IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING NUTS AND BOLTS EMPLOYED ON THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Maddocks, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING NUTS AND BOLTS EMPLOYED ON THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 15th April 1868, and dated the 30th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Maddocks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the 30th
October 1867.
I, JOHN MADDOCKS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING NUTS AND BOLTS EMPLOYED ON THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of preventing the nuts used to
secure fish-plate joints on railways from turning and becoming unscrewed by
the vibration of the rails caused by traffic.
The improvements consist in the novel employment and use of a metallic
plate, the lower side of which is straight and level, excepting a projecting piece
occupying a relative position to one of the middle nuts, and the end of the
plate near this projection is turned round so as to overlap it, and in this pro-
jecting piece a hole or vertical slot is formed.
In making the joint the first, third, and fourth bolts are to be passed
through the fish plates and rail, and the nuts screwed thereon, each nut
having one flat side uppermost; the lower edge of the metallic plate is then
laid on the three flat surfaces of the nuts which brings the bolt or hole in the

page_text: projecting piece over the second bolt hole and the second bolt is passed
through the fish plates rail, and the metallic plate, and the nut screwed on,
which locks the first, third, and fourth nuts and prevents them turning; the
turned end of the plate is now so adjusted or bent as to overlap the flat
surface of the second nut, which is thereby also prevented from turning.
When required to unscrew the nuts the overlapping end is sprung back or
forced outwards, and the nut is liberated for the action of the wrench.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Maddocks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1868.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MADDOCKS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Maddocks, Her special license that I, the said John Maddocks,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Maddocks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING NUTS AND BOLTS
EMPLOYED ON THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Maddocks, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office, within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Maddocks, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of preventing the nuts used to

page_text: secure fish-plate joints on railways from turning and becoming unscrewed by
the vibration of the rails caused by traffic.
The improvements consist in the novel employment and use of a metallic
plate, the lower side of which is straight and level excepting a projecting
piece occupying a relative position to one of the middle nuts, and the end of
the plate near this projection is turned round so as to overlap it, and in this
projecting piece a hole or vertical slot is formed.
In making the joint the first, third, and fourth bolts are to be passed
through the "fish plates" and rail, and the nuts screwed thereon, each nut
having one flat side uppermost; the lower edge of the metallic plate is then
laid on the three flat surfaces of the nuts which brings the slot or hole in the
projecting piece over the second bolt hole, and the second bolt is passed
through the fish plate, rail, and the metallic plate and the nut screwed on,
which locks the first, third, and fourth nuts and prevents them turning; the
turned end of the plate is now so adjusted or bent as to overlap the flat
surface of the second nut, which is thereby also prevented from turning.
When required to unscrew the nuts the overlapping end is sprung back or
forced outwards, and the nut is liberated for the action of the wrench.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale of
about eight inches to the foot.
Fig. 1 represents the front elevation of the apparatus employed for securing
and retaining the nuts and bolts of fish-plate joints in their position in which the
plate is shewn detached; Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same; Figs. 3 and
4 similar views to the last representing the metallic plate as it would appear
when in its position, retaining the screwed up nuts in their position on the
thread of the bolt; Fig. 5 is a side elevation, and Fig. 6 a plan view of an
extended form or construction of plate to be employed for retaining the nuts
of fish plate connecting the joints or ends of rails particularly adapted to the
bolts known as "dropping bolts."
In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, a, a, is a metal plate having upon the lower edge a
projection 6 in relative positions to one of the middle nuts, the end of the
plate a near this projection is turned round so as to overlap and project over the
nut of the second bolt which passes through a hole or vertical slot c formed in
the projection b.
In making the joint and securing the nuts the first, third, and fourth bolts
are to be passed through the fish plates and rails, and the nuts screwed thereon,
each nut having one flat side uppermost; the lower edge of the metallic plate a
is then laid on the three flat surfaces of the nuts e, f, g, and the slot or hole c
J

page_text: in the projecting piece b comes over the bolt shank h, the nut of which is
screwed up against the surface or side of the projecting part of the plate, and
thus the three nuts e, f, g, are retained in their screwed-up position; the nut
of the bolt h is then prevented from turning or retained by the overlap a¹
of the plate a which is turned over the square head of the nut h. When it is
desired to unscrew the nuts the overlapping end a¹ is sprung back or forced
outwards and the nut is liberated for the action of the screw wrench.
In Figs. 3 and 4 holes are employed instead of slots for the admission.of
the bolts which may also be used in the plates shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, by the
use of which the plates are prevented from rising or slipping upwards.
. I would remark that I do not confine myself to the exact form of the
plate, or to the particular position of the bolt selected to retain the plate;
but I claim,-
The novel application, employment, and use of a metallic plate to the nuts
or bolts securing the joints of rails, one edge or surface of which is in contact
with one side of all the nuts, excepting that nut which secures the plate in its
position and thereby prevents the other nuts turning, such nut being secured
and prevented from turning by an overlapping end of the plate or other
securing latch, pin, or mechanical equivalent.
Secondly. The arrangement and construction of the apparatus for preventing
the unscrewing of the nuts or movement of the bolts used to secure the joints
on the rails of railways, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Maddocks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witnessed by
JOHN L. DAVIES, C.E.
Office for Patents,
Manchester.
JOHN MADDOCKS. (L.S.)