AN IMPROVED KEY FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Morris, of No. 8, Albert Square, Clapham
Road, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED KEY
FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS."
Scaled the 28th December 1860, and dated the 3rd July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said James Morris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd July 1860.
I, JAMES MORRIS, of No. 8, Albert Square, Clapham Road, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVED
KEY FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improved key or wedge for securing
railway rails in their chairs. Railway rails are ordinarily fixed in their chairs
by means of wooden keys; metal keys also have sometimes been employed.
According to this Invention keys or wedges for securing railway rails are
constructed in the following manner :-They are mado principally of metal,
and shaped so as to fit between the cheek of the chair, of whatever description,
and the webb of the rail fully filling up the space between the flanges of the
rail. On the side which when the key or wedge is in use is towards the rail
a recess is made, and into this recess a small piece of wood on the flat of
the grain is fitted so as to project slightly beyond the surface of the key or

page_text: wedge; thus when the key or wedge is driven into its place the surface of the
wooden filling piece would bear against the webb of the rail. Keys thus con-
structed hold more securely, and are more durable than wooden keys, and at
the same time they have not the rigidity of a key made entirely of metal.
They are much less liable to be broken or become loose by the vibration of
trains passing over them, which is the great objection to keys made entirely
of metal. The small piece of wood is also completely protected from exposure
to the weather, and is not affected by either heat or wet, so as to shrink
or swell.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Morris in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd January 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MORRIS, of No. 8, Albert Square, Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Iler
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Morris, Her special licence that I, the said James
Morris, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Morris, 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
"AN IMPROVED KEY FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS," upon the condition (amongst
others), that I, the said James Morris, my executors 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 I, the said James Morris, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object an improved key or wedge for securing
railway rails in their chairs. Railway rails are ordinarily fixed in their chairs
by means of wooden keys; metal keys also have sometimes been employed.
According to this Invention keys or wedges for securing railway rails are
constructed in the following manner :-They are made principally of metal,
and shapod so as to fit between the check of the chair, of whatever description,
and the webb of the rail partly filling up the space between the flanges of the
rail. On the side which when the key or wedge is in use is towards the rail
a recess is made, and into this recess a small piece of wood on the flat of the
grain is fitted so as to project slightly beyond the surface of the key or wedge;
thus when the key or wedge is driven into its place the surface of the wooden
filling piece will bear against the webb of the rail. Keys thus constructed
hold more securely and are more durable than wooden keys, and at the same
time they have not the rigidity of a key made entirely of metal; they are
much less liable to be broken or become loose by the vibration of trains
passing over them, which is the great objection to keys made entirely of
metal. The small piece of wood is also completely protected from exposure
to the weather, and is not affected by either beat or wet, so as to shrink or
swell.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a transverse section of a railway chair of an ordinary con-
struction, having a rail secured or fastened thereon by a key or wedge
according to my Invention. The form, however, of the key or wedge will
require to be varied when the interior of the jaw of the chair or the section of
the rail to be secured therein differs from what is shown in the Drawing.
Figure 2 shows a front view of the key or wedge made according to my
Invention; and Figure 3 shows an end view thereof. The key or wedge is
cast or formed with its inner surface to come next the rail, and with its outer
surface to come next the interior of the jaw of the chair, but not to fit tightly
between the chair and the rail. The surfaces of the key correspond in general
contour or outline with the surfaces of the rail and the jaw of the chair, but
not so as to fit tightly. The key or wedge is of metal, and is cast or formed
with a recess in it to receive a piece of dry wood in such manner as to

page_text: protrude beyond the metal surface of the key or wedge, so as to cause the
metal key or wedge (which without the wood is, as above stated, formed to fit
easily between the rail and the jaw of the chair) to fit tightly, and require to
be driven in between them with force.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
constructing keys or wedges for securing or fixing of the rails of railways in
chairs, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Morris, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord 1
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
JAMES MORRIS. (L.S.)