IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY RAILS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREPOR
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY
RAILS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREPOR."-A communication from
abroad by James A. Woodbury, of Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
Sealed the 22nd November 1872, and dated the 29th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th May 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
RAILWAY RAILS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," a communication,
to be as follows:-
The first part of the said Invention relates to the manufacture of steel
rails for railways, it has for its object an increased durability of the
rail, and consists in tempering the upper surface or “ tread” of the rail,

page_text: while the lower and larger portion of the rail retains all the strength,
toughness, and softness it had before the "tread was tempered.
"
The second part of the said Invention relates to a peculiar arrange-
ment of mechanism for handling the heated rails, and applying a shower
of water or other tempering or hardening material to that portion of the
rail to be hardened, while the other portions of the rail are so protected
that the water cannot have access to the same; it consists, first, in
suspending the rail by suitable hooks attached to chains passing over
pulleys and having counterpoise weights suspended from the other ends
of the said chains. Several pairs of hooks and the necessary chains to
operate them are used, and the several counterweights in the aggregate
are somewhat heavier than the rail, so that the same will be held up
against suitable stops provided for the purpose. The said rail is suspended
with the face or " tread" portion downward, and a short distance above and
parallel to a pipe mounted in suitable bearings in such a manner that a
reciprocating motion in the direction of its length may be imparted
thereto for the purpose of evenly distributing the water. The latter is
discharged from the said pipe through a series of perforations along the
upper side thereof, and is caused to completely cover the whole under
surface or tread portion of the rail.
This part of my Invention also consists in the combination with the
above of a fixed gauge against which one side of the rail rests, and a
movable gauge on the opposite side of the rail, the movable gauge being
so hung that its weight will keep it against the rail. The said guages.
serve the purpose of a clamp to keep the rail straight sidewise, and of a
shield to keep the water from striking those portions of the rail intended
to remain soft.
It further consists in the employment of a series of supplementary
chains, connected at one end with the chains before mentioned, and at
the other to suitable drums or chain wheels mounted on a common shaft
to which a partial rotary motion is imparted for the purpose of raising
the counterpoise weights to lower the rail.
The third part of the said Invention relates to a railway rail having a
ground "tread," as described hereafter, so that the said "tread" will
present such a smooth and uniform surface as to prevent the shocks
and jars which have a destructive effect on the rolling stock of railways
furnished with ordinary rails.

page_text: In carrying this part of the said Invention into practice I employ an
ordinary steel rail, or a steel rail hardened on the "tread," or a rail
of wrought iron with a steel "tread" or a hardened steel "tread." I
render the "tread" perfectly smooth and straight by the process of
grinding, and this process may be carried into effect by causing the
rail to travel in a straight course while its "tread" is in contact with
a revolving grinder, or a revolving grinder may be caused to traverse
in and in contact with the surface of the "tread."
ways
The fourth part of the said Invention relates to a railway rail having
a body of wrought iron and a
" tread "
of hardened steel, as described
hereafter, so that it will be more durable than ordinary rails.
In carrying this part of the said Invention into practice I prepare a
pile or fagot of which such a portion consists of steel and such a portion
is iron that when converted into a rail by the usual process of rolling the
"tread" of the rail will be of steel and the lower portion of wrought iron.
The relative proportions of iron and steel may be varied as circumstances
and the character of the rail may suggest; but in all cases the iron
should be much in excess of the steel, the latter may in fact be very
thin, care being taken that it is so distributed that it will be prominently
presented over that portion of the rail which is subjected to the greatest
wear.
After the rolling and straitening of this combined iron and steel rail I
harden the steel "tread." This process may be accomplished by first
heating the rail, and then confining it while in a hot state and in an
inverted position between clamps above a perforated tube extending the
entire length of the rail, jets of water being forced into the tube so that
it will escape therefrom in forcible jets or streams against the hot
tread," as above described.
65
The proportion of wrought iron in the rail is so much in excess of the
proportion of steel that the hardening of the latter has no tendency to
render the rail more brittle than ordinary iron rails, while the hardened
steel surface renders it of so durable a character that it will retain its
integrity much longer than either steel or iron rails of ordinary con-
struction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
of
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thercafter 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 "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY RAILS, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR," a communication to me from abroad by James A.
Woodbury, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, forming a part of this Specification:-
The first part of the said Invention relates to the manufacture of steel
rails for railways, and has for its object increased durability of the rail.
It consists in tempering the upper surface or "tread" of the rail while the

