Improvements in Railway Chairs and in the Permanent Way of Railways.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1887.
Specification Accepted. 12th Aug., 1887.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Chairs and in the Permanent Way of
Railways.
I, ENOCH LEWIS TAYLOR, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, U.S.A., do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRs
AND IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention has reference to the construction of railways; and consists in certain
improvements all of which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown
in the accompanying drawings which form part thereof.
The object of my invention is to form a railway bed entirely of metal with the
exception of the stone ballast when the latter is used. The rails are supported upon
metallic chairs which rest upon the ground or upon the ballast of the road, and are
preferably held against lateral displacement by having one or more legs which extend
down into the said ballast. These chairs are connected from rail to rail by metallic
cross ties which are preferably arranged on end and so constructed as to clamp the
rails to the chairs thus dispensing with the use of spikes or bolts. The ties are also
preferably arranged with respect to the chairs that the latter are locked in position
against spreading or lateral displacement with reference to the gauge of the road bed.
By this means the gauge of the road is maintained fixed and cannot increase or decrease
at places and the rails cannot work loose. The chairs are preferably made of stamped
metal, steel being the most desirable, and are provided with suitable clamping jaws or
projections which may be integral or otherwise, with the chair body, and which in
conjunction with the cross tie, act to clamp the rail in position and hold it firmly to the
chair. Another part of my invention has reference to the use of a metallic tie adapted
to be reversed and thereby made servicable for a road which changes its rails from say
65 pounds to 100 pounds per yard, and yet maintain the same gauge. This would enable
a railway doing a fair business to first construct its road bed with 65 pound rails and
then as its business increased change its rail to 80 or 100 pounds rails without having
to throw away its cross ties. In addition to the foregoing I form a chair such as
herein set forth of such a length that it will receive the ends of two adjacent rails
which ends are clamped in line and to the chair by their respective cross ties, the
fD 031

page_text: chair in this instance being simply like two of the other chairs united into an
integral piece. With this form of a clamp for the abutting rail ends the usual
fish plates could be dispensed with, but if the work was very heavy an inexpensive
fish plate connection could be used.
The chair may be made of cast or rolled metal, iron or steel, and is formed with a
downwardly extending portion or support, the leg or legs of which support the upper
or table portion upon which the rail directly or indirectly rests. This chair is adapted
to preferably rest upon the earth foundation and be held against lateral displacement
by the stone, slag or other ballast which fits tightly in around the chair, its support
or legs thereof. It is further provided with a vertical slot into which the cross tie fits
and rests, the end whereof extends under and beyond the rail resting upon said chair.
If this chair be made like an inverted U then the weight of the trains will cause the
free ends of the downwardly extending legs to enter the earth until the flat portion of
the chair presses directly upon the stone or material constituting the ballast of the
road; and further, if the legs are made at an angle to each other spreading at the
bottom, then the wedging action on the stone or other ballast will pack the same
tightly under the chair and form a strong foundation. The lower edge of the tie
under the chair also becomes imbedded in the ballast and acts to resist any move-
ment of the chair in the direction of the line of the rail which it supports.
The foregoing will give a general idea of the nature of my improvements sought to
be elucidated in this application, the details thereof being more clearly pointed out
hereinafter.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a cross section through a road bed embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved chairs and cross tie showing the rail in
position.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved chair and one end of the tie before
being put together.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of a double chair and tie with the upper part of the abutting
rail ends cut away.
Fig. 5 is a cross section through one rail and showing a modified form of chair and
part of the tie.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the ties removed, and
Fig. 7 is a view similar to one end of Fig. 1 showing the chair partly embedded in
the earth and with the ballast tightly packed in between the legs thereof.
A are the rails. B are the chairs which are made flat on the top and pro-
vided with downwardly extending supporting legs b. The preferable form of the
chair is shown in Fig. 3 in which it will be observed that it is made of stamped sheet
metal (preferably steel) having the downwardly extending legs b b the vertical slot C
through the upper part and extending down part way in the legs b, and the clamping
lugs D D arranged upon each side of the slot D and upon the upper surface.
The legs may be slightly spread at their lower parts, and if desired may be increased
in length as shown in Fig. 2 to offer a greater support against downward movement
and also to resist lateral displacement. In place of forming this chair of stamped
metal it may be cast as indicated in Fig. 5 in which case it is desirable to connect
the legs b b by webs one each side of the slot D, the tie E being shown back of such
a web in this figure.
