IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Andrew Muir, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Machinist, and James McIlwham, of the same
Place, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Andrew Muir.
and James M'Ilwham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 14th March 1862.
We, MATTHEW ANDREW MUIR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Machinist, and JAMES MILWHAM, of the same Place, Ma-
chinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY SLEEPERS AND CHAIRS, AND IN THE MODE OF FIXING RAILS," to be
as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved construction of cast-metal
sleepers and chairs; and, secondly, to a mode of fixing rails in chairs. The
improved sleeper is cast in the form of a disc; there is a central boss or raised
part which forms a base, from which the chair jaws spring, this part of the
sleeper is cast thicker than the other portion, and below it is further strength-
ened by a transverse rib, which extends across the under side of the boss, and
has formed on it a feather, which is immediately under the centre of the rail,

page_text: and which fits a notch in the tie bar. From the raised central part the
surface of the sleeper slopes slightly towards the margin, the rim being curved
in an outward direction, somewhat similar to the lower part of a bell.
Sleepers constructed according to this plan require less metal than those of
the dome-shape, whilst they are much stronger, and they take a firmer hold
of the ground. The sleepers when laid for the rails are connected by means
of transverse tie bars, which extend a little beyond the centre of the sleeper,
and this part of the tie bar is notched to fit the feathered part of the central
rib of the sleeper. The tie bar is fastened to the sleeper by a saddle bolt,
which passes up through the disc, and is secured thereto either by a nut or
split key.
The second part of this Invention refers to a mode of fixing rails in the
chairs. Under one modification as applied to double-headed rails, the rail is
placed in the chair bearing against the parallel face of the inner jaw, and
between the other face of the rail and the contiguous jaw is placed a bolster
piece. This bolster piece is, by preference, formed of a rectangular figure, its.
inner face, which presses against the web of the rail, is bossed out, and the
flat rim forms the bearing surface. The outer face of the bolster piece is
formed with a central recessed part, and the ends which form the bearing
surfaces for the key are curved, or they may form plane surfaces extending in
an angular direction from the ends of the bolster piece towards the recessed
part in the centre. The inner face of the contiguous jaw of the sleeper is
cast to a figure corresponding to the opposite face of the bolster piece, and a
curved key is driven in between the jaw and the bolster piece.. The key is, by,
preference, formed of malleable iron, the curvature is given to it in a lateral
direction, and it is slightly tapered towards one end. When the key is driven
in its curved surface presses against the corresponding parts of the bolster
piece, and the rail is thus tightly wedged up between the parallel faces of the
bolster piece and the inner jaw of the chair. From the particular figure
given to the bearing parts of the outer face of the bolster piece, it acts as a
double, wedge on the key, the direction of the inclined or curved surfaces
being towards each other. In this way the motion of a locomotive or train
in either direction cannot affect the tightness of the key, for the force which
would tend to loosen it in one direction is counteracted by the secondary
bearing surfaces acting in the opposite way, and vice versa. The same
general arrangement or mode of fixing is also applicable to rails supported by
the bead of the rail resting on the jaw of the chair and the bolster piece.
The bolster piece is arranged in an angular position, but its bearing surfaces are
vertical, the key is driven in between the outer face of the bolster piece and the

