IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Livesey, of 9, Victoria Chambers, West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 25th September 1869, and dated the 31st March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Livesey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st March 1869.
I, JAMES LIVESEY, of 9, Victoria Chambers, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYE," to be
as follows:-
My Invention relates, in the first place, to fish joints for joining the
ends of railway bars, and consists in making the fish plates of greater
vertical depth from simple rolled bars for the purpose of increasing the
strength and power of resistance to vertical deflection in the joint. The
fish plates are made to project downwards to any required extent below
the bottom of the rail, and are rolled into a suitable form at the lower

page_text: part. A cotter may be driven through both plates immediately under-
neath the joint if required.
My Invention consists, in the second place, in the construction of
wrought-iron sleepers formed by bending plates into the form of saddles,
with tie bars passing through each side, as described in the Specification
of a Patent No. 2722 (1863). The cotters or gibs have a notch formed
in each, and they are held in position and prevented from becoming
loose by the elasticity of the saddle plates, or the tie bars may be in the
form of angle or channel iron, and secured by means of bolts or rivets.
The rails are secured to the sleeper either by means of independent bolts
or by means of curved or straight bolts extending under the top of the
saddle plate, on which the rail rests, so that a single elongated bolt is
sufficient to secure the rail on both sides. Suitable washers, cramps,
or jaws are used in combination with the bolts or rivets, and may be
so arranged that by merely turning them more or less a rail may be
either laid or replaced by slackening the nut without the necessity of
taking any of the parts to pieces. The rail is also secured to a cast or
other iron sleeper by means of a bolt having its end bent into the form
of a hook, which is passed into a slot in the tie bar from above, and can
be either fixed or removed without disturbing the ballast or sleeper.
This bolt is adapted not only to secure the rail, but it also acts as a
gauge cotter as well after the manner described in the Specification of
the Patent No. 3055 (1864). In order to reduce the strain on the cast
iron in driving up a corrugated or notched key the centre part of the
sleeper is deeply indented, which will allow of sufficient yielding in the
sleeper itself to admit of the corrugated key being driven without dis-
tressing the metal. When jaws or clamp plates are used with bolts to
secure the rail, they may be formed with a groove or channel of the
width of the nut, and about one-sixteenth of an inch deep, into which
groove the nut is forced by the spring of the clamp plate; or an elastic
washer may be used for the same purpose, one form of which washer is
to fasten by a chemical process india-rubber between the washers or
plates of iron; or the nuts may be prevented from turning by means of a
washer having an elastic stop piece. These arrangements for locking nuts
are applicable to fish plates and all permanent way requirements. I also
propose for preventing fish-plate nuts from turning to roll a square
shoulder on the fish plate, on to which the square part of the nut is
forced after it is tightened up.
My Invention under this head also has reference to a section of bridge

page_text: or
rail with the channel rolled so as to form a dovetail, into which
are fitted plates of iron forming a sleeper, the dovetail groove holding the
plates to the rail without the aid of bolts or other fastenings; and for a
permanent way to timber or iron plates abutting one against the other
at the top and spreading out at the bottom in the form of an inverted V.
On the top of these boards or plates rests the rail with its sides extending
downwards for vertical stiffness, and also to prevent to a certain extent
the spreading of the sides of the sleeper. The clamps which fasten the
rails and also the tie bars assist in the same way to prevent the sides
from spreading. The boards or plates may be used either as a continuous
sleeper or in separate lengths.
My Invention relates, in the third place, to metal keys for securing
rails into chairs or sleepers. The key is made from a plate or strip
of wrought iron or steel bent into a suitable form to fit the rail and
chair, but instead of cutting the ends square as usual they are cut with
considerable obliquity, and thereby admit of the key being driven hard
with the two ends abutting against each other without unduly straining
either the key or the chair. The key may also be formed by cutting
the ends of the plates square and slightly turning them inwards or
outwards so as to give additional elasticity when brought together, or
to let the two ends pass each other somewhat after the form a coiled
spring. In order to prevent these keys from shaking loose they may be
made with notches or corrugations to fit into corresponding notches or
corrugations in the chair or sleeper, or with slits cut in the key, which
would give the appearance of small bars, and when the key is driven in
at one side of the chair these bars or ribs become compressed and spring
back on passing the other side, and the key is then locked in position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Livesey in the Great Seal Patent Office-on
the 30th September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JAMES
LIVESEY, of 9, Victoria Chambers, Westminster, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James Livesey, Her special
licence that I, the said James Livesey, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Livesey, 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," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Livesey, my executor's 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 1, the said James Livesey do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
33
My Invention of "Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways
relates, in the first place, to fish joints for joining the ends of railway
bars, and consists in making the fish plates of greater vertical depth from
simple rolled bars for the purpose of increasing the strength and power
of resistance to vertical deflection in the joint. The fish plates are made
to project downwards to any required extent below the bottom of the
rail, and are rolled into a suitable form at the lower part. A cotter
may be driven through both plates immediately underneath the joint if
required.
My Invention consists, in the second place, in the construction of
wrought-iron sleepers formed by bending plates into the form of saddles,
with tie-bars passing through each side, as described in the Specification
of a Patent No. 2722 (One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three).
cotters or gibs have a notch formed in each, and they are held in position
The

