AN IMPROVED NUT-LOCK
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ARTHUR EDWARD GILBERT, of 72 South Clerk Street, in the City of
Edinburgh, Telegraph Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "AN IMPROVED NUT-LOCK," to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and efficient locking
device for nuts of railway fish-plate bolts.
The improved nut-locking device consists of a block of hard wood through which
are bored two or more holes of a size and at positions corresponding to the diameter
of the bolts and their guage or distance apart. On the same centres larger holes
are bored not quite through the wood, these holes being of slightly less diameter
than the diameter of the nuts from corner to corner, and their depth being about
equal to the depth of the nuts. When as is preferred the block is for strength
made thicker than the depth of the nuts, larger holes may be bored through such
extra thickness to clear the nuts. The block so formed is fitted over the ends of the
fish-plate bolts after the nuts are fully screwed up, and by a blow from a hammer
it is driven over the nuts to embrace and hold them from turning. A comparatively
light blow serves to break through the thin shelves of wood in which are the
smaller holes which fit over the bolts, and to cause the sharp edges of the nuts to
groove the larger holes in which they are gripped by the wood.
Dated this 9th day of May 1885.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.

page_text: I, ARTHUR EDWARD GILBERT, of 72 South Clerk Street, in the City of
Edinburgh, Telegraph Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon; that
is to say :-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient locking
device for nuts of railway fish-plate bolts.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of carrying my said Invention
into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have herewith appended a
sheet of explanatory Drawings, the same reference letters indicating the same parts
in the several figures where shown. In these Drawings, Figure 1 is the side
elevation of the fish jointed ends of two rails A¹ A¹ of one line of rails, having my
improvements as applied thereto, and Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on the
line 1 -
-1 in Figure 1, in both of which A¹ represents the rail, A2 A² the two
fish-plates, a the bolts and b the nut, secured by the new nut lock A. While
Figures 3 and 4 represent a separate side elevation and a corresponding sectional
plan, respectively, of my new or improved locking device, or block of hard wood A,
as formed or prepared for receiving and preventing the nuts b of railway fish-plate
and other bolts a working loose.
Referring to these Drawings, the improved nut locking device consists of a block
of wood, preferably hard wood A, through which are bored two holes a¹ of a size
and at positions corresponding to the diameter of the bolts a and their guage
or distance apart to suit the two bolts a through end of the rails A¹ A¹ and fish
plates A2 A2. On the same centres larger holes B are bored not quite through the
wood, these holes being of slightly less diameter than the width or diameter of the
nuts 6 from corner to corner, and their depth being about equal to the depth
of the nuts. When, as is preferred, the block A is for strength made thicker than
the depth of the nut b larger holes B¹ may be bored through such extra thickness
to clear the nuts. The block A so formed is fitted or placed over the ends of the
fish-plate bolts a after the nuts b. are fully screwed up, and by a blow by a work-
man from a hand hammer it is driven over the nuts b to embrace and hold or
prevent them from turning or working loose, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. A
comparatively light blow serves to break through the thin guiding collar or shell
of wood a² shown particularly in Figures 3 and 4, in which are formed the smaller
guide holes a fitting over the bolts a to cause the sharp edges of the nuts b
to groove to an equal depth the larger holes B in which they are gripped or locked,
by the wood A, and by the rough or jagged corners of the nuts and the fibres and
elasticity of the wood, the nuts are prevented from loosening and the locks from
falling off by vibration.
Thus in this arrangement it will be seen that one of these nut locking blocks A,
locks two nuts, and two blocks are required for each fish-plate; but it will be quite
understood that other arrangements or shapes of these blocks A might be pierced
with more holes pitched at the proper distances apart, to lock three, four, or more
nuts in like manner, when desired.

page_text: Although the new or improved locking block or device has been described as
applied to the nuts of railway fish-plate bolts, it is obvious that it is also applicable
for locking the nuts of bolts in other structures or machinery. And Figures 5
and 6 show a front elevation and a corresponding horizontal section on the
line 2---
2 of a modification of this nut lock for securing the single nuts of
bolts when they are far apart. In this case the nut lock A has only one hole bored
in it in the centre for one nut, but has a small pin or dowel d on each side of this,
which enters corresponding holes in the front plate secured by the nut and bolt,
which prevents the nut lock A. from turning round.
Although wood has been described for forming these nut lock blocks A, it will be
evident that other tough hard material which would yield to the corners of the
iron nuts and grasp them would also answer equally well, such as hard mixtures of
india-rubber, vulcanite, compressed fibre, papier-mache, and the like.
Having now 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
First. The new or improved construction of nut lock for the bolts of railway
fish-plates and other structures substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The forming of nut locks of blocks of wood or such like material with
holes in them, so made as to be driven over and grip the corners of the nuts
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.