Year: 1885

page_text: FREDERICK WILLIAM RAFAREL of Cwambran near Newport in the County of
Monmouth, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In my provisional specification N° 5389 of 1885, I have described a metallic trans-
verse sleeper for rails rolled in the form of an open ended trough to be placed mouth
downwards so that the two sides of the trough may penetrate into the ballast, this
aleeper having on its upwardly presented bottom two deep ribs extending the
whole length of the sleeper. I have also, in the said provisional specification,
described means of fixing flanged and double headed rails to such sleepers. My
present invention relates to sleepers similar in form to those previously described
with other, simpler and more effective means of fixing the rails thereon. For this
purpose, I cut in the ribs notches to admit the base of the rail, but as these notches
do not extend down to the bases of the ribs, there is under the rail when it is
in position, a space between it and the face of the sleeper, in which space there may
be placed a cushion or bed piece, sloped to suit the tilt of the rail. Through the
upper side of the sleeper between the longitudinal ribs I cut a slot through which
passes the shank of a jaw that is to bear against one side of the rail, this jaw
preferably extending high enough to take a bearing under the head of the rail.
This jaw may be cast in iron or steel with a base large enough to fill the width
between the sides of the trough and the depth of the trough down to the ballast,
in which case it is introduced from underneath, the upper part which constitutes
the jaw being passed upwards through the slot of the sleeper, and then the whole
drawn backwards horizontally so that a flange of the jaw overlaps the edge of the
slot. I prefer, however, to make the jaw of such form that it may be a length cut
from a rolled bar of iron or steel having a flange which projects backwards over the
sleeper and a flange which projects forwards under the sleeper, this lower flange
and the shank of the jaw being so formed that it can be introduced in an oblique
direction from above through the slot of the sleeper, and then canted into its
proper position. The rail being placed against this jaw, another jaw, which may
be also a length cut from a rolled bar, is laid against the other side of the rail, and
this second jaw, having an elongated base flange which fits in between the ribs of
the sleeper, is set up against the rail by means of a cotter which is driven through
slots in the ribs of the sleeper above the flange of the jaw and along a shoulder
projecting upwards from the flange.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,

page_text: I, FREDERICK WILLIAM RAFAREL of Cwmbran near Newport in the County of
Monmouth, Engineer 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 :—
In my Provisional Specification N° 5389 of 1885 I have described a metallic
transverse sleeper for rails rolled in the form of an open ended trough to be placed
mouth downwards so that the two sides of the trough may penetrate into the
ballast, this sleeper having on its upwardly presented bottom two deep ribs
extending the whole length of the sleeper I have also in the said Provisional
Specification described means of fixing flanged and double headed rails to such
sleepers. My present invention relates to sleepers similar in form to those
previously described with other simpler and more effective means of fixing the
rails thereon. For this purpose I cut in the ribs notches to admit the base of the
rail, but as these notches do not extend down to the bases of the ribs, there is
under the rail when it is in position a space between it and the face of the sleeper in
which space there may be placed a cushion or bed piece sloped to suit the tilt of
the rail. Through the upper side of the sleeper between the longitudinal ribs
I cut a slot through which passes the shank of a jaw that is to bear against one
side of the rail, this jaw preferably extending high enough to take a bearing under
the head of the rail. This jaw may be cast in iron or steel with a base large
enough to fill the width between the sides of the trough and the depth of the
trough down to the ballast, in which case it is introduced from underneath, the
upper part which constitutes the jaw being passed upwards through the slot of
the sleeper, and then the whole drawn backwards horizontally so that a flange
of the jaw overlaps the edge of the slot. I prefer however to make the jaw of
such form that it may be a length cut from a rolled bar of iron or steel having a
flange which projects backwards over the sleeper and a flange which projects
forwards under the sleeper, this lower flange and the shank of the jaw being so
formed that it can be introduced in an oblique direction from above through the
slot of the sleeper, and then canted into its proper position. The rail being placed
against this jaw, another jaw, which may be also a length cut from a rolled bar, is
laid against the other side of the rail, and this second jaw, having an elongated
base flange which fits in between the ribs of the sleeper, is set up against the rail
by means of a cotter which is driven through slots in the ribs of the sleeper above
the flange of the jaw and along a shoulder projecting upwards from the flange.
The accompanying drawings shew several forms of chairs and jaws with their
fixings for rails according to my invention. The metallic sleeper being of the form
shewn in transverse section by Fig. 1 having two ribs A rolled on its upper side,
Fig. 2 shews the fixing to it of a flanged rail and Fig. 3 the fixing of a double
headed rail. The one jaw B is made with part C that by canting the jaw will
pass from above through a slot in the upper metal of the sleeper and hook under it.
The other jaw D is wedged up against the rail by a cotter E which passes through
slots in the ribs A of the sleeper. Fig. 2ª shews how jaws such as I have described

page_text: are applied where fish plates F occur, these, as well as the rails being secured by
bolts passing through all. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the hook C of the jaw is
made of considerable length and of depth sufficient to extend down to the ballast.
In this case the jaw is introduced from below before bedding the sleeper and it is
steadied in position by the sleeper notching into it at F. Although I have shown
the jaws B and D of such shape as may be cast in iron or steel, their shape may
obviously be varied so as to adapt them for being cut from continuous lengths of
rolled bar.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
In combination with a rolled metallic sleeper having ribs projecting on its upper
side a pair of jaws to form a rail chair, the one jaw having a hook engaging under
the upper metal of the sleeper and the other being wedged up against the rail by a
cotter passing through slots in the upper ribs of the sleeper, substantially as herein
described.