page_text: and prevented from becoming loose by the elasticity of the saddle plates;
or the tie bars may be in the form of angle or channel iron, and secured
by means of bolts or rivets. The rails are secured to the sleeper either
by means of independent bolts or by means of curved or straight bolts
extending under the top of the saddle plate on which the rail rests, so
that a single elongated bolt is sufficient to secure the rail on both sides.
Suitable washers, clamps, or jaws are used in combination with the bolts
or rivets, and may be so arranged that by merely turning them more or
less a rail may be either laid or replaced by slackening the nut without
the necessity of taking any of the parts to pieces. The rail is also
secured to a cast or other iron sleeper by means of a bolt having its end
bent into the form of a hook, which is passed into a slot in the tie bar
from above, and can be either fixed or removed without disturbing the
ballast or sleeper. This bolt is adapted not only to secure the rail, but
it also acts as a gauge cotter as well after the manner described in the
Specification of the Patent No. 3055 (One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four). In order to reduce the strains on the cast iron in driving up
a corrugated or notched key the centre part of the sleeper is deeply
indented, which will allow of suflicient yielding in the sleeper itself to
admit of the corrugated key being driven without distressing the metal.
When jaws or clamp plates are used with bolts to secure the rail they
may be formed with a groove or channel of the width of the nut, and
about one-sixteenth of an inch deep, into which groove the nut is forced
by the spring of the clamp plate; or an elastic washer may be used for
the same purpose, one form of which washer is to fasten, by a chemical
process, india-rubber between the washers or plates of iron; or the nuts
may be prevented from turning by means of a washer having an elastic
stop piece. These arrangements for locking nuts are applicable to fish
plates and all permanent way requirements. I also propose, for pre-
venting fish-plate nuts from turning, to roll a square shoulder on the
fish plate, on to which the square part of the nut is forced after it is
tightened up.
My Invention under this head also has reference to a section of bridge
or rail, with the channel rolled so as to form a dovetail, into which
are fitted plates of iron forming a sleeper, the dovetail groove holding
the plates to the rail without the aid of bolts or other fastenings; also
to a permanent way of timber or iron plates abutting one against the
other at the top, and spreading out at the bottom in the form of an

