IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Seaton, of Glanton Villa, Sydenham Rise,
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 25th January 1867, and dated the 27th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Seaton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
July 1866.
I, WILLIAM SEATON, of Glanton Villa, Sydenham Rise, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of an improved description of longitudinal
sleeper, the object of which is to give a more efficient bearing surface and to
make a firmer and more lasting road. For this purpose I use a triangular
form of cast or wrought iron sleeper having a longitudinal recess running
along the top, or that part where the apex would be in combination with
wood, cork, or other suitable material placed in the recess at the top upon
which the rail rests. When using cast-iron sleepers I have a jaw or jaws
cast upon the side of the sleeper, which serve to hold the rail in its place by
the aid of a key. I make these sleepers as continuous bearings in support of
[Price 8d.]

page_text: the rail, or at such suitable distances apart as the traffic of the road may
require, and I also vary them to suit every description and form of rail.
Secondly, of a new form of rail joint or mode of joining the ends of the
rails together suitable for rails provided with webs, such as the double and
single headed rail, to ensure greater smoothness with solidity of support; I
accomplish this by cutting out a small section of the web of the rail at each
end and inserting a solid square of metal in support of both rails, which I keep
securely in its place by means of two side plates, through which and through
the rail square-necked bolts are fastened by screw nuts on the opposite or
outer side of the rail.
Thirdly, in an improved mode of fastening railway chairs to the wood
sleepers by having the chairs, whether of cast or wrought iron, made so as to
admit of the bolts or trenails passing in an oblique direction into the
wooden sleepers at an angle of 45 degrees, or other angle not a right angle
to the chair base, thereby reducing the tendency of the fastenings to become
loose, which they are constantly doing when the bolts are driven in vertically;
this mode of fastening is also applicable to all forms of flat-bottomed rails.
Fourthly, to prevent the iron chairs from working into the wood, which
they are always doing in the present system, I place a slab of wood or other
suitable material of about an inch to 1 inch in thickness under each chair so
as to raise it above the sleeper and thereby add greater durability to the sleepers
and road by preventing the wet from lodging under the chair; I also propose
to place a lining of cork in the recess of a railway chair for the rail to rest
upon in order to prevent injury to the rail, and give the desired amount of
smoothness and elasticity to the road.
Fifthly, I propose to use iron cross ties in combination with my herein-
before described longitudinal triangular recessed metal sleeper, such ties being
made to enter at each end into the under side or hollow of the sleeper and
being bolted to the sides thereof.
Sixthly, with a view to having a lighter and more economical rail I propose
to place angle iron between the apex of what is known as the "saddle back"
sleeper and the base of the rail, thereby obtaining an increased bearing
surface on the sleeper, and thus preventing the lighter rail from being forced
into the wood of the sleeper; these angle irons may also in some cases be
used alone as light longitudinal sleepers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Seaton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SEATON, of Glanton Villa, Sydenham Rise, in the County of Surrey, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Seaton, Her special license that I, the said William Seaton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Seaton, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Seaton, my executors or administrators, 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 saine 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 William Seaton, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention consists, firstly, of an improved description of longi-
tudinal sleeper, the object of which is to give a more efficient bearing surface
and to make a firmer and more lasting road. For this purpose I use a
triangular or similar form of cast or wrought-iron sleeper having a longi-
tudinal recess running along the top, or that part where the apex would be
in combination with wood, cork, or other suitable material placed in the recess
at the top upon which the rail rests. When using cast-iron sleepers I have a
jaw or jaws cast upon the side of the sleeper, which serve to hold the rail in
its place by the aid of a key. I use these sleepers as continuous bearings in

page_text: support of the rail, or at such suitable distances apart as the traffic of the
road may require, and I also vary them to suit every description and form
of rail.
Secondly, of a new form of rail joint or mode of joining the ends of the
rails together, suitable for rails provided with webs, such as the double and
single headed rail, to ensure greater smoothness with solidity of support. I
accomplish this by cutting out a small section of the web of the rail at each
end and inserting a solid square of metal in support of both rails, which I
keep securely in its place by means of two side or fish plates, through which
and through the rail square-necked bolts are fastened by screw nuts on the
opposite or outer side of the rail.
Thirdly, in an improved mode of 'fastening railway chairs to the wood
sleepers by having the chairs, whether of cast or wrought iron, made so as to
admit of the bolts or trenails passing in an oblique direction into the wooden
sleepers at an angle of forty-five degrees, or other angle not a right angle to
the chair base, thereby reducing the tendency of the fastenings to become loose,
which they are constantly doing when the bolts are driven in vertically.
This mode of fastening is also applicable to all forms of flat-bottomed
rails.
Fourthly, to prevent the iron chairs from working into the wood; which they
are always doing in the present system, I place a slab of wood or other suit-
able material of about half an inch to one inch in thickness under each chair,
so as to raise it above the sleeper and thereby add greater durability to the
sleepers and road by preventing the wet from lodging under the chair. I also
propose to place a lining of cork in the recess of a railway chair for the rail
to rest upon in order to prevent injury to the rail, and give the desired amount
of smoothness and elasticity to the road; this lining may be secured in its
place by the aid of marine glue or other suitable cement. Suitable iron cross
ties are used in combination with my herein-before described longitudinal
triangular recessed metal sleeper, such ties being made to enter at each end
into the under side or hollow of the sleeper, and being bolted or otherwise
secured thereto.
Fifthly, with a view to having a lighter and more economical rail I pro-
pose to place angle iron between the apex of what is known as the "saddle
back" sleeper and the base of the rail, thereby obtaining an increased bearing
surface on the sleeper, and thus preventing the lighter rail from being forced
into the wood of the sleeper; these angle irons may also in some cases be used
alone as light longitudinal sleepers.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now

