Fastener for Railways.
Year: 1886

page_text: Fastener for Railways.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323, High Holborn, London, County of Middlesex,
England, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the naturo of this invention (a commu-
nication to me from abroad by John Swann, attorney, a subject of Great Britain,
residing at Hotel St. Stevens East 11th Street, in the City, County and State of
New York, in the United States of America,) to be as follows:
This invention relates to a combined fish plate and chair, for railway joints, the
objects thereof being to provide a cheap, efficient, and permanent support and con-
nection for the contiguous or proximate ends of two railroad rails; and it consists
in duplicate metallic structures arranged beneath and on opposite sides of the rail,
each of said structures constituting in a single piece a fish bar and a half of
the chair; and it further comprises certain peculiarities in the construction and
arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described.
In the annexed drawing illustrating my invention
Figure, 1, is a perspective view of my invention representing its several parts in
proper position for uniting and supporting the contiguous ends of two rails.
Figure, 2, is a transverse vertical section of the same.
Figure, 3, is a side elevation of a rail joint with my invention applied thereto.
Figure, 4, is a vertical-end elevation of a modified form of my improvement.
Like letters denote like parts.
•
A, A, represent duplicate metallic plates, two of which are used to make one
support, or connection for the rails which it is desired to unite. Each plate, A,
consists of a lower horizontal portion, a, an inclined portion, b, and a vertical
portion, c. The lower horizontal portions, a, are wide enough to extend from the
outer edge of the rail, to the middle longitudinal line of its bottom surface, and
each thus constitutes one half of the chair. The side incline, b, is made to snugly
embrace the upper inclined surface of the flange at the base of the rails, while the
vertical portion, e, abuts closely against the side of the upright central or shank
portion of the rails, and forms the fish-plate.

page_text: It is obvious therefore that in uniting the contiguous ends of two railroad rails
the bottoms of said contiguous ends will rest upon the horizontal portions, a, a, of
the duplicate plates, A, A, the inner opposing edges of said portions, a, a, being
nearly in contact save a slight separation to allow for the contraction and expansion
of the metal due to changes of temperature.
The vertical portions, c, c, are each perforated to allow the passage through them
and the intermediate rail, of bolts, d, which secure the parts rigidly together. The
bolt and fastening preferably used in making the tightest joint is that shown in
the drawing, and which consists of the slotted bolt, d, tapering washer, e, and
wedge, f, driven through the slot and against the washer.
My combined fish-plate and chair is secured to the sleepers or ties, by means of
the flanged spikes, B, which are driven firmly into the sleepers close to the rails so
that the flanged or headed portion may be firmly seated upon the upper inclined
surfaces, b, b, of the plates, A, A, and consequently directly over the basal flanges
of the rails.
If so desired the said inclined plates, b, b, may be notched as shown in dotted
lines in figure, 2, to receive the bolts, B, B, and thus prevent any liability of an
endwise displacement of the device.
In figure, 4, is shown a slight modification wherein the entire device excepting
one of the fish-plates, c¹, is formed by the peculiar folding of a single metallic
plate.
The device herein described is easily made, quickly applied to the rails, and
readily repaired. Being made in duplicate parts it can be produced much more
easily than were the parts, A, A, made integral with each other. When worn,
broken, or otherwise injured the parts, A, A, can be easily removed and new ones
substituted in their place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
'
1. The herein described support and connection for railroad rails, consisting of
two duplicate plates each of which is fashioned to form a fish-plate and a half of
the chair, substantially as described.
2. As an improvement in supports and connections for railroad rails, the duplicate
plates, A, consisting of horizontal portion, ä, inclined portion, b, and vertical
portion, c, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the chair and fish bar comprising two plates as set
forth, of bolts for securing said plates to the rail, and spikes, B, for securing thein
to the sleepers.
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