Improvements in Fish Joints for Railways or Tramways.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1801
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fish Joints for Railways or Tramways.
We, WILLIAM ROSS CARRUTHERS, Engineer, and GEORGE TREACY STEVENS,
Engineer, both of the City of Wellington in the Colony of New Zealand, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in fish joints for railways or tramways and
has for its objects supporting the fect of the rails at or near their junction by
transverse wedges passing through wedge shaped slots formed in parts of the fish
plates carried below the rail, and capable of movement in a direction parallel with
the rail; also firmly securing these wedges by vertical keys or wedges working
against shoulders in the transverse wedges whereby the said transverse wedges are
tightened against the feet of the rails tending to push the same upwards, and
so preventing depression and extra wear of the top surface of the ends of the
rails.
By these means also a joint is made by which the soles of the rails and shoulders
of the fish plates become firmly connected thereby preventing one rail from sinking
lower than the other under the motion of a rolling load. This bracing of the sole
of the rails with the shoulders of the fish plates results in keeping the tops of the
rail ends level, which will prevent the knock at present generally produced, and
practically making the line one continuous rail.
In order that our invention may be more easily understood, we will now proceed
to particularly describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the accompany-
ing sheet of drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side view of our improved fish joint;
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same;
Figure 3 is a plan of the transverse wedges;
Figure 4 is a side view, and
Figure 5 is an end view of Figure 3.
A A. are the ends of two ordinary railway rails;
B B are the fish plates having the usual bolt holes B¹ B¹. These fish plates are
extended below the soles of the rails as shewn, and in those extended parts are
formed slot holes B* B*, rectangular on the top and ends (by preference) but
bounded at the bottom by the two inclined planes B³ B3; they have also projecting
lips 13 to give a greater bearing surface to the transverse wedges.
CC are two transverse wedges extending across and underneath the bottoms of
the rails and resting on the inclined planes B³ B³.
DD are wedges or keys which are driven down between the wedges C C in the
inclined grooves C' C¹. These wedges or keys can be driven down from time to
time by a hammer, and in being so driven their points come into contact with
ribs B by which they are turned as shewn at D' and securely held from
returning.
It will be seen from this description of the several parts, and by reference to the
drawings that our improvements consist in the construction and arrangement of fish
plates bolted to the rails in the usual manner, but which fish plates are carried
below the feet of the rails and are provided with wedge shaped slots to receive
wedges placed transversely under the feet of the said rails; and that by means of
vertical keys or wedges driven down between the transverse wedges in grooves
provided for the purpose, the said transverse wedges are driven apart and up
inclined planes at the same time, and thus are brought to bear against the under

page_text: sides of the rails thus producing a tendency to raise the ends of the rails and
preventing the unequal wear of the same, which is found so objectionable with
ordinary fish plates.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is or may be carried into effect, we wish it
to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details hereinbefore
set forth, for these may be varied by a skilled workman, without departing from
our invention, but we declare that what we claim is,—
1. In a fish joint for railways or tramways the combination and arrangement with
the fish plates B B having slot holes B2 of transverse wedge pieces C sliding on the
inclined surfaces B³ and actuated by the wedges D3 substantially as herein
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a fish joint for railways or tramways the combination and arrangement with
the fish plates B B having slot holes B of transverse wedge pieces C sliding
on the inclined surfaces B³ and actuated by wedges D secured by ribs or
projections B substantially as herein described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a fish joint for railways or tramways the combination and arrangement with
the fish plates B B having slot holes B2 of transverse wedge pieces C sliding on the
inclined surfaces B³ and actuated by wedges D secured by ribs or projections B₁
and having lips B, substantially as herein described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawing.
Dated this 3rd day of April A.D. 1891.*
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.