IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PER- MANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ashbury, of Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Contractor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PER-
MANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 25th September 1862, and dated the 16th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ashbury at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th April 1862.
I, JOHN ASHBURY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Contractor,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar form of rail, and of the chairs to be
used therewith, whereby greater economy and simplicity are obtained, and
the operations of laying and removing the rails are considerably expedited.
According to this Invention, it is proposed to use a rail baving the ordinary
bearing flange at its upper surface, but with a slightly tapered or wedge-
shaped web in transverse section, the narrowest portion of the rail being at its
lower edge. This rail is dropped into a peculiar form of chair, the inner surface
of the jaws of which being made to approach each other towards the lower
portion of the chair, thus preventing a tapered or wedge-shaped opening or
trough for the reception of the web of the rail, which fits it accurately at the
sides. Any heavyweight passing over the rail will tend to force the rail
down into its chair, and will, consequently, still further tighten it therein

page_text: without the necessity for any keys or wedges whatever. If desired, a small
wooden bearing piece may be inserted into the bottom of the chair to receive
the direct pressure of the rail, but this may be dispensed with, if preferred.
The rails may be prevented from rising from their chairs by pins or bolts
passing transversely through the rail and jaws of the chair, a ring or collar
serving to prevent the accidental displacement of the bolt, but in some cases
these bolts or pins may be dispensed with. The joint chairs are made like
the intermediate chairs, but wider, and a bolt or pin is passed through the
two jaws and through an opening made between the rail ends so that one
bolt will serve to hold down both rail ends. I prefer to form these chairs by
rolling them from wrought-iron plates, but they may also be made of cast iron,
if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ashbury in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ASHBURY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Contractor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Ashbury, Her special license that I, the said John Ashbury,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Ashbury, my executors, administrators, or 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Ashbury, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ashbury, do bereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performeil,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statènient,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
:
My said Invention relates to an improved mode of securing the rails of the
permanent way of railways, whereby greater economy and simplicity are
obtained, and the operations of laying and removing the rails are considerably
expedited.
According to this Invention; it is proposed to use a rail having the ordinary
bearing flange at its upper surface, but with a slightly tapered or wedge-
shaped web in transverse section, the narrowest portion of the rail being at its
lower edge. This rail is dropped into a chair, the inner surfaces of the jaws
of which are made to approach each other towards the lower portion of the
chair, thus presenting a tapered or wedge-shaped opening or trough for the
reception of the correspondingly tapered web of the rail, which fits it accu-
rately at the sides. Any heavy weight passing over the rail will tend to force
it down into its chair, and will, consequently, still further tighten it therein
without the necessity for keys or wedges of any kind. If desired, a small
wooden bearing piece may be inserted into the bottom of the chair to receive
the direct pressure of the rail, but this may be dispensed with, if preferred.
The rails may be prevented from rising from their chairs by pins or bolts
passing transversely through the rail and jaws of the chair, a ring or collar
serving to prevent the accidental displacement of the bolt, but in some cases
these bolts or pins may be dispensed with. The joint chairs are made like
the intermediate chairs, but wider, and a bolt or pin is passed through the two
jaws and through an opening made between the rail ends, so that one bolt
will serve to hold down both rail ends. I prefer to form these chairs by
rolling them from wrought-iron plates, but they may also be made of cast
iron, if desired.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of. reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a transverse vertical section of my
improved form of rail and chair, which latter is here shewn as made of
wrought iron; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same; Figure 3 is à
side elevation of a portion of the rail in its intermediate chair; and Figure 4

page_text: is a similar view of the joint chair, showing the mode of securing or holding
down the rail ends.
A is the chair, which I prefer to make from a wrought-iron plate, bent or
doubled in the form shown, so as to leave a tapered trough or opening
between the inner faces of the two jaws a, a. This chair may be secured to
any suitable form of wooden or other sleeper by any of the well known con-
trivances. The rail B is single-headed, and is formed with a tapered web
corresponding exactly with the tapered trough in the chair. This rail is
dropped into the chair, its sides being in direct contact with, and fitting accu-
rately against the inner faces of the jaws. A space may be left between
the bottom of the web of the rail and the chair, or, if preferred, this space
may be filled in with wood or other suitable yielding substance. C, C, are
bolts or pins passed transversely through the jaws of the chair and through
the web of the rail for the purpose of preventing the rail from jumping or
rising from its chair, these pins being held in their places by rings or collars, as
shewn. In the case of joint chairs (Figure 4) the pin may have an oval
or other section, and made to enter coinciding notches in the abutting ends of
the two rails. The advantages obtained by this system of permanent way
are,-
1st. If the chairs be made of wrought iron, all risk of breaking is
avoided, which amounts to a, considerable per-centage where cast-iron chairs
are used.
2nd. The form of rail is such that the same sectional area of an ordinary
rail is preserved, and a better and stronger form given to it.
3rd. The simplicity of the mode of fastening the rail to the chair.
4th. The short time in which a rail can be changed, a few minutes sufficing
to perform the operation, all that is required to be done being to take out a
few bolts (which may be secured either by a cottar or, a nut); lift out the rail,
and put in another.
5th. The complete safety of the chair and rail, wood keys being dispensed
with, the liability of their getting out, and the rail becoming loose is
avoided.
6th. The amount of elasticity that a wrought-iron chair possesses over a
cast-iron one, thus rendering the line smooth and pleasant to travel upon.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used, or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
:

page_text: First, the general construction and arrangement of permanent way of rail-
ways, as herein-before described.
Second, the peculiar form of rail, as herein-before described and illustrated
by my Drawings.
Third, the combination of the peculiar form of rail, herein-before referred
to, with a wrought or cast-iron chair of the construction berein-before
described.
Fourth, the mode of securing or holding down the peculiar form of rail
above referred to in its chairs, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ashbury, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN ASHBURY. (L.S.)