IMPROVEMENTS IN PARTS OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Augustus Soul, of No. 14, Finsbury
Place, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARTS OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," -A
communication from abroad by John Gregory, of Lisbon, in the
Kingdom of Portugal, Engineer.
Sealed the 27th April 1869, and dated the 28th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left. by the said Matthew Augustus
Soul at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th October 1868.
I, MATTHEW AUGUSTUS SOUL, of No. 14, Finsbury Place, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said-Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARTS OF THE PERMANENT WAY. OF
RAILWAYS," a communication, to me, from John Gregory, of Lisbon, in the
Kingdom of Portugal; Engineer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to the arrangement of these parts and
their construction principally of cast iron, wrought iron, steel, fire-clay,
or other earthy material, in combination, with wood as the holding or
Price S/1

page_text: supporting parts of the permanent way in such a manner as to ensure
clasticity, stability, and economy in such permanent way; and,
secondly, to a novel form of fish joint for uniting the ends of rails, the
fish joints being made in two halves in such a way that they can be held
together by clamp or clip pieces of wrought or cast iron.
These improvements consist,-
1. In casting each sleeper in a flat form with a strengthening rib or
ribs on its under side. Upon its upper side are cast two vertical ribs
parallel with each other, and placed at any determined distance apart.
On the upper part of these ribs are cast two jaws, and by preference for
outside of rail to be held in. Recesses are cast in inner sides of these
ribs so that wrought-iron double-hooked dogs can be put within them
and passed through holes in the ribs or bottom of sleeper so as to hold
down the rails at their inner lower flange. These dogs are bent at right
angles, and kept in position by means of a wood wedge cut to such an
angle as to suit the cant of rails; this wedge being driven in between the
ribs and below the bottom of rail will fasten all the parts together, and
the rail will bear upon the wood only, which will thus act as an clastic
cushion to the rail. To prevent the wedges from backing angular ridges
are cast on the upper side of sleeper at right angles to the ribs, and these
ridges are serrated so that the bottom part of wood wedge when
compressed therein is held firmly and prevented from backing by shocks
or concussions. It is proposed in most instances to insert a tie bar to
every sleeper, and the dogs may be welded or otherwise secured to ends
of tie bar. Projections may be forged on the ends of tie bars, and the
projections inserted within recesses cast in the ribs. The wood wedges
will securely keep these tie bars in their places, and the sleepers will thus
be absolutely tied together. The tie bars may be of any convenient
form or section.
11. It is proposed also to cast a central or third rib on the sleeper, and
in this rib a recess is formed on either side of rail to receive a wrought-
iron dog or dogs, and the cast-iron jaws may be placed on either side of
rail. This central rib will be used also as a means of securing the tie
bars, which it is preferred to make of a hollow flanged or double angle-
iron section, and dropping them over central rib and fasten them
thereto by either screw bolts or gibs and cotters. Two wood wedges are
used in this sleeper, giving increased bearing to rails and also keeping
down flanges of tie bar on top of sleeper. Serrated ridges are formed,

