IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Atkinson, of Stockport, in the County
of Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Atkinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd August 1875.
I, BENJAMIN ATKINSON, of Stockport, in the County of Chester,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as
follows

page_text: Instead of making the rails of solid metal as hitherto practised I make
them hollow or tubular; the external section may be of any form
ordinarily adopted, and the hollowing effected by rolling on a mandrill
or by any other known means at present adopted for producing other
hollow or tubular articles of metal. These hollow or tubular rails when t
being placed together to form a line of railway are locked together by
an internal longitudinal key piece fitting into the hollow interior of the
rail, so that they form almost a solid joint and no fish plates are
required.
The chain is formed of a sole plate and two jaws cast in one picce; onc 1
of the jaws is formed solid to fit the side of the rail, and the inside of the
other jaw is hollowed out in a curved form and is provided with a dove-
tailed recess, in which is placed a wedge key which fits in between the
jaw and the web of the rail, so that when in its place the head of rail
rests on the top of the key and keeps it securely in its place.
The fish joint chair for supporting the rails at the joints is also cast in
two pieces, one of which forms the sole plate and one of the jaws fitting
closely to the rail, and the other also fits closely to the other side of the
rail, and slides longitudinally in a dovetailed groove in the solo plate,
and when the two are bolted together through the rail with pins or bolts
they form a solid block and require no fish plate.
The wrought-iron pins or spikes for fastening the chairs down to the
sleepers have an acute angled screw (that is a screw with two or more
threads) cut upon the outer surface, so that they can be driven in like
ordinary spikes but cannot be withdrawn without unscrewing, for which
purpose they are made with square heads.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Atkinson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN 3
ATKINSON, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Atkinson, Her
special license that I, the said Benjamin Atkinson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as T, the said Benjamin
Atkinson, my exccutors, administrators, and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin Atkinson, 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 Benjamin Atkinson, 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
11 L

page_text: section may be of any form ordinarily adopted, and the hollowing
effected by rolling on a mandril or by any other known means at present
adapted for producing other hollow or tubular articles of metal. These
hollow or tubular rails when being placed together to form a line of
railway are locked together by an internal longitudinal key piece fitting
into the hollow interior of the rail, so that they form almost a solid joint
and no fish plates are required.
The chair, see Figs. 2 and 3, side views, and Fig. 4, plan view), is
formed of a sole plate a, a, and two jaws b, b*, cast in one piece, one of
the Jaws V is formed solid to ſit the side of the rail, and the inside of thic
other jaw 6* is hollowed out in a curved form, and is provided with a
dovetailed recess c, c, in which is placed a wedge key d, d, which fits in
between the jaws * and the web of the rail, so that when in its place
the head of the rail rests on the top of the key d, d, and keeps it securely
in its place.
The curved wedge or key d, d, is so formed that when fixed it will be
kept down by the pressure of the under side of the head of the rail, and
may be so arranged as to suspend the rail by allowing it to rest on the
inner jaw of the chain, and the wedge or key, or otherwise the rail may
rest on the bottom of the chair, as shown; Fig. 3, shows the way of
placing and removing a rail.
The fish joint chair for supporting the rails at the joints (sco Fig. 5,
face view, and Fig. 6, plan, view), is also cast in two pieces, one of
which forms the sole plate a, a, and one of the jaws b, b, fitting closely
to the rail, and the other jaw b*, *, which is slightly tapered (see
Fig 6) also fits closely to the other side of the rail, and slides longi-
tudinally in a dovetailed and slightly tapered groove e, e, in the sole
plate, and when the two are bolted together through the rail with pins
or bolts, they form a solid block and require no fish plate.
One of the wrought-iron pins or spikes for fastening the chairs down
to the sleepers is shown at Fig. 6, I make them with an acute angled
screw (that is a screw with two or more threads) cut upon the outer
surface so that they can be driven in like ordinary spikes, but cannot be
withdrawn without unscrewing, for which purpose they are made with
square heads 9, g, or the head may be notched for the same purpose if
preferred.