IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS, AND IN THE, MODE OF SECURING THE ENDS, OF RAILS THEREIN
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Robert Taylor, Richard Worswick,, and John Lovatt,
all of Ipswich, in, the County of Suffolk, Engineers, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS, AND IN THE, MODE OF SECURING THE
ENDS, OF RAILS THEREIN."
Sealed the 2nd October 1857, and dated the 22nd April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Taylor, Richard
Worswick, and John Lovatt, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd April 1857.
We, ROBERT TAYLOR, RICHARD WORSWICK, and JOHN LOVATT, all of Ipswich,
in the County of Suffolk, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CHAIRS, AND IN THE MODE OF
SECURING THE ENDS OF RAILS THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to two systems or modes of securing the ends of the
rails of permanent ways, whereby a firmer and more simple junction is
obtained than has hitherto been accomplished, whilst the free expansion of the
rail is unimpeded.
According to one arrangement, we propose using a peculiar form of joint
chair, suitable either for the ordinary double T-headed rail or for the single
T-headed rail. This chair has a transverse opening made through each jaw,

page_text: and is fitted or formed with an internal projecting lip or shoulder, which serves
to hold the rails steady in a vertical position by bearing against the web or
sides thereof. The rail ends are slotted or notched transversely to correspond
to the transverse opening through the chair, and a slightly wedge-shaped key
or cottar is driven transversely through the chair and through the slots or
notches in the rail ends, by which means they are held firmly down on to
the bed or rail-bearing surface of the chair. The expansion of the rail is
allowed for by making the slots rather wider than the key or cottar which
passes through them. Any convenient or well known mode of securing the
rail ends into the chair may also be used in conjunction with the transverse
key or cottars herein-before referred to. If found desirable, two keys or.
cottars may be used in place of one, each rail end being held down by a
cottar of its own.
The second mode of securing the ends of rails relates to what are known
as suspended joints, such as are generally made when "fish plates "are used.
For this purpose we propose to use a clutch of cast iron, made to clip the
lower edge or table of the rail ends, whilst the jaws of the clutch are:niade to
reach up and embrace the sides of the web. A transverse opening is made
through this clutch in such a position, that when the rail ends are inserted, and
a cottar or cottars driven through it the under sides of the rail ends will bear
upon such cottar or cottars, and will be forced up firmly into the jaws of the
clutch by driving the cottars home.. The joint. is completed by passing a
cottar or cottar's or one or more bolts or screws through the jaws of the
clutch, and through the web of the rail ends..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Taylor, Richard Worswick, and John Lovatt in the
Great Seal-Patent Office-on-the-22nd October 1857-
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we; ROBERT
TAYLOR, RICHARD WORSWICK, and JOHN LOVATT, all of Ipswich, in the County
of Suffolk, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her leirs and successors, give and grant unto us;
the said Robert Taylor, Richard -Worswick, and John Lovatt, Her special

page_text: license that we, the said Robert Taylor,, Richard Worswick, and John Lovatt,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Robert Taylor, Richard Worswick, and John Lovatt, our executors, adminis-
trators,, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no-others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the te
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN, RAILWAY CHAIRS, AND IN THE MODE OF
SECURING THE ENDS OF RAILS THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Robert Taylor, Richard, Worswick, and John Lovatt, by, an
instrument, in writing under our hands and seals, 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 we, the said Robert Taylor, Richard Worswick,
and John Lovatt, do hereby declare the nature of our 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
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say
1.Our said Invention relates to certain systems or modes, of securing the ends
of the rails of permanent ways, whereby a firmer and more simple junction is
obtained than has hitherto been accomplished, whilst the free, expansion of the
rail is unimpeded.
According to one arrangement, we prefer using a peculiar form of joint chair,
suitable either for the ordinary double T-headed rail, or for the single T-headed
rail. This chair has a transverse opening made through each, jaw, and is
fitted or formed with an internal projecting lip or shoulder, which serves to
hold the ends of the rails steady in their position by bearing against the web or
sides thereof. The rail ends are slotted or notched transversely to correspond
to the transverse opening through the chair, and is slightly wedge-shaped key
or cottar is driven transversely through the chair and through the slots or
notches, in the trail ends, by which means they are held firmly down on to the
bed or rail bearing surface of the chair. The expansion of the rail is allowed
for by making the slots rather wider, than the key or cottar, which passes
through them. Any convenient or well known mode of securing the rail
ends into the chair may also be used in conjunction with the transverse.key.
or cottars herein-before referred to. If found desirable, two, keys or cottars