page_text: as herein-before described (I.); to prevent the backing of wedges.
Ribs may be cast on under side of sleeper for increased strength.
Although the circular or rectangular form of sleeper is preferred, other
forms may be adopted and corrugated, and any section of rail can be
used. The dogs for this form of sleeper are of similar construction fo
those herein-before described (I.), and suitable to form of rail used. In
some instances it is proposed to use single or double cast-iron jaws on
side or centre ribs, and to secure the rail with wood keys in the usual
way instead of using dogs. Iron or steel hollow wedges may be used
instead of wood.
III. It is proposed in some cases to use wrought-iron dogs only to
secure rail, and to place them at opposite sides of rail cornerwise. The
lower part of the dogs are inserted in holes passing through the ribs or
bottom of sleeper, and they receive great support at the back from
being placed in recesses in the ribs; or the doged tie bar may be used to
secure outer part of rail. When the sleepers are made of wrought iron
or steel it is proposed to roll them of a trough-like form, then the upper
ribs will be parallel in their entire length, and the side recesses for the
dogs and tie bars forced out in a mould. The wood wedge will fasten
all securely in place.
IV. A sleeper may be made with four ribs, the two centre ones being
for the purpose of receiving the hooked dogs or half chairs on inside of
rails. The outer ribs have either cast jaws for wood keys or recesses for
dogs.
Between these ribs wood wedges may be driven. In the centre
space supported by flanges may be placed a corrugated sheet of iron or
steel to support the centre of rail, and in order to give elasticity to the
same the corrugated sheet bearing on the ballast so as to impart an
additional elasticity to the road.
The tie bar to unite sleepers may be
similar to those herein-before described, but a straight bar is preferred
passing througli a hollow rib below centre of the sleeper, and secured by
means of cotters at ends of tie bar.
V. When the improved sleepers are made of fire-clay, or earthy or
artificial material, there are used for securing the rails either dogs or
wrought or cast iron jaws as may be preferred, or the material from which
the sleeper is made, and the rail may be fastened with wood keys, and
the tie bars are made, and will be secured to sleeper as herein-before
described. In any or either of these sleepers the rail may be in line with
or at right angles to the length or breadth of the sleepers. In all cases

page_text: the wood wedges are preferred to be used, which form the principal
feature in these sleepers, ensuring perfect elasticity in the road.
VI. The novel form of fish joint, herein-before in the opening part of
this Provisional Specification alluded to for uniting the ends of rails may
be made of iron or steel, having clamp or clip pieces of wrought or cast
iron. These fish joints are made in two halves, and may be rolled.
Upon the lower part of fish where they clip the bottom of rail, a
vertical web is continued, and upon this web a horizontal rib is formed.
Upon the fish being bolted to the rails by bolts as usual, the fish joint
clips the two sides and bottom part of rail, the two vertical webs
meeting below the rail. Upon the two horizontal projections is driven
a piece or pieces of grooved iron of any determined length, firmly
uniting the two vertical webs, giving great strength to the lower part of
joint below rail without the use of bolts.
VII. Angle iron may be used fitted in the centre web of rails and
fitted in centre jaw of sleepers, and when dogs are used holding the
flat part of angle iron, the vertical part of fish being bolted to the
rail in the usual way by bolts or cotter pins.
;
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Matthew Augustus Soul in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th April 1869.
TO ALL. TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
AUGUSTUS SOUL, of No. 14, Finsbury Place, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send. greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Matthew Augustus Soul, Her special licence
that I, the said Matthew Augustus Soul, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Matthew Augustus Soul, my
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

page_text: IN
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
PARTS OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," a communication to me from
abroad by John Gregory, of Lisbon, in the Kingdom of Portugal,
Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Matthew,
Augustus Soul, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 I, the said Matthew Augustus Soul, do hereby
declare the nature of said 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, firstly, to the arrangement of improved parts
of the permanent way of railways, and to the construction of certain of
these parts, principally the sleepers and chairs in cast iron, malleable
cast iron, wrought iron, steel, or in fire-clay,, or other earthy material;
also to the combination of such parts with wood as the holding or sup
porting parts of the permanent way, which is effected in such a manner
as to ensure elasticity, stability, and economy in such permanent way;
secondly, to a novel form of fish joint for uniting the ends of the rails,
the fish joints being made in two halves in such a way that they can be
held together by clamp or clip pieces of wrought or cast iron or steel.
In order that the nature of this Invention, and the means by which
the same is effected may be clearly described and ascertained, this Speci-
fication is accompanied by a Sheet of Drawings having figures and letters
of reference marked thereupon, the like letter being used to denote a
similar or corresponding part in each Figure.
By reference to these Drawings and the following description it will
be seen in what the improvements consist,-
I. Each sleeper is cast in a flat form with a strengthening rib or ribs a
on its under side. This plan is represented in Figure 1, Figure 2 being
a side view of the same. Upon the upper side of the sleeper are cast
two vertical ribs b, which ribs are parallel with each other and are
placed at any determined distance apart. On the upper part of these
ribs are cast two jaws c, and by preference the outside of rail is held

