Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN MERVYN WRENCH M.I.C.E. of Lahore India do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to permanent way in which each chair is carried
separately by a broad foot or base which rests on the ballast of the road as is the
case with what are generally known as pot sleepers.
This foot or base I form of a flat plate which may be of an oval or rectangular
or other suitable form, the longer length of which is set at right angles to the rail
and I form it with a short descending rim all around its edge so that it forms as it
were an inverted tray in order that the ballast may more effectually be retained
below it than if a plain flat plate be used.
Standing up from the centre of the base plate is a saddle piece upon the top of
which the foot of the rail is to rest. This saddle piece is formed with a jaw or
jaws to come on the outer side of the rail and fit over its foot. On the inner side
the rail is held down by a jaw formed on or secured to a tie bar which passes across
from the one rail to the other and keeps the rails in gauge.
The tie bar at its ends is made to pass through the saddle pieces of a pair of
sleepers aud to extend to a distance beyond the outer side of the rails. A split
metallic key is passed through a slot near each end of the tie bar to draw the jaws
on the sleepers towards the jaws on the tie bar and so cause the foot of the rail to
be gripped and securely held between them.
The keys may pass through slots in the chairs either outside or inside of the rail.
When on the inside the guard rails may at steep curves or level crossings be made
to rest upon the top of ribs forming part of the saddle piece.
The tie bar may either be made in one piece with its jaws or the jaws may be
separate pieces rivetted on to it. It may also be made with two sets of jaws
projecting from opposite edges of the bar hammer headed fashion and the faces of
the jaws of one set may be somewhat further apart than the other so that along
straight lengths of line the bar may be turned into position for the jaws which are
nearest together to be made to hold the rails and determine the gauge whilst at
curves the gauge may be somewhat increased by turning the bar over so as to
bring the jaws which are furthest apart uppermost.
The outer jaws on the saddle and the inner jaws on the tie-bar may be suitably
formed for holding a double headed rail or flat footed rail or rail of other form as
desired.

page_text: In some cases also the inner jaws in place of being carried by a bar which also
serves as a tie bar may be carried by shorter bars which do not pass across from
one sleeper to another but serve only to secure the rail in the manner described.
When the sleeper is of cast metal the base plate may be formed with two
longitudinal ribs standing up from it at a distance apart from one another and the
saddle be formed by a plate bridging across from the top of one rib to the top of
the other.
'
In this case the tie bar would pass below this plate and be made to rest on
projections standing up from the top of the base plate. The key for retaining the
tie bar might be driven through slots in the ribs as well as through the alot in the
tie bar.
Or the sleeper may if desired be stamped up from mild steel plate the saddle
being formed by making an upward bulge with a flat upper surface at the centre
of the base plate. The outer jaw may be secured to the top of the flat surface by
rivetting. The upward bulge should be made of such a height that the tie bar
may pass above the base plate and below the bottom of the flat plate which forms
the top of the bulge, slots being formed through the two opposite sides of the
bulge for the tie bar to pass through.
The key for retaining the tie bar may be made to bear against the side of the
bulge.
Or the sleeper might be formed as a flat inverted tray with a bridge or saddle
piece of bent sheet metal of sufficient height rivetted onto it at the centre. In this
case the outer jaws may be formed by slitting the aide edges of the saddle or
bridge so as to form metal tongue pieces which can then, be bent upwards and
curved to the form of jaw required.
Or the bent plate forming the saddle or bridge might be a short length of a
rolled trough and the outer jaw be formed by rolling the trough with a rib
standing up from it which can afterwards be bent over to form a clip to clip over
the foot of a rail.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
I JOHN MERVYN WRENCH M.I.C.E. of Lahore India do hereby declare the 3
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:-
The improvements relate to permanent way in which each chair is carried
separately by a broad foot or base which rests on the ballast of the road as is the
case with what are generally known as pot sleepers.

