IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND SUPPORTING AND CONNECTING TOGETHER THE"] J'RATIS OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYs
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Brookes at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
August 1878.-A communication from abroad by Emmanuel
Edouard de Soignie, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil
Engineer.
I, WILLIAM BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent and Registration Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND SUPPORTING
AND CONNECTING TOGETHER THE"]
J'RATIS OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYs,” the same
being a communication to me from abroad by Emmanuel Edouard de
Soignie, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer, to be
as follows:-
This Invention as communicated to me relates to improvements in
constructing and supporting and connecting together the rails of
railways and tramways, whereby considerable economy is obtained in
the cost of such railways or tramways, besides greater durability and
stability of the parts, and it consists,

page_text: According to this Invention the rails are formed with a central
projecting table or surface raised above the ordinary head of the rail; the
said table or surface is narrower than the ordinary rail head into which
it merges on each side by a suitable curve. By this mode of con-
struction the wheel tyres are prevented from treading on the edges of
the rail head, the said edges being situated at a lower level than the
upper table or bearing surface of the rail as herein-before described, and
a vacant space being left constantly under that part of the tyre next the
flange.
This Invention consists, secondly, in the improvements hereinafter
described in supporting the rails of railways and tramways where
Vignoles rails or other foot rails are used. For this purpose several
iron supports of a ☐ shape in section with the side legs inclined slightly
outwards are rivetted or otherwise attached or fixed at suitabe distances
to the base or foot of each rail so as to form part of the said rail. The
said supports rest upon and are imbedded in the ballast of the line
which is firmly rammed into and round them. The said rails with their
iron supports fixed under them, as herein-before described, may be laid
down or removed from the line at pleasure without its being necessary
to separate the one from the other, and the supports form a substitute :
for the ordinary sleepers or permanent way.
The rails are connected together transversely by suitable tie rods;
the said tie rods are of any suitable section, though by proference
of a shape when used for railways, and of a flat rectangular section
when used for tramways on paved roads, and the said rails are connected
together longitudinally by ordinary fish plates; and in order to give
elasticity to the bolts or screw rods securing the said tie rods and fish
plates to the said rails, and to prevent their becoming oxydised and the
screw boxes or nuts upon them from working loose a washer or ring of
india-rubber or other suitable elastic material inclosed in a metal ring is a
mounted on the screwed end of the tie rods and bolts, and rests against a
fish plate upon the web of the rail. Upon the said india-rubber or elastic
washer or ring is placed a metal washer upon which an ordinary nut
is screwed down, thereby compressing the elastic ring and securing
the tie rods or fish bolts in position.
The effect of the elastic ring is also to allow a slight motion to the
metal washer, confining it, giving thus elasticity to the parts both within

page_text: Another mode of supporting and connecting together transversely the
rails of tramways according to this Invention where edge rails or double
headed rails are used consists in the use of cross bars of a П section
turned
up
at each end and having fixed upon them near the said turned
up ends pieces of angle iron. The rails rest against the said angle irons,
and wooden keys or cotters are driven in between the other sides of the
rails and the turned up ends of the cross bars and securely fix the rails
in position. A suitable number of such cross bars are used for each pair
of rails. The mode of supporting and connecting together rails, as last
described, is particularly applicable to tramways in mines.