IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR SECURING RAILS TO METAL SLEEPERS
Year: 1885

page_text: We JAMES MELISS STUART of the Firm of Kerr Stuart & Co of 20 Bucklersbury
in the City of London Engineer and FREDERICK HENRY GILL of the same address,
Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS FOR SECURING RAILS TO METAL SLEEPERS," to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for securing rails to metal sleepers either for the
permanent way of railways or for portable railways.
In carrying out our invention we prefer to use a flat base or Vignoles rail.
This rail is secured on the outside by a dog or clip which is firmly rivetted or
otherwise firmly secured to the metal sleeper.
The inside fastening is removable and consists of a dog or clip of special form
which overlies the inner flange of the base of the rail and is secured in position by
a bolt also of special construction..
The clip or dog is by preference formed of cast steel with a flattened projection
on its under side through which a bolt hole is made and which rests on the sleeper
and a tail piece which enters an opening made in the sleeper.-The bolt is formed
with a double head or in other words with a flange all round a little below the
head.
In the sleeper a T shape opening is made the cross of the T being inside.
The rail having been placed in position the head..of the bolt is inserted in the
cross opening and is drawn forward into the narrow portion of the opening where
it is supported by the flange. The clip is then placed on the bolt the tail piece
entering the cross of the T and the bolt is secured by a nut. As the tail piece of
the clip will be the same width as the opening the clip or dog will be prevented
from twisting round. The tail piece will also prevent the bolt from slipping out of
position.
.
By this means we obtain a fastening for securing rails to metal sleepers which
may be readily removed when, and if required.

page_text: $
Improvements in Means for Securing Rails to Metal Sleepers.
We JAMES MELISS STUART of the Firm of Kerr Stuart & Co of 20 Bucklersbury
in the City of London, Engineer, and FREDERICK HENRY GILL of the same address,
Draughtsman 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 relates to means for securing rails to metal sleepers, either for
the permanent way of railways, or for portable railways.
In carrying out our invention, we prefer to use a flat base or Vignoles rail. This
rail is secured on the outside by a dog or clip, which is rivetted or otherwise firmly
secured to the metal sleeper.
The inside fastening is removable, and consists of a dog or clip of special form,
which overlies the inner flange of the base of the rail, and is secured in position
by a bolt, also of special construction.
In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 shews in plan view a portion of a sleeper
with a rail across it, and the outside clip or dog in position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal
section of a sleeper, shewing the inside clip or dog in position. Fig. 3 is a plan
view of the inside clip. Fig. 4 is a side view: Fig. 5 is a front view looking at
the left hand end of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an underside plan view of the clip. Fig. 7
is a side view of the securing bolt; and Fig. 8 is a view taken at right angles to
Fig. 7.
A is the sleeper, which is of metal, and may be of any suitable cross section. In
the top of each sleeper, at suitable distances apart, according to the intended
guage of the railway, and at points which will coincide with the inner edge of the
base of the rails when in position, T shaped openings A¹ are formed; the object of
which will be presently explained. At a suitable distance outside each of these
Tshaped openings, one or more holes are pierced to receive bolts or rivets by
which the outside clip or dog is, by preference, permanently secured to the sleeper.
B is the rail, C is the outer clip or dog, and D the inner clip or dog.
The clip or dog C is formed with a flattened portion or base C, which lies on the
sleeper, and is secured thereto by rivets or otherwise, and an upwardly projecting
portion C¹, which is also inclined outwardly at an angle of about 60°. The upper
edge of this inclined portion C₁ is rounded, and fits under the head of the rail,
which is thereby supported on the outside, and at the foot of the inclined portion
is a recess into which the base of the rail B fits. The clip C, therefore, serves the
double purpose of holding down and supporting the rail against the lateral strain
caused by the vehicles passing over it.
The inside clip or dog D consists of a flat main portion D, one end of which is
turned upwards, as at D¹, and thus forms a semicircular or rounded head, which is
slightly undercut on its inner side at a. On the underside of the part D is a
flattened projecting portion D³, which rests on the sleeper, and through the parts D
and D2, a bolt hole is formed, to receive the bolt by which the clip is secured to
the sleeper. The outer end of the clip is formed with a tail piece D³, which, when
the clip is in position, enters the head of the T shaped opening A' in the sleeper,
by which means the clip is prevented from twisting out of position.
J

page_text: E is the bolt for securing the clip D to the sleeper A, and which is of the form
known as T headed. Across each edge of the bolt head, a groove E' is formed, as
shewn at Figs. 7 and 8, the width of the groove being slightly greater than the
thickness of metal of the sleeper.
The clip or dog C, having been rivetted to the sleeper, the rail B is placed in
position against it. The head of the bolt is next inserted in the cross opening A',
and the bolt is drawn forward into the stem of the T; the flanges on the bolt prevent
it from falling through the opening. The clip or dog D is next placed on the bolt,
so that the part D¹ shall rest on the flange of the rail, and the tail piece D³ enter
the opening A¹. A nut E² is then placed on the bolt, and is screwed up, by which
means the clip or dog D, as well as the rail B, is secured firmly to the sleeper.
The bolt E is prevented from turning round by the tailpiece D³ of the clip D,
but to prevent the nut from loosening under the vibration caused by the passage
over the line of the rolling stock, a steel wedge or key F is forced in between a
face of the nut and the turned up undercut portion D₁ of the clip or dog.
In the drawing, the clip D is shewn as hollowed out or recessed at parts; this is
done for the purpose of reducing the weight of the metal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is -
1. The means for securing the inner side of the base of rails to metal sleepers,
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The combination with a metal sleeper having a T shaped hole formed therein,
and provided with a fixed clip or dog, as C, of a clip or dog, as D, constructed as
shown and described, a T headed bolt, as E, having grooves or recesses E¹ in its
edges, with or without a wedge or key F, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.