Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railroads, and in Sleepers: therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railroads, and in Sleepers:
therefor.
We, CARL UNFUG of Ohlan, Architect, and JULIUS BITTNER, of Breslau,.
Architect, both in the German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of this.
invention and in what manuer the same is to be performed, to be particularly.
described and ascertained in and by the following statements :-
The supports for the rails of railroads consisted until now generally of wooden
sleepers on which the rails are fixed by means of iron chairs or bed plates and
strong spikes, or of irou or steel sleepers on which the rails are fixed by means of
clamping plates and bolts. Both constructions have a large number of drawbacks.
or defects, of which the following make themselves especially felt :-
The large numbers of wooden sleepers required are with difficulty and only at.
great cost obtainable from abroad, last a very short time and present difficulties in
their application and burring. Iron sleepers possess only a very small frictional
resistance on the ballast. The rails have to be attached to the sleepers by spikes,.
tree-nails, clamp plates and bolts, so that in case of repairs being required, the
detachment of the rails occupies considerable time. The rails do not rest on their
supports very securely, in consequence, when they are driven over, they spring and
vibrate considerably. These defects and inconveniences are obviated by our
invention, which consists essentially in the construction of the permanent way
with sleepers formed of suitably dressed stone blocks connected by two.
angle irons.
On the drawing appended hereunto the improved construction of the permanent.
way is represented.
Figure 1, showing a section of the permanent way, and
Figure 2, a plan;
Figure 3, a cross section of the sleeper;
Figure 4, a perspective view of one of the stones, and
Figure 5, a perspective view of one of the angle irons.
The
Two blocks of stone a dressed on their upper faces and part of the sides are
connected by two angle irons b. The blocks are dressed in the upper part of their
sides so that these form an acute angle with the upper face or converge towards
the bottom. The angle irons bare rolled with a corresponding acute augle in
section, so that they bear well upon the stone blocks and are prevented from lifting,.
as shown on Fig. 3. At both ends the angle irons are formed with bent extensions
or straps 6, 62 and on the top with clamps c serving to hold fast the rails e.
two stone blocks are each preferably formed with a projection a' on their upper-
face, against which the rails are placed. The stones are placed on the ballast at
distances suitable to the gauge of the railroad, the angle irons b applied to the
right and left of the blocks and connected by means of bolts d passed through the
strap ends 6, the ends of which are curled so as to obtain a springy effect of
the iron frame surrounding the blocks of stone.
The angle irons may be thickened or strengthened under the rails e, which rest.
upon the angle irons and are held in position by the clamps c formed on the angle.
irons.
This construction of sleeper is bedded as usual in ballast of gravel or broken
In order to increase the friction of the stones on the ballast, they may be
stone.

page_text: painted or coated, such paint also serving to deaden the sound between the stone
and irons.
To change the rails only the two bolts d have to be taken out and each
angle iron shifted back for an inch or two, so that the rails can be lifted off.
A further great advantage of this construction is that the tedious and responsible
examination of the gauge of the rails need rarely or almost never be made.
The blocks may be of any suitable, tough natural or artificial stone (asphalt
rubble and the like) and the combination of the stones and angle irons and rails
form a heavy and durable construction of permanent way producing a quiet running
of the trains and reducing the cost of construction and maintenance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The construction of the permanent way of railroads substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
Second. The manufacture and construction of railway sleepers composed of a
pair of blocks of natural or artificial stone which may be formed with projections
for the rail foot to lie against and are embraced by a pair of angle irons connected
by straps at their ends and formed with clamps for holding the rail substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated the 3rd day of December 1896
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.