IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN THE MEANS OF PRE- VENTING RAILWAY ACCIDENTS THEREON
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wright, of 9, George Yard, Lombard
Street, in the City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN THE MEANS OF PRE-
VENTING RAILWAY ACCIDENTS THEREON."
Sealed the 18th October 1859, and dated the 12th July 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
July 1859.
I, THOMAS WRIGHT, of 9, George Yard, Lombard Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN THE MEANS OF
PREVENTING RAILWAY ACCIDENTS THEREON," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, in the first place, to certain improved constructions
and arrangements of longitudinal cast-iron bed plate sleepers. Under this
head of my Invention, I propose to employ a rectangular cast-iron bed plate
sleeper, having the two longitudinal or rail-bearing surfaces and the transverse
ties cast in one solid piece, with a timber trough cast on the top surface of the
bearers, and a ballast fang cast on the under surface of the same.
. Another form of cast-iron bed plate sleeper consists, like the former, of
a rectangular casting with the addition of a safety curb or rail projecting

page_text: above the rails upon which the engine runs. In conjunction with this safety
curb, I employ a "life guard" attached to the framing of the engine and
carriages, which descends to within a short distance of the top of the safety
curb, over and within which it travels. On a break-down occurring, or the
train running off the rails, these guards and curbs support and confine the engine
and train to the rails.
Another part of my Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and
arrangements of cast-iron transverse joint sleepers, and consists in casting the
entire sleeper with its transverse tie bar and rail-bearing bed plates in one
solid piece. The intermediate bed plate sleepers are untied. The sleepers
herein referred to may be modified to receive any kind of rail.
Another part of my Invention consists of an improved "vice jaw" fastening,
wherein the loose jaw, which is of wrought iron, is made to jam against the
top and bottom of the rail.
My Invention also relates to an improved form of rail and joint clip, and
consists in constructing a double-beaded flanged rail which may be made to
form either a rail and sleeper combined, or may be applied to transverse or
longitudinal wooden sleepers. The clip consists of a trough made of boiler
plate, which grips the under side of the rail ends. This clip may be made
also to form a longitudinal sleeper by increasing its length, the rail being
secured thereto in the ordinary manner.
The last portion of my Invention relates to certain improved constructions
of rails or trams to be laid in streets or roads, and consists in casting the rail
and sleeper in one longitudinal piece. These combined rails and sleepers
have single or double grooves or channels cast upon them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Wright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WRIGHT, of 9, George Yard, Lombard Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Wright, Her special license that I, the said

page_text: Thomas Wright, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Thomas Wright, my executors, administrators, or 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 vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN THE MEANS OF
PREVENTING RAILWAY ACCIDENTS THEREOF," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Wright, by an instrument in writing under my,
hand and seal should particularly 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 Thomas Wright, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates, firstly, to certain improved constructions and
arrangements of longitudinal cast-iron bed plate sleepers. Under this head of
my Invention, I propose to employ a rectangular cast-iron bed plate sleeper,
having the two longitudinal or rail-bearing surfaces and the transverse ties
cast in one solid piece with a timber or india-rubber trough cast on the top
surface of the bearers, and a ballast fang cast on the under surface of the
same.
Another form of cast-iron bed plate sleeper consists, like the former, of a
rectangular casting, with the addition of a safety curb or rail projecting above
the ordinary rails upon which the engine runs. In conjunction with this
safety curb, I employ a "life guard," which constitutes the second head of my
Invention. This guard is attached to the framing of the engine and carriages,
and descends to within a short distance of the top of the safety curb, over and
within which it travels. On a break down occurring, or the train running off
the rails, these guards and curbs support and confine the engine and train to
the rails. This guard may be used, if thought desirable, upon any ordinary
railway, in which case it would bear upon the rail itself, or upon an auxiliary
rail laid for that purpose.
The third part of my Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and
arrangements of cast-iron transverse joint sleepers, and consists in casting the

