IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY RAIL JOINTS
Year: 1887

page_text: I, JOHN SIEGEL, of the City of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, Dominion of
Canada, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY RAIL JOINTS, 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 the manner of joining and connecting railway rails.
The objects of my invention are to provide a more continuous bearing for the wheel
tires and thereby increase the life of the rails by reducing the wear at the joint, where,
it is well known, rails do give way first; to increase the life of the wheel tires by
avoiding the shock occasioned each time a tire is passing over an open joint of ordinary
construction; further to reduce the liability to accident from derailment owing to want
of room between the ends of rails for expansion; to increase the comfort in travelling
by avoiding the succession of slight shocks occasioned by the passing of the tires over
open joints to reduce frequency and cost of repairs to the permanent way, and to
provide these advantages without material extra cost over ordinary joints.
My invention consists mainly of a joint formed by cutting the end of each rail bevel
or oblique at the head and web and to remove a piece of the foot severing it from the
web and leaving the end square, so that the head and web project beyond the foot,
leaving a gap in the continuity of the foot when two ends are joined, said gap being
filled by a foot corresponding to the rail foot formed integrally on one of the fishplates,
the latter being bolted together through the rails in the usual manner and spiked
to the tie or ties.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a joint constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line xx figs. 5 and 6.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section on line u fios
2 and 3

page_text: Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line =
the joint.
Fig. 6 is a cross-section on line o
and fishplate section.
figs. 2 and 3 being through the centre of
o figs. 2 and 3, showing the ordinary rail
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a rail end.
Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views of the fish-plates.
RR are two adjacent rail ends, having their heads and webs cut and joined at
an angle of 45°, forming the oblique joint A, overlapping latterally. The foot is
cut square on the line A, a short distance back of the heel of the head and web,
being severed from the web parallel at the line where the web begins to thicken
out into the foot. Elongated bolt holes are, as usual, provided in the rail ends,
and at the usual distance apart. F are the fishplates extending the usual length
along the wel of each rail, and may be of any convenient cross-section such as
bears properly on the head and foot of the rail, a common form being shown in
fig. 6.
a
One of the fishplates F has a foot f¹ formed integrally with it at a right angle
on the inner side, and corresponding in section and length to the two pieces of
foot cut from the adjacent rail ends and adapted to project under and support the
web and take the place of the portions cut away, a raised shoulder A being
formed under the web by reducing the outer portion of the foot in thickness. The
foot is also extended to project on the other (outer) side of the fishplate forming
ledge or flange, affording convenient hold for the spike heads S in securing
them upon the tics 1. The fishplate is also given an extra thickness for a length
extending over and beyond the foot in order to obtain the required strength.
The other fishplate F¹ is provided with two projections F, fitting snugly upon the
rail foot and in position to cover the two joints formed by the ends at the fishplate
foot and the rail foot ends A', room being left in these joints for expansion. The
fishplates are provided with bolt holes in the usual manner, and bolted together through
the rail web by bolts B B, the central ones being longer owing to the increased
thickness of the fishplate.
The joint A may be of any convenient angle, the longer or more acute affording the
smoothest running surface for the tire, but may be objectionable as regards wear on
account of its sharp points or ends, which are weak, while a shorter or more obtuse
angle must not be used than will effectually cover the open space left for expansion, so
that a square (representing the tread of the tire) laid across the rail shall always be
on one or more solid parts of the head, the angle of 45°, or half right angle, appearing
on these grounds the most practicable.
The drawings show a suspended joint i.c. between two ties; my improved joint is,
however, not necessarily restricted to such a form. It will also be obvious that a joint
may be formed in this manner with the ends of the rails square instead of bevelled.
It will be observed that all the extra weight in this joint consists of that contained
in the extra thickness of one of the fishplates and the projections on the other.
The advantages of this joint are that owing to the obliquity and lateral overlap of
the rail ends the action of the tire upon them is smoother and less destructive, resulting
in greater comfort in travelling and increased life of the rails and tires, while the
space left for expansion being made less objectionable by its obliquity, may be made
more ample and consequently more safe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A railway rail joint formed by bevelling the head and web of each rail end so as
to overlap each other laterally and cutting off a piece of the rail foot square so as to
undercut the web, the rail ends connected by two fishplates, one having a foot
corresponding to and replacing the piece cut from the foot of each rail, said foot
extending on the outer side of the plate, and the latter having an extra thickness for a
length extending over and beyond said foot, the other fishplate provided with projections

page_text: to cover the joints in the rail foot, said fishplates bolted through the web of the rails
in the usual manner, substantially as shown and described.
2. The combination of the rail ends R, the bevel joint. A. extending through head
and web of the rails, and causing them to overlap latterally, the square backset ends A'
of the rails, the fishplate F, extra thickness, foot and shoulder on the said
fishplate, the fishplate F, projections F" thereon, and the holis B and B', substantially
as shown and described.
3. A railway rail R, having the end of its head and web cut bevel or oblique in a
latteral direction, as on line A, having a portion of the foot severed from the web and
cut off square some little distance back of the heel of the bevel end, substantially as
set forth.
4. The combination of the fishplate F, foot corresponding to the rail foot
and swell, substantially as shown and described.
5. The combination of the fishplate F¹ and the projections F", substantially as
shown and described.
6. The combination of the fishplate F foot, rails R, and recesses formed by the
shortening of the rail foot, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of the rails R, each having its foot shortened square, the fish-
plate F¹, foot ƒª¹ƒ, fishplate F¹, projections F" and bolts B B¹.