Improvements in Joints for Tramway and other Rails.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Joints for Tramway and other Rails.
WILLIAM EDWARD KENWAY 66 Corporation Street Birmingham Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to form a joint better capable of withstanding
the shearing strains set up within it during the passage of locomotive or car wheels
and it is chiefly applicable to that class of rail having a broad flat base such as the
girder rail extensively used on tramways.
I form the fishplate of an angle iron shape with a horizontal part projecting over
the base of the rail. The fishplates are secured to the rails by horizontal bolts in
the usual way and also by other bolts passing in a vertical direction through the
horizontal portion of the fish plates and the foot of the rail. In addition thereto I
pass the two shanks of a twin bolt upwards through the centre of the horizontal
portions of the fishplates and each through two half holes in the abutting ends of
the rails. The shanks of the twin bolt being provided with strong nuts on the
upper part of the fishplates the shearing strains set up by the load in passing from
one rail to the other are directly resisted by another set of shearing strains set up
in a longitudinal direction in the shanks of the twin bolt.
1, WILLIAM EDWARD KENWAY of 66 Corporation Street Birmingham Civil
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 :-
The object of this invention is to form a joint better capable of withstanding the
shearing strains set up within it during the passage of the locomotive or car wheels
and it is chiefly applicable to that class of rail having a broad flat base such as the
girder rail extensively used on tramways.
I form the fishplate of an angle shape with a horizontal part projecting over the
base of the rail. The fish plates are secured to the rails by horizontal bolts as in
the usual way and also by other bolts passing in a vertical direction through the
horizontal portions of the fish plates and the foot of the rails. In addition thereto
I pass the two shanks of a twin bolt upwards through the centre of the horizontal
portions of the fish plates and each through two half holes in the abutting ends of
the rails. The shanks of the twin bolt being provided with strong nuts on the
upper part of the fish plate the shearing strains set up by the load in passing from
one rail to the other are directly resisted by another set of shearing strains set up
in a horizontal direction in the shanks of the twin bolt.

page_text: The said invention may be more perfectly understood by a reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which the various parts referred to are shewn
as applied to a girder tram rail-the same letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1. is a longitudinal elevation of the joint with fish plates and bolts in
position.
Fig. 2. is an inverted plan of the same.
Fig. 3. is a vertical section on the line AB of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4. is a similar vertical section on the line CD of Fig. 1. and passing through
the gap between the abutting ends of the rails.
Fig. 5. is a transverse section through the middle of the twin bolt.
In the figures a shews the angle shaped fish plates secured to the rail. by the
horizontal bolts 6 passing through the vertical members of the rails and the fish
plates, cehews the vertical bolts passing through the horizontal members of the
rails and fish plates, d shews the twin bolt the shanks thereof passing through the
horizontal members of the fish plates and through suitable gaps or notches formed
in the ends of the horizontal members of the abutting rails.
The primary function of the bolts b is to preserve the longitudinal continuity of
the abutting rails and by exerting side pressure upon the fish plates to keep the
top of the rails in the same straight line.
The primary function of the bolts c is by acting upon the horizontal flanges or
foot of the rails to assist in resisting any tendency of the rails to move vertically
with reference to each other under passing loads. The resistance thus offered is
however not very effective owing to the vertical flexure of the horizontal portions
of the fish plates in the space between the two bolts nearest the ends of the abutting
rails. The twin bolt d supplies the necessary resistance for preventing the flexure
of the portion of the horizontal members of the fish plates referred to, the shanks
of this twin bolt passing vertically through the gaps or notches in the ends of the
abutting rails any tendency of these ends to vertical movement in reference to one
another is immediately checked by the resistance the shanks &c. of the twin bolt
offer to being sheared vertically through their centre.
Although I have described a twin bolt as being used I do not confine myself
to the use of such bolts as it is evident that the use of two bolts of the ordinary
character would be attended with very much the same results. I however prefer
to use a twin bolt because by making the connecting piece slightly convex upwards
the two shanks of the bolt reinforce each other and because the connecting link
between the two shanks closes up the gap between the rails and hinders the
percolation of water through the joint to the foundation beneath the rails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1st. A joint in a flat bottomed tram or railway rail formed of angle shaped fish
plates bolied to the rails both vertically and horizontally and having the two
shanks of a twin bolt passing vertically through the horizontal members of the
fish plates and through gaps or notches formed in the ends of the abutting rails
substantially as herein before described and shewn upon the annexed drawing.
2nd. A joint in a flat bottomed tram or railway rail formed of angle shaped fish
plates bolted to the rails both vertically and horizontally and also having two bolts
passing vertically through the horizontal members of the fish plates and through
gaps or notches formed in the ends of the abutting rails substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of January One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-seven.
WILLIAM EDWARD KENWAY.