page_text: entire sleeper with its transverse tie bar and rail-bearing bed plates in one
solid piece, the intermediate bed plate sleepers being detached. The sleepers
referred to, under first and third head of my Invention, may be modified to
receive any kind of rail.
The fourth part of my Invention consists of an improved "vice jaw" fastening,
wherein the loose jaw, which is of wrought iron, is made to bear against the
top and bottom head of the rail.
My Invention relates, fifthly, to a peculiar combination of double-headed
flanged rail and joint clip, and consists in constructing a double-beaded
flanged rail, which may be made to form either a rail and sleeper combined,
or applied to transverse or longitudinal wooden sleepers. The joint clip to
be used therewith consists of a trough made of rolled iron in one piece, or
of boiler plate, which grips the under side of the rail ends. This clip, by
increasing its width and length, may also be made to form a longitudinal
wrought-iron sleeper, the rail being secured to its lateral flanges in the
ordinary manner by pins or bolts, thus forming an entire wrought-iron per-
manent way.
The sixth, and last portion of my Invention, relates to certain improved
combinations of rails or tramways to be laid in streets, railways, or roads, and
consists in casting the rail and sleeper in one longitudinal piece. These com-
bined rails and sleepers have single or double grooves or channels cast in their
upper or wheel-bearing surfaces.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
corresponding Figures.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, of the accompanying Drawings represents a perspective
view of my improved bed plate sleeper, which is a solid rectangular casting,
combining all the properties of the longitudinal and transverse systems.
A, A, are the longitudinal beams or rail-bearing surfaces of the sleeper,
and B, B, are the transverse ties or bearers, the whole forming a solid casting
of about twelve feet in length, and of any width or guage required; C is a
timber or india-rubber trough cast on the upper surface of the longitudinal
bearers, and intended to receive a wooden plank, or any other suitable
material for the base of the rail to rest upon. This sleeper is represented as
having joint snugs D, D, cast upon it for the reception of the contiguous ends
of the bridge rail, as shewn by the enlarged transverse section, Figure 2,
such snugs being accurately placed and tilted to suit the exact guage and

page_text: position of the rail, so that on laying down the way the rails have merely to
be dropped into their places upon the snugs, and bolted through these flanges
down on to the planking d (Figure 2) in the timber trough, the bolts passing
through slots cast for that purpose in the trough, as shewn in Figure 1, or
these snugs may be dispensed with when flat bottom rails are used.
Figure 2 shews the bolts in their places holding a bridge rail down upon
the sleeper and timber planking or bed. The base or under side of this bed
plate sleeper has a ballast fang, or vertical rib E, cast upon it both longi-
tudinally and transversely along the under side of the longitudinal beams A,
and transverse ties B respectively for the purpose of affording a more firm and
steady bearing upon the ballast. In laying these sleepers they are placed
separately end to end and connected by bolts, an intervening space of about
one-eighth of an inch being left between the abutting ends to allow for
expansion.
Figure 3 represents a transverse sectional detail of a portion of a similar
bed plate sleeper to that illustrated at Figures 1 and 2, but in place of being
adapted for a bridge rail, it is made to receive the ordinary double-headed
rail. The longitudinal bearers A have a series of chairs a, a, cast upon them,
as will be more clearly seen on referring to the perspective view, Figure 8.
The rail is secured in its place by means of a "vice jaw" fastening, shewn
clearly detached at Figure 4. This fastening consists simply of a "dog bolt" b
passing beneath the rail and through a slot in one side of the chair, and a
loose jaw c which bears against the upper and under flanges of the rail, this
jaw being pressod against by the head of the "dog bolt," which is tightened
up by a nut & outside the chair, as shewn in the Drawings. In the joint
chairs, which are of course made wider than the intermediate ones, I place
two of these vice jaw fastenings, videlicet one for each rail end, as shewn in
Figure 8.
Figure 5 represents a perspective view of a portion of a permanent way
formed of rectangular bed plate sleepers similar to that shewn at Figure 1
but with the addition of a safety curb rail F (herein-after more particularly
referred to) cast along the outer edge of the longitudinal bearers and outside
the ordinary rails (or it may be placed inside the ordinary rails) if found desi-
rable. Figure 6 is a transverse section of this sleeper and curb rails, shewing
a carriage thereon fitted with my improved "life guards" G, to be used in
connection with the safety curbs or with the ordinary rail and permanent way.
Figure 7 shews a detail of one of the "lite guards" detached. Figure 8 is a
perspective view of a length of way composed of bed plate sleepers with safety
curb rails cast thereon, and shewing also another mode of applying my "lifo

