IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND OF TRAK- WAYS.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Jefferson Thompson, of Wimbledon,
in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND OF TRAK-
WAYS.
"
Sealed the 23rd February 1872, and dated the 30th August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Jefferson
Thompson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th August 1871.
I, THOMAS JEFFERSON THOMPSON, of Wimbledon, in the County of
Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND OF
TRAMWAYS," to be as follows:-
In carrying out one part of my improvements I employ sleepers which
may be formed of wrought or of cast iron. In forming these sleepers
of wrought iron I bend the iron from the sheet of any suitable length
into tubular form, the section of which may be circular, eliptical, egg,
or other suitably curved shape, the edges of the plate being brought to

page_text: or near each other. Such tubular sleepers may be used as longitudinal
or as transverse bearers; the rails are connected to these longitudinal
tubes when the opening in the sleeper is at the bottom by bolts passing
through the rail, then through holes formed for them in the upper part
of the tube, and out by the opening referred to between the edges
thereof at the bottom. When the sleeper is placed with the opening at
the top the rail is grasped by the edges of the sleeper, the fastening
bolts passing through the sleepers as already described. To the lower
end of each bolt is applied a curved or fish plate or washer held by a
nut on the bolt so that the edges of each curved fish plate or washer
may bear on the sides of the tube above the joint or opening between
the edges thereof. The parallel lengths of longitudinal sleepers carrying
the rails are held together to ensure the exact guage of the road by tie
rods, these tie rods pass through the centre of each line of sleepers
(transversely), and are held by nuts or keys on both sides of cach
sleeper.
In employing cast iron for the purpose similar sectional forms
without the longitudinal openings therein may be made or they may be
obtained by two segments, which when bolted together will produce
the form of tubes desired. The upper edges of these segments may
embrace or clasp projections on the under side of the rails to hold them
in position, and I prefer that each length be provided with a projection
at one end to be received into a corresponding part of the next, so as to
aid in maintaining the respective lengths in correct relative position.
I also in forming permanent ways for rail and tram ways of wrought
or cast iron longitudinal girders as sleepers employ a flat rail with a
horizontal formed along its under side, to fit into a corresponding
cavity in a longitudinal sleeper, to be there held by horizontal screw
bolts.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Jefferson Thompson, Her
special licence that I, the said Thomas Jefferson Thompson, my
executors, dministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Jefferson Thompson, 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 vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Islo
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF
RAILWAYS AND OF TRAMWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Thomas Jefferson Thompson, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
bo 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 Jefferson Thompson, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say) :-
My Invention relates to the employment of tubular metal sleepers for
the support of the rails.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe more in detail means
pursued by me in carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
-
Figure 1 shews a sectional view, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section
to a smaller scale of an Arrangement of parts according to one next of

page_text: G
The sleepers a in this case, when formed of wrought iron are
produced by bending the iron from the sheet of any suitable length
into tubular form, the section of which may be circular as shewn, or it
may be cliptical, egg, or other suitably curved shape; the edges
a, a', of the plate being brought to or near cach other, so as to grasp
between them a tramway rail b, as shown by Figures 1 and 2, or the
rail of a railway, as shown by Figure 3; such tubular sleepers may be
used as longitudinal or as transverse bearers. When the sleeper a is
placed with the opening thereof at the top of it, as shown by Figures 1
and 2, the said rail will be grasped by the edges a¹ of it, and the 1
fastening bolts c will on passing through the rail and through the
sleeper be held by a screw nut c³ thereon as indicated, or by other
suitable means. The opening in the sleeper may however be on the
under side, when the rail will be fixed on the opposite side. In this
latter case the lower end of each bolt will have applied to it a curved 1
or fish plate, or washer, which is held by the nut on the bolt, so that
the edges of each curved fish plate or washer may bear on the sides of
the tube above the joint or opening between the edges thereof. The
parallel lengths of longitudinal sleepers carrying the rails are held
together to ensure the exact guage of the road by tie rods d passing
through the centre of each line of sleepers (transversely), and being
held by suitable nuts or keys d'.
In employing cast iron for the purpose similar sectional forms may
be made; these tubular sleepers may also be obtained by two segments,
which when bolted together will produce the form of tubes desired.
In Figure 4 these segments e, e, aro obtained by plates rolled or cast
with flanges e³, e¹; in Figure 5 these plates e, e, are formed by bending;
Figure 6 represents a longitudinal view of Figures 4 and 5. In both
these cases the rail 6 is rolled sufficiently deep to receive both the top
and bottom edges of the two segments, and be grasped by them. These
sleepers may be of any convenient length, but I recommend that they
should not be less than from 10 to 15 feet, so as to form tubular girders
and perfect fish joints to rails; rails such as shown by Figures 4 and 6,
formed to be clasped by both edges of the segments of the tubes, I call
"suspended rails," by their being suspended and held by the top edges
of segments of tube, and clasped by the lower edges of such segments.
The upper surface of the rail may be of any ordinary form, but the

page_text: lower part or web b' may be as thin as it can judiciously be made; say
about to an inch in thickness and 6 to 18 inches in depth. By
this means great vertical strength of rail is ensured, and the elasticity
is obtained to the rail by the rails riding in a state of suspension
in the tubes.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the improvements in permanent way of railways and of
tramways, by forming the sleepers thereof tubular, of wrought or of
cast iron, and also the suspending the rails thereby as shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Jefferson Thompson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-two.