PROVEMENTS. IN THE PERMANENT. WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1864

page_text: ETTERS PATENT: to William Clark, of 53,, Chancery Lane, in the County.
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IM
PROVEMENTS. IN THE PERMANENT. WAY OF RAILWAYS."A communication
from abroad by Constant Jouffroy Dimery, Civil Engineer, of 29,
Boulevart St-Martin, Paris...
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION -left by the said William Clark at the
"Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
September 1864.
I WILLIAM CLARK, of 53. Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as
tion for
follows
.j
313
The principal object in the employment of rails of railways,- besides, that,
of obtaining direction in a horizontal plane, is to procure a perfectly
uniform running surface, which shall be always rigid and of sufficient.
section to be uninfluenced by the load weight, and producing neither shock
nor concussion, that is to say, preventing any vertical movement of the
travelling body, which is kept in a plane perfectly parallel with that of the;
line. To ensure this result many methods have been employed, such as stone
blocks, longitudinal walls, sleepers, and plates of metal or wood, provided with
intermediate metallic supports or chairs. In many cases intermediate chairs
[Price 8d.].
-

page_text: are dispensed with by placing the rails directly on the sleepers, and fixing
them thereto in any suitable manner; it has also been attempted to place the
rails directly on the ballast without any other accessory than the necessary
means for producing the parallelism, notwithstanding which completely satis-
factory results have failed to be attained. Stone blocks, from their rigidity
and bulk, would suffice if continuous, and were it not that from their very
nature they oppose an intermittent inertness, the distinctive effects of which
tell both on the line and rolling stock, causing a wear at each point of support
of the rail which renders the latter unsuitable for turning. Hence it is only
with moderate speeds, comparatively heavy rails, and light rolling stock that
stone has produced a favourable result, but with carriages or engines of
sufficient weight to produce deflection of the rails, the bulk and rigidity of the
stone possesses disadvantages which it is sought to remedy. Now as it is
impossible to increase the weight of the rails sufliciently to prevent deflection,
it has been supposed that by forming the supports of a comparatively elastic
substance, one portion of the shock would be absorbed. Hence the employ-
ment of wood has become almost general, but whether it be employed in the
form of longitudinal or cross sleepers, the shock is only deadened at the
expense of the wood, which becomes quickly worn by the iron, and is thereby
rendered of limited durability. In order to remedy this in some measure
single-headed rails have been used, which are not reversible, and present a flat
surface at bottom applied direct on the wood, to which they are fixed by the
aid of wood screws or otherwise. These rails, which are termed Vignole rails,
are in many places preferred to those with double heads, but the absence of
solidity imparted by cross sleepers, their isolation and want of resistance to
lateral strain, together with the imperfect connection of the iron and wood,
and the wear of the latter, tend to limit their use. Rails have also been made
in the form of an inverted V, and known by the name of Barlow or sleeper
rails, but these possess the following disadvantages:-1st, they can only be
made in short lengths in consequence of their weight, and thus they multiply
the joints, which it is sought to avoid; 2ndly, they are liable to spread and be
crushed under the influence of the loads passing over them; 3rdly, their
bearing surface on the ground is limited to that of the rail itself, and not
extending beyond the width of the line; 4thly, they are only fixed by the
ballast in which they are laid, which is always uncertain in its nature; 5thly,
it is necessary, in order to renew the weaving surface, to re-form not only that
part, but also the support itself which is uninjured; 6thly," the subsidence of
the line from the above causes produce longitudinal undulations to a large
extent, creating a lateral rocking motion, which impairs the stability of the