page_text: jaw of the chair. This system of fastening is also particularly applicable for
securing the ends. of contiguous rails, in which case the chair and bolster
piece are formed of suitable lengths, and the key is formed to a curvature of
greater radius corresponding to the figure of the bolster piece. The bearing
surfaces, which press against the ends of, the rails, being parallel cannot,
interfere with the expansion or contraction of the rail arising from changes of
temperature, neither can. this motion in either direction affect the security
of the ioint.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent," filed
by the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James McIlwham in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th September 1862..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MATTHEW
ANDREW MUIR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Machinist, and JAMES MCILWHAM, of the same Place, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, 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 us,
the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James McIlwham, Her special license
that we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James McIlwham, our exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Matthew
Andrew Muir and James McIlwham, our 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 RAILWAY SLEEPERS AND CHAIRS, AND IN THE
MODE OF FIXING RAILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Matthew Andrew Muir and James McIlwham, our executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, 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 we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James
MoIlwham, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
. Our said Invention relates, firstly, to an improved construction of cast-metal
sleepers and chairs; and, secondly, to a mode of fixing rails in chairs. The
improved sleeper is cast in the form of a disc; there is a central boss or raised
part, which forms a base from which the chair jaws spring; this part of the
sleeper is cast thicker than the other portion, and below it is further strength-
ened by a transverse rib, which extends across the under side of the boss and
has formed on it a feather, which is immediately under the centre of the rail,
and which fits a notch in the bar. From the raised central pärt the surface
of the sleeper slopes slightly towards the margin, the rim. being curved in an
outward direction, somewhat similar to the lower part of a bell.. Sleepers
constructed according to this plan require less metal than those of tlie
dome shape, whilst they are much stronger and they take a firmer hold of the
ground. The sleepers, when laid upon the rails, are connected by means, of
transverse tie bars which extend a little beyond the centre of the sleeper, and
this part of the tie bar is notched to fit the feathered part of the central rib
of the sleeper. The tie bar is fastened to the sleeper by a saddle bolt, which
passes up through the disc, and is secured thereto either. by a nut or
split key.
The second part of our Invention refers to a mode. of fixing rails in the
chairs. Under one modification as applied to double-headed rails, the rail.is
placed in the chair bearing against the parallel face of the inner jaw, and:
between the other face of the rail and the contiguous jaw is placed a bolster
piece. This bolster piece is by preference formed of a rectangular figure, its
inner face, which presses against the web of the rail, is bossed out, the flat rim
forms the bearing surface. The outer face of the bolster piece is formed.
with a central recessed part, and the ends which form the bearing surfaces for
the key are curved, or they may form plane surfaces, extending in an angular
direction from the ends of the bolster piece towards the recessed part in the
centre. The inner face of the contiguous jaw of the sleeper is cast to a figure
corresponding to the opposite face of the. bolster piece, and a curved.key is
driven in between the jaw and the, bolster piece. The key is by preference
formed of malleable iron, the curvature is given to it in a lateral direction, and
it is slightly tapered towards one end. When the key is driven in, its curved.

page_text: surface presses, against the corresponding parts of the bolster piece, and the
rail is thus tightly wedged up between the parallel faces of the bolster piece
and the inner jaw of the chair. From the particular figure given to the
bearing parts of the outer face of the bolster piece it acts as a double.wedge
on the key, the direction of the inclined or curved surfaces being. towards
each other. In this way the motion of a locomotive or train in either direction
cannot affect the tightness of the key, for the force which would tend to loosen
it in one direction is counteracted by the secondary bearing surfaces acting in
the opposite way, and vice versa. The same general arrangement or mode of
fixing is also applicable. to rails supported by the head of the rail resting on
the jaw of the chair and bolster piece. The bolster piece is arranged in.
an angular position, but its bearing surfaces are vertical; the key is driven in
between the outer face of the bolster piece and the jaw of the chair. This
system of fastening is also particularly applicable for securing the ends of con-
tiguous rails, in which case the chair and bolster piece are formed of suitable
lengths, and the key is formed to a curvature of greater radius corresponding.to
the figure of the bolster piece. The bearing surfaces. which press against the
ends of the rails being parallel, cannot interfere with the expansion or contrac-
tion of the rail arising from changes of temperature, neither can this motion in
either direction affect the security of the joint.
And in order that our.said Invention of improvements in railway sleepers
and chairs and in the mode of fixing rails may be properly understood, we
shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of
Drawings which we have hereunto appended, for the purpose of showing
certain modifications under which our improvements may be judiciously carried
out in practice, that is to say :-
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is an elevation, showing
our improved combined sleeper and chair and mode of fixing the rails therein;
Figure 2 is a plan corresponding to Figure 1, the sleeper being cast with a
joint chair thereon; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a sleeper and chair; and
Figure 4 is a plan of the same cast in one with an ordinary chair, and showing
our improved mode of fastening; Figure 5 is an elevation, and Figure 6, a
plan, showing the system of fixing rails in chairs of the ordinary kind and
according to the mode in which the rail is suspended on the jaw of the chair,
and does not touch the lower part or sole; Figure 7 is an elevation, and
Figure 8, a plan, showing the system of fixing applied to the rails resting on
the sole of the chair.
The. form of our improved combined chair and sleeper as delineated in the
accompanying Drawings is the result of careful consideration given to the