page_text: guards" to a carriage framing so as to form a life guard and skid break in
one, acting upon the safety curbs. Figure 9 is a transverse section of the
permanent way shewn in Figure 8. These "life guards" consist each of a
strong bracket G (Figures 6, 7, 8,) bolted to the carriage, engine, and tender
framing at each corner thereof, and tied together transversely by the strong iron
stays II (and can be modified in various ways, and made of either iron or
wood). The foot or under surface of these guards is made with a deep flanged
bearing surface, the flange h, passing along the inner edge of the curb but not
in actual contact therewith, whilst the actual bearing surface is maintained an
inch or two above the surface of the curb rails. By the aid of the deep flanges
of these guards the train is more effectually confined to the rails at high speeds,
hilst in the case of an axle breaking, or other similar mishap occurring, the
carriage will fall on to the curb rails and will be supported thereon by the
"life guards," which will skid along the curbs until the train is brought to a
stand. The break life guard (Figure 8, Shect 1,) consists of a transverse
bar I, the ends of which are guided in slots in the vertical brackets K bolted
to the carriage framing and carry iron shoes L, to which are secured wooden
blocks as shewn in the Drawing. These blocks are held about two inches
above the curb rail or ordinary rail of the way, but when required to arrest
the motion of the train they are brought forcibly down on to the rails by means
of the long lever M, and screw spindle and break handle N. Should a break
down occur, these break blocks will act as life guards by supporting the
carriage on the rails and guiding it by the inner flanges of the shoes which
carry the blocks. It is obvious that these "life guards" or "train supporters
may be used with the ordinary or other systems of permanent way than those
herein-before described or herein-after referred to by me, by causing such
"life guards" or supporters to bear upon the main rails which carry the train.
I may here observe that I am aware that it has been previously proposed to
attach metal guide plates and wooden supporting blocks to the framing of
railway carriages to be used on an ordinary permanent way in combination
with continuous guide rails bolted to the sleepers, and therefore I lay no claim
to the use per se of the combination of supporting blocks and guide rails for
the purposes herein-before set forth.
Figure 1 (Sheet 2) is a perspective view of a length of way composed
of a series of double-headed flanged rails. This rail may be applied in
various ways as will be herein-after evident, but in this Figure I have
represented it as constituting in itself a rail and sleeper combined. The
rail itself is an ordinary double-headed rail with the addition of a lateral
flange a, a, rolled on each side of the web at right angles thereto, and