page_text: This foot or base I form of a flat plate which may be of an oval or rectangular
or other suitable form, the longer length of which is set at right angles to the rail-
and I form it with a short descending rim all around its edge so that it forms as it
were an inverted tray in order that the ballast may more effectually be retained
below it than if a plain flat plate be used.
Standing up from the centre of the base plate is a saddle piece upon the top of
which the foot of the rail is to rest. This saddle piece is formed with a jaw or
jaws to come on the outer side of the rail and fit over its foot. On the inner side
the rail is held down by a jaw formed on or secured to a tie bar which passes
across from the one rail to the other and keeps the rails in gauge.
The tie bar at its ends is made to pass through the saddle pieces of a pair of
sleepers and to extend to a distance beyond the outer side of the rails. A split
metallic key is passed through a slot near each end of the tie bar to draw the jaws
on the sleepers towards the jaws on the tie bar and so cause the foot of the rail to
be gripped and securely held between them.
The keys may pass through slots in the chairs either outside or inside of the
rails. When on the inside the guard rails may at steep curves or level crossings be
made to rest upon the top of ribs forming part of the saddle piece.
The tie bar may either be made in one piece with its jaws or the jaws may be
separate pieces rivetted on to it. It may also be made with two sets of jaws
projecting from opposite edges of the bar hammer headed fashion and the faces of
the jaws of one set may be somewhat further apart than the other so that along
straight lengths of line the bar may be turned into position for the jaws which are
nearest together to be made to hold the rails and determine the guage whilst at
curves the guage may be somewhat increased by turning the bar over so as to
bring the jaws which are furthest apart uppermost.
The outer jaws on the saddle and the inner jaws on the tie bar may be suitably
formed for holding a double headed rail or flat footed rail or rail of other form as
desired.
In some cases also the inner jaws in place of being carried by a bar which also
serves as a tie bar may be carried by shorter bars which do not pass across from
one sleeper to another but serve only to secure the rail in the manner described.
When the sleeper is of cast metal the base plate may be formed with two
longitudinal ribs standing up from it at a distance apart from one another and the
saddle be formed by a plate bridging across from the top of one rib to the top of
the other.
In this case the tie bar would pass below this plate and be made to rest on
projections standing up from the top of the base plate. The key for retaining
the tie bar might be driven through slots in the ribs as well as through the slot in
the tie bar.
Figure 1 of the drawings annexed shows a sectional elevation of a sleeper
formed in the above manner. Figure 2 a plan view and Figure 3 a cross section.
A is the base plate, A¹ longitudinal ribs standing up from it, B the bridge piece
extending across from one rib to the other. C the outer jaws standing up from
the top of the bridge piece-D is one end of the tie bar-E aws rivetted to it and
Fa split metallic key for retaining the tie bar.
In Figure 1 I have also shown by dotted lines the way in which a guard rail
may at steep curves or level crossings be made to rest upon the top of the ribs A¹
and be secured to the main rail by bolts and distance pieces.
The sleeper shown in the above figures is formed for a flat footed rail.
Figures 4 and 5 show a sectional elevation and plan of a similar sleeper for
carrying a double headed rail-the parts in these figures are marked with the same
letters of reference as in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The sleeper might also be adapted to carry a guard rail on the inner side of the
main rail at curves and crossings in the same way as shown in Figure 1 if desired.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 show a sectional elevation plan and cross section of a sleeper
stamped up from mild steel plate-the saddle piece being formed by making an

page_text: upward bulge with a flat upper surface at the centre of the base plate A. The upward
bulge is as shown made of such a height that the tie bar may pass above the base
plate and below the bottom of the fat bridge piece which forms the top of the
bulge slots are formed through the two opposite sides of the bulge for the tie bar
to pass through and the key F is made to bear against the side of the bridge piece.
The outer jaw C is as shown secured by rivets to the top of the flat bridge piece.
Figures 9, 10 and 11 show a sectional elevation plan and cross section of a
sleeper made from wrought iron or steel plate-in this construction the bridge.
piece is made separately and is rivetted to the top of the base plate-the bridge
piece may be of a short length of trough shaped metal rolled to form or it may be
bent up from sheet metal. The outer jaws are shown as being formed by slitting
the edges of the bridge piece so as to form metal tongue pieces C which are then
bent to the form of jaw required.
Figures 12 and 13 show a sectional elevation and plan of a sleeper forined in a'
similar way to the sleeper shown at Figures 9, 10 and 11 except that the outer jaw on
the saddle piece is formed from a longitudinal rib C formed along the top of the
short length of the inverted trough which forms the bridge piece-the rib is first
formed at right angles to the flat surface of the top of the bridge piece and is
subsequently bent over as shown to bring it to the form required for the jaw.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The employment of a tie bar carrying jaws near each of its ends to come
against the inner sides of the rails so that the tie bar shall serve not only to keep
the rails in gauge but also to retain the rails against outer jaws which are supported
by bearing plates or sleepers substantially as herein before described.
2. Retaining the rails upon the sleepers by the means herein before described
whether the inner jaws are carried by a bar which also serves as a tie bar from
rail to rail or whether the inner jaws are carried by short bars which do not pass
across from rail to rail.
3. Forming the tie bars with two pairs of jaws with the jaws in one pair slightly
further apart than the jaws in the other pair substantially as described.
4. The construction of the sleepers for supporting the rails substantially as herein
before described and shown in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 8th day of September 1886