IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL SCREWS AND SIMILAR SCREWS EMPLOYED FOR FASTENING ARTICLES TO WOOD
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Matthews of Stoke Newington in the County
of Middlesex, civil engineer and William Bayliss of Wolverhampton in the
County of Stafford, manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Matthews and
William Bayliss at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
14th February 1883.
THOMAS MATTHEWS, of Stoke Newington in the County of Middlesex, civil
engineer, and WILLIAM BAYLISS, of Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL SCREWS AND SIMILAR SCREWS EMPLOYED
FOR FASTENING ARTICLES TO WOOD"
Our improvements relate to that class of screws which, as usually made have a
screwed shank to hold in a wooden sleeper, or other part of wood, and a head to
bear upon the foot of a chair, or the flange of a rail, or against any convenient
part of an article which it is desired to fix to such sleeper or other part of wood.
The chairs, rails, or other articles which are secured to a sleeper, or other part of
wood, by these screws, are liable in time to become loose from being worn into the
wood or from other cause; and in applying sufficient power to the head of the
screws to tighten them and thus more firmly fix the chair, or other article, as afore-
said, the shanks of the screws are liable to be twisted or broken off on account of
the screw being rusted within the wood.
The chief object of this invention is to so construct such screws that the chairs,
rails, or other articles secured by them, may from time to time be tightened to the
sleepers or other parts of wood without twisting or turning the shanks of the
screws.
We effect this object by dispensing altogether with the ordinary head, and in
ien thereof running a nut on the outer end of the shank, which end is screwed
with an ordinary Whitworth thread specially to receive such nut. A square or
other slaped part to receive a spanner or key is formed at the extreme outer end

page_text: -
of the shank of such a size as to allow the nut to be passed over it. The part of
the screw intended to enter the sleeper or other part of wood is made exactly as
the corresponding part of an ordinary rail screw or wood screw.
A rail screw or wood screw constructed according to this invention is screwed
into the sleeper, or other part of wood, by means of a spanner or key upon the
square or other shaped part, aforesaid, and when screwed up the proper distance
into the wood the nut, aforesaid, is run upon the screw at the outer end of the
shank and tightened down on to the chair foot, rail flange, or against a convenient
part of other article to be fixed. When the chairs, rails or other articles, which
are fixed by these improved screws, become loose on the sleepers, or other parts of
wood, the nuts are tightened onto or against the parts which are so fastened to the
wood, and if it is occasionally found desirable to drive the screws further into the
wood the nuts are run back a few threads and the shanks screwed up as desired,
after which the nuts are again tightened up.
When replacing a broken chair or other article (in a case where the removal
does not involve altering the centres of the screws) it is not necessary to unscrew
the rail screw or wood screw from the sleeper, or other part of wood, as the nut
thereon may be taken off and the old chair or other article removed and the new
one (if of the same pattern as the old one) replaced over the screw.
By employing the nut at the outer end of the shank a greater pressure can be
pnt upon the chair or other article, fastened with our improved screws, with less-
power applied to the nut than it is necessary to apply to the ordinary head, when
such head is employed (and thus the joint can be made much firmer than with the
--ordinary description of screw), as the friction of the nut on the screw at the outer
end of the shank of our improved screws presents much less resistance to screwing
up such nut than is presented to the screwing up of the screws in the usual way,
the friction of the screw threads on the part of the shank within the sleeper
or other part of wood being very great especially when such screw threads are
rusty.
Also by employing the nut to tighten up or more firmly fix the chair or other
article, as aforesaid, instead of tightening up the shank of the screw in the ordinary
way, such shank is not liable to be twisted or broken off.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Matthews and William Bayliss in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th August 1883.
THOMAS MATTHEWS of Stoke Newington in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, and WILLIAM BAYLISS of Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL SCREWS AND SIMILAR SCREWS EMPLOYED
FOR FASTENING ARTICLES TO WOOD
"
Our improvements relate to that class of screws, which, as usually made, have a
screwed shank to hold in a wooden sleeper, or other part of wood, and a head to
bear upon the foot of a chair, or the flange of a rail, or against any convenient
part of an article which it is desired to fix to such sleeper or other part of wood.