page_text: rolling stock, and at high speeds proves a source of much danger. It is thus
clear that it has been sought, although very imperfectly, to remedy the various
disadvantages of existing railroads by uniting the flexibility and instability of
wood with the flexibility of the rails. It is further necessary, in order to allow
of considerable speed being attained. to use larger and heavier chairs and
stronger and heavier rails, and even with this augmentation of the weight of
the rails, as the deflection is in direct proportion to the square of the distance
between the supports. it becomes further necessary. in order to obtain an
adequate result, to place the cross sleepers nearer together, and so multiply
their number. and it is only by uniting all these conditions that a partial
remedy is attained, which can only be entirely removed by the employment of
a continuous bearing possessing neither flexibility nor elasticity. It is only by
complete rigidity, which has hitherto been abandoned only through the
impossibility of attaining it absolutely. that the true qualities of a railroad can
be realized. Thus it is by obtaining continuity in the construction of the rail
and also in the means of fixing the same, that I hope to obtain as a result a
line which shall possess a smooth running surface and durability, be economical
in construction and maintenance, and at same time tend to preserve the rolling
stock.
The objects of this Invention are thus various, and consist in the employ-
ment of a rail of a different metal to that of its support, in order to obtain the
necessary qualities from each; to dispense with accessory parts, such as the
chairs, wedges, keys, and others, the cost of which is not compensated for by
increased wear of the rails or supports; to unite the rail directly to its
support and so as to dispense with the ordinary fish plates, or rather to obtain
a continuous fishing of the rails; to combine a rail having a changeable head
with a metal sleeper forming part of same; to render the surface in contact
with the ground not only continuous, but superior to the plans now adopted
on the best lines; to obtain all these advantages by the aid of ordinary
forgings, at same time ensuring the perfect junction of the parts; lastly, to
render their adaptation as easy as the system ordinarily adopted, and placing
the whole, where circumstances will admit, on a macadamized surface pre-
viously prepared.
The means for carrying this Invention into effect are very simple. I first
take a piece of iron and roll it of a T form, the width and depth of which are
such that on inverting the T the width of its base shall present a sufficient
surface to sustain the weight and prevent the crushing of the line or sinking
of the ground, while the vertical part offers the requisite additional support to
the rail for sustaining the heaviest loads. A single-headed rail, also obtained

page_text: by rolling, is cemented by bolts to the vertical part of the T iron in such
manner as to form but one whole, presenting the appearance of a Vignolle rail
of the amplest dimensions, and constructed of two parts breaking joint with
each other; cross sleepers are applied for connecting the two rails of a line, and
serve to complete the arrangement. The ends of these cross sleepers are turned
up in hook form, so that a single bolt is sufficient at each end to prevent any
deviation from the plane of the sleepers and to give the whole perfect
.rigidity..
I do not confine myself to the precise form or dimensions of these sleepers.
as they may be varied according to the nature of their application, although
changing nothing in the basis of the combination forming the subject of the
present Invention.
The principal features of this combination are, 1st, the adoption of a rail
sleeper or sleeper rail forming one and the same piece; 2ndly, this sleeper
rail possesses the advantage. hitherto sought for unsuccessfully in single rails.
of being composed of two metals of different densities, the one renewable and
the other permanent; 3rdly, it possesses the same simplicity of arrangement
and construction as the Barlow rail; 4thly, the system of breaking joint of
the sleeper and rail, and so forming continuous fishing; 5thly, obviating the
points of contact, causing continual wear in ordinary chairs; 6thly. obtaining
continuous contact with surfaces comparatively incapable of injury: 7thly,
heavy forgings are not required; 8thly, the whole of the metal is utilized, as
also is that of the combined resistance. of both parts of the rail; lastly, the line
may be laid on a macadamized surface previously prepared. The lower part
thus acts as a sleeper, having sufficient surface as a rail in perfecting the
resistance to deflection as a chair in its opposing any tendency to. become
overturned, and as a fish plate from its being arranged to break joint with the
rail. The upper part of the rail, properly so called, answers either the double
purpose of resisting any tendency to deflection, and presenting a hardened
surface to prevent crushing, or it may be the latter object only.
If it is wished to diminish the weight of the rail proper, or if instead of
making the iron denser it be constructed of steel, and consequently economized
in weight, the vertical part of the sleeper should be of sufficient strength of
itself to bear the weight, the head of the rail being applied thereto either by
means of cars secured by bolts or by means of a groove, and fixed by keys,
pins, bolts, or otherwise.
The rails are fixed in position on the line by simply embedding them in the
ballast, as in ordinary, or by previously hardening the ground and laying the
rails in mortar or cement, leaving openings for receiving the cross sleepers,

page_text: which are then consolidated by filling in dry rubbish, or it may be suitably
cemented. It is unnecessary to add that the water is carried off as in ordinary
by the inclination of the surface, with or without natural or artificial subsoil
channels.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a transverse section of a sleeper rail furnished with its
cross sleeper; Fig. 2, a longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 3. plan of same:
Fig. 4 represents a rail laid on a macadamized surface with a bed of cement
interposed, which latter, in order to compensate for its friability. may further
have a thickness of wood or other substance applied; Fig. 5.represents a rail
the head of which is formed of a. harder metal.
a, single-headed rail; b, sleeper carrying the rail; c, bolts for uniting the
parts together; d. cross sleepers; e, hooked ends of sleepers; e', bolts of
sleeper.
.I have confined myself to one example of the method of application, con-
sidering it unnecessary to multiply. forms having but one single object, and
which will be readily understood from the foregoing description.
The present Invention thus comprises two essential points, .1st, the rail,
and 2ndly, the previous hardening of the ground, the rail being applied.in
any suitable manner, and the improved foundation being applicable whatever
may be the form or system of rail to be used. each of which improvements
may be employed either separately or in combination.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53. Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, my executors. administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during

