Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1887
Complete Left, 19th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
A communication from abroad by EDWIN CECIL ROLLS, of Chatham, in the County of
Kent and State of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, Inventor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
This invention relates to that class of fastening or locking devices for bolts and nuts
where two hinged plates are used, one being placed behind the nut and the other folded
down so as to embrace or butt against one or more sides of the nut after it has been
screwed up.
The present improvements are applicable with equal facility to railway rails, buggy
and carriage fastenings, furniture knobs, and all other articles in which threaded bolts
and nuts are used.
The special advantages to be derived from this invention are great simplicity and
cheapness of construction, ease of application and adjustment in different situations,
and efficiency in operation.
To this end the improvements consist in means whereby a locking device of one size
may be adjusted and adapted to fit different sizes of rails, etcetera; and also in means
for locking the device itself after this has locked the nut.
When used in connection with railway rails the locking device consists of a back
plate having a vertical elongated slot cut therein, the upper edge of this plate being
turned over to form part of the knuckle of a hinge passing through which is the
usual hinge pin, and the hinge knuckle is completed by the upper ends (turned over
the pin) of two flat strips, or narrow plates which are adapted to be folded down upon
the back plate.
The bolt and fish plate being in place the above device is placed close against the
fish plate the elongated slot in the back plate serving for the bolt to pass, through,

page_text: and its shape and relation to the bolt allow the back plate to be adjusted vertically
until its lower edge comes squarely against the rail flange. The nut is then screwed
upon the bolt and tightly up against the back plate, and the narrow hinged plates
(previously turned up out of the way) are then folded down on either side of the nut,
and in this manner the nut is firmly locked upon the bolt and prevented from
turning.
In cases apart from railway rails, where there is no flange for the lower edge
of the back plate to bear against, a lip or flange is formed upon the edge of the
back plate itself, said lip or flange being usually turned towards the rear so as to
grip the edge of the rail, or other object to which it is applied.
It is also contemplated to lock the locking plates themselves so as to prevent
them from being turned up clear of the nut, or from springing away from it.
This is accomplished by making a bevelled cut or channel upon each of the inner
corners of the nut. These channels do not extend to the whole thickness or width
of the nut, but are only wide enough to permit two corners of the nut to slightly
overlap the inner edges of the locking plates when said nut is given a slight reverse
turn after the different parts have been finally adjusted and locked together.
Other means for fastening the locking plates in their folded down position may
be adopted, such as slots in said locking plates receiving eyes fastened to the back
plate, and pins passing through the eyes, and the hinged plates may assume a
variety of shapes and be differently arranged without departing from the invention.
Dated this 18th day of July 1887.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: A communication from abroad by EDWIN CECIL ROLLS, of Chatham, in the County
of Kent and State of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, Inventor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, 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 that class of fastening or locking devices for bolts and nuts
where two hinged plates are used, one, being placed behind the nut and the other
folded down so as to embrace or butt against one or more sides of the nut after it has
been screwed up.
The present improvements are applicable with equal facility to railway nails, buggy
and carriage fastenings, furniture knobs and all other articles where threaded bolts and
nuts are used.
The special advantages to be derived from this invention are great simplicity and
cheapness of construction, ease of application, and adjustment in different situations,
and efficiency in operation.
To this end the improvements consist in means whereby a locking device of one
size may be adjusted and adapted to fit different sizes of rails etcetera, and also in
means for locking the device itself after this has locked the nut.
For full comprehension of the invention, reference must be had to the accompanying
drawing forming part of this specification in which similar letters of reference indicate
like parts.
In said drawing:
Figure 1 is a cross section, taken through a railway rail and its fish plates showing
the locking device in place.
Figure 2 is a side view of same, showing the nut on one bolt simply locked, and one
with the lock and nut both locked.
Figure 3 is a cross section of a modification specially applicable to square rails and
other unflanged articles.
Figures 4 and 5 are details showing the hinged locking plate open and folded.
Figure 6 is a detail of a nut constructed according to the invention for locking the
plate proper.
A represents the rail and a its flange and B, B₁ the fish plates, and C the bolt, all
being of the usual or any desired construction, the bolt being preferably square
in section near the head c where it passes through the back fish plate B¹.
D is the nut, which in many instances will be of the usual type.

page_text: The locking device consists of a back plate E having a vertical elongated slot e cut
centrally therein, the upper edge of this plate being turned over to form part of the
knuckle of a hinge e¹, the hinge pin being marked e² and the hinge knuckle is completed
by the upper ends of two flat strips or narrow plates E', E', which are adapted to be
folded down upon the plate E.
The bolt and fish plates being in place, the device just described is applied before
screwing on the nut, the elongated slot e serving for the bolt C to pass through. The
back plate E can thus be adjusted vertically until its lower edge comes squarely against
the rail flange a. The narrow locking plates E are now turned up as shown by the dotted
lines in Figure 1 and the nut is screwed on and tightly up against the back plate E
after which the plates the plates E¹ are folded down on either side of the nut, and
firmly lock the same upon the bolt.
In the modification, Figure 3, there being no flange upon the rail A a lip or flange e³
is formed upon the lower edge of the back plate E, (this flange being turned toward
the rear) and thus grip the underside of the square rail. The elongated slot e in this
case, serves exactly the same purpose, namely, it allows the locking plates to be adjusted
vertically so as to bring the flange e³ into the proper position to bear firmly against the
rail, and thus prevent the locking plates and nut from turring with the bolt.
One of the nuts D in Figure 2 is represented as turned to an acute angle, and with
its corners overlapping the inner edges of the plates E' E¹. This is done when, for
greater security, it is desired to lock the locking plates themselves, and prevent them
from being turned up, and it is accomplished by making a bevelled channel or cut d
upon each of the inner corners of the nut D, as shown clearly in Figure 6. These cuts
do not extend to the whole thickness of the nut, but only form sloping channels suffi-
ciently wide to permit two corners of the nut to slightly overlap the inner edges of the
locking plates E'E' when said nut is given a slight reverse turn after the different
parts have been finally adjusted and locked together.
:
Other means for fastening the locking plates in their folded down position may be
adopted, such as slots in said locking plates receiving eyes fastened to the back plate,
and pins passing through the eyes and the hinged plates may assume a variety of
shapes and be differently arranged without departing from the invention.
n-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a nut lock, the combination with a rail & bolt & nut, of a back plate placed
behind the nut, having an elongated vertical slot through which the bolt passes and
two locking plates hinged to said back plate at the upper edge, and adapted to fold
down on either side of the nut, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a nut lock, the combination with a rail and bolt, of a back plate having an
elongated vertical slot through which the bolt passes, two locking plates hinged to said
back plate, and a nut having its rear corners channelled as described, said locking
plates being adapted to fold down upon either side of the nut, and said nut to be
turned so that two of its corners will overlap said locking plates, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with a flangeless rail, and a bolt and nut of the back plate E
.having elongated slot e and flange e and locking plates E' E' hinged to said back
plate, substantially as and for the purpose described.