Improvement in Railway Chairs and Fastenings for Metallic and other Sleepers and the Manufacture thereof.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 1st Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 6th May, 1887.
Improvement in Railway Chairs and Fastenings for Metallic and
other Sleepers and the Manufacture thereof.
I, JOSEPH WROE, of 269 Stockport Road, Gorton, in the County of Lancaster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In improvements for chairs, and fastenings for chairs, used for Railways and
Permanent Ways, and in the manufacture thereof, 'the invention relates more especially
to the fastenings of chairs to metalic, and other sleepers, and to the way in which the
rail is secured in the chair, and to the way in which I allow for expansion and
contraction of rail and chair, thus giving additional security. My invention also
provides a simple and ready means of re-fastening the chair to metalic or other
sleeper, in the event of the chair becoming loose.
In constructing the chair and in the manufacture thereof, I proceed as follows:-
I construct a railway chair in three or more parts, of cast iron, steel, or other
suitable material, of convenient size. One of these parts forms an oblong base, and
has one of its sides flat which rests on beds upon the metalic or other sleeper.
At one end of this flat side, I construct one or more fixed permanent snugs of
sufficient length, to project into or through the metalic or other sleeper to which it is
to be fixed. These snugs are left of sufficient length to admit of packing or any
substance to form a cushion. The inner side of snug points in a slanting direction at
any suitable angle towards the centre of the chair.
At the other end of oblong base, I make a cavity to receive a moveable slide, on
which are placed one or more snugs to correspond with the fixed or permanent snugs
at opposite end of the oblong base, and like those snugs are left of sufficient length to
project i to or through the metalic or other sleeper; and to admit of packing or any
substance to form a cushion.
These snugs on slides are made to move at will, to or from the centre of chair, thus
forming a grip similar to the present engineers vice. The means I apply to move
this slide are as follows:-I place half nut worked by screw, fixed in Box nut, cast
or cut in one part of the moving slide. The top part being free but acting as a stay
for the screw.
Thus by turning the screw round by lever or other means the slide is

page_text: moved to or from the centre similar to the engineers vice in common use and gripping
the metalic or other sleeper or substance placed between the two snugs. To lock this
grip and keep it fixed I have a loose cotter pin made to pass through the base or
oblong bottom of the chair at right angles.
The upper part of the chair can be formed as the ordinary chair now in common
use, or can have fixed on the face of one jaw a loose box carrying two or more friction
rollers working on an incline by screw and nut or cotter and pin by this means moving
the roller Box towards the rail and giving a grip to the rail by the chair. This grip
allso allows for expansion and contraction to take its own course the friction rollers
working automatically to and from the rail whilst fixed in chair as per my drawings
to accompany final specification.
To make this chair accommodate itself automatically to expansion and contraction of
the rail I proceed as follows:-In place and in liew of the wedge between the jaw
and rail I fix a Block carrying two or more friction rollers (which I call the roller
Box) these are brought in contract with the rail by an incline formed on one of the
jaws and the the roller Box. The Roller Box is brought up the incline by a screw
and nut as spesified in drawings to accompany final specification.
1
M
1 1

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Railway Chairs and Fastenings for Metallic and
other Sleepers and the Manufacture thereof.
I, JOSEPH WROE of 269 Stockport Road, Gorton, in the County of Lancaster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved method of attaching railway chairs to sleepers
by means of which the attachment can be made and unmade with ease. And in order
that my invention may be more fully understood and more easily carried into effect,
I have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one modification of my Invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the chair shown in Fig. 1.
my invention.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of another modification of
Fig. 4 is a plan of the chair shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is an end view of the chair shown in Figs. 1 & 2.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the slide shown in Figs. 1, 2 & 5.
Fig. 7 is an end view of the chair as shown in Figs. 3 & 4.
Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the slide shown in Figs. 3 4 & 7.
a,
In each of the figures the letters & figures of reference relate to the same parts.
I cast or otherwise form in a convenient way of iron steel or other suitable material
a chair
which has an oblong base resting upon the sleeper e (Fig. 1). The chair a
has at one end of the base a snug a' which passes through a hole e formed to receive
it in the sleeper e. The inner part of the snug or projection a¹ is bevelled as shown
in Fig. 1. At the other end of the chair, I form a cavity in which the slide 6 moves.
This cavity is formed with a recess at its upper portion sufficiently large to accomodate
and allow to revolve the screw c, and is shown in Fig. 5 as wider at the top than t
the bottom thus retaining the slide b in its position & preventing it from dropping out
when the chair is lifted. The slide b is constructed as shown in Figs. 1, 2 5 & 6 and
is screwed at the part marked 2 thus forming a half nut with which the screw c
engages. The screw c is formed with a shank or spindle c¹ and passes through a hole
formed in the slide b. The end of the shank of the screw may be square as shown
hexagonal, round or any other convenient shape and the screw may be operated by a
spanner turning pin or other convenient means. The slide b has formed at its under-
side a snug or projection a² which passes through a hole e² formed to receive it in the
sleeper e. The snug or projection a² is also inclined at its inner side as in the case a¹
and both snugs are made long enough to permit of the introduction of a piece of
bituminised paper or other substance to act as a cushion between the chair & the
sleeper. When it is desired to loosen the chair the screw e is revolved so as to with-
draw the slide 6 from the centre of the chair a until the snugs or projections a¹ a² will
pass through the holes e¹ e² in the sleeper e. To attach the chair to the sleeper

page_text: the reverse process is pursued, the snugs or projections are passed through the
holes in the sleepers and the slide b is moved inwards until the snugs a¹ a² grip the
sleeper tightly.
In the modification shown in Figs. 3, 4 & 7 instead of employing a screw as
hereinbefore described, I form my cavity as before to receive the slide 6 and inside
the cavity I form two ribs far enough apart to allow of the introduction of a
Theaded bolt which passes through the slide b as shown. The head of the bolt f
is in a chamber formed to receive it and is prevented from being pulled outwards by
ribs which take the pull when the nut is screwed up. As in the modification
herein before described there are on the underside of the chair a two snugs or
projections a¹ a² the one a' fixed and the other a² a part of & moved with the slide b
the snugs or projections passing through holes formed in the sleeper to receive them.
When the nut is slackened sufficiently the slide 6 can be moved from the centre of
the chair & the chair can be lifted out of the sleeper. When the chair requires
fastening on the sleeper the snugs or projections a¹ a² are passed through the holes
formed to receive them in the sleeper and the nut f¹ is screwed up so as to securely
fasten the chair to the sleeper. If it is desired to render the position of the slide
more secure while the chair is fixed to the sleeper a hole may be formed through the
chair and slide into which hole a cotter or pin may be driven thus preventing the slide
from moving. The same object may be obtained by the use of lock nuts or other
suitable device. If preferred the slide may be fastened by the action of a cotter
passing through the chair and slide and acting as a cotter acts when applied to the
connecting rod of an engine to draw up the brasses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The construction combination and arrangement of a railway chair with a fixed
snug or projection at one end of the base of the chair and a moveable snug or projection
attached to or forming part of a sliding part at the opposite end of the chair which is
moved towards the centre of the chair by means of a screw or bolt for the purpose
and in the manner as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
2nd. In the construction of railway chairs the use of a slide formed with a snug
or projection locking with the sleeper when moved sufficiently towards the centre of
the chair for the purpose and in the manner as herein described and illustrated.
Dated this 31st day of March 1887.