Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan.. 1887
Complete Left, 28th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov., 1887
I WYBRANTS GEORGE OLPHERTS of 50 Ebury Street, London, S. W., Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the Specification of my Invention No. 634 of 1879, I have described a Railway.
Chair Sleeper device consisting of a ribbed sleeper, with one chair jaw cast thereon,
and another jaw which being movable between the ribs, is set up so that the rail is
clamped between the two jaws I have also described and claimed in the Specification of
my Invention above identified in combination with a chair sleeper of the kind last
referred to, the use of a cushion of wood, or other somewhat elastic material placed
between the ribs and jaw aforesaid to form a bed for the rail.
Now, my present Invention consists in the utilisation of old or waste rails for the
purpose of forming Railway Sleepers and in such a manner as shall more particularly
allow of same being used with especial advantage as a combination with, adaptation
to, or improvement upon the modified combined sleeper chair which I have described
in my Specification herein before referred to No. 634 of 1879. That is to say :-I
employ a cast iron base plate, slightly hollowed or dished out, on the under part, upon
which is cast one jaw of a chair, the other jaw being so constructed as to slide freely
up to the rail hetween two suitably arranged ribs, said loose jaw being firmly secured
by means of a bolt and nut, or by a gib and cotter driven firmly through slots formed
in the ribs aforesaid of the base plate. There is also formed on the underside of base
plate, a depression or channel extending the whole length of the said base plate, of
such depth and configuration as to meet the requirements of the various arrangements
of the sleepers, as hereinafter described.
In the formation of the improved sleeper, I take old waste rails, and cut them into
lengths to suit the special guage of line for which they may be required. At the
desired distance from each end of said lengths of old waste rails, I drill or punch holes
of a size sufficient to receive the bolts which secure the base plate to the sleeper.
When ready for the purpose, the lengths of old waste rails aforesaid, where intended
to be used as intermediate sleepers, are placed horizontally head to head, when double-
headed or reversible rails are used; or, when flanged rails are used, the flanged sides
Price R71

page_text: are placed end wise so as to be brought face to face, and in this position the combined
chair and base plate is placed thereon and secured.
This combined chair and base plate can if desired be used in the first instance as an
ordinary chair on wooden sleepers, being secured thereto by spikes, and when said
wooden sleepers and running rails are worn out, they may be cast aside, the rails
being cut into the required lengths, to form the new sleepers, and the combined chair
and base plate fixed thereon as herein before described.
In the case of joint or other sleepers where greater base and strength is required;
in addition to the two horizontal lengths of old rails above referred to, I place
vertically between them a third supplementary length of old rail, upon which the
combined chair and base plate is bolted, thus securing the whole device in a very
efficient manner; and, to allow of the reception of the bolts for securing the base
plates to the sleepers, I form holes corresponding to those in the sleeper rails
previously referred to, at the four corners of said base plates. The bolts aforesaid
may be obtained from the stock of old fish plate bolts which have been previously used
at the joints. The flanges and heads respectively of the under part of the sleepers so
made up, arranged and laid, press, firmly into the soil or ballast, and act as very
efficient anchors.
In order to give some degree of elasticity to the device, I place a suitable packing of
wood, fibrous or other suitable material in the chair, as also between the base plates and
the rails forming the sleepers.
Sleepers formed in accordance with the method herein described are, it is evident
far superior to either wood or cast iron, having especial regard to economy and the
saving of labor; and, as the flanges and heads respectively of the rails forming
the transverse sleepers act as joint anchors, as before described, the possibility of the
shifting or creeping forward of the sleepers (as is the case particularly as regards those
made of wood) is prevented.
I.may also, under some circumstances, cut the old rails, which I employ for the
purpose of my invention, longer than usual, in order that one end may be bent at
right angles for the purpose of anchoring the sleepers so as to prevent lateral
motion.
This system being heavier than any other system of permanent way, while costing
less, it is better adapted for heavy traffic to take up the momentum of heavy trains
without displacement, and to transmit the load evenly upon the ballast; and, being
also less liable to move under this operation, its maintenance would be less difficult
and costly than in the case of a lighter permanent way, at the same time with the
consequent advantage of bringing down the centre of gravity very considerably lower
than is attainable with existing systems of permanent way.
In tropical climates also this form of road would be less liable to buckle under
expansion during the great heat of the summer season, than other lighter systems,
now in use, thereby preventing a well known and dangerous contingency.
Dated this 25th day of January 1887
JAMES
STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
I WYBRANTS GEORGE OLPHERTS of 50 Ebury Street, London S.W., Civil Engineer
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:-
My Invention has for its object the novel application and mode in connection
therewith, of utilising old or waste railway rails.
I have described in the Specification of my invention No. 634 of 1879 a railway
chair sleeper device consisting of a ribbed sleeper, with one chair jaw cast thereon,
and another jaw which being movable between the ribs, is set up so that the rail is
clamped between the two jaws. I have also described and claimed in the
Specification of my Invention above referred to, in combination
Chair Sleeper of the kind last referred to, the use of a cushion of wood, or other
somewhat elastic material placed between the ribs and jaw aforesaid to form a bed for
the rail.
with a
Now, my present invention consists in the utilisation of old or waste rails, for the
purpose of forming railway sleepers and in such a manner as shall more particularly
allow of same being used with especial advantage as a combination with adaptation to
or improvement upon the modified combined sleeper chair which I have described in
my specification No. 634 of 1879 In order that my present Invention may be the
better understood I have appended the accompanying two sheets of drawings in which
Figure 1 is a cross section of a chair to suit a sleeper formed of two reversible headed
rails. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Figure 3 a cross section showing
a chair to suit a sleeper formed of 3 reversible rails. Figure 4 represents a side
elevation of the same. Figure is a plan of four sleepers made up of two and three
reversible rails respectively and Figure 6 is a plan of the underside of a chair base
plate hereinafter referred to. Figure 7 shews a side elevation of a chair to suit
Hanged rails of lighter construction than the foregoing. Figure 8 is a plan and
Figure 9 a cross section of the same.
The combined chair base, according to my present invention consists of a cast iron
base plate B, slightly hollowed or dished out on the under part as shewn at h, Figure 6,
upon which is cast one jaw of the chair the other jaw C being so constructed as to slide
freely up to the rail D between two suitably arranged ribs; said loose jaw being
firmly secured by means of a bolt and nut or preferably by a cotter c driven firmly
through slots formed in the ribs aforesaid of the base plate B. There is also formed
on the underside of the base plate B (shown detached in Figure 6) a depression f
extending the whole length of said plate and of such depth and conformation as will
meet the requirements of the various arrangements of the rails in sleepers as hereinafter
described.