page_text: therein. Recesses are cast in the inner sides of these ribs so that
wrought-iron double-hooked dogs d can be put within them and passed
through holes in the ribs or bottom of sleeper so as to hold down the
rails at their inner lower flange. These dogs are bent at right angles
and kept in position by means of a wood wedge e cut to such an angle as
to suit the cant of the rails; the wedge being driven in between the
ribs and below the bottom of rail will fasten all the parts together, and
the rail will bear upon the wood wedge only, which will thus act as an
elastic cushion to the rail, preventing injurious vibration. The wedges
are kept from backing by angular ridges f cast on upper side of the
sleeper at right angles to the ribs, and these ridges are serrated so that
the bottom part of the wood wedge becomes compressed within the
ridges, and is thus held firmly and prevented from backing by shocks or
concussions. It is proposed in most instances to insert a tie bar g to
every sleeper, and the dogs may be welded or otherwise secured to the
ends of the tie bar (see Figure 3). Projections may be forged on the
ends of the tie bars, as in Figure 4, and the projections inserted within
recesses cast in the ribs. The wood wedges will securely keep these tie
bars in their places, and the sleepers will thus be absolutely tied together.
These tie bars may be of any convenient form or section. The tie bar
may be placed in centre of bottom part of sleeper in a hollow rib there
provided for it, and may be secured thereto by gibs and cotters, as shewn
by dotted lines in Figure 2. Double jaws with wood keys may be
used to fasten the rail to the sleeper in place of the iron dogs, and the
sleeper may if preferred be slightly curved.
II. It is proposed also in some cases to cast a central or third
rib on the sleeper, as represented in Figure 5, of which Figure 6 is a
side view. In this rib a recess i is formed on either side of rail to
receive a wrought-iron dog or dogs d, and the cast-iron jaws may be
placed on either side of rail. This central rib also may be used as a
means of securing the tie bars, which it is preferred to make of a hollow
flanged or angle-iron section, dropping them over central rib and
fastening them thereto by either screw bolts or gibs and cotters. Two or
more wood wedges e are used in this sleeper, giving increased bearing to
rails and also keeping down flanges of tie bar on top of sleeper. Serrated
ridges are formed, äs herein-before described (I.), to prevent the backing
of wedges.
Ribs may be cast on under side of sleeper for increased
strength. Although the circular or rectangular form of sleeper is

page_text: preferred, other forms may be adopted and corrugated, and any section of
rail can be used. The circular form is denoted by the dotted lines in
Figure 5. The dogs for this form of sleeper are of similar construction
to those herein-before described (1.), and adapted to the form of rail used.
In some instances it is proposed to use single or double cast-iron jaws
on side or centre ribs, and to secure the rail with wood keys in the usual
way instead of using dogs. Iron or steel hollow wedges may be used
instead of wood wedges in countries where wood may be inapplicable on
account of the ravages of the white ant or other insect.. This form of
wedge is shewn in Figures 7 and 8..
III. When the improved sleepers are made of wrought iron or steel it
is proposed to roll them of a trough-like form. The upper ribs may be
parallel, and the side recesses for the dogs and tie bars may be forced
out in a mould. The wood wedge will secure all in position, as in the
plans herein-before described. Similarly shaped sleepers may be made
of cast iron. It is- proposed to use wrought-iron dogs only to secure
rail, and to place these dogs at opposite sides of rail cornerwise. The
lower parts of dogs are inserted in holes passing through the ribs or
bottom of sleeper, and they receive great support at the back from being
placed in recesses in the ribs; or the dogged tie bar-may be used to
secure outer part of rail. This part of the improvements is illustrated
by Figures 9, 10, and 11,' the latter Figure representing the wrought-
iron dogs.
IV. A sleeper may be made with four ribs b (see Figures 12, 13, and
14), the two centre ones being for the purpose of receiving the hooked dogs
or half chairs on inside of rails. The outer ribs have either cast jaws c
for wood keys or recesses for dogs. Between these ribs wood wedges c
may be driven.
In the centre space supported by flanges may be
placed a corrugated sheet of iron or steel to support the centre of rail
and for the purpose of giving in use elasticity to the same; the corrugated
sheet bearing on the ballast so as to impart an additional elasticity to
the road: The tie bar to unite sleepers may be similar to those herein-
before described, but a straight bar is preferred passing through a hollow
rib below the centre of the sleeper, and secured by means of cotters at
ends of tie bar.
V. When the improved sleepers are made of fire-clay, or earthy or
similar, artificial material (see Figures 15 and 16), there are used for
securing the rails either dogs or wrought or cast iron jaws as may be