The chairs, rails, or other articles which are secured to a sleeper, or other part of
wood, by these screws, are liable in time to become loose from being worn into the
wood or from other cause; and in applying sufficient power to the head of the
screws to tighten them and thus more firmly fix the chair, or other article, as
aforesaid, the shanks of the screws are liable to be twisted or broken off on account
of the screw being rusted within the wood.
The chief object of this invention is to so construct such screws that the chairs,
rails, or other articles secured by them, may from time to time be tightened to the
sleepers or other parts of wood without twisting or turning the shanks of the
screws,
We effect this object by dispensing altogether with the ordinary head, and in
lieu thereof running a nut A (see the accompanying drawing of our improved
screw) on the outer end B of the shank, which end is screwed with an ordinary
Whitworth thread specially to receive such nut. A square or other shaped part C
to receive a spanner or key is formed at the extreme outer end of the shank, as
shewn, of such a size as to allow the nut A to be passed over it. The part D of
the screw, intended to enter the sleeper or other part of wood, is made exactly as
the corresponding part of an ordinary rail screw or wood screw.
A rail screw or wood screw constructed according to this invention is screwed
into the sleeper, or other part of wood, by means of a spanner or key upon the
square or other shaped part C, and when screwed the proper distance into the
wood the nut A is run upon the screw at the outer end B of the shank and
tightened down on to the chair foot, rail flange, or against a convenient part of
other article to be fixed. When the chairs, rails or other articles, which are fixed
by these improved screws, become loose on the sleepers, or other parts of wood, the
nuts are tightened onto or against the parts which are so fastened to the wood, and
if it is occasionally found desirable to drive the screws further into the wood the
nuts are run back somewhat and the shanks screwed up as desired, after which the
nuts are again tightened up.
If desired a lock nut may be used in addition to the nut A, in which case the
square or other shaped part O may be dispensed with as the two nuts can be locked
together to screw the part D into the wood.
When replacing broken chairs or other articles (in cases where the removal does
not involve altering the centres of the screws) it is not necessary to unscrew the
rail screws or wood screws from the sleepers, or other parts of wood, as the nuts
thereon may be taken off and the old chairs or other articles removed and the new
ones replaced over the screws.
By employing the nut A at the outer end of the shank a greater pressure can be
put upon the chair or other article, fastened with our improved screws, with less

page_text: power applied to the nut than it is necessary to apply to the ordinary head, when
such head is employed (and thus the joint can be made much firmer than with the
ordinary description of screw) as the friction of the nut A on the screw at the
outer end B of the shank of our improved screws presents much less resistance to
screwing up such nut than is presented to the screwing up of the screws in the
usual way, the friction of the screw threads on the part of the shank within the
sleeper or other part of wood being very great especially when such screw threads
are rusty.
.
Also, by employing the nut A to tighten up or more firmly fix the chair or other
article as aforesaid, instead of tightening up the shank of the screw in the ordinary
way, such shank is not liable to be twisted or broken off.
Having now stated the nature of our said invention and particularly described
and ascertained the manner of performing the same, we declare that we claim as
our invention and desire to secure by the therein-before in-part-recited Letters
Patent
The improvements in rail screws and similar screws employed for fastening
articles to wood, consisting of the substitution, in lieu of the ordinary head, of the
nut A upon the screwed part B in combination with a square or other shaped
part to receive a spanner (or in combination with a lock nut) substantially as
and for the purpose herein-before described and shewn by the drawings.
In witness whereof I the said William Bayliss for myself and on behalf of
the said Thomas Matthews have hereunto set my hand and seal this
eleventh day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and eighty three.
WILLIAM BAYLISS (LS)
Witness
JOHN THOM,
Clerk to Stephen Watkins, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E.
Office for Patents.
Wolverhampton.