IMPROVE- MENTS IN JOINING OR FISHING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Augustus Huddart, of Brynkir, in the
County of Carnarvon, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN JOINING OR FISHING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS."
Scaled the 28th January 1870, and dated the 1st October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Augustus
Huddart at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st October 1869.
1, GEORGE AUGUSTUS HUDDART, of Brynkir, in the County of
Carnarvon, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN JOINING OR FISHING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved mode of securing abutting rails
to each other. Instead of relying exclusively upon bolts and nuts as is
now the case with fishing joints, I now propose to attach permanently
to each end of the rails that are to be joined up (but at opposite sides
thereof) a fish plate by means of welding, soldering, brazing, or other-
wise, one-half of which fish plates will project beyond the ends of the
Price 8d 1

page_text: rail.
When, therefore, two rails thus furnished are brought together
the fish of each rail will overlap the other rail. Corresponding bolt holes
being made through the fish plates and rails bolts may be inserted
therein and screwed up tight, thereby forming a splice coupling on opposite
sides of the rail composed partly of a permanent and partly of a tem-
porary or removable attachment. The fishes may consist merely of flat
plates fitting against and corresponding in width to the web of the rails,
or they may extend below the foot of the rails, meeting with their
counterpart at the centre of the foot of the rails, and thus form a cradle
or seat for the rail ends.
Instead of securing a fish plate to either end of a rail a pair of plates
may be permanently attached to the same end of a rail to receive the
abutting end of the rail to be coupled up, as in a seat, the attachment
being completed by bolts and nuts. Other changes may, if thought
desirable, be introduced to ensure the locking of the ends of the rails
together, but in all cases the permanent attachment by forging or other-
wise of each fish plate to one rail must be retained in order to ensure the
advantages of this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Augustus Huddart in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
AUGUSTUS HUDDART, of Brynkir, in the County of Carnarvon, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said George Augustus Huddart, Her special licence
that I, the said George Augustus Huddart, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Augustus Huddart,
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

page_text: upon
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
PROVEMENTS IN JOINING OR FISHING THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS," the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Augustus Huddart, 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 Invention, 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 George Augustus Huddart, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
This Invention relates to an improved mode of securing abutting rails
to each other. Instead of relying exclusively upon bolts and nuts as is
now the case when fishing joints, I propose to attach permanently to
each end of the rails that are to be joined up (but at opposite sides
thereof) a fish plate (by means of welding, soldering, brazing, or other-
wise) in such manner that one-half or thereabouts of each fish plate will
project beyond the end of its rail. When, therefore, two rails thus fur-
nished in a corresponding manner are brought together the projecting
fish of the one rail will overlap the web of the other rail.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in plan view two rails
permanently fitted with fish plates according to my Invention and ready
to be put together, and Fig. 2 is a cross section shewing the rails
connected.
.
It should be remarked that I do not confine myself to the use of
any particular means for effecting the permanent attachment of the
fishes to their rails, but propose to employ any of the well-known means
now practised for effecting a permanent attachment. Thus in the manu-
facture of new rails it may be most convenient to connect the fishes
thereto by welding; but when applying the Invention to rails that are
in use I may adopt by preference rivetting to effect the permanent
attachment of the fish to the rail.
In Figures 1 and 2, A, A, are the rails, and B, B, the fishes formed in
the usual manner. By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that corre-

page_text: sponding bolt holes are made through the fish plates and the rails to
enable bolts to be inserted therein and screwed up tight as usual; thus a
splice coupling will be formed on opposite sides of the rail, composed
partly of a permanent and partly of a temporary or removable attach-
ment. The fishes shown at Fig. 2 consist merely of flat plates fitting
against and corresponding in width to the web of the rails, but they may
extend below the foot of the rails, meeting with their counterpart at the
centre of the foot of the rails, and thus form a cradle or seat for the rail
ends. This modification is shewn in the sectional elevation Fig. 3.
Instead of securing a fish plate to either end of the rail each rail may be
fitted with a pair of plates at one end, the same being permanently
attached to the rail to receive as in a seat the abutting end of the rail
that is to be coupled up, the rail at that end which is to be embraced
being without a fish or fishes. This modification is shewn in Fig. 4.
The attachment will be completed as in the other cases by bolts and nuts.
Other changes may, if thought desirable, be introduced to ensure the
locking of the ends of the rails together, but in all cases the permanent
attachment by welding, rivetting, or otherwise of each fish plate to
one rail must be retained in order to ensure the advantages of this
Invention.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in Joining or Fishing the Rails of Railways," and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, attaching fish plates at
one end permanently to the rails of railways by welding, rivetting, or
otherwise for the purpose of ensuring firm joints, as above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Augustus Huddart, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
GEO. A. HUDDART. (L.s.)