IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."-A communication from abroad by Thomas
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th December 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the permanent way of railways
and consists in the employment of continuous rails formed in two parts; the
one part serving as the wearing surface is movable and may be changed at
will while the other or base part forms a fixed support.
The features of improvement are, 1st, the formation of rails in two parts
the upper one being of steel, iron, or other metal, and removable by which
means the rails may be readily changed without breaking the line and thus
avoid the possibility of accident from this cause, great economy is also obtained
by dispensing with chairs and fish plates; 2ndly, constructing railway
crossings in a similar manner, the lower part being made of cast iron and the

page_text: upper part of steel or other iron and removable as before, so that it may be
readily changed without interfering with the cast iron base thus effecting great
economy in material as compared with the ordinary systems; 3dly, the mode
of connecting the rails to iron and wood sleepers and accessory parts.
These improvements are illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1
of which shows a transverse section of the improved rail as applied to an iron
sleeper. A steel or iron-rail-head removable at will; F, F, sub-rail or founda-
tion; ff, rail plates, seen in perspective view at Figure 2, the dotted lines
show a plate with single bolt. Figure 3 shows a transverse section of the
improved rail as applied to wood sleepers it being fixed thereto by a screw
and washer A, as seen in perspective at Figure 4, while Figure 5 represents a
longitudinal elevation of the rail. The same reference letters apply to these five
Figures. Figure 6 a plan of a rail crossing. a, steel centre; b, bolts; c, keys
7, rails. Figure 7 is a transverse section on line A, A, Figure 6, on an en-
larged scale; Figures 8 and 9 similar sections on lines C, C, E, E, Figure 6;
Figures 10 and 11, similar sections on lines B, B, D, D, Figure 6. In these
several sections it will be seen that the same principle is adopted of a renewable
wearing surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year, of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her leirs and successors, give and grant "unto
me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence that I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alexander Melville 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 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 PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," a

page_text: communication to me from abroad, by Thomas Roberts, Civil Engineer, of
29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Alexander Melville 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 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 Alexander Melville Clark, 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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to improvements in the permanent way of railways
and consists in the employment of continuous rails formed in two parts; the
one part serving as the wearing surface is movable and may be changed at
will while the other or base part forms a fixed support.
The features of improvement are, 1st. The formation of rails in two parts
the upper one being of steel, iron or other metal and movable, by which means
the rails may be readily changed without breaking the line and thus avoid the
possibility of accident from this cause, great economy is also obtained by dis-
pensing with chairs and fish plates. 2ndly. I construct railway crossings
in a similar manner, the lower part being made of cast iron and the upper
part of steel or other iron and removable as before, so that it may be readily
changed without interfering with the cast iron base, thus effecting great economy
in material as compared with the ordinary systems. 3rdly. The improve-
ments relate to the mode of connecting the rails to iron and wood sleepers and
accessory parts.
These improvements are illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1
of which shows a transverse section of the improved rail as applied to an iron
sleeper. A steel or iron rail head removable at will; F, F, sub-rail or founda-
tion; f metal clamp, seen in perspective view at Figure 2, the dotted lines show
a plate with single bolt. Figure 3 shows a transverse section of the improved
rail as applied to wood sleepers, it being fixed thereto by a screw and washer
A, as seen in perspective at Figure 4. Figure 5 represents a longitudinal eleva-
tion of the rail, and Figure 6 a plan of a rail crossing. a, steel centre; b, bolts;
c, keys;, rails. Figure 7 is a transverse section on line A, A, Figure 6,
on an enlarged scale. Figures 8 and 9 similar sections on lines C, C, E, E,
Figure 6. Figures 10 and 11 show similar sections on lines B, B, D, D, Figure 6.

page_text: In these several sections it will be seen that the same principle is adopted of
a renewable wearing surface.
Having described the nature of this Invention and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. Forming rails in two parts in the manner shown and described, the
one part forming a fixed base and the other or movable part being fitted
therein and changeable at will.
2ndly. I claim the application of these improvements to rail crossings
in the manner shown and described.
3rdly. I claim the parts f and A, Figures 2 and 4, for fixing the rails to
metal and wood sleepers.
4thly. I claim placing the head or movable part of the rail so as to break
joint with the sub-rail and thus form a continuous rail surface.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)