page_text: preferred, or jaws of the material from which the sleeper is made; or
wood keys may be used as in the ordinary plan, and the rail may be
fastened with wood keys. The tie bars are made, and will be secured to
sleeper as before described herein. In any or either of these sleepers
herein-before described the rail may be in line with or at right angles to
the length or breadth of the sleeper (see Figure 17). In all cases the
wood wedges are preferred to be used, which form the principal feature
in these sleepers, insuring perfect elasticity in the road, and preventing
the injurious effect of vibration or jar. The sleepers herein-before
described may be reduced in size so as to form chairs to be used upon
wood sleepers. The chair may be spiked to sleeper by wood or iron
spikes placed below the wood wedge; the wood wedge will thus com-
pletely cover or enclose the spikes and prevent their working out, and
they will also be protected from injury by moisture. The holes in
sleepers for the reception of the wedges may be placed angularly or
cornerwise to each other. When used as a chair no under ribs will be
required. This plan is illustrated in Figures 18, 19, and 20. I propose
in some cases to make the sleepers and chairs of malleable cast iron.
It will be seen that in all these herein-before described applications of
the Invention the rail may be turned with great advantage, as it will
have no indentations such as are caused when the rail bears upon iron.
VI. The novel form of fish joint, herein-before in the opening part of
this Specification alluded to, for uniting the ends of rails may be made
of iron or steel,. or of malleable cast iron, having clamp or clip pieces of
wrought or cast iron, or of malleable cast iron or of steel. These fish
joints, as shewn in Figures 21, 22, 23, are made in two halves, and may
be rolled. Upon the lower part of fish where they clip or embrace
the bottom of rail, a vertical web is continued, and upon this web
a horizontal or angular rib is formed. Upon the fish being bolted
to the rail by two or four bolts, as usual, the fish joint clips the two
sides and bottom part of rails, the two vertical webs meeting below the
rail. Upon the two horizontal or angular ribs or projections is driven
a piece or pieces of grooved steel or iron, or malleable cast iron, of any
determined length, firmly uniting the two vertical webs, giving great
strength to the lower part of fish joint below rail without the use
of bolts.
VII. Angle iron may be used fitted in the centre web of rails and
fitted in the centre jaw of sleepers, and when dogs are used holding

page_text: down the flat part of angle iron, the vertical part of fish being bolted to
the rail in the usual way by bolts or cotter pins.
In the Drawings, Figures 1 to 20 are drawn to the scale of one inch.
and a half to the foot, and Figures 21, 22, 23, to the scale of three
inches to the foot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the means by which the same is effected, what is
claimed is,
Firstly. The method of fastening or securing the rails to the sleepers
or chairs by driving wedges of any shape or form from any direction
beneath the rail in such manner that they shall bind or hold together
the rails, sleepers, and other parts, or rails, chairs, and other parts,
forming the permanent way.
Secondly. The peculiar construction of sleepers and chairs separately
and in combination with the wrought-iron dogs as described in this
Specification, or illustrated in the Sheet of Drawings accompanying the
same.
Thirdly. The form of fish joint with the clip or clamp pieces as
described in this Specification, or illustrated in the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Augustus Soul, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
MATTHEW AUGUSTUS SOUL. (L.S.)