IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF RAILS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Loeder, of New Broad Street, in the City
of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF RAILS FOR RAILWAYS."-A communica-
tion from abroad by Gabriel Dümler, of Namur, Belgium, Engineer.
Sealed the 12th September 1865, and dated the 24th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Loeder at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
March 1865.
I, WILLIAM LOEDER, of New Broad Street, in the City of London, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF RAILS FOR RAILWAYS," (a communication
to me from abroad by Gabriel Dümler, of Namur, Belgium, Engineer,) to
be as follows:
On reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings forming part of this
Provisional Specification it will be seen that the improved rails, the subject
of this Invention, are made in two parts, namely a body or rail B, and a hood
or cap A. This arrangement permits the two parts to be made of different
material, for example, the hood or cap A may be of steel, or steeled iron, and

page_text: the body B of the rail of rolled or cast iron, or both parts may be of the same
material if desired; another advantage is that as the hood or cap covers the
joints of the rail B, the usual fish plates are dispensed with, and greater
stability and strength given to the way.
Figure 1 is a section of one of these improved rails, the part B being T-
headed; the cap or hood A fastened to B by bolt and nut, and the space
between the lower part of the sides or flanges of the hood and the body of the
rail unfilled. Figure 2 shews sectional and side view of a rail made on the
same principle but with shoulder of head of B rounded; and side sloping
instead of square as at Figure 1, and different fastening. The body B of the
rail may be strengthened by a rib N, (shewn in red dotted lines Figure 1)
against which may if required rest the sides or flanges f, g, of the cap or
hood A; there might also be fixed between the body B of the rail, and the
sides of the cap or hood A around the rivets, bolts, screws, or keys, washers
of wrought or cast iron or other material, or the washers may be replaced by
iron plates or wooden laths running between the flanges of the cap and the
body of the rail. Figure 3 shews one of these improved rails, the body B
being hollow and shaped at its upper part so as to form a bed for the hood A,
no interval (except for packing if desired) being left between the rail B and
the hood A. The hollow rail here shewn offers 'the advantages of lightness
and economy
with great strength. Figure 4 shows another one of these im-
proved rails, the part B being solid, but with its head also following the shape
of the flanges of the cap A, the head of which is also of slightly different
form. Figure 5 another arrangement with space on one side between the
flange of the cap or hood and the body of the rail, which space may be filled
or partially so (as desired) by rib, washer, or lath, as above mentioned, or left
open. Laths of wood or metal, or bands of valcanized india-rubber, or other
elastic, non-elastic, or semi-elastic material may in every case be introduced
between the hood A and the rail B at the points x and y, or any of the plane
surfaces. The two parts of the rail may be riveted, keyed, screwed, bolted,
or otherwise fastened together, and be tightened with wedges of wood or
other material. It will be observed that although varying somewhat in shape.
the hood or cap A is in all the Figures made substantially on the same prin-
ciple, and it will be evident that by means of iron or wooden wedges driven
'between the flanges of the hood and the rail it may be tightened on any
existing shape of rail.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Loeder in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LOEDER, of New Broad Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHERSAS Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Loeder, Her special licence that I, the said William Loeder, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as Ị, the said William
Loeder, 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 MANU-
FACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF RAILS FOR RAILWAYS," a communication to me from
abroad by Gabriel Dümler, of Namur, Belgium, Engineer, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Loeder, my executors or adminis
tors, 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 Inven-
tion, 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 William Loeder, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, and to the
figures and letters of reference placed thereon.
This Invention consists in an improved system of rail for railways, such rail
being formed or composed of two parts, (but of various forms) which may be
termed body of rail, and rail hood, the latter representing the part on which
the wheels of the rolling stock run, and the former forming permanent
support to the latter. The body of the rail, made according to this Invention,
is fixed to the sleepers, and the hood placed on and secured to the body, and
as these two parts break joint no fishes are required for the security of their
ends. In this Specification are described and shewn, Figures 1 to 8, several

