Improvements in Fish-plates.
Year: 1894

page_text: D.te of Application, 20th Dec., 1994-Accepted, 9th Feb., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fish-plates.
I FRIEDERICH WEBER of Steckelhorn 19, Hamburg in the Empire of Germany,
Locksmith, 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 :-
This invention relates to fish-plates for railway rails having the advantage over
present rail connections by means of fish-plates that the ends of the rails are secured
in the horizontal as well as in the vertical direction one against the other.
Fish-plate connections as used at present have this defect, that the support of
the base of the rail is not sufficiently taken into consideration, so that after the
lapse of a longer or shorter time, a loosening of the connections is unavoidable
which, however slight it may be, results in giving a rocking motion to the rolling
stock.
This invention is shown in the annexed drawing in two different systems or
forms of construction (Figs. 1 to 3 and Figs. 4 to 7 respectively) in each of which
a fish plate a and b is arranged respectively at each side of the rail which, fish
plate is formed in such manner as to abut against the underside of the head of
the rail, and on the upper surface of the bottom of the foot of the rail and
embracing said foot underneath.
In the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 3 in which Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 a
cross section on the line, of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a plan view from beneath of the
rail connection, the fish plates engage into one another underneath the foot of the
rail; both fish-plates or only one of them (a) is provided with hooks a' which
latter grasp into correspondingly spaced openings in the fish plate edge 6', while
the upper parts or sides of the fish plates are connected with the rail through holes
in the rib by means of bolts and nuts.
The fish plates are rolled so as to exactly correspond to the section of the rail
and so as to exactly fit above and below the foot and also rest against the underside
of the head thus, owing to their particular construction, forming a clamp which
embraces the ends of the rails holding the latter in an undisplaceable position
against one another.
In the modification represented in Figs. 4 to 7 in which Fig. 4 is a side view of
the rail connection, Fig. 5 a cross section on the line y y of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 a
plan view from beneath, is another mode of engagement of the fish plates with each
other; those parts of the fish-plates a and b which embrace the rail foot toward
below are in a symmetrical manner provided with hooks a¹ and b¹ which hooks, as
will be seen from Figs. 6 and 7, are placed into one another, whereupon by means
of the screw bolts and nuts z the upper parts of the fish plates are connected with
and through the rail rib.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that'what I
claim is :-
The improvements in rail fish-plates or connecting devices consisting in the form
and arrangement of two parts a and b capable of being connected and secured to
the rail ribs i¹ and forming a clamp embracing the rail ends, said fish plate parts
being suitably rolled out so as to exactly fit onto or over the outer section of

page_text: the rail and capable of being hooked together beneath the foot of the rail substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 20th day of December 1894.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.