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

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE JOINTS OR CHAIRS OF THE PER-
MANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."-A communication from abroad by Raymond
French, of Seymour, Connecticut, and William Goddard, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 25th July 1862, and dated the 24th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th February 1862.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE JOINTS OR CHAIRS OF THE PER-
MANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
Many plans for strengthening and uniting the ends of railroad rails and
making a firm joint that will not yield to the rolling stock have been devised,
but the evil still exists, though in a lesser degree than heretofore. The object
of the present Invention is to strengthen and unite the ends of the rails where
they meet by some simple and cheap means that will be efficient, and that will
prevent or lessen the jarring or pounding of the passing wheels, which is so

page_text: destructive to the rails or their joints. The present Invention consists in
shrinking the iron chair to the rails at their joint, and thus preserving the
whole surface bearing of the chair and rails, and making an extremely solid
and firm joint without the necessity of keys or wedges for holding the rails
and chains together. In carrying out the Invention the chair is to be heated
and driven on the end of one rail, and the end of the next rail may then be
driven into the other end of the chair, which when cool will contract and hold
both rails firmly in their place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, 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 William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 JOINTS OR CHAIRS OF THE PERMANENT WAY
OF RAILWAYS," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Edward Newton, 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

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Many plans for strengthening and uniting the ends of railroad rails and
making a firm joint that will not yield to the rolling stock have been devised,
but the evil still exists, though in a lesser degree than heretofore. The object
of the present Invention is to strengthen and unite the ends of the rails (where
they meet) by some simple and cheap means that will be efficient, and will
prevent or lessen the jarring or pounding of the passing wheels, which is so
destructive to the rails or their joints. Heretofore bolts, spikes, keys, or
wedges have been universally used to fasten the ends of rails to their chairs,
and in whatever way these bolts, spikes, keys, or wedges may be used, their
tendency is to take away from the surface contact between the rail and the
chair, whilst the security and strength of the chair support is in proportion to
the surface contact (friction) between it and the rails. If a key or wedge be
driven in between one of the jaws of the chair and the rail, there is but little
more than one half of the surface of the chair that touches the rail. If two
keys or wedges are used there is still less contact surface, and hence keys or
wedges destroy the means by which the chair could hold tightest to the rails.
The present Invention consists in shrinking the iron chair to the rails at their
joint, and thus preserving the whole surface bearing of the chair and rails, and
making an extremely solid and firm joint without the necessity of keys or
wedges for holding the rails and chairs together.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents in perspective portions of
two rails forming a joint with a chair placed under the joint; Fig. 2 represents
a vertical cross section taken through the rail and chair.
One of the rails A having been laid in any of the usual well-known ways,
and fastened to the sills, a chair B is heated and driven on to its ends; a
second rail C is then driven into the chair B, or the chair may have been
driven far enough into the rail A, so that the end of the rail C may be laid up
close to that of the rail A, and then the chair B be driven back over the end
of C, and when the chair cools it will shrink up tight to the rails, holding them
with a firmness second only to that of welding. A gauge plate may be inserted
at the joints to keep the rails from close contact, and to provide for expansion
of the rails. A slip joint may be occasionally made to provide for the expan-
sion and contraction of the rails. When double lines of rails are used and the
trains always run in the same direction, spikes or bolts may be used in con-
nection with this joint to prevent the rails from "creeping" under the force of
the driving wheels of the locomotive. As the jaws of the chair have less
metal in them and would not possess so much shrinkage as the other parts of

page_text: the chair, and are more likely to spread than the other portions, a clamping
tool may be used to press against the jaws a, a, whilst hot, and bring them
tight up against the waist or web of the rail, and thus almost the entire surface
of the rail below its face or top may be in contact with the chair, and hold it
with great tenacity, making a very rigid joint.
Having now described the Invention of improvements in the joints or chairs
of the permanent way of railways, and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent
as aforesaid the mode herein set forth of adapting chairs or supports to the
joints or ends of railroad rails.
I claim particularly heating and shrinking the chair on to the joints, as
herein described, so as to strengthen the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON.
(L.S..)