An Improved Wedge or Key for Securing Railway Rails in their Chairs.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Wedge or Key for Securing Railway Rails in their
Chairs.
I, PAUL ESPINASSE, of Monclar de Quercy, Tarn et Garonne, in the Republic
of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to a metallic wedge or key for securing rails of railways in
their chairs.
The metallic wedges or keys heretofore employed in lieu of wooden wedges for
securing rails of railways in their chairs have had to be abandoned, because, in the
first place they become loose after a time like the wooden wedge, and because in the
second place, unlike the latter they do not give to the railway the elasticity
necessary for the lateral strains.
My invention has for its object the construction of a metallic wedge or key of a
single piece, which whilst presenting the desired degree of elasticity cannot
accidentally become loose or in other words leave its place after it has been forced
between the rail and the chair.
The improved wedge or key which possesses these qualities is of extremely simple
construction, inasmuch as it consists of a single steel plate of definite length, width
and thickness adapted for the rails and chairs employed, this plate being bent several
times upon itself in a special manner in order to form an elastic intermediate body
having sufficient strength, and provided with stops to prevent it from being displaced
when it has been driven into its place. Therefore the essential feature of the wedge
or key constructed according to the aforesaid invention consists in bending the steel
plate to a special form. The bending is effected in such a manner that between the
two parallel sides of the wedge, when it is in its place, one of the extremities of the
plate presents the form of an S and will bear upon the interior side placed against
the rail, whilst the straight part of the exterior side is placed against the chair, its
length corresponding to the width of the latter. The extremity of this exterior side
is provided with a bend so as to form a stop bearing against one side of the chair
and on the other side of the chair a second larger bend is formed which terminates
in the interior side bearing against the rail. The S shaped interior bend in the
middle offers an elastic resistance, the force of which depends upon the thickness of
the plate adapted to the strains to be borne, and the two bends on the sides of the
chair constitute stops which will ensure the wedge or key in its place.
For enabling the insertion of the wedge or key between the rail and the chair the
side bearing against the rail is inclined toward the small extreme bend when the
wedge or key is free or expanded, so that the key is thinner on one side and can thus
be placed by hand between the rail and chair. In order to readily force it into its
normal place use may be made of a jack of any suitable construction which is caused
to act upon the large bend by means of an articulated lever. The wedge or key
then constitutes a powerful spring and is held firmly in its place. Its S shaped
interior part bears against the side provided with the small bend in such a manner
that the latter cannot give, and that consequently the wedge or key cannot
accidentally become loose. The elastic resistance offered by the wedge or key being
distributed upon three points, this wedge or key is not liable to become overstrained
in course of time, and will always retain its advantageous properties. As compared
with the wooden wedge or key the improved metallic wedge or key has the
advantage that there is no need either for inspection or for replacing it.
D
and I... of MAY 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Wedge or Key for Securing Railway-Rails in. their
Chairs.
I, PAUL ESPINASSE; of Monclar de Quercy, Tarn et Garonne, in the Republic
of France, 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 :-
This invention relates to a metallic wedge or key for securing rails of railways in
their chairs.
The metallic wedges or keys heretofore employed in lieu of wooden wedges for
securing railway rails in their chairs have had to be abandoned, because, in the
first place they become loose after a time like the wooden wedge, and because in
the second place, unlike the latter they do not give to the railway the elasticity
necessary for the lateral strains.
My invention has for its object the construction of a metallic wedge or key from
a single piece, which whilst presenting the desired degree of elasticity cannot
accidentally become loose or in other words leave its place after it has been forced
between the rail and the chair.
The improved wedge or key which possesses these qualities is represented in the
accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 shows a plan of the wedge or key detached.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 represents the said wedge or key forced into its place between the rail
and the chair.
Figure is a modification showing an elastic wedge or key detached.
Figure 5 shows the wedge or key forced into its place in the chair, and
Figure 6 is an elevation of the said wedge or key.
As will be seen from the drawing the improved wedge or key is of extremely
simple construction, inasmuch as it consists of a single steel plate of definite length,
width and thickness adapted for the rails and chairs employed, this plate being bent
several times upon itself in a special manner in order to form an elastic intermediate
body having sufficient strength and provided with stops to prevent it from being
displaced when it has been driven into its place. Therefore the essential feature of
the wedge or key constructed according to the aforesaid invention consists in
bending the steel plate to a special form.
The bending is effected in such a manner that between the two parallel sides of
the wedge, when it is in its place one of the extremities of the plate presents the
form of an S and will bear upon the interior side placed against the rail, whilst the
straight part of the exterior side is placed against the chair, its length corresponding
to the width of the latter. The extremity of this exterior side is provided with a bend
so as to form a stop bearing against one side of the chair, and on the other side of
the chair a second larger bend is formed which terminates in the interior side bearing
against the rail.
The S-shaped interior bend in the middle offers an elastic resistance, the force of
which depends upon the thickness of the plate adapted to the strains to be borne,
and the two bends on the sides of the chair constitute stops which will maintain the
wedge or key in its place.
For enabling the insertion of the wedge or key between the rail and the chair the
side bearing against the rail is inclined towards the small extreme bend when the
wedge or key is free or expanded, so that the key is thinner on one side (as in
Figure 1) and can thus be inserted by hand between the rail and chair.
In order to readily force it into its normal place use can be made of a very
powerful jack. The wedge or key then constitutes a powerful spring and is held
firmly in its place, Figure 3. The S-shaped interior part bears against the side
provided with the small bend in such a manner that the latter cannot give, and that

page_text: consequently the wedge or key cannot accidentally become loose. The elastic
resistance offered by the wedge or key being distributed upon three points, this
wedge or key is not liable to become overstrained in course of time, and will always
retain its advantageous properties. As compared with the wooden wedge or key
the improved metallic wedge or key has the advantage that there is no need either
for inspection or for replacing it.
The modification of the wedge or key, shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, is simpler, it
differs from that above described more especially in that in lieu of being introduced
with the narrow side horizontally, it is placed with the narrow side vertically
between the rail and chair. The curve forins a simple elongated eye, the arm bent
inwardly bearing upon the exterior straight or rectilineal arm which is put against
the wall of the chair. The lateral stops are not formed by projections caused by
bending but by ribs or snugs e projecting exteriorly from the two sides of the straight
arm and embracing the two edges of the wall of the chair when the wedge or key
has been driven into its place. For this purpose, when the wedge or key is to
be inserted between the rail and the chair it is placed against the rail immediately
before the chair and by means of an appropriate lever the straight side of the
wedge or key is depressed, the ribs or snugs e bearing towards the rail, while it is
caused to slide laterally so that one of the ribs or snugs shall be taken between
the rail and the wall of the chair. By then continuing to press upon the other
rib or sung and exerting a lateral action upon the entire wedge or key the latter
advances by sliding upon the rail until the ribs or snugs e can be placed upon the
two sides of the wall of the chair when the straight or rectilineal side of the wedge
or key expands. It is easy to see that for withdrawing the wedge or key the same
operation must be effected in the reverse manner, This arrangement is simpler
to manufacture whilst it is as efficient as that first described. I do not wish to
limit myself to the exact form of my invention as above described, as my said
invention may be carried out in various other forms without departing from the
nature of the same.
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
First. The improved metallic wedge or key for securing railway rails in their
chairs, characterized by a strip or plate of steel bent so as to offer a sufficient degree
of elasticity for being forced between the rail and the upright of the chair and to
form, when it has been forced into its place, a means for firmly securing the rails
under the action of an invariably elastic resistance.
Second. The improved wedge or key for securing railway rails to their chairs,
constructed and arranged substantially as described in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of February 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.