In this case the particular shape of the legs is not of so much importance as an
increased bearing surface might be obtained by providing an extended base plate ba
construction which might also be applied to the stamped metal chair but hardly with
the same economy.
In place of forming the lugs D integral with the chair they may be bolted on by
bolts d as shown in Fig. 5.
The rails A rest upon said chairs and have their inner flanges drawn in under the
said lugs D to hold them down upon the chairs. E are the cross ties and are made
of flat stamped bars of iron or steel and have their ends notched as at e with the over-
hanging projections F. The rails fit down into the notches e and the projections F fit

page_text: over the outer flanges of the rail and thereby hold the rails from spreading. The
rails fitting down into the notches e insures the gauge remaining absolutely the same,
and facilitates the construction of the road as no special test is required for the gauge.
The ends of these cross ties E may be made plain as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 or may
be notched on the bottom as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 6 as at G. The object of
notching the ties on their bottom edges is to enable the projection formed by the
notching to fit down upon the outside of the inner leg b of the chairs and below the
slot. D and thus prevent any possibility of the chair working inwardly upon the tic
which action would tend to draw the lugs from above the flange of the rail allowing
it to be liberated. In addition to the inner projections G due to the notching,
outer or end projections may also be formed which fit down upon the outside of the
outer leg of the chair below slot D. as shown in Fig. 1. This would further increase
the surety with which the chair and tie are secured together.
The tie shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is made with upper and lower notches, the same
being marked respectively e and e¹ they being made to suit the flanges of different
sized rails so that either edge may be turned up as required, and the tie has thus
a double capacity. These notches é and e¹ are so located that the gauge of the rails
held thereby will be the same without regard to the differences in the flanges. The
other shoulders G and g must also be correspondingly arranged so as to admit of the
shifting of the chairs to suit the smaller or larger flange.
e
The parts may be put together and taken apart at will, but will remain firmly
in connection and hold the rail in place under normal conditions. All complication
and loose parts are entirely dispensed with thereby increasing the desirability of
a structure of this nature. The chairs are placed upon the earth H and the stone
slag or earth or other ballast I is placed under and around the chairs so as to hold the
legs 6 thereof against any lateral movement, and thereby enable the use of a simple
tie such as shown in Fig. 6 without the least danger to the parts becoming separated.
If desired the chair may be wholly supported by the loose ballast being packed in
around the legs 6 and under the top plate or the legs may be forced down into
the earth and the ballast crowded in between the legs 6 and under the top plate
offering a solid foundation and positively holding the chair against any lateral
movement. The spreading of the legs 6 would also offer a resistance to any upward
tendency of the chair from which it is seen that the rail would be firmly held against
upward, downward or lateral movement; the entire structure forming a most durable
and effective piece of engineering, and yet is easily replaced, repaired or removed.
I do not limit myself to any of the minor details as the invention is not especially
dependent upon them. In the construction shown in Fig. 4 we have a double chair B
having two notches C and two sets of lugs D, combined with two separate ties or
ends thereof fitting saids slots C, and in which the one tie and one set of lugs D clamp
one end of a rail, and the other tie and its set of lugs D clamp the end of the
other or adjacent rail, the two ends of said rails being held in line and abutting at a
between the ties E É. With such a clamp, fish plates could be dispensed with but
if desired a light fish plate may be used as indicated in dotted lines.
The general features of this double chair is subject to the same condition as those
set out when speaking of the single chair and with no further limitation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1 claim is :-
1st. In a railway bed, a metallic chair having a support for the rail and downwardly
extending legs or supports in combination with the rail, and ballast packed in about
the legs of said chair to prevent its lateral displacement.
2nd. In a railway bed, a metallic chair having a support for the rail and
downwardly extending legs or supports spread at their lower ends in combination
with the rail and ballast packed in about the legs of said chair to prevent its lateral
or upward displacement.
3rd. In a railway bed, a metallic chair having a flat or supporting surface and
downwardly extending edges in combination with the rail supported by said chair,

page_text: and loose ballast confined between said downwardly extending edges and under the
chair and also around said edges and outside the chair.
4th. In a railway bed, the combination of a metallic chair having downwardly
extending legs partly buried in the earth, a rail supported on said chair, and stone or
equivalent ballast packed in under said chair and between the legs thereof.
