IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Victor Demerbe, of Jemmapes, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
. Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 19th November 1878, and dated the 23rd May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Victor Demerbe at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd May 1878.
"
VICTOR DEMERBE, of Jemmapos, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of the permanent
way of railways, whether they are required for use in connection with steam or
horse traction.
The rails I make hollow, and of a cross section somewhat resembling an
inverted V. The head of the rail is made flat, or nearly so, for about half its width
to form a bearing surface for the wheels of the engines and carriages, and adjoining
the inner side of this flattened part is a longitudinal groove to receive the flange of
the running wheels.
These rails it is proposed to sink into the ground to nearly their full depth, and
thereby to remove all tendency of the rails to deflect under the weight of passing
trains.
.
For maintaining the proper gauge of the rails distancing bars formed of inverted
channel iron are used, the same being applied at distances of some 16 feet apart
(more or less). These distancing bars carry at their opposite ends a pair of blocks,
across which slots with inclined sides are cut to receive the lower edges of the rails.
Wedge-shaped keys are fitted into these slots, and being held down by screw bolts,
which pass through the wedges, the blocks and the distancing bars serve to hold
the rails firmly in position.
-
The fish plates for these hollow rails are made of a form the counterpart of the
inner face of the rails, and they are secured in place by bolts and rivets.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Victor Demerbe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd November
1878.
VICTOR DEMERBE, of Jemmapes, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of the perinanent
way of railways, whether they be required for use in connection with steam or
horse traction.
The rails which I propose to use are hollow, and have a sectional form somewhat
resembling an inverted V... The head of the rail is made flat, or nearly so, for about
half its width, to form a bearing surface for the wheels of the engines and carriages,
and adjoining the inner side of this flatened part is a longitudinal groove to receive
the flange of the running wheels.
The rails I sink into the ground to nearly their full depth, and thereby remove
all tendency of the rails to deflect under the weight of passing trains.
For maintaining the proper gauge of the rails distancing bars constituting trans-
verse sleepers are used, the same being set at distances of some sixteen feet apart
(more or less). These distancing bars carry at their opposite ends a pair of blocks,
across which slots with inclined slides are cut to receive the lower edges of the rails,
and into these slots wedge-shaped keys are fitted which, being held down by screw
bolts, serve to hold the rails firmly in position.
The fish plates for these hollow rails are made of a form the counterpart of the
inner face of the rails, and they are secured in place by bolts and rivets.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Fig. 1 shews in transverse section a tramway constructed according to this
Invention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, showing the mode of
coupling up the rails by means of fish plates.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the hollow rail with its internal fish
plate, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.
In Figures 1 and 2, a, a, are the hollow or saddle back rails, formed with
longitudinal grooves in their upper surface to receive the flanges of the running
wheels, and b, b, are the fish plates rolled to fit the interior of the rails. These fish
plates, are secured to the abutting rails by means of bolts, aš usual.
c, c, are the
transverse distancing bars which rest upon the ground, and serve to some extent as
sleepers to support the rails. These distancing bars are represented as being made
hollow, but in the modification to be presently described solid bars may be used.
These distancing bars are slotted near their ends to receive coupling bolts, and
provide for the adjustment of the same. d, d, are pairs of blocks carried by the
distancing bars or sleepers, their object being to receive the lower edges of the
hollow or saddle back rails, and hold the same firmly in place. In the upper face
of these blocks are grooves with inclined sides to receive the lower edges of the
rails, and into these grooves fit wedges or keys c, which bear against the opposite
sides of the hollow rail and fix it tightly in the blocks; f.f, are screw bolts which
pass through wedges, blocks, and distance bar or sleeper, and by which when
tightened up all the parts are firmly connected. By slotting the holes in the
distancing bars a lateral adjustment of the rails is provided for. The rails it will
be seen are sunk into the ground to near the street level, and the distancing bars
are by this arrangement of the parts situate below and clear of the paving blocks;
'should it be required to sink the distancing bars to a lower level it is only necessary
'to increase the height of the blocks d, d. As the connection of the rails with the
distancing bars is maintained without passing bolts or rivets through the rails the
space between the distancing bars may vary to suit the convenience of the railway
constructor.
The rails, as shewn in the Drawing, will be filled with ballast or equivalent
material, so as to give them a broad continuous support on the ground, and they

page_text: will thus have no tendency to deflect under the pressure of a moving load, notwith-
standing any variations of measurement that may occur between the distancing
bars or sleepers.
As a modification of the foregoing arrangement I propose to use flat or solid
distancing bars which will offer little or no obstruction to the blocks used in paving
the tramway, and need therefore not be sunk into the bed on which they rest.
This modification is illustrated at Figures 5 and 6, where Fig. 5 is a transverse
section of the hollow or saddle back rails fitted to a flat distancing bar, and Fig. 6
is a side elevation of the same, shewing the distancing bar in section. In this case
the blocks d, d, are dispensed with and pairs of transverse slots c', c², are cut in the
ends of the bars c to receive the lower edges of the saddle back rails. One of the
slots c¹ of each pair is so shaped as to embrace one side of the rail, and the other
slot is made sufficiently wide, and otherwise so shaped as to permit of the
descent of the rail into its place, and form an inclined shoulder, against which the
inner side of the rail may bear. Instead of the wedges e in Fig. 1, I employ as
their equivalent a pair of plates h, h, formed with inclined slots to embrace that
side of the rail which enters the slot c², and hold it firmly in place. Screw holes f. f.
passing through these plates and through the distancing bar, which is intermediato
thereof, serve to secure the plates to the bar or sleeper, and thereby hold the hollow
rail firmly in position.
This arrangement ensures an accurate gauging of the rails, and also provides for
the ready attachment of the transverse bars to the rails at any convenient point, as
in the first-described arrangement.
Having now set forth the nature of my said Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of the Permanent Way of Railways," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the modes above described of connecting
hollow or saddle back rails to transverse bars or sleepers, whereby I am enabled to
attain one or all of the following advantages, namely, to give the rails an accurate
lateral adjustment on the sleepers, to sink the sleepers to any required depth below
the surface of the road, and to attach the transverse bars or sleepers to the rails at
any convenient distance apart, without forming bolt holes in the rails for that
purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said Victor Demerbe, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.