page_text: lower and larger portion of the rail retains all its original strength,
toughness, and softness.
The second part of the said Invention relates to a peculiar arrange-
ment of mechanism for handling the heated rails, and applying a shower
of water or other tempering or hardening material to the portion of the
rail to be hardened, while the other portions of the rail are so protected
that the water cannot have access to the same. It consists, first, in
suspending the rail by suitable hooks attached to chains passing over
pullies, and having counterpoise weights suspended from the other ends
of the said chains. Several pairs of hooks and the necessary chains to
operate them are used. The counterweights in the aggregate are some-
what heavier than the rail, so that the latter will be held up against
suitable stops provided for the purpose. The said rail is suspended with
the face or "tread" portion downward, and a short distance above and
parallel to a pipe mounted in suitable bearings in such a manner that a
reciprocating motion in the direction of its length may be imparted to
the said pipe for the purpose of evenly distributing the water. The
latter is discharged from the said pipe through a series of perforations
along the upper side thereof, and is caused to completely cover the whole
under surface or tread portion of the rail.
This part of my Invention also consists in the combination with the
above contrivances of a fixed gauge, against which one side of the rail
rests, and a movable gauge on the opposite side of the rail. This
movable gauge is so hung that its weight will keep it against the rail.
The said gauges serve the purpose of a clamp to keep the rail straight
sidewise, and of a shield to keep the water from those portions of the rail
intended to remain soft.
This part of the said Invention further consists in the employment of a
series of supplementary chains connected at one end with the above-
mentioned chains, and at the other end to suitable drums or chain
wheels. The latter are mounted on a common shaft, to which motion is
imparted for the purpose of raising the counterpoise weights to lower
the rail.
6
The third part of the said Invention relates to a railway rail having a
ground tread," as herein-after described. This tread will present &
smooth and uniform surface to the wheels, and will thereby prevent the
The third part of the said Invention relates to a railway rail having a
ground "tread," as herein-after described. This tread will present a
smooth and uniform surface to the wheels, and will thereby prevent the

page_text: shocks and jars which have such a destructive effect on the rolling stock
of railways constructed with ordinary rails.
The fourth part of the said Invention relates to a railway rail having a
body of wrought iron and a "tread" of hardened steel, as herein-after
described, so that it will be more durable than ordinary rails.

page_text: L is a horizontal pipe, arranged in suitable bearings in the girders F;
it has both ends closed, and connected at its middle to an elastic pipe M,
through which it is supplied with water or other hardening liquid.
The apparatus is all so arranged that the said pipe may be moved in
the direction of its length by means of the connecting rod N and
the crank O for the purpose of evenly distributing the water over the
surface of the "tread" portion of the rail as it escapes through a series
of small perforations in the upper side of said pipe. The pipe L is
bent down at its ends, and the perforations are arranged to cause the
jets of water to diverge towards the ends of the rail to keep the water
from contact with the perpendicular ends of the rail and from hardening
it to a greater depth than is desired.
The chain wheels B and B are mounted on studs set in the stands P,
the latter are bolted to the upper side of the girders Q in such a manner
that each chain b and its counterweight may act independently of the
other as may be required by the greater contraction of the hardened
side of the rail, and the consequent greater movement of the middle of
the rail as compared with the ends.
R is a shaft mounted in the boxes 8 secured to the girders Q and
carrying the chain wheels T, to which one end of the chains d are
attached; their other ends are shackled to the chains 6 in such a manner
that a partial rotary motion applied to the shaft R by means of the
crank U will cause all of the weights C to be lifted, and allow the rail A
to drop into the position for applying the hardening material thereto.
The rails having been first heated in a suitable furnace to the proper
hardening temperature, are brought in contact with the pins to straighten
them sidewise, and against other pins to curve the rail vertically suffi-
ciently to compensate for the increased contraction of the hardened side
of the rail, so that when the rail becomes cold it will be straight. The
rail is then moved on the skids G to the position shewn in dotted lines
at H. The grapple hooks a are placed in position on the flange of the
rail, and the weights C is allowed to descend by a partial rotation of the
shaft R, which has previously been locked in a position to hold the said
weights up to slacken the chains 6; the said chains b are thus caused
to lift the rail A somewhat above the skids with the "tread" portion of
the rail downward; the shaft R is then again rotated in the direction to
wind up the chains d, and acting upon the chains b, raises the weights C

