Improvements in Metallic Railway Ties or Sleepers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1893
Improvements in Metallic Railway Ties or Sleepers.
1, CHARLES BOROMEO MACNEAL, No. 1102 Walnut Street, in the City of
Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Merchant
Tailor, 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 metallic railway ties or sleepers, and consists of certain
improvements which are fully set forth in the following Specification and are
shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.
The object of my invention is to impart increased facility in the adjustment of.
the track rails, and simplicity and cheapness in the construction of railway ties or
sleepers of the character described in Letters Patent, granted to me on the 20th
day of September, 1892, No. 16831.
attain this object by combining end pieces having upper surfaces provided with
projecting ribbed overhanging braces to engage the outer flange of a rail and their
bodies having a penetrable inverted T shaped slot, with a cross piece of an
inverted T shaped cross section, the ends of which are received into the slots, and
protrude through the ends pieces. The said cross piece is provided with offsets, a
substantial distance from its ends, to engage the inner flange of the rail and is
furnished with holes, continuous to its ends adapted to receive a key or pin to
connect the cross piece and end pieces together, and at the same time lock the
track rails securely in place at the proper gauge without the use of bolts
or nuts.
The upper surfaces of the end pieces may be furnished with rabbets to
receive felt, wood or other suitable material as rests for the bottoms of the track
rails.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved railway tie or sleeper.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the end piece B, and
Fig. 3 is a side view of the same.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the end piece B, showing the inverted T shaped slot B*
and the projecting ribs B of the overhanging brace piece B¹.
Fig. 5 shows the securing key D furnished with holes d¹ to receive the split
pin d.
A is the cross piece; A' is the offset at each end of the cross piece A, adapted
to engage the inner flange of the track rail ✗; A' is the protruding end of the
cross piece A.
B are the end pieces, which are provided with inverted T shaped slots B';
B' is the ribbed overhanging brace upon the upper surface of the end piece B,
adapted to engage the outer Hange of the track rails X; B' are the projecting ribs
of the overhanging brace piece B¹ of the end piece B; and B is the inverted
T shaped slot of the end piece B.
X are the track rails, resting on the flat upper surface of the end pieces B B.
The upper surfaces of the pieces B B may be formed with rabbets to receive rests C
of felt, wood or other suitable material. D is the securing key adapted to fit into
he hole D' at the end of the cross piece A.; & are holes in the key D, adapted to
eceive the split pin d to keep the key D in place.
When the parts are put together, the track rail "X" is clamped between the
ibbed brace "B" of the end piece on its outer side and the offset "A1" of the
ross piece "A" on its inner side, the parts "B" and "A" fitting snugly over
he outer and inner flanges of the rail respectively. The track rail is thus firmly
Paina 8.1

page_text: clamped in place. The key "D" is driven into the hole "D₁" and the parts are
securely locked together and the rail secured-at the proper gauge without the use
of bolts and nuts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a metallic railway tie or sleeper the combination of end portions having
overhanging projecting ribbed braces upon their upper surfaces, with a cross piece
of an inverted shaped cross section adapted for connection at its ends with the
end portions, as specified.
2. In a metallic railway tie or sleeper the combination of end portions having
projecting ribbed overhanging braces upon their upper surfaces, an inverted
Tshaped slot through their bodies with a connecting inverted T shaped cross piece
having offsets a substantial distance from its ends adapted to engage the inner
flange of a rail, as specified.
3. In a metallic railway tie or sleeper the combination of the end portions
having their bodies provided with a penetrable inverted T shaped slot, with the
connecting inverted shaped cross section adapted at its ends to fit into and
protrude through the slots of the end portions and provided contiguous to its ends
with a hole adapted to receive a key or pin to secure the end portions and cross
piece together as specified.
4. In a metallic railway tie or sleeper, the combination of the rails, the inverted
T shaped slotted end portions, the inverted T shaped cross section, with a pin or
key to secure the end portions and cross piece together and lock the rails in place
at the proper gauge, as specified.
Dated this 21st day of July 1893.