IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN RAIL JOINTS
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Amos Joseph Acaster at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th April 1881.
AMOS JOSEPH ACASTER, of the Princess Works, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN
RAIL JOINTS."
This Invention relates to improvements on certain Inventions for which Letters
Patent were granted to me dated and numbered respectively the 18th December
1876, No. 4884, for the year 1876, and the 11th October 1877, No. 3771, for the
year 1877, and also on an Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to
James Honiball Tozer, dated the 25th July 1876, No. 2993, for the said year 1876.
It has been found in practice that the wedges when constructed as therein described
and the inner surfaces of the heads of the rails are sometimes liable to be damaged
by the rough usage of careless workmen when driving the wedges into their
places.
In order to overcome these disadvantages, according to my present Invention, I
use three or more wedges on each side of the rail in place of the two formerly used
by me, and I form the centre wedge of the three so that the face of the wedge next
to the web of the rail is slightly broader than the face on the side farthest from the
web of the rail. The effect of this is to cause the wedges to bear most heavily on
each other on their edges which are nearest to the web of the rail, and thus when
the centre wedge is driven home, the three wedges are forced to lie in close to the
web, and between the inner sides of the double heads or head and foot as the case
may be of the rail, I find that by using three wedges, the inner surfaces of the
beads or head and foot as the case may be of the rail, are not so liable to be damaged
as formerly when driving the wedges home, because according to my present
Invention I place the two outside wedges in their places, bearing against the insides
of the heads or head and foot, as the case may be of the rail, and then drive the
centre wedge in between them. For convenience in driving in the centre wedge
into its place, and also for greater strength, I place on the outside of the said centre
wedge a lug or projection which is to be struck by the hammer when wedging up
the rail instead of as formerly striking the end of the wedge.
This lug or projection extends over and right and left from the centre of
the centre wedge so far as I find convenient and advisable for hammering and
strengthening purposes.

page_text: As an alternative instead of or as a supplement to grooving the double heads or
head and foot as the case may be of the rails, I place small oblong or round
projections or pins on the outer sides of the outer wedges, and I drop or place them
into corresponding recesses or holes in the rail, sufficient play being given to allow
for the expansions and contractions of the metal.
My Invention also extends to the use of three or more wedges to be inserted
between ordinary or crossing rails and the chairs which carry such rails. Also to
the having upon some part or parts of such wedges lugs or projections, which will
be struck by the hammer when wedging the rails to the chairs, these wedges and
chairs respectively to be either ribbed or grooved, or smooth or serrated according
to circumstances.