page_text: subject, with the view of overcoming certain disadvantages attending the use
of iron sleepers of the segmental spheroidal figure, and at the same. time to
attain the maximum degree of strength combined with the minimum amount
of metal. The combined sleeper and chair, as shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the
accompanying Drawings, is somewhat in the form of a hollowed disc with a
raised boss or centre on which the railway chair is cast. The lower margin of
the chair which rests upon the ground forms a strong rin or beading at A;
above this part of the metal extends upwards in a conical form, as shown at B.
From the margin of the conical part the metal forms a disc slightly convex on
the outer surface, as shown at C; this part extends inwards; and then rises in
à conical figure forming the slightly convex central boss D, from which the
jaws of the chair spring. The metal at this part of the sleeper is cast some-
what thicker, to give increased strength to the crown; and extending below
the central part in a line with the tie bar is a transverse rib E, Figure 3.
This rib curves downwards from the outer part of the boss and forms a central
bearing which rests on the tie bar when arranged in position. The metal of
the rib E is then curved out for the purpose of lightening the rib of an unne
cessary amount of metal, and a second bearing surface is formed by the
horizontal edge of the rib near the inner part of the sleeper where the rib
merges into the lower conical part B. On the rib E, at the central part and
immediately under the centre of the rail, a feather F is formed, which extends
downwards a little below the bearing edge of the rib. The end of the feather
fits into a notch made in the flat tie bar G, so that the sleepers may be readily
arranged at a corresponding distance asunder. The tie bar, when arranged in
position, extends a little beyond the central bearing part of the rib E, and at
the inner part of the sleeper the tie bar passes through a small notch at H,
which is formed by extending the metal at the margin a little below the rim.
The tie bar is secured to the sleeper by means of the saddle bolt I, through the
open part of which the bar is passed, the upper part of the bolt extending out
through a slot formed for the purpose in front of the central boss D, where it is
secured by means of the split key J ; but in lieu of this arrangement the saddle
bolt
may be made round at the upper end and screwed, so as to be fastened by
a nut on the outside of the sleeper, or in any other equivalent manner. The
jaws of the chair spring from the margin of the central boss D, the inner jaw
K is formed in the usual way with a straight margin, upon or against which
the upper head of the rail bears, the part below being recessed to receive the
projecting part of the lower head of the rail, as shown in Figure 1. The outer
jaw L of the chair is cast in a suitable manner, to adapt it to our improved
mode of fixing the rails. The inner face of the jaw next the shoulder of the

