Im- PROVEMENTS IN 'FROG PLATES' FOR THE INTERSECTIONS OF RAILROAD, TRACKS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Wood, of Red Bank, in the State of
New Jersey, United States of America, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN 'FROG PLATES' FOR THE INTERSECTIONS OF RAILROAD,
TRACKS."
Sealed the 9th February 1869, and dated the 7th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph. Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th September 1868.
I, JOSEPH WOOD, of Red Bank, in the State of New Jersey; United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FROG PLATES' FOR THE INTERSECTIONS OF RAILROAD..
TRACKS," to be as follows:-
. Where the bars of a side track or switch run off from a main track
there is a point where one rail crosses another; at this intersection a
metal frog plate is usually placed, and in running over the rails at
this point there is. generally considerable concussion from the wheel

page_text: dropping into the groove and its flange touching upon the plate at the
bottom of the groove.
My Invention furnishes a continuous rail. I provide two short bars
curved outward at one end and connected by a joint or joints at the
other end upon the line of the diverging bars which approach the
tongue formed at the other side of the point of intersection. This
tongue is riveted to and the two short bars rest upon a metal plate that
forms the base of the frog, and a tie-bolt passes horizontally and loosely
through a hole near the end of the tongue and firmly ties the said two
short bars together, and the space between them is such that the flange
of a wheel running in between the tongue and one of the said bars shall
by the said bolt draw the other of the said bars closely against the other
de of the said tongue, and thereby form a continuation of the rail from
tne tongue to the next bar of the track. This improved frog will work
when the wheels of the train are moving in either direction, the bar on
one side being drawn up to its place for the wheel to travel upon by the
action of the flange of the wheel upon the other of the said bars, thus
closing the one intersecting groove for the flange by opening the other
groove. The said swinging bars may be tied together by rods or other-
wise at different places along their length.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
WOOD, of Red Bank, in the State of New Jersey, United States of
America, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Joseph Wood, Her special licence that
I, the said Joseph Wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Joseph Wood, my exocutors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term thoroin

page_text: 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 FROG
PLATES FOR THE INTERSECTIONS OF RAILROAD TRACKS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Wood, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Wood, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
1
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved frog plate; Figure 2 is a section at
the line x, x; and Figure 3 is a cross section at the line y, y. Similar
letters denote the same parts.
Where the bars of a side track or switch run off from a main track
there is a point where one rail crosses the other; at this intersection a
metal frog plate is usually placed, and in running over the rails at this
point there is generally considerable concussion from the wheels
dropping into the groove and its flange touching upon the plate at the
bottom of the groove.
My Invention furnishes a continuous rail. I provide two short
bars a, a, curved outwards at one end and connected by a joint or by
lips b, b, at the other ends upon the line of the bars c, c, which approach
the tongue & that is formed at the other side of the point of intersection.
This tongue d is rivetted to and the two short bars rest upon a metal
plate e that forms the base of the frog, and a tie bolt i passes horizontally
and loosely through a hole near the end of the tongue d and firmly tics.
the said two short bars a, a, together. The space between the bars a, a,
is such that the flange of a wheel running in between the tongue d and
one of said bars a shall by said bolt i draw the other of said bars a
closely against the other side of the said tongue, and thereby form a
continuation of the rail from the tongue to the next bar c of the track.

page_text: This improved frog will work when the wheels of the train are moving
in either direction, the bar on one side being drawn up to its place for
the wheel to travel upon by the action of the flange of the wheel upon
the other of said bars, thus closing the one intersecting groove for the
flange by opening the other groove. The said swinging bars a, a, may
also be tied together by rods f, or otherwise, at different places along
their length. A rubber spring may be applied to the side of one of the
bars a so as to move the same into a position coinciding with the bars of
the main track.
I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent the bars. a, a, connected
together and applied at the intersection of the track bars and acting in
connection with the tongue d, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Wood, have hereunto set my
signature and seal, this Twenty-first day of January, A.D: One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witnesses,
GEO. D. WALKER;
121, Nassau St., New York.
CHA. H. SMITH,
121, Nassau St., New York.
JOSEPH WOOD.. (L.S.).