Year: 1889

page_text: I, EBEN NEALLEY HIGLEY, of Winter Street Great Falls, Somersworth, in the County
of Strafford and State of New Hampshire, United States of America, Machinist, 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:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in metallic railway-sleepers and has
for its object the production of a metallic railway-tie, stronger, more economical, and
more satisfactory in its workings than any heretofore made. To this end my invention
consists in a metallic railway-sleeper embodying certain novel features and details of
construction as hereinafter more particularly set forth and specifically claimed.
My invention also consists in the combination with a metallic railway-sleeper
having a flange provided with a notch or aperture for the reception of the rail, of a
clamping plate, provided at its opposite ends with projections of different heighths,
which by changing, or reversing the position of said clamping-plate, are brought into
proper position for holding the rail when raised or lifted up more or less above the
surface of the tie by introducing plates or pieces thereunder, as occasion may require.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my railway-sleeper.
Fig. 2 is a section of the same, showing the interior stay or brace which is used
in connection therewith.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the stay or brace detached from the sleeper.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent modifications of my improved railway-sleeper.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another modification of my improved railway-
sleeper..
Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section of the sleeper represented in Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same with the rails in place thereon.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of one of my improved sleepers with a rail
secured in place thereon.
Fig. 10 is a side elevation of one of the rail-clamping plates detached.
In the drawings, A represents the sleeper which is composed of a single sheet or
piece of strong metal, preferably steel, with a single vertical flange 6 running
longitudinally along its upper surface, and rolled or otherwise made as a solid or

page_text: integral part of the body of the sleeper. The flange is provided with openings or
notches c in which the rails are laid, the sides of the sleeper being turned into
downwardly projecting flanges d, which are adapted to engage the earth and hold
the sleeper in proper position when in use. In connection with these flanges d is
employed a stay or brace f, placed edge downward on the underside of said tie
between the downwardly turned flanges d to which the ends of said brace fare
fastened, as hereinafter more particularly described.
This sleeper, being made in a single piece, is exceedingly economical and possesses
great strength and durability. It can be rolled into shape with proper machinery
very readily, and is manifestly a great deal stronger than one made in two pieces,
being perfectly solid with no rivets in the flange 6 to give way or wear out under
the shock or jar of the passing trains; time, labor, and money being thus saved,
while greater strength and better and longer service are secured by the use of this
sleeper. In some descriptions of metallic sleepers hitherto used, a vibratory motion
of the downwardly turned flanges against the earth as the train passes, causes a
displacement of the earth and a piling up of it between the sleeper, and this objection
is overcome by the use of the stay or brace f, each end g of which is turned at a right
angle and fastened by means of a bolt or rivet a to the inside of one of the
flanges d directly or nearly under the notch in which the rail is laid. This
steadies the flanges & and checks the vibratory motion, thus avoiding the displace-
ment of the earth, while it also braces the sleeper and gives it additional
strength. It can be used with any sleeper having downwardly-projecting side
flanges. The stay ƒ being placed edge downward also engages with the earth, holds
the sleeper in position, and prevents any endwise movement through the jarring of
passing trains or from other causes, and therefore would generally render unnecessary
the use of downwardly-projecting flanges at the ends of the sleeper.
Under some circumstances where greater holding power is required to prevent
endwise movement of the sleeper as, for instance, on sharp curves, it may be desirable
to make the improved tie herein described with the downwardly turned flange 15 at
the end as seen in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. In such a case the flange may extend either
half way across each end as seen in Figs. 5 and 6, leaving the other half open to
admit the earth or ballast and allow the same to be tamped or packed tightly under
the sleeper, or the whole of each end may be turned into a downward flange as seen
in Fig. 4.
A modified form of my improved sleeper is shown in Fig. 4. Here instead of the
vertical longitudinal flange b on the upper surface of the tie, two pieces h of the upper
surface are struck up near each end of the tie by means of a die or otherwise, leaving a
space between them for the reception of the rail, and having sufficient strength to
resist any lateral motion of the rails and so prevent them from spreading.
Another modified form of my improved sleeper is shown in Fig. 5, where the body
of the sleeper is rolled in one piece, but without the vertical longitudinal flange b,
instead of which, pieces of T or angle-iron are bolted or riveted thereon near the
ends, to form rail-holders. Of course, either one piece of angle-iron k may be
used at each end with a notch therein for the rail, or two pieces m may be used at
each end, and placed far enough apart to form a space n for the rail between them.
The form in which I prefer the sleeper is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, having a vertical
notched flange running longitudinally thereon and rolled or otherwise made with and
as an integral part of the body of the sleeper, the sides of the sleeper being turned into
downwardly-projecting flanges, and the sleeper being made either with or without.
whole or half end flanges according as may be required by the special service to which
it may be put, and the peculiarities of the road-bed whereon it may be used. The
sleeper shown in Figs. 1 and 2 can be made by passing a bloom or thick piece of metal
between successive rolls and so thinning it out, the upper rolls containing successively-
deepening indentations to form the vertical flange in which the rails rest, and the
downwardly-turned flanges at the sides or ends can be turned in any convenient way
while the metal is still hot. The notches in the vertical flange b are cut from top to
bottom in a vertical line, which form of notch presents many advantages over. those.