page_text: inverted V. On the top of these boards or plates rests the rail with its
sides extending downwards for vertical stiffness, and also to prevent to a
certain extent the spreading of the sides of the sleeper.
The clamps
which fasten the rail and also the tie bars assist in the same way to
The boards or plates may be used
prevent the sides from spreading.
either as a continuous sleeper or in separate lengths.
My Invention relates, in the third place, to metal keys for securing
rails into chairs or sleepers, The key is made from a plate or strip of
wrought iron or steel bent into a suitable form to fit the rail or chair,
but instead of cutting the ends square as usual they are cut with con-
siderable obliquity, and thereby admit of the key being driven hard with
the two ends abutting against each other, without unduly straining
either the key or the chair. The key may also be formed by cutting the
ends of the plates square, and slightly turning them inwards so as to
give additional elasticity when brought together, or to let the two ends
pass each other somewhat after the form of a coiled spring. In order to
prevent these keys from shaking loose they may be made with notches
or corrugations in the chair or sleeper, or with slits cut in the key, which
would give the appearance of small bars. When the key is driven in at
one side of the chair these bars or rails become compressed and spring
back on passing the other side, and the key is thus locked in position.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed,
by reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented
the several parts of permanent way above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, Sheet I., is an elevation of the improved fish joint made direct
from a bar of wrought iron or steel, and which may be made to any
required depth in order to make the joint as strong as the solid rail, or
stronger if necessary. A flat cotter or key A (Fig. 3) may be driven
through both plates, which will transmit the load from one rail to the
other, and keep the ends of the rail in perfect line. The great difficulty
experienced in preventing fish-bolt nuts from turning is obviated by
having one square side of the nut to rest on the shoulder of the fish
plate, as shewn in Figures 2 and 4. When tightening the bolt the
corners of the nut raise the bolt slightly beyond its horizontal plane, as
shewn in Fig. 7. It is afterwards, when sufficiently tightened up,

page_text: knocked down by the end of the spanner or hammer about one-sixteenth
of an inch, thus securing it from any tendency to turn or work loose.
To be theoretically correct the face of the fish plate should be slightly
curved to a radius struck from the head of the bolt, but in practice this
is not required. This mode of securing nuts will apply in many other
situations, as, for instance, in the cotter holt B, Figures 28 and 35.
1
No
Another mode of locking nuts is shewn in Figures 29 and 36, which
illustrate an elastic washer in connection with a bolt the nut of which
is checked as required by means of a groove cut or formed in the plate C.
In turning the nut the corners thereof rise over the inclined sides of the
groove and compress the washer, as shewn in Fig. 36, and the nut falls
back inmediately the sides are brought parallel with the groove.
possible vibration can move the nuts when so locked, but they are
capable of being turned by an ordinary spanner. The same principle
also applies to any position where an elastic plate could be employed, as
shewn in Figures 26, 27, 33, 34, and 38. In addition to locking the
nuts the elastic washer has the advantage, when applied to rail joints, of
keeping the fish plates in constant and firm compression; but with the
ordinary bolts immediately the rough and uneven surfaces of the plates
in contact with the rail become worn the plates approach closer together,
the bolts become loose, and the strength of the joint greatly diminished,
but with the elastic washer this amount of wear is taken up and
compensated for.
As an improvement on my Patent No. 2722 (1863), Figures 12 to 23
shew an improved arrangement for securing rails of various sections to
wrought-iron sleepers, and also an improved method of fastening the
tie bar. For the latter the plates are spread out a little more than the
required dimensions, as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 37. The gib
or cotter D is first put in, and the second gib or cotter E is then driven
into the notch, the plates yielding sufficiently to allow for this, and
by their elasticity and the notch in the cotter they are kept firmly in
position.
Another means of binding the sleeper plate or plates is shewn by the
short tie bar F in Fig. 47, Sheet II. The plates are here compressed
sufficiently to allow the end of the tie bar to pass the edge of the plate, as
shewn at G. They are then liberated and spring back, holding and locking
the tie bar firmly in position.

