Improvements in Iron and Steel Sleepers for Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 13th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Iron and Steel Sleepers for Railways and
Tramways.
We, JOSEPH CABRY of Greencroft East, Darlington, in the county of Durham
Civil Engineer and WILLIAM HUBERT KINCH of Elton Terrace, Darlington aforesaid,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows
The object of our invention is an improved construction of iron or steel sleepers,
whereby such sleepers are enabled to hold flanged or flat-bottomed rails in a more
secure manner than heretofore.
Two novel modes of construction are comprised in our invention.
The first novelty consists in an alteration in the design of a common form of
fastening consisting of two jaws formed out of the substance of the sleeper, or attached
thereto, between which the flange of the rail is placed and in which it is secured by
an iron or steel key. The alteration claimed to be novel is such a lengthening of one
of the jaws as to make it partially or entirely overlap the key and also the flange of
the rail, thus preventing the possibility of the rail being accidentally displaced in the
event of the key coming out.
The rail is placed in position by slightly tilting it and passing one side of the flange
under the longer jaw, sufficient space being allowed for the other side of the flange to
clear the shorter jaw, the rail is then lowered on to the sleeper and slipped under the
shorter jaw and the key inserted and driven home under the longer jaw.
The advantages claimed are, that the flange is overlapped by both jaws, and that if
keyed on the inside, the rail cannot be forced out of the jaws of the sleeper by the
side pressure of the wheels of a passing train, even should the key be displaced.
The second novelty consists in the construction of one or more studs or projections
upon and out of the substance of the sleeper, against which the outside of the flange
of the rail may bear and which will thus insure the permanency of the gauge of the
railway.
Our invention is more especially intended for use on railways, but it is also
applicable in the construction of tramways.
The novel features of the invention can be used conjointly or separately in the
construction of sleepers.
Dated this 24th day of August 1887.
AMBROSE MYALL,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Iron and Steel Sleepers for Railways and
Tramways.
We, JOSEPH CABRY, of Greencroft East, Darlington, in the County of Durham,
Civil Engineer, and WILLIAM HUBERT KINCH of Elton Terrace, Darlington aforesaid,
Civil Engineer, 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 has for its object improvements in iron and steel sleepers for
railways and tramways, and has reference to sleepers of the kind in which there are
two jaws formed out of the substance of the sleeper or attached thereto between
which the flange of the rail is placed and in which it is secured by an iron or steel
key. The jaws are so formed and arranged that one of them which is made consider-
ably longer than the other shall partially or entirely overlap the key, and also shall
overlap a part of the flange of the rail when in place in such a manner that, with the
longer jaw arranged at the inner side of the rail, the latter will be retained between
the jaws, even in the event of a key or keys coming out. With this arrangement, in
order to place a rail in position, it is slightly tilted, and one side of its flange is
passed under the longer jaw when there will be sufficient space to allow the other side
of the flange to clear the shorter jaw; the raii is then lowered on to the sleeper and
moved laterally so as to bring one side of the flange under the shorter jaw, and a
key is inserted and driven home between the other side of the rail flange and the
longer jaw.
In some cases in conjunction with jaws we provide studs or projections formed out
of the substance of the sleeper to serve as abutments against which the outside edge
of the flange of the rail can bear in such a manner as to ensure the permanency of the
gauge of the railway.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section and
Fig. 2 a plan or top view of a cross sleeper constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 3 represents in plan or top view part of such a sleeper drawn to a larger
scale.
Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal vertical sections of the same portion of sleeper in
the lines A B and C D respectively of Fig. 3.
1 and 2 are jaws formed out of the material of the sleeper, the inner jaw (2) of
each pair being made longer than the outer jaw (1). 4 is a rail and 3 a key for
securing the same in place between the jaws 1 and 2 forming a pair. Each pair of
jaws 1-2 is formed and arranged as shown so that when a rail has been inserted in
place between them in the manner hereinbefore described, the jaw 2 partially, as
shown, or, it may be entirely, overlaps the key 3, and also overlaps part of the inner
portion of the flange of the rail. 5, 5 are studs or projections formed out of the

page_text: substance of the sleeper; they serve as abutments for the outside edge of the rail
flange as shown for the purpose hereinbefore mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we
do not claim broadly making sleepers with jaws one longer than another for holding
rails by means of keys, nor do we claim broadly the forming of iron or steel sleepers
with embossments or protuberances, but what we do claim is :-
Sleepers substantially as described with reference to and illustrated by the drawings
annexed.