IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DODD DERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Pignel, of Amiens, in the Department of
the Somme, and Republic of France, Inspector of the Northern
Railway of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
DODD
DERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Pignel at the
Office of the Commissioners or Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th December 1873.
I, HENRY PIGNEL, of Amiens, in the Department of the Somme, and
Republic of France, Inspector of the Northern Railway of France, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS," to be as follows :-
My Invention consists in a system of laying the permanent ways of
railways and tramways upon felt. This system consists in the inter-
position of felt, prepared or not with a waterproofing liquid, between the
base or foot of the rails and the sleepers, and it has for object to permit
the trains to run with relatively greater comfort to the traveller, and to

page_text: sensibly reduce the cost of maintenance, whether in regard to labour
or renewal of rolling stock; finally to reduce the cost of the rolling
stock, which evidently will suffer less strain upon a soft or yielding than
upon a hard or rigid way.
It will be readily understood that the base or foot of the rails resting
upon the felt (a relatively clastic mattress) the rolling of the trains will
be easy and the sound deadened, consequently travellers will suffer less
discomfort than upon existing lines, this discomfort being proportioned
to the noise and the hardness of the way.
The saving in the maintenance of the way arises from the preservation:
of the sleepers, which the felt preserves from incrustation and rot, and
upon a considerable saving of labour.
The saving upon the maintenance of the rolling stock arises from the
easiness and stability of the way, for the way being soft crushing of the
rails or flattening of the wheels will rarely occur, and the flattening of:
the wheels shortens the wear of both rolling stock and permanent way.
This method of laying ways upon felt is equally applicable to permanent
ways having chairs as to those upon which "Vignolles" or single-headed
rails are used.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Fig. 1 is an end view of a
felted way laid with a "Vignolles" or single-headed rail; Fig. 2, end
view of a felted way laid with double-headed rail and chair.
The felts may be longer and broader than the groove or recess in the
aloener on the sleanors may be without groove or recess.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Pignel in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 16th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
PIGNEL, of Amiens, in the Department of the Somme, and Republic of
France, Inspector of the Northern Railway of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the

page_text: thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Pignel, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Pignel, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Pignel, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Pignel, my executors or ad-
ministrators, 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 Henry Pignel; 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:―
My Invention consists in a system of laying the permanent ways of
railways and tramways upon felt. This system consists in the inter-
position of felt, prepared or not with a waterproofing liquid between
the base or foot of the rails and the sleepers, and it has for object to
permit the trains or cars to run easier, and therefore with relatively
greater comfort to the traveller, to sensibly reduce the cost of main-
tenance whether in regard to labour or renewal of rolling stock, and
finally to reduce the cost of the rolling stock, which evidently will suffer
less upon a soft or yielding than upon a hard or rigid way. This method
of laying ways upon felt is equally applicable to permanent ways having
chairs as to those upon which "Vignolles" or single-headed rails are
used.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Figure 1 is an end view of a
felted way laid with a "Vignolles" or single-headed rail; and Figure 2,
end view of a felted way laid with double-headed rail and chair,
a indicating the felt in both Figures.

page_text: The felts may be longer and broader than the groove or recess in the
sleeper, or the sleepers may be without groove or recess.
It will be readily understood that the base or foot of the rails resting
upon the felt (a relatively elastic mattress) the rolling of the trains will
be easy and the noise deadened, consequently travellers will suffer less.
discomfort than upon existing lines, this discomfort being proportioned
to the noise and the hardness of the way.
The saving in the maintenance of the way arises mainly from the
preservation of the sleepers which the felt preserves from incrustation
and rot, and consequent saving of the labour otherwise expended in
replacing rotten sleepers and cleaning such as are incrusted.
The saving upon the maintenance of the rolling stock arises from the
casiness and stability of the way, for the way being soft, crushing of the
rails and the flattening of the wheels which wears both rolling stock
and permanent way, will rarely occur.
The felt, while preserving the sleepers from rot and incrustation, also
rectifics defective fastening of rail or chair to the sleepers, inasmuch as
parts from 25 to 25 of an inch out of level are compensated by its
thickness. Defective fastening is one of the main causes of rapid
deterioration of the way. The rails being well seated on the felt and
well tightend on the sleepers incrustation need no longer be feared any
more than loosening of the bolts, as is the case when there is a hollow
however slight between the bottom of the rails and the sleepers or
supports upon which they are fastened. The bolts being always tight,
and the felt adhering to both rails and sleepers, no slipping need be
feared.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Pignel, have hereunto set
my hand and scal this Fourth day of June, in the year of our
LOUIS EUGÈNE COLSON.
JEAN BAPTISTE GIRARD.
HENRI PIGNEL. (L.S.)
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