page_text: In the formation of the improved sleeper above referred to, according to my present
invention, I proceed as follows-I take old waste rails, and cut them into lengths to
suit the special guage of line for which they may be required. At the desired distance
from each end of said lengths of old waste rails, I drill or punch holes of a size sufficient to
receive the bolts which secure the base plate to the sleeper. When ready for the
purpose, the lengths of old or waste rails aforesaid, where intended to be used as
intermediate sleepers, are placed horizontally head to head as shewn at a. Figure 2,
when double headed rails are used; or, in the case where flanged rails are used, the
flanged sides are placed endwise, so as to be brought face to face as at h.
Figures 7 and 8, and the base plate B of the combined chair base is then placed in
position and secured as shewn in the drawings.
The combined chair base as above described, can, if desired be utilised in the first
instance as an ordinary chair upon existing wooden sleepers, to which they may be
secured by two spikes, and when the wooden sleepers and running rails are worn out,
said wooden sleepers may be cast aside, the old rails cut into lengths to form sleepers,
and the chair base plates fixed thereon as hereinbefore described.
In the case of joint or other sleepers where increased base area and greater strength
are required, in addition to the two horizontal lengths of old rails above referred to,
I place vertically between them a third supplementary length of old rail A', as shewn
in Figures 3, 4, and 5, upon which the chair base plates are placed and bolted; the
device by this arrangement is thus secured in a very efficient manner.
To allow of the reception of the bolts for securing the base plates to the sleepers, I
form four holes g, Figure 6, corresponding to those in the sleeper rails previously
referred to at the four corners of said base plates-The bolts bb aforesaid, may be
obtained from the stock of old fish plate bolts which have been previously used at the
joints.
In order to give some degree of clasticity to the device aforesaid according to my
invention, I place a packing e of wood, fibrous or other suitable material in the chair,
and upon which rests the running rail D, also between the base plates and the rails
forming the sleepers, as shewn at d, Figures 2, 4, 5 and 7.
The Hanges and heads respectively of the under part of the sleepers, made up,
arranged and laid as above described, press firmly into the soil or ballast, and act as
very efficient anchors.
I may also, under some circumstances, cut the old rails, which I employ for the
purpose of my invention, longer than usual, in order that one end may be bent at
right angles, so as to prevent lateral motion.
Sleepers formed in accordance with the method hereinbefore described are, it is
evident, so far superior to either wood or cast iron, having especial regard to economy
and the saving of labour; and, as the flanges and heads respectively of the rails
forming the transverse sleepers act as joint anchors, as before described, the possibility
of the shifting or creeping forward of the sleepers (as is the case particularly as
regards those made of wood) is prevented.
Also the permanent way according to my improved system being heavier than any
other system of permanent way, while costing less, is better adapted for heavy traffic,
to take up the momentum of heavy trains without displacement, and to transmit the
load evenly upon the ballast; and, being less liable to move under this operation, its
maintenance would be less difficult and costly than in the case of a lighter permanent
way, at the same time with the consequent advantage of bringing down the centre of
gravity very considerably lower than is attainable with existing systems of permanent
way.
In further development of my improved system of railway sleepers, I may arrange
the old or waste rails to serve as longitudinal sleepers as well as transverse sleepers as
above described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Under such latter
arrangement, I may provide in connection therewith suitable tie rods, which may be
fixed in any suitable-manner-to-the base plates B bereinbefore referred to.
In tropical climates with this form of permanent way, the running rails would be
less liable to buckle under expansion, during the great heat of the summer season,

page_text: than other lighter systems now in use, thereby preventing a well known and dangerous
contingency.
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 :
The utilisation of old or waste rails substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
S.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.