IMPROVEMENTS IN THE IRON SUPERSTRUCTURE OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Conradi, of 8, Lower James Street, Golden Square,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
IRON SUPERSTRUCTURE OF RAILWAYS." A communication from abroad by
Gottlieb Ludwig Brückmann, of Dortmund, Prussia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Conradi at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th January 1878.
HENRY CONRADI, of 8, Lower James Street, Golden Square, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE IRON SUPERSTRUCTURE OF RAILWAYS." [A
communication from abroad by Gottlieb Ludwig Brückmann, of Dortmund, Prussia.]
The different systems of iron superstructure of railways, replacing the wooden
cross timbers or sleepers as yet designed, are for the most part of a complicated and
expensive character.
The present design, as shown in the enclosed Drawing, intends to replace the
wooden sleeper by an iron one, of the same or of greater bearing, without being of
much greater cost than the cross timbers or sleepers of oak or of any other kind of
wood, and being creosoted or otherwise prepared. At the same time it has to be
considered that the iron lasts far longer than the wood, even if impregnated or in
any way prepared.
The enclosed Drawing shows three different forms or modifications or shapes of
the same system. The tee, T, shaped section or any other form of the rolled or..
otherwise manufactured sleepers, as shown in Fig. I and II, can also be bent or
worked into the ess, S, shape, which offers a great longitudinal bearing surface to
the rail, as well as more than sufficient bearing for the sleeper, in regard to the
material in which it is embedded.
Fig. III. represents the sleeper in circular or annular form, with its ends butting"
and connected together. This annular form can also be elliptic, or of any other

page_text: The particularity or special feature of these improvements in the iron super-
structure being sufficiently and clearly shown in the Drawing, do therefore not need
a fuller description.
The claims upon which the improvements are based, consist,—
In the replacement of the wooden sleepers by rolled or forged or otherwise manu-
factured iron sleepers of a tee shape, T, or of a shape like angle irons, L, or in form
of an ess, S, so that its short arms form a bearing for the rail, or of iron sleepers of
annular or elliptic or other curved forms connected at their both ends, either as
butt ends or lap welded or otherwise.
These different kind of sleepers are manufactured in iron or steel or in any other
convenient material as above described, and as represented in the Drawings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Conradi in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th July
1878.
HENRY CONRADI, of 8, Lower James Street, Golden Square, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE IRON SUPERSTRUCTURE OF RAILWAYS." A
communication from abroad by Gottlieb Ludwig Brückmann, of Dortmund, Prussia,
The different systems of iron superstructure of railways, replacing the wooden
cross timbers or sleepers as yet designed, are for the most part of a complicated and
expensive character.
The present design, as shown in the enclosed Drawing, intends to replace the
wooden sleepers by an iron one, of the same or of greater bearing, without being of
much greater cost than the cross timbers or sleepers of oak, or of any other kind of
wood, and being creosoted or otherwise prepared. At the same time it has to be
considered that the iron lasts far longer than the wood, even if impregnated or in
any way prepared.
The enclosed Drawing shows three different forms or modifications or shapes of
the same system. The tee, T, shaped sections, or any other form of the rolled or
otherwise manufactured sleepers, as shown in Fig. 1 & 2, can also be bent or
worked into the ess, S, shape, which offers a great longitudinal bearing surface to
the rail, as well as more than sufficient bearing for the sleeper, in regard to the
material in which it is embedded.
Fig. 3 represents the sleeper in circular or annular form, with its ends butting
and connected together. The annular form can also be of elliptic or of any other
similar shape.
The particularitys or special features of these improvements in the iron super-
structure, being sufficiently and clearly shown in the Drawings, do therefore not
need a fuller description.
The claims upon which the improvements are based consist,―
In the replacement of the wooden sleepers by rolled or forged or otherwise
manufactured iron sleepers of a tee shape, T, or of a shape like angle irons, L, or in

page_text: form of an ess, S, so that its short arms form a bearing for the rail, or of iron.
sleepers of annular or elliptic or other curved forms connected at their both ends,
either as butt ends. or lap welded or otherwise.
Those different kind of sleepers are manufactured in iron or steel, or in any other
convenient similar material as above described, and represented in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Conradi, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
H. CONRADI. (L.S.)