IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR RAILWAY FISH JOINTS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter B. Chapin, of Wickford, Rhode Island,
•
United States of America, now of No. S, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR
RAILWAY FISH JOINTS."
Scaled the 7th February 1873, and dated the 13th August 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION" left by the said Walter B. Chapin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th August 1872.
I, WALTER B. CHAPIN, of Wickford, Rhode Island, United States of
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS
FOR RAILWAY FISH JOINTS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore the plates of railway fish joints have been most commonly
fastened by screw bolts and nuts, but great inconvenience has been
occasioned through the slackening of the nuts upon the bolts by the

page_text: strains and vibrations caused by the traffic and the consequent relaxation
and separation of the parts of the joint; and although various contri-
vances have been adopted for preventing the turning or slackening of
the nuts, the security of the joint has not been materially increased
thereby, as the strain upon the said bolts and nuts is so severe that the
screw threads have been frequently stripped from the bolts.
The object of my present Invention is the application to a fish joint
of fastenings which will be entirely free from the above objections, and
at the same time may be cheaply manufactured and easily applied.
I accomplish this object by the combination with the fish plates of
slotted bolts and wedges formed and applied to the joint as follows:-
According to one method of applying my improved fastening, I uso
only two bolts for each joint. The said bolts have heads at one end and
slots at the other end; they are passed through the web of the rails and
through the fish plates, and arranged with their slots in line with each
other. The slots in these bolts must be so formed that when in place
the inner ends of the slots will be below or within the surface of the fish
plate, so that there will be a draught on the bolts when the wedge is
driven in. The slot in one of these bolts must be longer than that in
the other bolt. I take a long wedge and insert the same through the
first bolt into the second bolt, and drive the said wedge tightly into
the two bolts. The small end of the said wedge is then turned or bent,
so that the wedge cannot be withdrawn from the bolts. Or I may pass
through the slotted bolts a long wedge with a double inclination, that is
to say, its greatest depth is at its centre, whence it is tapered to both
extremities. Above this long wedge in the slot of each bolt I drive
tightly a short wedge or cotter, and turn the end of the same to prevent
its withdrawal, as above described. I sometimes employ four slotted
bolts with this form of my Invention; and in some instances, instead of
making the long wedge as above described, I may make it thin in the
centre and thick at its ends, and drive it tight in one bolt, while in the
slot of the other bolt I drive a short wedge or cotter, whose end is turned
or bent as above described.
Another modification of my said Invention consists in the employment
of two long wedges, which are driven through the bolts in opposite
directions, their ends being then turned or bent, as aforesaid, to prevent
their withdrawal from the slotted bolts.

page_text: In another modification of my said Invention the fish plates aro
formed to act as wedges, and the separate wedges are dispensed with.
The two fish plates are made taper in opposite directions, and have
holes for the passage of the bolts. The latter, instead of having slots
through them as above described, have external transverse grooves. The
holes through the plates are of the proper size to receive the said bolt,
and in one of the fish plates a slot, just large enough to pass over the
grooved portion of the bolt, extends longitudinally from each hole. The
said bolts are first inserted through the holes in the fish plates and web
of the rails, and then the said plate must be driven longitudinally-till
the bolts are properly tightened. The plates are then secured by a bolt
passed through them and the rail at one end of the joint, and fastened
by a cotter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter B. Chapin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th February 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
B. CHAPIN, of Wickford, Rhode Island, United States of America, now
of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Walter B. Chapin, Her special licence
that I, the said Walter B. Chapin, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Walter B. Chapin, 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 Fastenings
FOR RAILWAY FISH JOINTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said. Walter B. Chapin, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
'

