Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus employed.for Securing the Rails of Railways to their. Chairs.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1891
* Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus employed.for
Securing the Rails of Railways to their. Chairs.
I, ALEXANDER HENNAH MARTIN of 16 Hollings Street, Hollings Road,
Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
This invention relates to improvements in means or apparatus employed for
securing the rails of railways to their chairs, and its object is to, provide simple and
ready wedge like blocks capable of being used with chairs, now in use, and when
driven home (for securely fixing the rail in position in the chair) of. being, fastened
together by a vertical or other pin or key. At the same time provision is made for
the rail to expand and contract.
According to this invention. the rail is placed in any number of chairs (of the
same or similar construction to those now. in use) in, the ordinary way but instead
of securing it in position by wooden wedges as, at present, I employ the following
means:
Two metal blocks are provided, the outer. one of which may be about the depth
of the chair and slightly longer than its width to permit of a lip or flange being
formed or cast at each end for retaining it in position, whilst the other or inner
block. may be longer than the outer block and arranged to. fit the recess or channel
.formed. in the rail.
The face of each of these blocks that is in contact with each other is made
.cuniform, and on the inner block is cast. or formed a projection. which fits into a
recess or between lips or flanges formed for its reception on the outer block or vice
versa. In the last named lips or flanges of the outer block may be cast or formed
any desired number of notches or recesses, and, in the projection of the inner block
may also be provided a larger number of vertical recesses or grooves of a smaller
or closer pitch than those in the lips or flanges of the outer block. Through one
of the recesses or grooves of both blocks is passed a pin or key for retaining the
wedged shaped blocks in position after they have been driven home.
When it is desired to use a split pin or one with a tapered end, provision may be
made in the recesses or. notches of the lower lip. or flange of the outer block, for
opening the split pin,.or for bending the tapered end to prevent it working loose or
being maliciously withdrawn.
The opening or bending of the pin or key may be done either by means of a
V piece cast or formed. in the recess, or by making the recesses or notches in the
lower flange at an angle with those in; the projection of the inner block and, upper
lip or flange of. the outer block.
By arranging the notches or recesses, in the two blocks at different, pitches
provision is made whereby the inner block when driven forwards (or backwards if
required) a distance less than its own pitch, one of the vertical grooves of the inner
block will be brought opposite to or in a line with a notch or recess in the lip or
flange of the outer block, thus enabling the two blocks to be.keyed together as
described. in.any position.
In some cases and when preferred the, outer block may be cast on or,, form &
portion of the.chair.
Doted tha:Twents sighth dow of January 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus employed for
Securing the Rails of Railways to their Chairs.
I, ALEXANDER HENNAH MARTIN of 16 Hollings Street, Hollings Road,
Bradford, in the County of York, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in means or apparatus employed for
securing the rails of railways to their chairs, and its object is to provide simple and
ready wedge like blocks capable of being used with chairs now in use, and when
driven home (for securely fixing the rail in position in the chair) of being fastened
together by a vertical or other pin or key. At the same time provision is made for
the rail to expand and contract.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1, is a side elevation and Fig. 2, a plan of chair with rail fixed in position by
metal blocks constructed according to this invention.
Figs. 3, and 4, are front elevations of fastening blocks.
Fig. 5, a modification of same.
Fig. 6, an elevation of key for fastening the two blocks together.
Fig. 7, is a plan of rail joined together at or about the centre of the chair.
A, is the chair and B the rail (shown in section at Fig. 1) both of which may be
of ordinary construction. Instead of securing the rail in position by wooden wedges
(which are very liable to split and to work loose) 1.fix it in position by the wedge
shaped blocks C and D made of cast iron, wrought iron, steel or other suitable
material.
The outer block C is made about (more or less) two thirds the depth of the jaw
portion a, of the chair as shown at Fig. 1, and slightly longer than the width of the
said jaw a
This block is also provided with lips or flanges c, c, (hereafter termed
lips) cast or formed at each end thereof and made to project at a right angle to
the back of the block for retaining it in position. The distance between the two
lips is such as to permit of the jaw a to pass readily between them.
In the inner face of the block C, is a recess c³, formed by the projections or
lips c, e, in each of which are cast or formed any required number of vertical
recesses, in a line with each other, see Fig. 4. The pitch of the vertical
recesses c may be about say seven sixteenths of an inch.
The inner block D is made longer (say about one inch and a half) than the
block C, and it is provided with a projection d, which is made to fit and slide freely
between the lips c,, of the block C, as shown at Fig. 1. In the projection d,
are cut or formed a number (eleven are shown in drawings) of vertical grooves or
recesses d', d¹ of a greater pitch (say half an inch or nine sixteenths of an inch)
than those in the block C. The rear part of the block D, is provided with projecting
pieces d², d³, which are arranged to fit between the two flanges b, b', of the rail
as shown at Fig. 1.
The faces or parts that is of the lips c, c', recessed part 3, projection d, and
lower face d*, of the blocks C and D, which are to come in contact are made
cuniform as shown at Fig. 2, and by arranging the grooves or recesses c, and dat
different pitches provision is made whereby the inner block D, when driven forwards
(or backwards if required) a distance less than its own pitch, one of its vertical
grooves d², will be brought opposite to or in a line with a notch or recess c', in the
lip of the outer block C, thus enabling the two blocks to be keyed together in any
desired position.
+
When the wedge shaped blocks C and D, have been driven to the required
position and the side of the rail A, held securely against the jaw ax, a pin or key E,
such as is shown at. Fig. 6, is passed through one set of recesses c and d as shown
at Fig. 1, for retaining the wedge shaped blocks in position.

page_text: When it is desired to use a split pin or one with a tapered end, provision may
be made in the recesses or grooves c, of the lower lip or flange of the outer
block for opening the split pin, or for bending the tapered end to prevent it
working loose or being maliciously withdrawn.
The opening or bending of the pin or key may be done either by means of a
V piece c, Fig. 5, cast or formed in the recess, or by making the recesses or grooves
in the lower flange e, at an angle with those in the projection of the inner block
and upper lip or flange of the outer block as shown at e, Fig. 5.
Suitable marks d³, may be provided on the block D, for indicating when the
grooves c, and , are in a line with each other.
In some cases and when preferred the block C, instead of being made loose as
described may be cast on or form a portion of the jaw a, of the chair.
Although in the drawings I have shown the rail fixed in the chair at a distance
from the end thereof, yet when preferred and by placing the centre of the chair
at or about the point where two rails, meet they may be held securely in contact
by the wedge shaped blocks C and D, without the aid of additional fish plates
and bolts, I would have it understood that any dimensions herein given may be
varied as circumstances require.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The improvements in or relating to means or apparatus for securing the rails
of railways to their chairs, which improvements consist essentially in cutting vertical
grooves or recesses of varying pitches in the faces of two wedged shaped blocks
arranged to work together between the rail and the jaw of the chair, and retained
in position by a key substantially as set forth.
2. The method of securing the rails of railways to their chairs by metal wedged
shaped blocks arranged and grooved substantially as herein set forth and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
3. In the means or apparatus for securing the rails of railways to their chairs,
the combination of the wedged shaped blocks such as C and D, having vertical
grooves c and d of varying pitches cut or formed in the parts that are in facial
contact as and for the purposes herein set forth.
4. The general arrangement and combination of the various parts forming the
means or apparatus for securing the rails of railways to their chairs substantially as
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of October 1891.
A. H. MARTIN.
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.