Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1887
Complete Left, 9th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
I, JAMES STEVENSON of Grays Inn Chambers, 20 High Holborn, London, W.C.
Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows
-
The improved wedge or key according to my invention is devised as a substitute for
the wooden wedges or keys at present used in railway chairs. It consists of a cast or
wrought iron wedge or key, the two lateral faces of which are cut or grooved,
and the ends thereof dovetailed, in order to allow of the insertion therein, of two
pieces of wood, having their ends bevelled, so that they may fit accurately within the
grooves of the metal wedge or key aforesaid. The two projections at the ends of the
metal wedge or key which form the dovetail, overlap the wooden slips to about one
third of their thickness.
The upper face of the composite wedge or key produced as above is slightly curved,
and the joint formed by the projections overlapping and pressing upon the bevelled
ends of the wooden slips effectually prevents moisture penetrating between the wood
and metal surfaces: at the same time the wooden slips are held so firmly in position,
that the wedge or key may be handled and manipulated in the usual manner without
said wooden slips being in any way displaced.
In order to prevent decay, and increase the durability of the composite wedge or
key constructed as above described, I prefer to employ compressed wood charged with
a preservative injection.
A wedge or key constructed in the manner above set forth, whilst retaining the
compressibility and elasticity of existing wooden keys, cannot he split, or the heads
become burred over by the necessary heavy blows given to it in driving it home, and
at the same time with comparative immunity from the risk of injury to the chairs, with
the additional advantage of greater economy.

page_text: Securing the Rails of Railways in their Chairs.
I, JAMES STEVENSON of Grays Inn Chambers, 20 High Holborn, London W.C.
Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, 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 :-
The improved wedge or key according to my invention is devised as a substitute
for the wooden wedges or keys at present used for securing railway rails in the
chairs.
In order that my Invention may be the better understood I have appended the
accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 represents an elevation of the flat
side of the wedge or key, Figure 2 is an elevation of the convex side of the saine, and
Figure 3 is a transverse section upon the line XX.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a wedge or key of cast or wrought iron,
the two lateral faces of which A, A¹ are grooved; and dovetailed at the ends of said
groove, in order to allow of the insertion therein of two pieces of wood a a¹ which
are bevelled or chamfered at the ends so as to fit accurately within the grooves of the
metal wedge or key aforosaid. The two projections pp on each side, forming the
dovetail are angularly recessed so as to overlap the wood slips a, a¹ to about one third
of their thickness.
The upper face of the wedge or key is slightly convex, as shown by b Figures 2
and 3, and the joint formed by the projections p p' overlapping and pressing upon the
corresponding bevelled ends of the wooden slips a, a effectually prevents moisture
from penetrating between the wood and metal surfaces, and at the same time the
wooden slips are held firmly in position so that the operation of placing and driving
the wedge or key between the rail and the chair cannot displace them.
In order to increase the durability of the wedge or key constructed as above
described, I prefer to employ compressed wood, impregnated with any suitable
preservative injection or solution.
The wedge or key as constructed in the manner above set forth retains the com-
pressibility and elasticity of the wooden keys at present employed for securing rails
within the chairs, and possesses great advantages in the fact that it cannot be split by
the heavy blows that are necessary to drive. it into position, and at the same time with
comparative immunity from risk of injury to the chair.
The permanent way, is, by the use of the wedge or key according to my Invention,
rendered more safe, and the liability to accident resulting from loose rails minimised i
with the further advantage of ensuring greater economy in the maintenance of the
permanent way.

page_text: 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 a wedge or key used for securing rails within railway chairs, a metal body
with wooden slips inserted therein substantially as and for the purposes herein
set forth.