IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND IN WHEELS TO RUN THEREON
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A M and
W Clark of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
AND IN WHEELS TO RUN THEREON Communicated to him from abroad
by Jacob Elmer, of Biloxi, in the County of Harrison and State of Mississippi,
United States of America, Merchant.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th July 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A M and W Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND IN WHEELS TO RUN THEREON
"
[Cominuni-
cated to him from abroad by Jacob Elmer, of Biloxi, in the County of Harrison
and State of Mississippi, United States of America, Merchant.]
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of railway rails, and
in the means of jointing them together and of securing them to the sleepers. It
also relates to the wheels to run on the improved rails.
The rails are tubular, and are of semicircular form on the upper face and have a
V or wedge shaped flange or foot on the lower side which is adapted to be received
in corresponding V shaped notches or recesses made transversely in the sleepers
and secured therein by any suitable means. The Vor wedge shaped flange or foot
may be divided longitudinally and centrally by a slit extending the entire length
of the rail and from the point or edge of the V foot to the bore of the tubular rail.
By this construction great elasticity is imparted to the rail laterally which yields
in that direction as a train passes over it.
One end of each rail is cut off square and the opposite end is provided with a
longitudinal and transverse slit and recess at one side forming when this end of
the rail is placed in contact with the square end of the next rail a sort of bayonet
joint in which works the handle of the bolt which I will now describe.
This bolt is cylindrical and slightly tapered and fits the bore of the rail which is

page_text: drilled out at the ends to receive it. The bolt is free to slide back and forth and
to turn in the tubular rail. When it is desired to lock together the adjoining ends
of two rails the bolt is inserted in the slotted end and slid back therein; the
square end of the adjoining rail is then brought up against the end of the first rail
and the bolt is pushed forward until it is received partly in both ends and lies
across the joint; it is then partly turned so as to lock it in the bayonet slot and
prevent any longitudinal motion of the bolt.
The tread of the wheel adapted to run on the rail herein described is provided
with a semicircular groove having two flanges.
In lieu of shaped notches or recesses in the sleepers, I may use chairs to support
the tubular rails, having a flat base and inclined jaws forming a V shaped seat to
receive between them the wedge shaped flange or foot of the rail.
This form of tubular rail is especially suited for tramways where the streets
are paved with asphalt or stone in which case V shaped grooves may be formed in
the asphaltum or stone pavement to receive the rails, dispensing with cross ties or
sleepers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th January 1883.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A, M, and W, Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agents IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS AND IN WHEELS TO RUN THEREON a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Jacob Elmer, of Biloxi in the County of Harrison
and State of Mississipi, United States of America Merchant
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of railway rails and
in the means of jointing them together and of securing them to the sleepers. It
also relates to the wheels to run on the improved rails.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cylindrical
adjusting bolt for connecting and holding two adjoining tubular rails together.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same showing the lever or pin secured to one
side of the adjusting bolt. Figure 3 is a top view of two adjoining tubular rails
locked together by the adjusting bolt and lever. Figures 4 and 5 are sectional
views. Figures 6 and 7 are side elevations of a tubular rail, bolt, and its lever and
a cross tie with the bolt in different positions. Figure 8 is an end view of the
tubular rail resting in the cross tie and a sectional view of the wheel resting on the
tubular rail. Figure 9 is a cross section of the tubular rail and a chair resting on
ordinary cross tie, and Figure 10 is a side elevation of the opposite ends of two
adjoining tubular rails.
The rails a are tubular and are of semicircular form on the upper face and have
a V or wedge shaped flange or foot bon the lower side which is adapted to be
received in corresponding V shaped notches or recesses c made transversely in the
cross ties or sleepers d and secured therein by any suitable means.
The Vor
wedge shaped flange or foot b may be divided longitudinally and by a central
longitudinal slit e extending the entire length of the rail and from the point or edge
of the V foot to the bore of the tubular rail. By this construction great lateral
elasticity is imparted to the rail which yields in that direction as a train passes
over it.
One end of each rail a is cut off square as shown in Figures 3 and 10 and
the opposite end of the rail is provided at one side with a longitudinal slot
terminating near the outer end of the slot in a shoulder m forming when this end
of the rail is placed in contact with the square end of the next rail a sort of
bayonet slot n in which works the handle i of the bolt h which I will now
describe.
This bolt h is nearly cylindrical, that is to say, it is of circular section and is
slightly tapered towards its ends and fits the bore of the rail which is drilled out
at the ends to receive it, the bolt being free to be slid back and forth by means of
its handle and to be turned in the tubular rail. When it is desired to lock together
the adjoining ends of two rails, the bolt his inserted in the slotted end and slid
back therein, the handle ȧ entering the slot as shown in Figure 7. The square
end of the adjoining rail is then brought up against the end of the first rail and
the bolt is pushed forward until it is received partly in both rails and lies across
the joint; it is then partly turned so as to lock the handle in the bayonet slot
as shown in Figure 3 and prevent any longitudinal motion of the bolt.
The tread of the wheel adapted to run on the rail herein described is provided
with a semicircular groove p having two flanges o o.
In lieu of V shaped notches or recesses d in the sleepers, I may use chairs A to
support the tubular rails as shown in Figure 9, the chairs having a flat base q to be

page_text: bolted on an ordinary sleeper and inclined jaws r forming a V shaped seat to
receive between them the wedge shaped Hange or foot b of the rail.
This form of tubular rail is especially suited for tramways where the streets are
paved with asphalte or stone, in which case V shaped grooves may be formed in
the asphaltum or stone pavement to receive the rails, dispensing with cross ties or
sleepers.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is.
1st. A tubular railroad rail a provided with a wedge shaped flange b on its lower
side, substantially as described.
2nd. The tubular railroad rail a provided on its lower side with a wedge shaped
flange b having the slit e, substantially as described.
3rd. The combination with a tubular railroad rail a provided with a wedge
shaped flange b on its lower side, of a wedge shaped seat adapted to receive the
flange of the tubular rail, substantially as described.
4th. The combination with the tubular railroad rails a a, each square at one end
and provided with the slot and shoulder m at the opposite end of the cylindrical
adjusting bolt h provided with the lever i, substantially as described and for the
purpose set forth.
5th. The combination with a tubular railroad rail provided with a wedge shaped
flange b on its lower side, of the car wheel k provided with the groove p in its
tread and opposite flanges o o, substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
In Witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty fifth day of January, A.D. 1883.