CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING RAILWAYS
Year: 1833

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JESSOP, of Butterley Hall, in the County of Derby, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the First day of June, in the third year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the William
Jessop, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said William Jessop, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Jessop, my exors, adñors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING RAILWAYS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Willliam
Jessop, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled within His
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Jessop, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had

page_text: to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates to the manner of constructing the chairs in which the
rails are fixed, that is, in place of the usual mode of fixing and supporting the
chair upon a stone block, wood, or other sleeper, the chair is made distinct
from the pedestal, which is attached to the stone block, wood, or other sleeper,
and the chair and pedestal are connected by an universal joint or hinge, which
permits the pedestal to adapt itself to any irregular sinking of the block or
other support upon which it rests, and insures a firm and solid bearing on its
base; or this may be effected by the combined motion of a hinge joint or other
means permitting motion between the pedestal and chair, and a moveable
joint formed at the junction of the chair and rail, so as to produce the same
effect, and thereby answer the purpose of an universal joint.
For the better understanding the improvements, I will now describe the
Drawing, which represents several simple methods of constructing the universal
joint, although it may 'be effected by other means familiar to the practical
mechanic. R, R, are the rails; C, C, the chairs; P, P, the pedestals, and
B, B, the blocks or sleepers. J, J, are junction bars, of cast or wrought iron,
by which the opposite chairs are connected together, and the rails are thereby
held parallel to each other, and at a proper distance apart, and are also
retained in a suitable position to ensure a flat bearing on the surfaces of the
rails for the wheels to travel upon. S, S, are cast-iron bed plates or sleepers,
which may be used to support the rails where stone is expensive, so con-
structed that the pedestal may be readily adjusted, by the introduction of a
wedge or packing, to a proper level without disturbing the seat which the bed
plates may have acquired on the ground, the same method of construction
being applicable to the pedestals when they are attached to stone blocks.
Figure 1 is a side view of the railway; Fig. 2, the plan; Fig. 3, the cross
section. Two of the stone blocks B are drawn in an inclined position to
show the action of the pedestal. Figs. 4 and 5 are sections of the pedestal
and chair, shewing an orbicular universal joint, by means of which the
pedestal adapts itself to any irregular sinking of the stone block, or other
sleeper, whilst the connecting or junction bars retain the rails in their proper
guage, and their opposite surfaces in the same plane or straight line. Figs.
6, 7, and 8 are other views of the pedestal and chair. Figs. 9, 10, and 11
are a side view, plan, and section of a cast-iron bed plate, used as a substitute
for the stone blocks, shewing also the method of adjusting the rails by means
of wedges or packings introduced between the bed plates and the base of the

page_text: pedestal, which is made to fit in the recess formed in the bed plate, and
secured laterally by means of a wedge or key.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood, that I lay no claim
to various parts shewn and described, but do hereby confine my claim of
Invention of improvements in constructing railways to the using of chairs
and pedestals, which are capable of turning or moving on universal or other
similar joints as above described, whereby the railway will not be so liable as
heretofore to be deranged by the sinking of the blocks or sleepers, whether
of stone, wood, iron, or other material.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jessop, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
VILLIAM (L.S.)
(L.S.) JESSOP.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the
year of our Lord 1833, the aforesaid William Jessop, Esq, came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.

page_text: Figure 1 Represents a side view of the Railway, 2, the Plan, 3, the tross Section
Two of the Stone blocks are drawn in an inclined position to show the action
of the improved Pedestal.
Figures 4&5 are Sections of the Pedestal and Chair or Seat for the Rails
Showing the orbicular joint by which the Pedestal adapts itself to any
irregular sinking of the Stone Blocks whilst the connecting Bar retains
the Rails in their proper guage and their opposite surfaces in the same
straight Line
Figures 6,7&8 are other views of Pedestal and Chair
Figures 9,10&11 are side view plan & Section of a Cast Iron Bed plate as a
substitute for Stone Blocks, showing also the method of elevating and
adjusting the Rails when depressed by means of Wedges or packing