page_text: Figures 15 and 16 shew another mode of securing the sleepers to
angle iron or other formed tie bars. The rails are secured to the sleepers
by means of bent holts passing through suitable clamps and immediately
under the plates, as shewn in Figures 13 and 19. By this arrangement
two bolts answer instead of four. The same also applies to the straight
bolt in Figures 14 and 20.
'
In Figures 12, 18, 15, and 21 the rail is secured by iron clamps,
which on one side of the rail may be permanently bolted or rivetted, but
on the other side the clamp or clamps is or are loose, so as to turn
partially round in the position shewn by dotted lines at H, in Figures 18
and 21, in order to put in or take out a rail. This arrangement avoids
the necessity of loose or detached pieces. The holding down bolt I can
be put in or removed without disturbing either the sleeper or ballast.
Figures 17 and 28 shew the same character of fastening as applied to
double-headed rails. These clamp fastenings are also applicable to
plates forming a continuous sleeper, as shewn in Figures 45, 46, 47, 55,
and 56 (Sheet II.).
In Figures 24, 26, and 31 the rail is secured and the gauge of the line
maintained by means of a bent cotter bolt K inserted into the tie bar
from above without disturbing the ballast or the sleeper. Another
feature of this bolt is that should the nut become slack or come off the
trough or recess L keeps the bolt still in its position, and the tie bar
and the gauge of the line are maintained. The bolt in such a case
simply acts as a cotter and preserves the gauge, as shewn in Patent
No. 3055 (1864). The recess or trough for the cotter in the above
Patent being in the centre of the sleeper (see Fig. 39), it has been found
that a sleeper so formed possessed a degree of yielding when driving in
a rigid key to secure the rail. In order to secure this advantage more
fully I
propose to hollow or recess the sleeper to a still greater extent,
and to obtain a greater amount of elastic yielding of the metal when
driving the corrugated iron key. The reason of this will easily be seen
on reference to Figures 39 and 41. In Fig. 41 the metal must be
thrown into severe tension when driving the key M, but in Fig. 39 a
considerable amount of yielding could take place without distressing the
metal, and still more so, as shewn in Fig. 25.
Figures 43, 44, and 48 illustrate a mode of securing sleeper plates to
a rail without the aid of bolts or other fastenings. The channel of the
rail is rolled in the form of a dovetail, into which the plates are fixed.

page_text: These plates may be in two or more parts, and are either put in from the
ends of the rails or driven one past the other, as shewn in Fig. 54.
The permanent way of timber is shewn in Figures 55 and 56. The
sides N, N, may be formed at any convenient angle, and so arranged as
to break joint with each other and the rail so that no joints need be
opposite to any others. The tie bars which keep the road to gauge
also tie the plates or sides and prevent their spreading, and in addition
to this, if necessary, short pieces of timber may be used, or an iron tie,
as shewn at O. The clamps which hold down the rail may be secured
to the sides before leaving the works, in order to avoid the necessity of
loose or detached pieces, and simply turned into position after the rails
are laid on the top.
At Fig. 62 is represented a key made from a plate or strip of wrought
iron or steel bent into a suitable form to fit the chair, but with the ends
cut with considerable obliquity (instead of square as usual), so as to
admit of the key being driven hard with the two ends abutting against
each other, without unduly straining either the key or the chair.
Fig. 57 shews a key formed by cutting the ends of the plates square
and slightly turning them inwards, so as to give additional elasticity
when they are brought together.
Fig. 59 shews a key with the two ends passing each other, somewhat
after the form of a coiled spring.
Fig. 63 shews a key made with notches or corrugations to fit into
corresponding notches or corrugations in the chair or sleeper.
Figures 58, 59, and 60 represent a key with slits cut in it, which would
give the appearance of small bars. When the key is driven in at one
side of the chair these bars or rails become compressed and spring back
on passing the other side, and the key is thus locked in position.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim
as of my Invention is,―
First. The combination of fish plates, as shewn and described.
Secondly. The improved mode of securing the rails by the combination
of clamps and the tie bars and cotters by the elastic yielding of the
plates, as represented and described.
Thirdly. The combination of clamp fastenings for securing the rails, as
shewn and described.

page_text: Fourthly. The mode of securing the rail and tie bar by the cotter bolt,
as shewn and described.
Fifthly. A sleeper troughed in the middle in order to relieve the strain
on the metal consequent on driving a rigid key, as shewn and described.
Sixthly. The arrangement of locking muts by the various means shewn
and described.
Seventhly. The combination of tie bar with a rail having a. dovetail
groove, as shewn and described.
Eighthly. A permanent way formed of timber or iron, as shewn and
described.
And, lastly. The various forms of elastic keys for securing rails
represented and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Livesey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
HORACE CARTER,
9, Victoria Chambers,
Westminster, S.W.,
Engineer's Assistant.
JAMES LIVESEY. (L.S.)