Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Supporting and Retaining Railway Rails.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Supporting and Retaining
Railway Rails.
I FRANCIS WALTER CLARKE of 11 Haywood Street, Sneinton, in the Town
and County of the Town of Nottingham, Publican do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :—
This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and operation
of means or apparatus employed in supporting and retaining railway rails so as to
dispense with the use of wooden keys, such as are now commonly employed for
locking the rails tightly in position in the chairs and to secure other advantages,
viz. steady running of the train thereby adding to the comfort and safety of
passengers and minimising the wear and tear of rolling stock.
In carrying out my present invention for a single rail support I form my chair
in three main pieces, that is to say a half-or part chair with extended base and
dove tailed or like slide or slides or way on one side of the upper surface of such
base, another half or part chair having corresponding dovetail or equivalent recess
or recesses to engage those parts of the base, so that this part chair may slide on
the other part without being capable of vertical disengagement within certain
limits, and a key or wedge adapted to be entered into a suitable recess formed
partly in each part chair whereby when the parts are in proper position with a
rail between them and held with a locking grip by their jaws on the web of the
rail, the forcing in of the key or wedge will fix them in place. The slipping out
of the wedge or key may be prevented by passing a pin through its tail or by
splitting and opening same or in equivalent manner to retain it against the loosening
effects of oscillation and vibration.
This form of chair may also be used so as to dispense with fish plates to connect
and retain in correct relation the butted ends of rails by the gripping and adjustable
jaws grasping the parts of the abutting rails tightly together.
For rails at points or like places the two rails supported on one compound chair
are arranged as follows-The part or half chair at one side is in one with the base
and a compound middle part chair is slidden on the dovetail ways and then the outer
part chair is applied and affixed as already stated in regard of the single chair.
The middle part chair has one half or face abutting against the one rail or parts
of abutted rails and the other face against the other rail or line of rail each jaw by
its out face, whilst the outer part chairs act by their inner faces.
Dated the 18th day of November 1892.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Supporting and Retaining
Railway Rails.
I FRANCIS WALTER CLARKE of 11 Haywood Street, Sneinton, in the Town
and County of the Town of Nottingham, Publican, 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 certain improvements in the construction and operation
of means or apparatus employed in supporting and retaining railway rails so as to

page_text: dispense with the use of wooden keys, such as are now commonly employed for
locking the rails tightly in position in the chairs and to secure other advantages
viz. steady running of the train thereby adding to the comfort and safety of
passengers and minimising the wear and tear of rolling stock.
In carrying out my present invention for a single rail support I form my chair
in three main pieces, that is to say a half or part chair with extended base and
dovetailed or like slide or slides or way on one side of the upper surface of such
base, another half or part chair having corresponding dovetail or equivalent recess
or recesses to engage those parts of the base, so that this part chair may slide on
the other part without being capable of vertical disengagement within certain
limits and a key or wedge adapted to be entered into a suitable recess formed
partly in each part chair whereby when the parts are in proper position with a
rail between them and held with a locking grip by their jaws on the web of the
rail, the forcing in of the key or wedge will fix them in place.
The slipping out of the wedge or key may be prevented by passing a pin through
its tail or by splitting and opening same or in equivalent manner to retain it against
the loosening effects of oscilation and vibration.
This form of chair may also be used so as to dispense with fish plates_to_connect
and retain in correct relation the butted ends of rails by the gripping and adjustable
jaws grasping the parts of the abutting rails tightly together.
For rails at points or like places the two rails supported on one compound chairs
are arranged as follows-The part or half chair at one side is in one with the base
and a compound middle part chair is slidden on the dovetail ways and then the
outer part chair is applied and affixed as already stated in regard of the single
chair. The middle part chair has one half or face abutting against the one rail or
parts of abutted rails and the other face against the other rail or line of rail each
jaw by its out face, whilst the outer part chairs act by their inner faces.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews a plan view and
Fig. 2 a side view of a chair with a sectional portion of rail, in place therein.
Fig. 3 shews the under face view of the moveable jaw which face rests upon the
chair.
Fig. 4 shews the inner face of the moveable jaw which abutts against the rail.
Fig. 5 shews a section of the flange of the fixed part of the chair taken on the
line 1-1 of Fig. 1 and looking towards the rail.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew by plan and side view (the latter having two rails shewn in
section in their places) respectively another form of chair adapted for use at or
near points or places where two rails are required to be fixed near each other.
The chair a is made of cast iron or other suitable metal and is made in two parts
which are distinguished as the male half a¹ and female half a and these are
connected together by means of a dovetail slide a³ or it may be slides formed on
the male half a'. The female half a³ has an aperture a* also dovetailed so that
when the female half a' is put on the male half a¹ it is brought up to its required
position by an iron key, a' which fits in a cross moulded groove a below and some-
what to one side of the middle web of the rail, and this hole like the key inserted
into it is slightly tapered so that in driving the key in it draws the jaws of both
male and female into its position. The chair may be placed and fastened down to
the sleeper exactly the same as are the rails now ordinarily used by railway
companies.
This improved chair is also adapted to take the place of fish plates at joints by
increasing the width of both male and female jaws and keying them together as
described.
The improved chair is also adapted for points as shewn by Figs. 6 and 7 by
lengthening the base and adding the intermediate sliding double face piece to
separate the respective rails and this filling intermediate double piece 6 is keyed

page_text: to the base of the chair by the dovetail slide precisely as described in respect of
the part a' of Figs. 1 and 2.
By means of the improved chairs all wood keys may be entirely dispensed with.
The improved chair may also be used as a fish plate dispensing with bolts
and nuts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combinations or arrangements of parts of chairs for supporting and retaining
railway rails substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a railway chair for supporting and retaining a railway rail or rails the
combination with a half or part chair and its base plate or flange formed with a
dovetailed slide or slides or its or their equivalent or equivalents, of a part or parts
adapted to slide upon or in the said slide or slides and to be held pressed against
the sides of the rails thereby held, by means of a pin or key or pins or keys
substantially as shewn and described.
Dated the 19th dow of Avout 1892
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.