Improvements in Permanent Way Wedges for Railways and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Permanent Way Wedges for Railways and
the like.
1, HENRY GASCOIGNE FREEMAN, Surveyor, of 39 Seething Lane, in the
County of London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to prevent the wedges now used in the chairs of
the permanent way of railways, tramways &c. from coming loose, and also to enable
them to be driven up much easier and tighter than at present.
I preferably use the kind and form of wedge now in vogue, but cut, or formed, in
two tapering pieces longitudinally, either cut at right angles to the side, or parallel
thereto, or at an angle therewith, so as to form what is commonly known as a "Fox"
wedge; that is two wedges working one on the other, with their sloping faces
together, & the large end of one near the small end of the other.
To prevent the wedge from loosening after being driven up, I preferably bore a
small hole with a suitable augur or other tool, snch hole having its direction
preferably linable with the contact faces of the parts of the wedge, the centre of
its section preferably on the line of such contact. Into this hole I preferably drive
a taper, or parallel, pin, so as to fill the hole. When the wedge has to be set up or
withdrawn, the pin is drilled out, and after setting up a new hole is made and
another pin inserted, or the same hole is increased in size and a larger pin
driven in.
Instead of a round hole and pin, a slotted hole and cottar may be used, and the
pin or cottar, and holes for same, may be so shaped as to tighten the wedge when
being driven in.
The contact surfaces of the two parts of the wedge may (either one or both) be
corrugated, or serrated, so that when the wedge is driven hard up it will not slip
back. The pin before described would not then be required.
Dated this First day of October 1891.
S. T. HARRAP,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Permanent Way Wedges for Railways and
the like.
I, HENRY GASCOIGNE FREEMAN, Surveyor, of 39 Seething Lane in the
County of London do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN PERMANENT WAY WEDGES FOR RAILWAYS AND THE LIKE, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to prevent the wedges now used in the chairs of the
permanent way in railways tramways &c. from coming loose, and also to enable
them to be driven up much easier and tighter than at present.
Some of the forms of wedge embodying my Patent are shown in Figs. 1 to 12,
in the drawing attached hereto. Figs. 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 are sections of Figs. 1, 3, 5,
7 & 9, Figs. 7 & 9 are sections through W Z of Figs. 8 & 10, and the latter are
sections through X Y of the former.
I preferably use the kind and form of wedge now in vogue, but cut, or form it,
into two tapering pieces longitudinally, either cut at right angles to the side, or
D971

page_text: parallel thereto, or at an angle therewith, so as to form what is commonly known as
a "Fox" wedge:-that is two wedges working one on the other with their sloping
faces together, & the large end of one over the small end of the other.
The general forms and methods of forming the wedges as above described are
illustrated in all the Figs. 1 to 12, and the angled faces shown at Figs. 2 & 8 are
applicable to the other Figures 4, 6 & 10 and visa verse. The sloping faces
are indicated by the straight, serrated & undulating lines A B & A' B¹; and the
recess CD is formed, if desired, to fit the chair & so hold that part of the wedge,
while the other part is being driven up. The face R is in contact with the rail.
To prevent the wedge from loosening after being driven up, I, preferably bore a
small hole having its direction preferably lineable with the contact faces of the
parts of the wedges, & the centre of its section preferably on the line of such
contact, as shown at Fig. 1. Into this hole I drive a taper, or parallel, pin E so as
to fill the hole. When the wedge has to be withdrawn the pin is drilled out, and
after setting up again, a new hole is made and another pin inserted, or the same
hole is encreased in size & a larger pin driven in. An ordinary nail may be used
for the same purpose, either driven in the overlapping end of one part of the wedge,
or as above described. A piece of thin sheet metal (K-Fig. 11) may be placed
between the inclined surfaces of the wedge and the ends turned over against the
ends of the wedges, as shown.
Instead of a round hole & pin, a slotted hole & cottar may be used, and the pin
or cottar holes for same may be so shaped as to tighten the wedge, when being
driven up.
The contact surfaces of the two parts of the wedge may one, or both, be
corrugated or serrated, as shown at Figs. 3 & 5, so that when the wedge is driven
hard up
it will not slip back. The pin before described would not then be
required.
In forming the wedges of hollow metal, with or without ends, I preferably adopt
the forms shown at Figs. 7, 8, 9 & 10, so as to obtain sufficient lightness and
spring" when driving up. Both surfaces may be of the form shown in Fig. 5, or
only a few corrugations may be on one face as at G, G' & G', Fig. 7, or one only
as at G, Fig. 9. Where more than one corrugation is used, as at Fig. 7, the
position thereof may be arranged with respect to the continuously corrugated
face H, so that one of the corrugations G, G', G &c. will be sure to engage
one of those in the other face, in practically any relative position of the two parts of
the wedge.
with
Two continuously corrugated faces may be arranged in a similar way to that
above described, as shown at Fig. 12; but instead of the corrugations engaging
with one another, they would pass clear, & a pin L would be driven down between
the two corrugations coming opposite one another, as shown.
To neutralize the effects of shrinkage where wooden wedges of any form are
employed I preferably insert one, or more, tongues as shown at F, Figs. 3 & 4.
When these tongues are of wood, the grain of the tongue should run from F to K¹.
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. Permanent way wedges formed of two taper pieces, with any suitable form of
contact faces A. B, substantially as described.
2. In permanent way wedges formed of two taper pieces, the pin E, nail, cottar,
thin plate K, or their equivalent for the purposes herein described.
3. In permanent way wedges formed of two taper pieces the recess CD for the
purposes herein described.
4. In wooden permanent way wedges the tongue or tongues F, for the purposes
herein described.
5. In permanent way wedges formed of two taper pieces of hollow metal the
corrugated elastic surfaces as herein described with reference to Figs. 8 & 10.

page_text: 6. In permanent way wedges formed of two taper pieces the continuously
corrugated surfaces suitably spaced to bring two corrugations opposite for any
relative position of the parts of said wedge, and the pin L for inserting in such
corrugations as herein described with reference to Fig. 12.
Dated this 14th day of March 1892.
S. T. HARRAP,
Agent for Applicant.