page_text: IN
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
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," a communication to me from abroad by
Constant Jouffroy Dumery, Civil Engineer, of 29. Boulevart St. Martin.
Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that T. the said William Clark.
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer
tain 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 Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say):-
The principal object in the employment of rails of railways, besides that of
obtaining direction in a horizontal plane, is to procure a perfectly uniform
running surface, which shall be always rigid and of sufficient section to be
uninfluenced by the dead weight, and producing neither shock nor concussion,
that is to say. preventing any vertical movement of the travelling body, which
is kept in a plane perfectly parallel with that of the line. To ensure this
result many methods have been employed, such as stone blocks, longitudinal
walls, sleepers, and plates of metal or wood, provided with intermediate
metallic supports or chairs. In many cases the intermediate chairs are dispensed
with by placing the rails directly on the sleepers, and fixing them thereto in
any suitable manner; it has also been attempted to place the rails directly
on the ballast without any other accessory than the necessary means for pre-
serving their parallelism, notwithstanding which completely satisfactory results
have failed to be attained. Stone blocks, from their rigidity and bulk, would
suffice if continuous, and were it not from their very nature they oppose
an intermittent inertness, the destructive effects of which tell both on the line
and rolling stock, causing a wear at each point of support of the rail, which
renders the latter unsuitable for turning, by means of which it is rendered
longer available for use. Hence it is only with moderate speeds, compara-
tively heavy rails, and light rolling stock that stone has produced a favorable
result, but with carriages or engines of sufficient weight to produce deflection
of the rails the bulk and rigidity of the stone possesses disadvantages which it

page_text: is sought to remedy. Now as it is impossible to increase the weight of the
rails sufficiently to prevent deflection, it has been supposed that by forming the
supports of a comparatively elastic substance one portion of the shock would
be absorbed. Hence the employment of wood has become almost general;
but whether it be employed in the form of longitudinal or cross sleepers, the
shock is only deadened at the expense of the wood, which becomes quickly
worn by the iron, and is thereby rendered of limited durability. In order to
remedy this in some measure single-headed rails have been used, which are
not reversable, and present a flat surface at bottom applied direct on the wood,
to which they are fixed by the aid of wood screws or otherwise. These rails,
which are termed Vignole rails, are in many places preferred to those with
double heads, but the absence of the solidity imparted by cross sleepers,
their isolation and want of resistance to lateral strain, together with the
imperfect connection of the iron and wood, and the wear of the latter, tends
to limit their use. Rails have also been made in the form of an inverted V,
and known by the name of Barlow or sleeper rails, but these possess the
following disadvantages:-1st, they can only be made in short lengths in
consequence of their weight, and thus they multiply the joints, which it is
sought to avoid; 2ndly, they are liable to spread and be crushed under the
influence of the loads passing over them; 3rdly, their bearing surface on the
ground is limited to that of the rail itself,, not extending beyond the width of
the line; 4thly, they are only fixed by the ballast in which they are laid,
which is always uncertain in its nature; 5thly, it is necessary, in order to
renew the wearing surface, to re-form not only that part, but also the support
itself which is uninjured; 6thly, the subsistance of the line from the above
causes produce longitudinal undulations to a large extent, creating a lateral
rocking motion, which impairs the stability of the rolling stock, and at con-
siderable speeds proves a source of much danger. It is thus clear that it has
been sought, although very imperfectly, to remedy the various disadvantages of
existing railroads by joining the flexibility and instability of wood to the
flexibility of the rails. It is further necessary, in order to allow of considerable.
speeds being attained, to use larger and heavier chairs and stronger and
heavier rails, and even with this augmentation of the weight of the rails, as
the deflection is in direct proportion to the square of the distance between
the supports, it becomes further necessary, in order to obtain an adequate
result, to place the cross sleepers nearer together, and so multiply their
number, and it is only by uniting all these conditions that a partial remedy is
attained, and which can only be either. removed by the employment of a
continuous bearing possessing neither flexibility nor elasticity.
Thus it is