5th. In a railway bed, the combination of the rails, two chairs supporting said rails
and having downwardly extending supporting parts, stone or equivalent ballast built in
around the lower portions of said chairs, and a metallic tie connecting said chairs.
6th. In a railway bed, the combination of the rails, two chairs supporting said
rails and having downwardly extending supporting parts, stone or equivalent ballast
built in around the lower portions of said chairs, a metallic tie connecting said chairs
and suitable detachable clamping devices substantially as described for connecting
said chairs rails and ties together.
7th. The combination of two metallic chairs having vertical slots and downwardly
extending legs or supports, rails supported by said chairs, a cross tie arranged on
edge and fitting down into said slots and forming a vertical web on the underside
of the chairs, and stone or equivalent ballast packed in around the legs and webs
formed by the tie to prevent the chairs from shifting in any direction.
8th. A chair for a railway consisting of the top or rail supporting part with
downwardly extending supporting parts enclosing a large area of ground and further
being provided with a vertical slot for the tie and one or more retaining or clamping
lugs for the rails.
9th. A chair for a railway consisting of the top part B having the downwardly
extending supporting lugs bb, the vertical slot C through part B and part of legs b,
and one or more lugs D.
10th. A chair for a railway consisting of the top part B having the downwardly
extending supporting legs b b spread apart at the bottom, the vertical slot C through
part B and part of legs b, and one or more lugs D.
11th. The combination of the rails the chairs to support said rails having
downwardly extending legs to rest upon the ground or ballast also a vertical slot
for the cross tie, and lugs to fit over the flanges of the rails, and a metallic cross tie
having notches into which the rails set and projections which fit over the flanges
of the rails, the said cross tie being fitted down into the slots in the chairs and under
the rails.
12th. The combination of the rails, the chairs to support said rails having
downwardly extending legs to rest upon the ground or ballast, also a vertical slot for
the cross tie, and lugs to fit over the flanges of the rails, a metallic cross tic having
notches into which the rails set and projections which fit over the flanges of the rails,
and also shoulders Gg the said cross tie being fitted down into the slots in the chairs
and under the rails, and the shoulders G g fitted on each side of the legs to prevent
longitudinal movement of the tie in the chair.
13th. The combination of a metallic chair supported directly from the ground
or ballast and having a vertical slot, a rail supported on said chair, and a metallic tie
having shoulders, fitted in the slot of said chair and supported thereby, and in which
the shoulders act as locks to prevent longitudinal movement to the tie in the
chair.
14th. Two metallic chairs upon which the two parallel rails respectively rest,
in combination with metallic cross ties having their upper and lower edges at
each end notched as at e e¹ to suit rails having different widths of flanges and
maintain a fixed gauge, the tie being adapted to fit to the chairs with either edge up
as desired.
15th. The combination of the chairs having lugs D, downwardly extending
supporting legs b, and slots C, with the rails A resting upon said chairs and having
their flanges fitting under the lugs D), and the metallic cross tie E having the
notches e near each end and on its edge into which the rails fit and the projections F
which fit over the flanges of the rails to hold them in place with the lugs D the said
tie fitting down into the slots C in the chairs.

page_text: 16th. The combination of the chairs B having lugs D, downwardly extending
supporting lugs b spread apart at their lower ends and slots C with the rails A resting
upon said chairs and having their flanges fitting under the lugs D, and the metallic
cross tie E having the notches e near each end and on its edge into which the rails fit
and the projections F which fit over the flanges of the rails to hold them in place with
the lugs D, the said tie fitting down into the slots C in the chairs and stone or
equivalent ballast packed in around the legs of the chair and tie to support it and
prevent lateral displacement.
17th. The combination of two abutting rails, with a long chair supporting the
ends of the rails and having lugs D fitting over the flanges of the rails and vertical
slots for the cross ties, and the two parallel cross ties EE having notches e and
projections F for the rails and fitting down into the slots in the chair.
18th. A chair for a rail made inverted U shaped from stamped sheet steel and
having the vertical slot C and the lugs D substantially as shown.
19th. In a railway the combination of the rails, a metallic chair supporting the
rail and supported from the earth or ballast and having a downwardly extending leg
or extension and stone or equivalent ballast packed in around said leg or extension to
prevent the chair being displaced laterally.
20th. The combination of the rail, an inverted U shaped chair having its legs
spread apart at the bottom, and buried in a foundation material, and suitable clamping
means to hold the rail to the chair.
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