page_text: proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several Figures in the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters
of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a transverse section of one form of
longitudinal sleeper arranged and constructed according to my Invention,
and adapted to the ordinary double-headed rail; it consist of an inverted
trough A having suitable strengthening webs cast therein, and provided with
the usual or other means for securing and retaining the tie bars, one of which
is shown at B. This sleeper may in transverse section present the
appearance of a triangle, or, if preferred, the sloping sides may
be slightly rounded so as to give an arched form to the sleeper, as shown
in my Drawing; but in all cases I form a continuous longitudinal recess or
channel C in the top of the sleeper at that part where the apex would be in
a triangular sleeper; into the bottom or rail-bearing surface of this recess I
introduce a cushion or lining of cork a, which may be secured in its place, if
found requisite, by the aid of marine glue or other suitable adhesive cement,
upon which lining the bottom of the rail D rests, thereby not only protecting
the rail, but at the same time imparting the necessary smoothness and elasticity
to the roadway. When using cast-iron sleepers a jaw E may be cast on
the sleeper, as shown in Figure 2; but if a wrought-iron sleeper be employed
then I may use a wrought-iron jaw E' (see Figure 1) rivetted or otherwise
permanently secured to the sleeper. F, F, are the opposite jaws for holding
the rail, which may be cast on or permanently secured to the sleeper, and the
rail held in its place by wooden or other keys b, or they may be loose jaws
bolted to the sleeper and also to the rail itself and opposite a fixed jaw by
cross bolts c, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 3 represents another modification of my improved sleeper, wherein
an angular recess or channel C is formed along the top, in which a rectangular
timber sleeper G is secured by bolts d, d, which bolts serve at the same time
to hold the saddle rail D down upon the timber sleeper G.
The metal sleeper in Figure 4 is precisely similar to the one last
described (Figure 3), but in lieu of the timber sleeper G being rectangular it
is of a triangular section so as to accommodate upon its flat base or surface
the base of a flat-bottomed rail. In this as in the last-mentioned case the
rail D and the timber sleeper G are secured to the metal sleeper A by the
same set of bolts d, d. Various systems of tie bars may be adopted for
holding the sleepers in their places, but I prefer to adopt the arrangements
shewn in my Drawings.

page_text: In Figures 1 and 2 I insert the ends of the tie bars B through transverse
slots or openings in the metal sleepers, and secure them therein by a key or
bolt e dropped through an opening in the bottom of the channel or rail-
bearing surface of the sleeper, and engaging into a notch formed across the
tie bar.
In Figures 3 and 4 I cast a socket transversely through the metal sleeper
for the reception of the end of the tie bar B, and I secure the bar in its
place by driving a key e¹ through the sides of the socket and through the
tie bar, such key being situate in the angle at the bottom of the longitudinal
channel C.
Figures 5 and 6 represent respectively a transverse section and side
elevation of my improved rail joint. A notch or small section of the web of
each rail end is cut away, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 6, and into these
notches when the ends of the rails D are brought together I introduce a plain
metal block f, and retain it in its place by bolting on the side plates g, which
also serve as ordinary fish plates.
Figure 7 illustrates my improved mode of fastening railway chairs to their
sleepers, namely, by having the pin or bolt holes formed in the chair at a
considerable angle to the base of the chair in place of perpendicularly through
it; this admits of the fastenings h, h, entering the sleeper obliquely, as shewn
in my Drawing, whereby they take a firmer hold upon the sleeper, and
prevent to a certain extent the lodgement of rain or moisture in the bolt or
pin holes. This Figure illustrates also the application of a slab of wood i
between the base of the chair and the surface of the ordinary wooden sleeper,
whereby the latter is preserved from the injurious action of the chair tending
to work into and disintegrate the sleeper. When the slabs i become injured
they may be replaced at slight cost compared to that of the renewal of the
sleeper. a is the lining of cork which I propose to introduce into the bottoms
of ordinary railway chairs for imparting elasticity and smoothness to the road
and for preserving the bottom face of the rail from injury.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention" secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the construction and use of cast or wrought iron longitudinal trough
sleepers of a triangular or equivalent cross section, having a longitudinal
channel on the surface, combined with timber, cork, or other suitable material

page_text: placed in such channel, and serving as the immediate support of the rail, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated by Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4
of my Drawings.
Second, the peculiar rail joint herein-before described and illustrated by
Figures 5 and 6 of my Drawings.
Third, the constructing the holes for the bolts or trenails in railway chairs
and flat-bottomed rails in an oblique direction so as to enable the fastenings
to be driven into the sleeper obliquely, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described and illustrated by Figure 7 of my Drawings.
Fourth, the introduction of a slab of wood between the base of a railway
chair and the surface of the sleeper, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described.
Fifth, the application of a lining of cork to the interior of railway chairs for
the purpose herein-before described.
Sixth, the introduction of angle iron between the under side of the "saddle"
rail and the top of the sleeper, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, 1, the said William Seaton, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM SEATON. (L.S.)