page_text: which are not cut in a vertical line but so formed as to cause the vertical flange to
hold the rail in one fixed position. The advantage of vertically-cut notches, such as
are shown, is that they will allow of the rail being lifted up more or less above the
surface of the sleeper by placing small plates or pieces beneath it as is often necessary
in levelling up where the contiguous sleepers become raised by frost or from other
cause, a suitable clamping device, which admits of the rail being raised more or less,
being employed, the construction of which will be hereafter described.
In Figs. 6 and 7 is represented a modification of my invention in which the metal
sleeper is composed of two sections or portions p, q, composed of strong sheet metal.
arranged side by side and provided with upwardly-turned flanges which are firmly
connected by a series of rivets r, forming a central vertical flange extending from
one end of the sleeper to the other similar to the flange b shown in Figs. 1 and 2,
except that the flange 6 is rolled solid and integral with the tie as previously described.
The body of the sleeper is provided at its outer edges or sides with downwardly-
projecting flanges s similar to those d previously described, and two notches or
apertures c are formed at proper distances apart in the vertical flange ; projecting
from the upper surface of the sleeper for receiving the rails B and preventing them
from spreading. The sections p, q, of the sleeper are inclined slightly downward
on each side from the central flange to the outer edge as seen in Figs. 1, 2, 6, 7,
and 9, so that when subjected to pressure caused by the passage of the train, the
sleeper yields, and when the pressure is relieved, expands, thereby acting as a spring
to neutralize the shock produced by the passage of the train, and thereby prevent
"hammering" of the rails; but this feature of the invention may be dispensed with*
if desired, the sleeper when constructed with a horizontal upper surface performing
its functions perfectly in most instances.
Each end of the sleeper shown in Figs. 6 and 8 is bent or inclined slightly upward
from the ends or shoulders of the rail-notches c nearest the centre of the sleeper by which
construction the rails B when secured in place are inclined inward toward the centre
in the direction of their width, thus causing their treads to lie parallel with the
inclined treads of the car-wheels as seen in Fig. 8, whereby a more extended and
even bearing of the wheels upon the rails is secured, which increases the traction
and produces more uniform wear upon both rails and wheels. The rails B are
secured to the sleeper A after being inserted within the notches or apertures c of the
upper central flange by means of clamping plates D, Figs. 8, 9, and 10, which are
placed alternately on opposite sides of the rail. One of these plates D is secured to
the side of the central vertical flange on one side of each notch c by means of a
bolt 20 passing through a hole t, and a nut u, and is provided at its opposite ends
with inclined projections v, w, one of which projects over and bears upon the base
flange a¹ of the rail B as seen in Figs. 8 and 9, and thus serves to hold the rail
firmly to the sleeper. It will be seen that the projections v, w, are located at different
heighths, and that neither of them is in the centre; consequently by reversing the
ends of the plate D, or turning it over, these projections or their different sides can
be brought into the proper position for holding the rail when raised or lifted up more
or less above the surface of the sleeper, by placing small plates or pieces beneath it
as is often necessary in levelling up when the contiguous sleepers become raised by
frost or from other causes.
The above described method of securing the rails in place by means of the clamping
plates D bolted to a vertical rail-flange extending upward from the body of the
sleeper is exceedingly simple, strong, and inexpensive, while it affords ready means
of adjustment and admits of the rails being removed and replaced with a minimum
amount of labor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
--
1. A metal railway sleeper formed with downwardly-extending side flanges to enter
the earth. with unwardly-extending projections having a space between them. said.

page_text: projections forming vertical walls to each space far enough apart to allow the lower
flange of a rail to lie between them, and a stay or brace beneath said sleeper between
said flanges, and fastened to said flanges to stiffen and strengthen them, the said stay
or brace being placed edge-downward and adapted to engage the earth and prevent
an end wise movement of the sleeper, substantially as described and shown.
2. A metal railway-sleeper made in one piece, having a single vertical flange
running longitudinally upon it and forming an integral part thereof, with notches in
said flange, each of said notches formed with vertical walls far enough apart to allow
the lower flange of a rail to lie between them, the sides of said sleeper being turned into
downwardly-projecting flanges which engage the earth, and a stay or brace beneath
said sleeper, between said flanges, and fastened to said flanges to stiffen and strengthen
them, the said stay or brace being placed edge downward and adapted to engage
the earth and prevent an endwise movement of the sleeper, substantially as described
and shown.
3. In a metallic railway-sleeper, the combination with a vertical flange having a
notch or aperture for the reception of the rail, of a reversible clamping-plate D,
bolted to one side of said flange and provided with projections v, wo, at its opposite
ends, adapted by changing the position of the said clamping-plate to bear upon the
base-flange of the rail when raised at different heighths above the surface of the
sleeper, substantially as described.
4. The herein described metallic railway-sleeper consisting of the sections p, q,
provided with flanges j, s, said flange j being provided with openings or notches c
for the reception of the rail, substantially as set forth.
5. The herein described metallic railway sleeper consisting of the sections p, q,
provided with longitudinal flanges 1, s, and the transverse flange 15, said flange j
being provided with openings or notches c for the reception of the rail, substantially
as set forth.
6. A sheet metal railway-sleeper having its upper surface inclined downwardly on
each side from the central flange to the outer edges to form a spring rest for the
rails, and provided with flanges adapted to engage the earth and hold the sleeper in
position when in use, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1889.