Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 1st Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
I PETER KIRK of Bankfield Workington in the County of Cumberland Iron and
Steel Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to the chairs and sleepers of railways and tramways and.
particularly to the method of and means for securing chairs or rail holding-jaws 'to
metal sleepers. For the purposes of my Invention I prefer to make the said jaws
from steel bars rolled to sections suitable for my method of attachment and sawn or
severed into lengths each length constituting a jaw but I do not confine myself to the
use of steel for the purpose nor to the formation of the jaws from bars of metal as I
might cast them in steel or iron or otherwise produce them. Each jaw is formed to
interlock with the metal plate of the sleeper and is secured in position by means of a
wedge-shaped key which forces and keeps apart the two jaws. A rectangular aperture
is formed in the sleeper to receive a pair of jaws or in the case of a cross sleeper two
apertures are formed in suitable positions. I prefer to make the sleeper of rolled steel
and in order to keep within limits the entire weight of the sleeper I prefer to make
the table of the sleeper thicker at the place where the jaws are to be secured, this
increased thickness being obtained either by rolling the sleeper plate with a thicker
band extending from end to end or by producing thicker patches at the places where
the apertures are to be formed so as to compensate for the reduction of strength
caused by the formation of such apertures and to furnish means for more securely
attaching the jaws. Each jaw is formed with a groove or recess into which the metal
of the sleeper enters when the jaw is pushed or forced home.
The said key may be
passed into position vertically and may constitute the bed of the rail or the support
for such bed and may be extended in length beyond the jaws to give more support to
the rail. The said key may be kept in position by the rail or by means of a second
key or of a bolt or screw or may be formed with parts which may be turned over or
clenched or may be otherwise suitably secured. In place of the key being passed into
position vertically either upward or downward it might be driven in horizontally
between the two jaws or folding wedges or keys might be used and be arranged to be
driven vertically or horizontally. Also I may secure each jaw in a separate aperture
by means of a key or of keys applied inside or outside the jaws as preferred. The
sleeper might in some cases be of wrought or cast iron or metal.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.

page_text: I PETER KIRK of Bankfield Workington in the County of Cumberland Iron and
Steel Manufacturer 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 and accompanying drawings:
:-
My Invention relates to the chairs and sleepers of railways and tramways and
particularly to the method of and means for securing chairs or rail holding-
jaws to metal sleepers. For the purposes of my Invention I prefer to make the said
jaws from steel bars rolled to sections suitable for my method of attachment and sawn
or severed into lengths each length constituting a jaw, but I do not confine myself
to the use of steel for the purpose nor to the formation of the jaws from bars of
metal as I might cast them in steel or iron or otherwise produce them. Each jaw is
formed to interlock with the metal plate of the sleeper and is secured in position by
means of a wedge shaped key which forces and keeps apart the two jaws or by means
of a key or of keys otherwise applied. In some cases the two jaws are secured in
one aperture formed in the sleeper and in other cases each jaw is secured in a separate
aperture.
My Invention will be most clearly understood when described with reference to the
accompanying drawings which are made to a scale of about half the full linear
dimensions and furnish three examples of the method whereby I propose to carry my
invention into practical effect. In Fig. 1 of the said drawings a represents in section
an ordinary double headed rail b. b are the two jaws of a chair c is a wedge shaped key
and d represents a section of a portion of the top of a metal sleeper. The said sleeper may
be of any suitable formation but I prefer to make it of rolled steel and in order to keep
within limits the entire weight of the sleeper-I prefer to make the table of the
sleeper thicker at the place where the jaws are to be secured, this increased thickness
being obtained either by rolling the sleeper plate with a thicker band extending from
end to end or by producing thicker patches at the places where the apertures are to
be formed so as to compensate for the reduction of strength caused by the formation
of such apertures and to furnish means for more securely attaching the jaws. I do
not however claim this formation of sleeper as it constitutes the subject matter of Letters
Patent, already granted to me. The jaws are by preference also formed of rolled
steel as aforesaid the bars being rolled to the required section and severed into suitable
lengths. Each jaw is formed with a recess at è so as to interlock with the top plate
of the sleeper. A rectangular aperture is punched or formed in the sleeper to receive
the pair of jaws and as a matter of course two such apertures are formed in a sleeper
which has to carry two lines of rails as is usual. The two jaws are secured to the
sleeper by passing their lower ends through the aperture and into the indicated
positions and by driving downward into position the wedge-shaped key c. The said
key is preferably made of rolled steel and formed with a channel for sake of lightness
and also to give it an amount of lateral elasticity. When the key is driven downward

page_text: the two jaws are forced right and left and are firmly secured to the sleeper. The upper
face of the key is in the example suitably shaped to act as a bed for the lower table of
the rail a double advantage being thereby obtained namely that the key is kept in
position by the rail and by reason of the key being shaped to suit the rail the latter
receives less damage from the contact. The upper face of the said key might be
extended beyond the limits of the aperture in the sleeper in order to furnish a longer
support to the rail. In place of the rail resting directly on the key a suitable bed of
wood metal or suitable material may be interposed between the key and the rail. The
said key may be further secured by means of a second key or cottar or of a bolt or
screw or may be formed with parts which can be turned or clenched below the top
plate of the sleeper or may be otherwise suitably secured. In the example dotted lines
indicate a method of securing the key by means of a cottar e.
In the example
illustrated by Fig. 2 each jaw is secured in a separate aperture formed in the top plate
of the sleeper. The locking recesses are formed on the inner sides of the jaws and
the latter are forced toward each other by means of keys or cottars ff which are
driven downwards between the backs of the jaws and the outer edges of the apertures
in the sleeper as clearly indicated. In this example the rail is represented as resting
directly upon
the sleeper but it will be obvious that any suitable bed may be interposed
between the sleeper and the rail. In the example illustrated by Fig. 3 each jaw is also
fixed in a separate aperture but the two jaws are secured by means of a single key g.
which is driven in a horizontal direction between the two jaws and forces them apart
and against the outer edges of the two apertures as clearly indicated. The said key
serves as a bed for the rail and may be flat as represented or may be shaped to fit the
table of the rail entirely or to some extent or a bed or cushion may be interposed
between the two parts as stated with reference to the other examples. The said key
may be extended in length to a suitable degree beyond the jaws so as to increase
the bearing surface upon which the rail rests and thereby to lessen the tendency
to damage the table of the rail. A pair of folding keys might take the place of the
single key. I do not confine myself to the exact method of keying the jaws to the
sleeper nor to the forms of keys or cottars employed.
:-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
(1) The combination of parts substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated hereinbefore and in and by the accompanying drawings.
(2) A combined metal sleeper and chair the latter consisting of two metal jaws
grooved or recessed to receive the edges of an aperture formed in the sleeper the two
jaws being fixed in position by means of a key driven or forced vertically between the
jaws substantially as set forth and indicated.
(3) A metal sleeper perforated to receive metal jaws which are adapted to hold a
rail and are recessed to lock with the edges of the apertures in the sleeper the said
jaws being secured to the sleeper by means of keys substantially as set forth and
indicated.
(4) The rolled steel or iron jaws bb secured by means of keys to metal sleepers in
which are formed openings to receive the bases of the said jaws the said bases being
shaped to interlock with or to take hold of the plate of the sleeper substantially as set
forth and indicated.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.