IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Armstrong, of Normanton, in the County of.
York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT
WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Scaled the 21st April 1857, and dated the 28th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Armstrong at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th October 1856.
I, JOSEPHI ARMSTRONG, of Normanton, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in the permanent way of railways relate, first, to the
crossings, and consists in making the wing and point rails of crossings by
casting, or otherwise, all in one piece of cast steel or other suitable material,
and which are cast or made double-headed to correspond with a double-headed
rail, so that when one side is worn out it can be turned over and used on the
other side. These wing and point rails may also be cast to correspond with
the bridge rail or any other rail in use. I construct the ends of the crossing
so that fish plates can be used to connect the crossing to the rails at each end.
My improved crossings are further so constructed that the flanges of the
wheels running thereon take a bearing in passing off the point rail on to the
wing rail.

page_text: Secondly, my improvements in the permanent way of railways consist in
constructing a girder rail with two side brackets or bearing pieces on each side
of the rail, the side brackets forming a taper recess in the side of the rail,
wherein corresponding shaped pieces of timber are forced and held in by bolts
upon which pieces of wood the rails rest; the pieces of timber are about four
feet in length, and placed at distances of about three feet apart, more or less.
The two rails are held to guage by cross tie bars.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Armstrong in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ARMSTRONG, of Normanton, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen-Victoria,-by-Her-Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Armstrong, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Armstrong, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Armstrong, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPкOVEMENTS
IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Joseph Armstrong, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Armstrong, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the two Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon (that is
to say):

page_text: My Invention of improvements in the permanent way of railways relates,
first, to the crossings, and consists in making the wing and point rails of cross-
ings by casting, or otherwise, all in one piece of cast steel, or it may be of
other suitable material, and which are cast or made double-headed to corre-
spond with a double-headed rail, so that when one side is worn out it can be
turned over and used on the other side. These wing and point rails I also
cast of steel, to correspond with the bridge rail or any other rail in use. I
construct the ends of the crossing so that fish plates can be used to connect the
crossing to the rails at each end. My improved crossings are further so con-
structed that the flanges of the wheels running thercon take a bearing in
passing off the point rail on to the wing rail.
Secondly, my improvements in the permanent way of railways consist in
constructing a girder rail with two side brackets or bearing pieces on each side
of the rail, the side brackets forming a taper recess in the side of the rail,
wherein corresponding shaped pieces of timber are forced and held in by bolts,
upon which pieces of wood the rails rest; the pieces of timber are about four
feet in length, and placed at distances of about three feet apart (more or less);
or, the wood may be filled in continuous throughout. The two rails are held
to guage by cross tie bars in the ordinary manner.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a top plan view of one of my improved double-headed
crossings with fish points; Figure 2 is a side elevation, shewing the side of
H rails from L to M, gently inclined, so that the outside of the tyre of the
wheel in passing off the point rail J is fully on the centre of the side rail H
before taking a bearing thercon. Figure 3 is a section through A, A;
Figure 4 is a section through B, B; Figure 5 is a section through C, C;
Figure 6 is a section through D, D; Figure 7 is a top plan view of another
double-headed crossing according to my Invention, with improved wedge
chairs for fastening the joints; Figure 8 is a side elevation of the same;
Figure 9 is a cross section through E, E; Figure 10 represents another
arrangement of my improved duble-headed crossing, with side brackets of
steel cast on in place of chairs, and spiked upon the timber, as adapted for the
bridge rail; Figure 11 represents my improved double-headed crossing, with
ordinary side rails, fitted with chairs and bolted as usual; Figure 12 is a
section through F, F; Figure 13 is a top plan of a crossing point or V rail of
cast steel; Figure 14 is a side view of the same; Figure 15 an enlarged section
through G, G; Figure 16 is an enlarged section through II, H, Figure 13;
Figures 17 and 18 is another form of casi steel point rail, cast or bolted into a

page_text: bed plate, as shown at x, Figure 19. Fig. 20 is an improved switch rail of cast
steel, cast in suitable moulds or mould boxes; Figure 21 is a section of my
improved girder rail, with bearing timbers, cast metal side clips, and through
bolts, as shown. It will be seen the rail is made with a deep web and side
brackets, between which the timber is forced and held.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that what I claim as my Invention
intended to be secured under the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,
Firstly, the improved modes herein-before described, and represented in the
annexed Drawings, of constructing railway crossings of cast steel, cast in
moulds or mould boxes, double-headed, with side rails and point rail in one
piece to the sections and angles required.
Secondly, I claim casting the crossing point rails and filling pieces sepa-
rately from the side rails, in one piece of cast steel, double-headed, and of the
--sections-required.
Thirdly, -I-claim casting crossing point or V rails of crossings of cast steel
in moulds or mould boxes of the sections required.
Fourthly. I claim casting the tongue rail of railway switches of cast steel
in moulds or mould boxes of the section required.
Fifth, and lastly, I claim the improved girder rail, and the mode of. fixing
the timber to the same, as herein-before described, and represented in
Figure 21 of the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Armstrong, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
JOSEPH ARMSTRONG. (L.S.)