IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL- WAYS
Year: 1855

page_text: Sealed the 6th July 1855, and dated the 23rd January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Coates at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd January 1855.
I, JOHN COATES, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL-
WAYS" to be as follows:-
My Invention refers to the joining or supporting of rails. The chair I cast
so that one side of the cored part thereof is of a form corresponding to the
section of the rail, a space being left on the other side for the reception of
a block, also corresponding to the said section. This block is provided with a
groove, in which a key or wedge is placed, a portion thereof also projecting into
the chair. Upon the key or wedge therefore being driven up, the block will
be pressed firmly against the rail or rails, so as to confine them between it and
the cored part of the chair. In order to prevent a longitudinal motion of the
block, I form a projection thereon, which drops into a recess formed in
the bottom of the chair. Another part of my Invention consists in the appli-
cation of screws or nuts for preventing the keys or wedges of railway chairs
from "drawing." Thus, upon the end of the key or wedge, mentioned in the

page_text: first part of my improves, I form a screw, which projects beyond the chair,
and keep the same drawn forward by means of a nut or nuts; or, by another
plan, I tap the side of the chair, and cause a screw therein to bear against
the key or wedge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the 'Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Coates in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
COATES, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
Feign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Coates, Her especial license that I, the said John Coates,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others. as..I, the said
John Coates, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the 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
RAILWAYS, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Coates,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said John Coates, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawing (that is to say):
My Invention refers to the joining or supporting of rails. One form of
apparatus that I adopt for this purpose is shewn in section at Fig. 1, and in
horizontal view at Fig. 2, applied as a joint chair. The side a of the chair is
formed so as to correspond in shape to the section of the rails &; the other
side a is cast with a space, into which a block c is placed, answering at its
lower part to the form of the rail. This block is provided with a groove,
within which is a key d, also extending into a groove formed within, the chair.

page_text: The key d passes at its smaller end through a washer or washers e, and is kept
there by means of a pin f; the block c is provided with a recess g at its upper
part, as seen by dots in Fig. 2, and into this is placed a piece of wood h bearing
against the rail b. It is also formed with a projecting part i (see the detached
view, Fig. 3), which is placed in a recess formed within the chair, and is thus
prevented from moving in the direction of the length of the rails; the said
recess, however, in the other direction extends across the bottom of the space
between the rail and the cheek of the chair, thereby allowing the block c to
move transversely; by driving up and securing the key d, therefore, the block c
and its wood h are forced against the rail, which thus becomes held firmly
between them and the side a of the chair. Figs. 4 and 5 represent a modifi-
cation of the above-described arrangement. In this instance there are two
separate blocks, as at c, c, each one being mounted as in the previous case,
and forced forward by a key d. Figs. 6 and 7 represent my Invention as
applied to the joining of rails, somewhat after that plan known as "fishing."
Two chairs a, a', one on each side of the joint, are provided with blocks c, c¹,
and keys d, d', precisely as above described. These chairs are united by
a bar i, cast so as to correspond to one side of the rails a, and answering
therefore to one side of the chairs of the previously mentioned Figures. Upon
this rail, and at its central part, is formed a jaw k, corresponding to the
other side of the said chairs, and provided in like manner with a block c³
and key d³, and by which means, therefore, the rails are forced against the
cavity in the bar i.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be under-
stood that I claim, as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, firstly, the application of the block or blocks c as applied to joints or
intermediate portions of rails, such block or blocks being forced against the rails
by keys or wedges, and also the means of preventing such blocks from moving
longitudinally.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Coates, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN COATES. (L.S.)