page_text: only by complete rigidity, which has hitherto been abandoned only through
the impossibility of attaining it absolutely, that the true qualities of a railroad
can be realized. Thus it is by obtaining continuity in the construction of
the rail and also in the means of fixing the same, that I hope to obtain as a
result a line which shall possess a smooth running surface, durability, be
economical in construction and maintainance, and at same time tend to
preserve the rolling stock.
The objects of this Invention are thus various, and consist in the employ-
ment of a rail of a different metal to that of its support in order to obtain the
necessary qualities from each to dispense with accessory parts, such as the
chairs, wedges, keys, and others, the cost of which is not compensated for by
increased wear of the rails or supports; to unite the rail directly to its
support, and so intimately as to dispense with the ordinary fišli plates; or
rather to obtain a continuous fishing of the rails; to combine a rail with
changeable head with a metal sleeper forming part of same; to render
the surface in contact with the ground not only continuous but superior to
the plans now adopted on the best lines; to obtain all these advantages by the
aid of ordinary forgings, at same time ensuring the perfect junction of the
parts lastly, to render their adaptation as easy as with the systems ordinarily
adopted, placing the whole, where circumstances will admit, on a macadamized
surface previously prepared.
The means for carrying this Invention into effect are very simple. I first
take a piece of iron and roll it of a T form, the width and depth of which are
such that on inverting the T the width of its base shall present a suflicient
surface to sustain the weight and prevent the crushing of the line or sinking
of the ground, while the vertical part offers the requisite additional support
to the rail for sustaining the heaviest loads. A single-headed rail, also
obtained by rolling, is connected by bolts to the vertical part of the T iron in
such manner as to form but one whole, and presenting the appearance of a
Vignole rail of the amplest dimensions, and constructed of two parts having
butt joints. Cross sleepers are applied for connecting the two rails of a line,
and serve to complete the arrangement. The ends of the cross sleepers being
turned up in hook form, a single bolt is sufficient at each end to prevent any
deviation from the plane of the sleepers and to give the whole. perfect
rigidity.
I do not confine myself to the precise form or dimensions of this sleeper
nor to those of the rail and longitudinal rib, as they may be varied according
to the nature of their application, although changing nothing in the basis of
the combination forming the subject of the present Invention.

page_text: The principal features of this combination are, Ist, the adoption of a rail
sleeper or sleeper rail forming one and the same piece; 2ndly, this sleeper rail
possesses an advantage hitherto sought for unsuccessfully in single rails, it
being composed of two metals of different densities, the one renewable and the
other permanent; 3rdly. it possesses the same simplicity of arrangement and
construction as the Barlow rail; 4thly, the adoption of butt joints forming
continuous fishing; 5thly, dispensing with the many points of contact causing
continued wear in ordinary chairs; 6thly, obtaining continuous contact with
surfaces comparatively incapable of injury; 7thly, heavy forgings are not
required; 8thly, the whole of the metal is utilized, as also the resistance of
both parts of the rail; lastly, the line may be laid on a macadamized surface
previously prepared. The lower part thus acts as a sleeper having sufficient
surface as a rail in perfecting the resistance to deflection, as a chair in its
opposing any tendency to become overturned, and as a fish plate from its being
arranged with butt joints. The upper part of the rail, properly so called,
answers either the double purpose of resisting any tendency to deflection and
presenting a hardened surface to prevent crushing, or it may be with the
latter object only.
If it is wished to diminish the weight of the rail.proper, or if instead of
making the iron denser it be constructed of steel, and consequently economized
in weight, the vertical part of the sleeper should be of sufficient strength of
itself to bear the weight, the head of the rail being applied thereto either by
means of ears secured by bolts or by means of a groove, and fixed by keys,
pins, bolt, or otherwise.
The rails are fixed in position on the line by simply embedding in the
ballast as in ordinary, or by previously hardening the ground and laying the
rails in mortar or cement, leaving openings for receiving the cross sleepers,
which are then consolidated by filling in dry rubbish, or it may be suitably
cemented. It is unnecessary to add that the water is carried off as in ordinary
by the inclination of the surface, with or without natural or artificial subsoil
channels.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a transverse section of a sleeper rail furnished with its
cross sleeper; Fig. 2, a longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 3, plan of same;
Fig. 4 represents a rail laid on a macadamized surface with a bed of cement
interposed, which latter, in order to compensate for its friability, may further
have a thickness of wood or other substance applied; Fig. 5 represents a
rail the head of which is formed of a harder metal.

page_text: a, single-headed rail; b, sleeper carrying the rail: c, bolts for uniting the
parts together; d, cross sleeper; e, hooked ends of sleeper; e, bolts of
sleeper.
I have confined myself to one example of the method of application, con-
sidering it unnecessary to multiply forms having but one single object, and
which will be readily understood from the foregoing description.
The present Invention thus comprises two essential points;-1st, the rail,
and 2ndly, the previous hardening of the ground, the rail being applied in any
suitable manner, and the improved foundation being applicable whatever may
.be the form or system of rail to be used, each of which improvements may be
employed either separately or in combination.
In witness whereof, 1, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness.
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London..
W. CLARK (L.Si)