page_text: at or near the middle thereof.
This flange, when no sleepers are used
rests upon the ballast, the lower portion of the rail being buried therein. The
joints are secured by means of a wrought-iron clip or trough piece b, as shewn
in the transverse section Figure 2, a detached view of this clip being
represented in end view at Figure 3. It is placed beneath the rail ends and
is secured by bolts passing through its lateral flanges c, c, and through te
flanges of the rails, as will be clearly understood on referring to Figures 1 and 2.
These Figures also shew the light wrought-iron tie rods B, which are bolted
at intervals to the flanges of the opposite rails and to each of the joint clips.
These clips may be used as longitudinal trough sleepers, if found desirable, in
which case they would extend along the entire length of the rails in place of
only under the joints.
Figure 4, on Sheet 2 of my Drawings, represents a solid cast-iron transverse
joint sleeper and chairs combined, and double-headed flanged rail fastened
thereto. In the joint sleeper, Figure 4, a solid tie B, is cast in one piece
with the chairs or rail holders and bearing plates A, but in the intermediate
sleepers, one of which is shewn detached at Figure 5, the solid cross tie is
dispensed with.
Figures 6 and 7 represent respectively a cast-iron transverse joint sleeper
and intermediate sleeper or rail support adapted to the flat bottomed rail
which is secured thereto by bolts. Figures 8 and 9 represent respectively a
similar transverse joint sleeper and intermediate sleeper adapted to the ordinary
double-headed rail; and Figure 10 is a section of the same transverse joint
sleeper, shewing the cross tie B, "vice jaw" fastening, and hollow ballast
fangs E, with a recess or chamber F immediately beneath the chair, for the
purpose of imparting a certain amount of elasticity or spring to the way, by
not allowing the chairs to bear directly down upon the ballast. Timber
troughs are also formed to these transverse sleepers, as seen in the Drawings.
Figure 11 shews the mode of applying the double-headed flanged rail to the
ordinary longitudinal wooden sleepers, each sleeper A being slightly channelled
or recessed longitudinally to receive the lower head of the rail which is sunk
therein, the flange resting upon lateral timber or metal bearers a, a, laid on
the surface of the sleepers, and the whole are held together by bolts or spikes
passed through the flanges b' into the sleepers, as shewn in Figure 12, which is
a representation of the ordinary transverse sleeper and double-headed flanged
rail, the rolled iron clip or trough piece 6 (Figure 3) herein-before referred to
is also applied to the under side of the rail ends at the joints before being sunk
into the sleepers, as shewn at Figure 13. Figure 14 shews the double-headed
flanged rail applied to the ordinary transverse timber sleepers, suitable grooves

page_text: or channels being cut across the surfaces of the sleepers (see Figures 12 and
13) to receive the under portion of the rails, which are spiked or bolted as
before to the short timber or metal bearers a, a, on the surfaces of the sleepers.
The joints are here shewn supported by the sleepers, as also in Figure 13, but in
Figure 15 I have shewn a suspended joint formed by bolting the clip 6 to the
flanges of the rails between the sleepers.
b
Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, on Sheet 3 of my Drawings, represent in transverse
section different forms of rails and sleepers suitable for street railways and
common road tramways. Figures 1 and 5 represent single grooved rails for
the flanges of the wheels to run in; Figures 2 and 4 are double-grooved rails;
and Figure 3 is a central ribbed rail. In some of these examples the rail and
sleeper are combined in one casting, as in Figures 1, 2, and 3, whilst in Figures 4
and 5 they are shewn fixed upon wooden sleepers. In all cases they are blocked
or sunk into the stone pavement or Macadam roads, so as to be flush, or nearly
so with the street or road surface, as shewn at Figure 1. These cast or wrought
iron girder sleepers are also intended for ordinary locomotive railways, with loose
tie bars and any kind of rails and fastenings applied thereto, as seen at Figure 6.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hercin-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general constructions, arrangements, and combinations of the rails,
sleepers, and fastenings of permanent ways, as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Second, the peculiar constructions and arrangements of cast-iron bed plate
sleepers formed with timber or india-rubber troughs and ballast fangs,
and their combination with any suitable rail, as herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar constructions and arrangements of transverse cast-iron
sleepers, with or without solid tie bars, and their combination with any suitable
rail, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use of a pair of raised or safety curb rails, cast
on or fitted to my improved sleepers or in conjunction with life guards or train
supporters on the carriages, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the peculiar construction and combination of double-headed flanged
rail permanent way, as herein-before described.
Sixth, the peculiar construction of wrought-iron joint clip, and its combi-
nation with any suitable form of rail either as a joint clip or support, or in
long lengths as a wrought-iron sleeper, as herein-before described.

page_text: Seventh, the peculiar "vice jaw" fastening, wherein the looso jaw is
made to bear against the top and bottom flanges of the rail, as herein-before
described.
Eighth, the peculiar form of rails and their combination with sleepers
as tramways for streets and common roads, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wright, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
THOMAS WRIGHT. (L.S.)