page_text: The remaining Figures are herein-after described. R, R, are the rails;
Wis the web of the rails; F, F', are the fish plates.
K is a long
into the second
In this form of my Invention I use only two bolts B, B', for each
joint. The said bolts are shewn detached in Figures 9 and 10; they
have heads at one end and slots at the other end; they are passed
through the web W of the rails and through the fish plates F, F, and
are arranged with their slots in line with each other. The slots in these
bolts must be so formed that when in place the inner ends of the slots
will be below or within the surface of the fish plate, so that there will
be a draught on the bolts when the wedge is driven in. The slot in one
of these bolts must be longer than that in the other bolt.
wedge. I insert this wedge through the first bolt B
bolt B', and drive the same tightly into the two bolts. The small end f
of the said wedge is then turned or bent, as shown in Figure 1, so
that the wedge cannot be withdrawn from the bolts.
Or I may pass
through the slotted bolts a long wedge with a double inclination, as
shewn in Figures 5 and 6, which are views similar to Figures 1 and 2.
P is the said long wedge. Its greatest depth is at its centre, whence it
is tapered to both extremities, as clearly shewn in Figure 6. Above this
long wedge in the slot of each bolt I drive tightly a short wedge or
cotter k, and turn the end f' of the same, as shewn in Figure 5, to
prevent its withdrawal, as above described. In these Figures I have
shown four slotted bolts B, B', B², B³, but if desired two only may be
used with this form of my Invention, as shewn in Figures 11, 12, and 13;
and in some instances, instead of making the long wedge as above
described, I may make it narrow in the centre and wide at its ends, as
shown in Figures 14 and 15. The long wedge P, in this modification of
my Invention, is driven tight into one bolt B, while in the slot of the
other bolt I drive a short wedge or cotter k, whose end is turned or bent
as above described, and as shewn in Figure 14.
Another modification of my said Invention is illustrated in Figures 7
and S, Figure 7 being a side clevation of the plates and fastenings, and
Figure 8 a horizontal section on the line, z, Figure 7. This modi-
fication consists in the employment of two long wedges K, which are
driven through the bolts B, B', in opposite directions, their ends being
then turned or bent, as aforesaid to prevent their withdrawal from the
said slotted bolts.

page_text: In another modification of my said Invention the fish plates are
formed to act as wedges, and the separate wedges are dispensed with.
This modification is illustrated in Figures 16 to 22.
formed to act as wedges, and the separate wedges are dispensed with.
This modification is illustrated in Figures 16 to 22.
Figure 16 is a side elevation of the joint.
Figures 17 and 18 are transverse sections on the lincs x¹, x', y', y'.
Figures 19 and 20 shew the bolts.
Figure 21 is an edge view of the fish plates.
Figure 22 is a side clevation of the same.
The two fish plates F³, F', are made taper in opposite directions, as
shewn in Figure 21, and they have holes for the passage of the bolts B'.
The latter, instead of having slots through them as above described, have
external transverse grooves, as shown in Figures 18 and 20. The holes
through the plates are of the proper size to receive the said bolts, and a
slot g', just large enough to pass over the grooved portion of the bolt,
extends longitudinally from each hole g. The said bolts are first inserted
through the holes in the fish plates and in the web of the rails, and then
the said plates must be driven longitudinally till the bolts are sufficiently
tight in the aforesaid slots g'. The plates F³, F4, arc then secured by a
bolt 15 passed through them and the rail at one end of the joint, and
fastened by a cotter.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention and the
manner of performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. Confining railway rails at the ends in fish joints by means of
fish plates, slotted bolts, and cotters or wedges driven into the slots
of the bolts and against the side surface of the fish plate, as herein
described, and as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3.
Second. The combination of two fish plates with slotted bolts and
two reversely taper cotters or wedges, as described, and shewn in
Figures 7 and 8.
Third. The combination of the fish plates on each side of the rail, the
slotted bolts, the separate short cotters or wedges, and the long wedge
or cotter, extending through the slots of all the bolts, substantially as
described, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, Figures 11 and 12, or
Figures 14 and 15.

page_text: Fourth. The combination of two reversely taper fish plates with the
railway rails and shouldered bolts, as described, and as shown in
Figures 10 to 22.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter B. Chapin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
W. ROBT. LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
WALTER B. CHAPIN. (L.S.)