page_text: rail is formed with a curved recess, immediately under the upper edge of the
jaw, to receive the curved key, which will be presently referred to.
.
According to the modification shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying Draw-
ings, which represents a joint. chair for securing the abutting ends of two
rails, the rails M are supported by their shoulders resting on the upper surface
of the jaw K, and by the pressure of a bolster piece, N, arranged on the oppo-
site side between the inner jaw L' and the rails. The form of this bolster
piece N is shown in end view. in Figure 1, and to a larger scale as adapted
to an ordinary chair in Figure 5. In transverse vertical section its form
approximates a rectangular figure, its upper surface at O being rounded to
correspond to the shoulder of the rail, whilst the lower part at P is flattened
to fit the flat part of the sole at Q. Above the lower part P, the bolster
piece projects in a lateral direction at R, the face of this part being recessed
at the centre, whilst the end surfaces are formed to a curvature, corresponding
to the inner face of the jaw L, the two surfaces, thus form a tapered channel
or recess corresponding to the shape of the key. The bolster piece N is
firmly secured by. driving, the malleable iron, key S, which is split and
curved to correspond to the contiguous concentric surfaces of the bolster piece
and inner jaw of the chair, and is tapered towards the split end. When the
key is driven in, its lower face rests partly on the recessed part formed at T
in the bolster piece N, by which it is upheld, it is at the same time prevented
from shifting in an upward direction by the overhanging part U. of the jaw L.
The several parts of the arrangement are very distinctly shown in the enlarged
views, Figures 5 and 6. When the key S is driven home it bears against
the opposite concentric surfaces formed on. the bolster piece and jaw, and
an exceeding firm and stable fixing of the parts is effected. The two
bearing surfaces of the bolster piece which are in contact with the key act
like a double wedge upon it, the direction of the inclined surfaces tending
towards each other.... In this way the motion, of the trains in either direction
cannot disturb the solidity of the permanent way, for the force which would
under ordinary circumstances tend to loosen the key in one direction is
counteracted by the secondary bearing surfaces acting in the opposite way,
so that however great the vibration may be to which the rails are exposed
from the frequent passage of trains passing over them; the rail will yet remain
perfectly firm and secure, as the mechanical construction of the fastening
renders it. impossible for it to become loose. The arrangement of the bolster
piece also provides the means of adjustment to suit any little variation in
the width between the. jaws of the chair or in the thickness of the several
parts arising from wear and tear or other causes.
It being a geometrical

page_text: property of two concentric lines that if they are moved in the direction of
their tangent, the opening between them may.be varied from a parallel to
an acute or obtuse angle, it follows that any variation in the parts may be
compensated for by moving the bolster piece slightly to the right or left
in the chair, so as to narrow or enlarge the opening for the key. The arrange-
ment of the bolster piece N and key S is shown in Figures 5 and 6 applied
to a railway chair of the ordinary kind, the corresponding parts are marked
with similar letters, and having been already fully described need not be more
particularly referred to. In Figures 3 and 4 are shown our improved sleeper
and chair arranged with the rail M bearing on the sole of the chair. The
bolster piece N in this modification is a block of metal cast to fit the web of
the rail, the inner face of the bolster piece is bossed out so that the flat rim
round the face forms the bearing surface. The outer face next the jaw is
curved or inclined similar to the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6, and
the mode of fastening by means of the split key S is in all respects the same.
These sleepers and chairs moreover possess a much greater degree of strength
than others, at the same time a smaller amount of metal is employed in their
construction. Figures 7 and 8 show the application of the bolster piece
Nand key to the ordinary chair and non-suspended rail, the arrangement
of which is similar to that shown in Figures 3 and 4 and herein-before
described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the system or mode of forming combined sleepers and chairs to
correspond generally in shape to the Figures delineated in the accompanying
Drawings, in which the sleeper is made of a flattened or discoidal form, for
the purpose of obtaining increased strength combined with a firm hold of the
ground, as herein-before described.
:
Second, the system or mode of fastening the rails to the chairs by means
of bolster pieces, the outer face of which corresponds to the curved or angular
figure given to the contiguous face of the outer jaw of the chair, the parts
being fixed by means of a curved or polygonal key, which acts as a double
wedge in tightening up the rail or rails, as herein-before described and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the system or mode of forming or shaping the bolster pieces for
fixing rails to correspond to the Figures shown in the accompanying Drawings,

page_text: and in which the outer bearing surfaces are either curved or angular, so as
to form with the contiguous faces of the outer jaw of the chair a tapered
recess for the key, which admits of accurate adjustment of the parts by simply
shifting the bolster piece, as herein-before described and shown in the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Matthew Andrew Muir and James
McIlwham, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh
day of September, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two..
MATTHEW ANREW MUIR. (L.S.)
.
JAMES MILWHAM.
(L.S.)
MATTHEW ANREW MUIR. (L.S.)
JAMES MILWHAM.
(L.S.)