page_text: descriptions of rail formed on the principle set forth, but it need scarcely be
observed that such principle may be carried out by the manufacture of rails
in two parts (body and hood) in many other forms, and therefore those
described and shewn must be taken merely as illustrative of the principle of
construction. These rails may be made of wrought or of cast iron or of steel,
or partly of one denomination of metal and partly of another, and the hood
may be secured to the body or support either by bolts or any of the other
known contrivances for securing or attaching metal to metal. It is obvious
that in the use of these rails it is intended that the body should be a more
permanent fixture than the hood rail, as the latter may be taken off, turned
or removed without any interference with the former, and as the weight of
metal per yard required for the construction of these rails does not materially
differ from that consumed in the manufacture of railway rails in ordinary use,
a manifest economy as well as additional security is obtained by the adoption
of this system.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 represents in cross section a bridge
headed rail, the hood A resting. on the body B, which is made hollow with
large flanges to secure it to the sleepers, a bolt passes through both hood and
body and is secured by a nut. Figure 2 shews a rail, the body B of which
hollows inwards from about one inch from its top (which is made either quite
flat or segmental or with a slight ellipse) and again towards the flanges trends
outwards and is formed with a flat or step con each side to receive and support the
under edges of the T-headed hood A, which is so cast or rolled that its under sides
are lengthened to rest (or nearly so) at c, c, while it is principally supported at D,
and is bolted or otherwise secured at the sides to B. Figure 3 shews a hood
A similar to that shewn at Figure 2, the ends of the sides resting either at
c, c, or stopping at m, m, the body B is in this case beveled from c, c, to the
apex d. At Figures 4 and 4* will be observed a rail differing in form of
both hood and body from the preceding; at Figure 4 the T-headed hood A
is passed on to the body B, the sides having an inclination outwards, and
passing but little further down the body than the widest portion thereof at c, c,
the body being slightly beveled up to its apex d, d, the hood is bolted or
otherwise secured between d and c. Figure 4 differs only from Figure 4 in
shewing a bridge headed hood A fitted to the body B. Figure 5 shews a
bridge-headed hood A on a T-headed body B, the sides of the former being
bolted to the body through the thinnest portion thereof, this forms a very
light rail. Figure 6 represents a bridge hood A on a square headed body B,
the hood is secured by bolt (or otherwise) closely under the square of the
body. Figure 7 shews a rail, the body B of which has a T-shaped top and

page_text: bridge-shaped hood, the two parts being united by bolts d; between the flanges
of the hood and the body of the rail may be placed laths or washers N, which
the tightening up of the screw or bolt d keeps in position, or if desired cast
or wrought iron ribs S, as at Figure 8 (which in other respects corresponds
with Figure 7) may be placed on or form part of the body B, and come
between the flanges or sides of the hood A, and the body of the rail B, when
in position (as sectioned in red). Between the plane surfaces of the hood A
and the body of the rail B laths of wood or metal, or ribbons of vulcanized
india-rubber or other elastic, non-elastic, or semi-elastic material may in every
case be introduced, or between any other of the plane metallic surfaces.
Figure 9 shews a longitudinal elevation of a composite rail, and is drawn to
shew that the hood or cap A and the body B of these composite rails break
joint at regular intervals with each other, so that when secured in position no
fishes are required. It will be observed that although varying somewhat in
shape the hood A is in all the Figures made substantially on the same prin-
ciple, and it will be evident that by means of iron or wooden wedges driven
between the flanges or sides of the hood and the body of the rail it may be
tightened up on any existing shape of rail.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and means by which
it is carried into practical effect, I would have it distinctly understood that I
do not confine myself to the precise details herein given and illustrated on the
Drawing, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the prin-
ciple of the Invention, but I claim as of the Invention communicated to me
from abroad by my correspondent Gabriel Dümler, of Namur, Belgium,
Engineer, and secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent, the
exclusive use of rails for railways when constructed or made of body and
hood, whether such parts of rail be wholly of wrought or wholly of cast iron,
or of steel, or manufactured partly of one metal and partly of another
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Loeder, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
WILLIAM LOEDER. (L.s.)