CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CROSSINGS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Michel Denys, of Charleroi, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Gentleman, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY
CROSSINGS."
Sealed the 12th August 1859, and dated the 16th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Michel Denys
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th March 1859.
I, JOSEPH MICHEL DENYS, of Charleroi, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Gentleman, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF RAILWAY CROSSINGS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in the employment of a cast-iron table or plate of
any suitable form or shape, having lugs cast thereupon, by means of which it
may be bolted to the ordinary wooden sleepers. Upon the top of this cast-
iron table or plate are the three wrought-iron crossing pieces, their upper faces
being formed similar to the ordinary rail, but are made taper or conical at

page_text: their lower extremity. These three crossing pieces are securely held in their
places by means of a wrought-iron or steel plate fixed between them, being
formed taper or dovetail at the edges, and secured by bolts to the top of the
cast-iron table.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Michel Denys in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
MICHEL DENYS, of Charleroi, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Gentleman, and
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Michel Denys, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Michel
Denys, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Michel Denys, 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 of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CROSSINGS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Michel Denys, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
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 Joseph Michel Denys, 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 hereto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to construct railway crossings of several parts
so formed and fitted together that when one of the parts is worn out it may be

page_text: easily replaced, and by which I obtain a more durable crossing than those at
present in use.
The Invention consists in the employment of a cast-iron table or plate of
any suitable form, having lugs cast thereupon, by means of which it may be
bolted to the ordinary wooden sleepers. Upon the top of this cast-iron table
or plate are three wrought-iron or steel crossing pieces, their upper faces being
formed similar to the ordinary rail, but are made tapering or conical at their
lower extremity. These three crossing pieces are securely held in their places
by means of wrought-iron or steel plates fixed between them, and formed
tapering or dovetailed at the edges, and secured by bolts to the top of the cast-
iron table.
The improved railway crossing constructed according to my Invention is
represented in plan in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing; Figure 2 is a
longitudinal section through the line A, B, of the same; Figure 3 is a
transverse section through C, D; and Figure 4 is a transverse section through
E, F. The same letters refer to corresponding parts of the railway crossing.
The base plate A, composed of cast iron, or other metal, is formed with ears or
lugs B, B, and is firmly secured to the sleepers C, C, by the bolts and nuts
D, E. This plate is also formed with strengthening ribs E, F, and with
flanges G, G, which are dovetailed in the inside. Between these flanges are
placed the short wrought-iron or steel wing rails or pieces H, I, made slightly
tapered or conical, as shewn in section, Figure 3. The centre rail or point J
is also made conical, the upper face being formed like the ordinary rail.
These three rails or pieces are kept firmly in their proper position by means
of three wrought-iron or steel plates K, L, M, which are slightly conical, in
order that they may fit in between the aforesaid rails or pieces.
are fixed to the base plate A by the nuts and bolts N, O, P.
form of the piece or point rail J and binding plates K, L, M, allows of the
tire of the wheels of the train to bear on the former, and the flanges of the
wheels to rest on the latter, and thus prevent the shocks which generally
occur on the passage of a train over the ordinary railway crossings. The
improved crossing affords great facility for being taken to pieces, and quickly
replacing one or more of its parts when required.
These plates
The peculiar
Having now described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood, in conclusion, that I do not confine myself to the precise details of
construction, as herein-before described, so long as the principle of my
Invention is retained; but what I claim and desire to be secured by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction of railway

page_text: crossings of several parts or pieces formed and fitted together substantially
as herein-before described, and represented in the Figures of the annexed
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Michel Denys, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
J. MICHEL DENYS. .,(L.S.)
J. MICHEL DENYS. .,(L.S.)