MENT IN RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY CONSTRUCTION
Year: 1885

page_text: I THOMAS HENRY GIBBON of 57 Claverton Street London S.W. County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE
MENT IN RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY CONSTRUCTION and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
Figure 2 an enlarged side elevation of my metallic sleeper and rail combination.
Figure 3 a plan view of same.
Figure 4a transverse section through my metallic sleeper and rail combination
of figure 2.
Figure 44 a transverse section through my metallic sleeper and rail combination
of figure 2 in a modified form.
Figure 5 an enlarged perspective end view of my metallic sleeper.
Figure 5 an enlarged perspective end view of my metallic sleeper in a modified
form.
Figure 6 a perspective view of transverse tie-rod.
Figure 7 a perspective view of rail with tongue norticed and drilled.
Figure 8 plan view of plate with groove and shoulder.
The object of my invention is to provide suitable appliances for building tram or
railway tracks in a permanent and substantial manner, to prevent the spreading
and creeping of track, allowing the rails to expand and contract, and to dispense
with the use of wooden ties, longitudinal stringers, nails, bolts, and spikes these
results I effect by the use of a specially formed metallic sleeper and parts used in
combination with same; a series of which form the bed for the rails; the said
inetallic sleeper being arranged in the track so that the centre of each sleeper will
be immediately opposite the space between the ends of the two adjacent sleepers in
the opposite track. A transverse tie-rod runs from each end of the sleeper, and
each of said rods connects with the nearest end of the opposite located sleeper at
right angles in such manner that each sleeper will be connected with two adjacent
ties of the opposite track.
A transverse tie-rod is fixed at each end so as to extend at right angles
therefrom and is secured to the opposite metallic sleeper at its nearest end by this
means the two tracks are connected together by a system of bracing as illustrated
in figure 1 and when laid as above described the metallic sleeper is filled in with
broken stone or coarse gravel and bedded in ballast and when running through
cities the track is paved in the usual manner.
Referring to the drawing, A represents my metallic sleeper which consists of an
oblong metallic box, open at the top or bottom, or perforated, its sides and ends
incline inwardly and upwardly so as to produce a large bearing surface for its base.
Around the lower edge of said box are externally projecting flanges a; on the
upper edge of said box, are also formed internally and externally projecting

page_text: flanges a¹, and a², and at each end are formed internally projecting flanges or
guides a³. On each side near each end of box as shown in figure 5, the said flanges
or guides are adapted to receive the tongue d which runs along the entire length of
rail D, thus affording greater strength and true alignment to the rail.
The metallic box is provided with two or more mortices 6 and holes 6¹ under the
flanges a¹ in each side near the end and directly in line with the centre line of
each mortice b. A lug E with recesses e and e¹ are or may be formed to secure the
head and shoulder fi on each end of transverse tie-rod F.
A recess is formed at the end of said box to receive the tongue d of rail D. The
said tongue d is is fitted to lay between the flanges or guides a³ and is morticed
and holed and located so that the mortices and holes in tongue d', and d² shall be
in line of mortices b and holes b' (as shown in figures 2 and 5) to receive a plate G
and pins which pass through the mortices band d¹ and holes b¹ and d³ and thereby
giving additional support for the rail and securing it to the sleeper.
The plate G which passes through the mortices b and d¹ is fitted with a
shoulder and a groove g¹ to receive a wedge g³ which firmly locks the rails and
metallic tie together and thereby prevents the rails from becoming loose from
lateral or vertical strains.
The transverse tie-rods F (figure 6) are provided at both ends with cross heads f,
which are adapted to fit in the metallic sleeper as shown in figures 4 and 5; the
said rods are arranged as shown in figure 1; that is to say, so that the said rods
running from one end of metallic sleeper will reach to the end recess of the nearest
metallic sleeper under the opposite rail and this arrangement of transverse tie-rods
is maintained throughout the entire track.
The metallic sleeper A should be so. arranged in the track that the distance
between mortices on the two adjacent sleepers on the same rail will be the same
distance apart so that the middle of each sleeper will lie exactly opposite the space
between the ends of the two adjacent sleepers of the opposite track as shown in
figure 1.
By constructing railway or tramway tracks as herein described I am enabled to
dispense with the usual wooden cross ties, longitudinal stringers, bolts, rivets and
spikes, and renewal of same effecting a permanent and safe track and a great
reduction in the cost and maintenance over the present system.
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
1-A metallic sleeper consisting of an oblong metallic box open at the top
and bottom or perforated and provided with horizontal external and internal
flanges, a a¹, a², and a³ having vertical ribs on each side, also mortices b and
holes b', on one side lugs may be formed provided with recess for the transverse
rod F and tongue d of rail D in combination with the plate G and pin, which are
adapted to slide in mortices b and holes b¹ to form a support and lock for rail D,
said plate being also designed to secure the ends of the transverse rods to the
metallic sleeper A, all as herein specified.
2-The combination in a railway track of a longitudinal metallic sleeper, rail
tie-rods, and securing and bearing plates and wedges as before described.
Dated this Twenty fourth day of June 1885.
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