page_text: may be used in place of one, eaten fan enter
its own.
The second mode of securing the ends of rails relates to what are known
as suspended joints, such as are generally made when fish plates" are used.
For this purpose we propose to use a clutch of cast iron, made to clip, the
lower edge or flange of the rail ends, whilst one of the jaws of the clutch is
made to reach up and bear against one side of the web. A transverse opening
is made through this clutch in such a position, that when the rail ends are
inserted, and a cottar or cottars driven through it, the under sides of the rail
ends will bear upon such cottar or cottars, and will be forced up firnily into
the jaws of the clutch by driving the cottars home. The joint is completed
by passing a cottar or cotters or one or more bolts or screws through the jaws
of the clutch and through the web of the rail ends.
.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose we shall
-refer to the several Figures on the Sheet.of. Drawings, hereunto annexed. The
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of one arrangement of
our improved joint chair; Figure 2, a corresponding plan of the same;
Figure 3, a transverse section, taken through the line 1, 2, in Figure 2; and
Figure 4 shews a portion of a rail having a slot or notch formed in the end
thereof, for receiving a slightly wedge-shaped key or cottar, as herein-after
described. A is the joint chair, into which are fitted the ends of the double
T-headed rails B, B, which are held firmly against the jaw C of the chair by
means of wooden wedges D, D; on the opposite jaw.C a projection E is
formed, which serves to keep the rail ends steady and in proper position, by
bearing against the web or sides thereof. Under the projection E, and
through an opening F, formed transversely in the jaws of the chair, a
slightly wedge-shaped key or 'cottar G is driven, which passes through the
slot or notch H formed in each of the ends of the rails, such key or cottar
serving to keep the rails firmly down on to the bed or rail-bearing surface of
the chair.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of another modification of our improved joint
chair; Figure 6 is a corresponding plan, and Figure 7 an end view of the
same. In this arrangement, in place of using wedges, as in the preceeding
arrangement, we secure the rails to the jaw-C by means of bolts and nuts I;
as shewn in the Drawing."
In this chair it will be observed that one of the jaws C only extends along

page_text: the entire length of chair, and receives the fastening bolts; the other jaw C¹
being merely long enough to steady the rail ends at the joint. In this
arrangement is also shewn two keys or cottars in place of one; each rail end
being held down by a cottar of its own.
Figures 8, 9, and 10, represent respectively a sider elevation, plans and end
view. of another modification of our-improved joint chair. In place of having
a projection cast on the jaw, as in the preceding arrangements, we propose to
use a separate filling piece of metal K, shewn in detail; Figure 11, such piece
of metal having a recess formed therein, into which recess is driven the key or
cottar G, such key or cottar passing also through the slots of notches formed
in the rail ends, and also through the openings formed in the jaws of the chair,
in the manner and for the purpose. herein-before described. In this case the
jaws of the chair are cast straight throughout. Figure 12 is a side elevation
of cur improved suspension joint; and Figure 13, a transverse section of the
same, taken through the line 3, 4, in Figure 12.
A is a cast-iron clutch, which clasps the lower edge or flange of the rail B;
a transverse opening F is formed through this clutch, in which is inserted the
key or cottar G, such key or cottar passing under the end of the under edge or
flange of the rails, thus forcing the rails firmly upwards into the jaws of the
clutch; one of these jaws is carried considerably up the web of the rail, so as
to form a kind of flange, as shewn at L, to which the rail ends are secured by
means of the bolts I.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe, in conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of our said Invention; but
what we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general constructions and arrangements of joint chairs for railway
purposes, as herein-before described, and illustrated by our Drawings.
Second, the securing the ends of rails by means of a projection, either cast
on or fitted loosely inside one of the jaws of a joint chair, in combination with
a transverse opening and keys or 'cottars, such keys or cottars passing through
slots in the rail ends, as herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar construction and arrangement of clutch chair for
suspension joints, in combination with one or more transverse keys or cottars

page_text: passed beneath the rail ends; for the purpose of wedging them firmly up into
the jaws of the chair, as herein-before described.
,as
In witness whereof, we, the.said Robert Taylor, Richard Worswick, and
John Lovatt, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-first
day of October One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven: