IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO RAILWAY TIES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult of 323 High Holborn in the county
"
of Middlesex Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING
TO RAILWAY TIES a communication from Elias Burchard Hungerford,
Merchant of the city of Corning, county of Stenben, state of New York,
United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th April 1883.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO RAILWAY TIES [a communi-
cation from Elias Burchard Hungerford, Merchant of the city of Corning, county of
Stenben, state of New York, United States of America]
This invention is especially adapted to that class of railway ties, which are
composed of metal such as iron, and it consists in certain details of construction
hereinafter fully described.
The body of the tie may be cast, wrought, rolled or otherwise formed of iron or
other metal and portions of this tie are punched out and bent downward to form
feet and when the tie is applied to use such feet enter the ground thus effectually
preventing displacement of the article. The number of the feet may be varied
according to the condition of the earth at the place where the tie is laid and in
some cases a single foot will answer the purpose.
It is preferred to locate the feet beneath the rails, each of which rests on a bed
plate which is inserted between the base of the rail and the tie and provided
with a curved jaw adapted to overlap the base of the rail, and hold it to the plate.
On the longitudinal edges of the tie are vertical flanges between which the bed
plate is fitted and which are provided with recesses adapted to receive in them the
base of the rail. Said recesses respectively are at one end of an opening cut out
in the tie flanges to a width about equal to the base of the rail and when it is
desired to fasten the rail the latter is laid on the tie by passing it through this
opening; the bed plate is then put in place. The rail being lifted for this purpose,
and if the plate is driven up against the rail one edge of the base of the rail is

page_text: brought into the recesses whilst the other edge thereof is at the same time caught
by the jaw so that the flange recesses and jaw jointly act on the rail to hold it in
position. Either the recesses or the jaw may be used independently of each other
The bed plate is chamfered or bevelled on one edge to facilitate its insertion
beneath the rail, and it is locked in the tie by means of a key of wedge shape
which is driven through holes or apertures in the tie flanges and bears against one
edge of the plate where the latter is provided with a rabbit for receiving the key,
so that the latter tends to prevent both an outward and upward movement of the
rail. The key is provided on one edge with a series of teeth whereby it engages
with the edge of one of the key holes and in order to permit successive teeth to
spring into place, as the key is advanced, the key holes are enlarged in one direction,
and the proper edge of the bed plate is curved so as to allow a lateral movement of
the leading end of the key.
The jaw may be extended upward to catch under the head of the rail, and afford
to it a support, and in that event the ordinary fish plate may be dispensed with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Julius Boult in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th October 1883.
"
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Engineer IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO RAILWAY TIES," a cominunication
from Elias Burchard Hungerford, Merchant of the City Corning, County of Stenben,
State of New York United States of America
This invention is especially adapted to that class of railway ties, which are
composed of metal such as iron, and it consists in certain details of construction
hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which.
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my tie showing the rails in position.
±
Figure 2 is a side view thereof..
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the tie showing one rail.
Figure 4. is a similar section showing a modification..
Figure 5 is a cross section of the tie.
Figure 6 is a plan or top view of a portion thereof in blank form.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The letter A designates the body of the tie which may be cast, wrought, rolled
or otherwise formed of iron or other metal. Portions of this tie are punched out
as at B and bent downward to form feet B¹ and when the tie is applied to
use such feet enter the ground thus effectually preventing displacement of the
article. The number of the feet B¹ may be varied according to the condition of
the earth at the place where the tie is laid and in some cases a single foot will
answer the purpose. It is preferred to locate the feet beneath the rails.
The letter O designates the rails each resting on a bed plate D which is inserted
between the base of the rail and the tie and provided with a curved jaw F adapted
to overlap the base of the rail, and hold it to the plate. On the longitudinal edges
of the tie are vertical flanges G between which the bed plate D is fitted and which
are provided with recesses H adapted to receive in them the base of the rail. Said
recesses H respectively are at one end of the opening H' cut out in the tie flanges G
to a width about equal to the base of the rail and when it is desired to fasten the
rail the latter is laid on the tie by passing it through this opening; the bed-plate D
is then put in place, the rail being lifted for this purpose, and if the plate is driven
up against the rail one edge of the base of the rail is brought into the recesses H
whilst the other edge thereof is at the same time caught by the jaw F so that the
flange recesses and jaw jointly act on the rail to hold it in position. Either the
recesses or the jaw may be used independently of each other.
The bed plate D is champered or bevelled on one edge as at I to facilitate its
insertion beneath, the rail, and it is locked in the tie by means of the key J of
wedge shape which is driven through holes or apertures o in the flanges and bears
against one edge of the plate where the latter is provided with a rabbit 8 for
receiving the key, so that the latter tends to prevent both an outward and upward
movement of the rail. The key J is provided on one edge with a series of teeth
whereby it engages the edge of one of the key holes o and in order to permit
successive teeth to spring into place, as the key is advanced, the key holes are
enlarged in one direction, as shown in Figure 2 and the proper edge of the bed
plate D is curved as shown in Figure 1 so as to allow a lateral movement of the
eading end of the key.
The jaw F may be extended upward as at F1 (Figure 4) to catch under the head
of the rail, and afford to it a support, and in that event the ordinary fish plate may
e dispensed with.

page_text: Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner of per-
forming the same as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent I wish it to
be understood that what I claim and desire to protect is :-
First A metallic railway tie having portions punched out and bent downward
to form feet which enter the earth and prevent displacement of the tie, substantially
as described-
Second-The combination with a railway tie of a bed plate for the rail having
a curved jaw which overlaps the base of the rail, thereby holding it on the plate,
substantially as described:-
Third: The combination of a railway tie and a rail, of a bed plate for the rail
having a curved jaw to overlap the base of the rail and a rabbit for receiving a
fastening key, substantially as described :-
Fourth-The combination with a railway tie and rail of a bed plate for the rail
having a jaw to overlap the base of the rail and of a key for locking the bed plate
on the tie, as described:-
Fifth The combination with the rail and the metallic railway tie, having
vertical longitudinal flanges provided with recesses for receiving one edge of the
base of the rail and with key holes, of a bed plate for the rail having a jaw which
overlaps the other edge of the base of the rail and of the key passing through holes
of the key flange, substantially as described for the purpose set forth :-
Sixth-The combination with the rail and the metallic railway tie having vertical
longitudinal flanges provided with recesses and key holes, of the bed plate having
the curved jaw and rabbit and of the key passing through holes of the tie flange
substantially as described for the purpose set forth :-
Seventh The combination with the rail and the metallic railway tie, of the
bed plate having the curved jaw to overlap the base of the rail and of the key
having teeth on one edge, substantially as and for the purpose described :-
Eighth-The combination with the rail and the metallic railway tie of the bed
plate having the jaw overlap the base of the rail and having one edge chamfered or
bevelled, and the key for locking the bed plate on the tie, substantially as described
for the purpose set forth;-
:-
Ninth The combination of a railway tie and rail of a bed plate for the rail
having a jaw to overlap the base of the rail, and an upward extension on said jaw
to support the head of the rail, substantially as described:-
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Julius Boult have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty fourth day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.