page_text: and allows the rail to descend to the position shewn at A; then the
hinged stop bars D are brought down upon the rail and locked by the
hooked levers D³, as shewn. The shaft R is then released or partially
rotated to allow the weights C to drop and lift the rail till its ends bear
hard against the stop bars D. The cock S' is then opened to allow the
water to fill the pipe L, and escape in a shower of small jets through the
perforations in the upper side of the said pipe, the jets strike the exposed
"tread" portion of the rail, a reciprocating motion being imparted to
the said pipe, as herein-before mentioned, at the same time for the
purpose of insuring an even distribution of the hardening liquid over
the surface to be hardened. As the end of the rail is subject to more
wear than the other portions thereof, if desired it may be hardened on
the end face and under the bed flange to give it greater durability.
66
The rail is made of steel, and is homogeneous in its structure, and
of such a grade or quality that it will take a suitable temper for this
purpose where the water is applied, and at the same time the lower or
untempered portions of the rail will be tough, strong, and of suitable
quality to receive a heavy blow without breaking. It is obvious that
the tempering, as herein described, of the upper or tread" portion of
the rail will in nowise diminish its strength, for the reason that the
lower portion of the rail which would be the first to break under the
strain to which railway rails are ordinarily subject, is not affected by the
hardening process. It is also obvious that this tempering process may
extend around on each side of the portion of the rail, far enough to
resist the lateral wear which railway rails are usually subjected to from
the flanges of the wheels in passing around curves. The depth of the
tempered or hardened portion may be increased or diminished by the
force and length of time with which the water is applied.
r
In carrying into practice the third part of the said Invention I employ
an ordinary steel rail, or a steel rail hardened on the "tread," or a rail
of wrought iron with a steel “ tread," or a hardened steel " tread,” I render
the "tread" perfectly smooth and straight by the process of grinding.
This process may be carried into effect by causing the rail to travel in a
straight course while its "tread" is in contact with a revolving grinder,
or a revolving grinder may be caused to travel in suitable ways in contact
with the surface of the "tread." For this purpose I employ a series of
rollers, which support the rail A in the proper position in relation to a
revolving grindstone, which as the rail is carried in the required direction

page_text: imparts the desired character to the "tread." It will be apparent,
however, that machines differing in construction and all equally efficient
may be adopted; appropriate machinery in fact will readily suggest
itself to any skilful engineer.
The want of smoothness and uniformity in railway rails is a fruitful
source of the rapid wear and tear of the rolling stock, and as all
inequalities are removed from the "tread" by the grinding of the same,
my improved rails must tend to diminish the necessity of costly repairs
wherever such rails are adopted. It will be understood that in grinding
the $6
treads" of the "rails," very little of the metal is removed, the rails
in the first instance being straightened, so that the vulcanite emery
wheel which I prefer to use as a grinder, has no more duty to perform
than to simply smooth the "tread."
In carrying into practice the fourth part of this Invention, I prepare
a pile or fagot of steel and iron, in such proportions and so combined
that when converted into a rail by the usual process of rolling the "tread"
of the rail will be of steel and the lower portion of wrought iron. The
relative proportions of iron and steel may be varied as circumstances and
the character of the rail may suggest, but in all cases the iron should be
much in excess of the steel; the latter may be very thin if proper care
is taken to distribute it, so that it will be prominently presented over
that portion of the rail which is subjected to the greatest wear.
After the rolling and straightening of the combined iron and steel rail,
I harden the steel "tread." This operation may be accomplished by first
heating the rail, and then confining it while heated, and in an inverted
position between clamps above a perforated tube extending the entire
length of the rail and into which water is forced, so that it will escape
through the perforations in forcible jets or streams against the hot
"tread," as herein-before described.
The proportion of wrought iron in the rail is so much in excess of the
proportion of steel, that the hardening of the latter has no tendency to
render the rail more brittle than ordinary iron rails, while the hardened
steel surface renders it of so durable a character that it will retain
its integrity much longer than either steel or iron rails of ordinary
construction.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same,
I wish it understood that I claim -

page_text: First. A steel rail, having a hardened "tread" gradually merging into
a soft steel foundation, as herein set forth.
Second. The process of hardening or tempering the wearing surface
of a rail by covering or protecting the portions not to be hardened, and
discharging a shower of water simultaneously upon the exposed surface, t
as herein described.
Third. The process of manufacturing rails with hard "treads," by
discharging water or other material on exposed parts of the rails while
the same is confined between clamps, which prevent twisting, and define
the parts to be acted on by the water or other material, as herein
described.
Fourth. A railway rail having a ground "tread," as set forth according
to the third part of this Invention.
Fifth. A railway rail of combined iron and steel, whose steel portion
has a hardened or tempered "tread," which merges into a soft steel
backing, as described according to the fourth part of this Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
W. J. Lowe.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)