of the main lever
these two rails are drawn together or opened out, as may be required for putting in
or taking out a rail.
For securing tramway rails to sleepers or vertical chairs, I employ an iron or
steel key which is driven through a hole or slot in the web or sides of the rail, and
through a corresponding hole in the iron rail bearer, this slot or hole is made bent,
twisted, or corrugated instead of being straight, so that when the key is driven it
is forced to assume the shape of the hole, which prevents it working loose, whilst
at the same time it holds the rail firmly in position.
In order to dispense with bolts or other fastenings for securing iron blocks or
chairs to sleepers or base plates a dove tail channel is formed in the sleeper or base
plate, into which a dove tail formed on the block or chain is driven, the dove tail
holding it in position. In wrought iron plates the sides forming the dove tail
channel may be cut through, and bent up out of the plate.
Iron sleepers for tramways are frequently made in short detached lengths for
convenience of carriage, and also to allow the rails to bend to the curves of
the line.
The continuity of the sleeper being thus broken it fails to operate as a girder.
I unite the sleepers by means of a wrought iron flexible plate or plates, thus
forming a continuous girder for the support of the rail, and which at the same
time may be bent to suit the curves of the line. For the straight parts of the road
sleepers of this kind may be made in halves and bolted together, so as to break
joint, thus forming a continuous girder bearing.
For a section of tramway rail having a central web, I provide a special groove
rolled on the underside of the head, into which enters the web of a continuous iron
sleeper or the successive webs of separate blocks or standard. The object of the
groove is to steady the rail, and so relieve the bolts or other fastenings which
Becure it.