Improvements relating to Railway Rails and Chairs.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Railway Rails and Chairs.
1, LEWIS SKIDMORE PROCTOR, of Sheffield in the County of Colbert, and
State of Alabama, United States of America, Gentleman, 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:-
This invention relates to a railway rail and chair or bed; and has for one of its
objects the provision of a permanently laid and durable metal rail-bed or support.
extended the entire length of a railway track, co-terminous therewith, and secured
to the ordinary railway ties in such manner as to permit the renewal of any tie and
the removal, reversing or renewal of a rail without disturbing the said permanent
and continuously arranged chairs that constitute the rail-bed.
Another object of my invention is to so construct the permanently laid and
continuous chair or chairs as to securely brace the track rails and afford sufficiently
broad bearings between the rail webs and chair, for adequately supporting the
bolts that connect these parts.
Other purposes of the invention will hereinafter appear as resulting from those:
features of construction that conduce to greater safety, economy and facility of
making needed repairs.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention-
Figure 1 shows in perspective a portion of a railway track constructed according
to my improvements.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of one section or piece of the continuous chair or
rail-bed showing, in vertical section, a track rail and a fish plate for the chair
joint.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section through the chair or rail-bed at one of
the rail joints, with a track rail in end elevation and a rail fish plate in section.
Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a chair or rail-bed
constructed from rolled wrought iron, preferably, though other material may be
employed, as found desirable and suitable for the purposes of my invention. Each
chair 1, constituting a section or piece of the continuous and permanently laid rail-
bed, may have a length of, say, thirty feet, more or less, as desired. The track
rails 2, that are preferably made from steel, should each have about the same
length as the chairs 1 in which they are laid or supported in such manner as to
break joints therewith, the said chairs being extended continuously and in abutting
contact with each other throughout the entire length of the railway track...
The rails 2, are, preferably, of the class known as double headers or reversible, so
that either head may be placed uppermost to afford a tread for the wheels of
passing trains. It is also desirable to construct the heads of the reversible track
rails precisely alike on both sides or edges of each head so that the rails can be
reversed end for end, as well as vertically, and thus compensate for excessive wear
on either the inner or outer edge of each head. When the edges of a rail head
become worn unequally the rail may be reversed end for end, or should one of the
rail heads become unserviceable from any cause the rail may be reversed
vertically to bring the other head into service. The rail heads are connected by
a web having, preferably, straight parallel sides as affording firmer bearings for
the fish plates and chairs.
Each rail-bed section or chair 1 is constructed altogether in one piece having a
broad base 3 that is continuous or integral from side to side and from end to end

page_text: of the chair. In or near the side edges of the chair base 3 there may be provided
recesses or openings 4 to permit a secure and firm spiking of the chairs or rail-bed
to the cross ties 5 that may be of wood, as usual.
Along the top of the chair base 3 is extended a vertically projecting flange or
rib 6 to afford a bearing for the innermost side of the lower head of the track rail
which it may grasp more or less closely, as preferred, but so as to not obstruct
removal or reversal of the rail, when desired. The chair or rail-bed section is also
provided, along the top of its base portion, with a vertically and longitudinally
extended flange 7 close to the outermost side of the lower rail head. This flange 7
is extended above the lower rail head and then inward to and against the rail web
on which it has a close and broad bearing along the inner vertical face of the
flange shoulder 8 which comprises ample thickness or bulk of material to afford
sufficient space for the bolt holes that are formed through this portion of the chair,
for securing the rails thereto. Although the shouldered flange 7 is extended
upward and inward above the lowermost head of the track rail, it will be observed
that sufficient clearance is provided to permit ready removal or reversal of the.
rail, when unbolted.
As before noted the track rails 2 are laid in the rail-bed sections or chairs 1 in
such manner as to break joints therewith, the abutting ends of adjoining chairs
being at about the centre of each track rail while the rail joints are at or near the
centre of a chair.
At each chair joint, on the outside of abutting flanges 7, is placed a chair fish
plate 9 having along its top edge an inward projecting flange 10 resting on the
top of the chair flange. By means of bolts 11 passed through the track rails, the
chair flange 7 and the fish plate 9, with nuts 12 on the threaded portion of said
bolts, the parts will be securely fastened at these points, at or about the centre of
each track rail.
For securing the ends of the track rails there is provided at each rail joint and
on the inner side of the said rails, a fish plate or bar 13 secured by nuts 14 on
bolts 15 passed through the said fish plate and through the track rails and flange 7
of the chair. Other bolts 16, secured by nuts 17, may be, preferably, passed
through the track rails and chair flange 7 at one or more points intermediate the
rail joints and chair joints. To prevent turning of the several bolts their shank
portions may be squared, adjacent to the bolt heads, to correspond with similar
rectangular openings in the parts with which the squared portions of the bolts
immediately engage. Nut locks may be employed at required points, if desired.
With this construction of continuous permanently laid rail-bed, composed of
abutting chairs or rail-bed sections extended throughout the entire length of a
railway track, the making of necessary repairs in the track and road bed will be
greatly facilitated, with large economy of time, labour and material. Whenever
necessary, the removal and replacing of cross-ties can be readily effected without
taking up or in any way disturbing the chairs that constitute the rail-bed, it being
only required to withdraw the spikes at a damaged or worn cross-tie, put in a new one
and again fasten the chair at that point. So too, for removal or reversing of the
track rails, it is only necessary to remove the bolts that confine the worn or
unserviceable rail, while the continuous rail-bed will remain undisturbed and
permanently in place. This rail-bed also provides such a continuous and equally
distributed support for the track rails that their durability is greatly increased;
and should a rail snap or be broken, from any cause, it will not drop out of place
but will still afford a safe and practically even track.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination with the track rails, of the continuous rail-bed composed of
abutting chairs secured to the cross-ties and extended continuously throughout the
track, each chair having a vertically projecting flange or rib in contact with the

page_text: inner side of the rails, throughout their length, and a vertically and inwardly
projecting flange provided with a shoulder for contact with the outer side of the
rail webs, throughout their length, fish plates on the inner side of the rail joints,
and fish plates on the outer side of the chair joints, substantially as described.
2. The combination with reversible track rails having heals that are alike on
both edges, of a continuous rail-bed composed of abutting chairs secured to the
cross-ties and extended continuously throughout the track to support the rails at
all points, each chair being provided with a vertically projecting flange or rib in
contact with the inner side of the lowermost rail heads, throughout their length,
and a vertically and inwardly projecting flange provided at the top with a shoulder
for contact with the outer side of the rail webs, throughout their length, a fish
plate on the inner side of each rail joint, and a fish plate on the outer side of each
chair joint and provided with a flange resting on the shouldered flange of the chair,
substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of October 1896
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.