IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1886

page_text: I JOSEPH WHITLEY of the Railway Works, Leeds in the county of York Engineer
and founder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Which improvements consist in the substitution of stone or metallic bases or
bases of artificial stone or concrete considerably below the surface of the sleeper
whether metallic or otherwise upon which the rail chair is secured.
To accomplish this, I determine the centres required and then trench out the
pits for the base stone which I perforate vertically and horizontally for the purpose
of inserting the stay and chair bolts and which stay stones I line and level off to
the exact lines of the rails to be fixed. The bolts so passing through the stay
stones and the metal sleepers which carry the chairs in which the rail sits can
then all be bolted together.
In preparing my metal sleepers I cast perfect sleepers with chairs attached and
anneal the same or roll several sleepers in one length the same having grooves or
recesses to receive the chairs; the sleepers when cast in suitable iron or mild steel
are of varying contours and may be cast and annealed with or without chairs. In
preparing my stay blocks I make suitable moulds having core pins to form the
required bolt holes. I also place a large pin in the centre of the blocks so formed
to prevent fracture from atmospheric influences when fixed in the ground. In
placing these blocks I provide for the escape of water in the holes by a bed of
ashes in the pit or other means of draining and I run up the bolt holes with pitch
or tar the bolts being made hot to receive the same when put in position. I place
cross tie bolts to the blocks and when required on sharp curves I set my blocks at
a suitable angle to take up the thrust of the passing train and to assist in taking
up the swing of the rails caused by the weight and momentum of the trains when
crossing at high speeds. I also place diagonal bolts passing through the base blocks
at any given angle for the same purpose when required and in such cases I provide
chairs with washer-bases of like inclinations. All sleepers can be constructed so as
to work up present chairs and mounted upon the stay blocks with bolts, thus
binding the sleeping and chair to the surface of the ballasting having two or more
feet of ballast betwixt the top of the stay block and the bottom of the sleeper.
Rails fixed to metallic sleepers as above would not be destructive to the stay
blocks, and any yielding of the ballasting could be duly repaired without inter-
fering with the stays by this means, the ballast would take up the rebound and
all rolling stock would wear much longer; whilst travellers would have the
increased pleasure in travelling as it were upon more elastic base.
Those stay blocks of stone or artificial stone or concrete will have a far greater
life duration than any prepared timber and therefore be much cheaper since no
shock could reach them that would tend to material destruction.

page_text: Thus in constructing a permanent way of rails I can lay a consecative stone or
concrete base two feet below the surface in a longitudinal line or formed by blocks
as stated which latter I prefer. If I use stone I drill or bore suitable holes to
receive the required bolts which I pass through the stone or concrete stay blocks
then through the metal sleeper and the chair with washer plates nuts and cotters
or other suitable fasteners by preference, I use lock nuts on the chair ends of the
bolts. I prefer to make the stone stay blocks about 24" x 24" x 18" and in all
cases to carefully bed and cover well, the blocks about 24" below the surface of
the sleeper base relying upon the ballast betwixt the under surface of the sleeper
and the upper surface of the base block for the requisite cushioning so essential to
the duration of rolling stock and the comfort of travellers.
By coupling the metallic sleepers with cross stay bolts and giving them a base of
sixteen or eighteen inches, a permanent way will be secured and one that can be
maintained at far less cost then has hitherto been worked. All such sleepers are
made without straight lines, curves being maintained throughout so as to take up
the expansion and contraction with the change of weather.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 Complete cross sectional elevation of a sleeper mounted with stay blocks
bolts &c.
Fig. 2 Horizontal elevation of a rail mounted upon its stay blocks each block :
having two bolts, showing cross section of sleeper with double curved lines at A A.
Fig. 3 Complete sectional elevation of a sleeper laid upon a curved portion of a
line showing the inclination and the position of the inclined bolts adapted to the
degree of the curve, and stay bolts as shown at B B.
Fig. 4 General plan showing the position of the stay and chair bolts with nuts. 9
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
First. The construction of Railways with sleepers bolted to stay blocks buried
beneath the surface of the ground so as to allow the ballast to cushion the forces
developed by trains in motion substantially as herein before described.
Second. The fixing of stay blocks in the ground at any angle, beneath the surface
so as to take up the side thrust when the trains are crossing curves at high speeds
substantially as herein before described.
Third. The bolting of such blocks together by cross bolts having collars and
washers on the inside to give stability to the permanent way substantially as
herein before described.
Fourth. The casting and annealing of iron or steel sleepers having double curved
lines upon the surface with or without chairs for Railway purposes substantially as
herein before described.
Fifth. The formation of stay blocks with central holes to prevent fracture in low
temperatures, substantially as herein before described.
Sixth. The use of iron stay block below the surface of the ground substantially
as herein before described.
4
DOLL 1
T
1000