Improvements in Locking the Screw Nuts of the Fish Joints of Railway Rails.
Year: 1887

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locking the Screw Nuts of the Fish Joints of
Railway Rails.
I, JAMES EDWARD HENRY GORDON of 28 Collingham Place, Kensington in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer do hereby declare that I am in possession
of an invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKING THE SCREW NUTS OF THE FISH
JOINTS OF RAILWAY RAILS" which invention has been communicated to me from
abroad by James Perry Ball Nathaniel Martin Bennett and Mary Emily Bates all of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States of America :-
This invention has for its object to effect securely the locking of the screw nuts of
the fish joints of railway rails.
In ordinary fish joints there are two screw bolts and nuts on each side of the gap
between the abutting ends of the rails.
The locking of the nuts of the two bolts on either side of the gap is effected by a
spring formed of a bar of steel preferably rectangular in cross section which is curved
or arched in the centre and bent at each end into a circular or oblong eye. The
distance between the two eyes being approximately the distance between the two
screw bolts.
The bar is placed against the side of the fish plate with the ends of the stems of the
two bolts passing through the two eyes.
When the nuts are screwed on to the screw bolts and tightened up the arch in the
bar is straightened out by them and consequently the nuts are by the spring of the
metal bar thrust constantly outwards and thereby retained securely.
Dated this 25th day of January 1887.
CUDDYART C
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Hallway rails.
. I, JAMES EDWARD HENRY GORDON, of 28 Collingham Place, Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, (a communication to me from abroad by
James Perry Ball, Nathaniel Martin Bennett and Mary Emily Bates, all of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America) do hereby declaro 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 has for its object to effect securely the locking of the screw nuts of
the fish joints of railway rails.
In ordinary fish joints there are two screw bolts and nuts on each side of the gap
between the abutting ends of the rails.
The locking of the nuts of the two bolts on either side of the gap is effected by a
spring formed of a bar of steel preferably rectangular in cross section which is curved
or arched in the centre and bent at each end into a circular or oblong eye. The
distance between the two eyes being approximately the distance between the two
screw bolts.
The bar is placed against the side of the fish plate with the ends of the stems of the
two bolts passing through the two eyes.
When the nuts are screwed on to the screw bolts and tightened up the arch in the
bar is straightened out by them and consequently the nuts are by the spring of
the metal bar thrust constantly outwards and thereby retained securely.
The drawings annexed shew examples of steel washer bars formed as above described
for locking the screw nuts of the fish joints of railway rails.
Figure 1 is an edge view and Figure 2 a face view of one form of the washer and
Figure 3 is an edge view and Figure 4 a face view of another form.
In Figures 1 and 3 the fish plates and web of the rail are shewn in section and in
Figures 2 and 4 the fish plate is shown in face view.
In each case the bar A of spring steel is arched and at its ends is bent into loops or
eyes through which the bolts B for retaining the fish plates C pass.
In the construction shown at Figures 1 and 2 the spring is obtained by the arching
of the bar.
In Figures 3 and 4 the ends of the bar after being formed into eyes are continued
backward for a distance one towards the other and these parts are also arched as
shown at Figure 3 so that greater force would be required to flatten the spring than
with the construction shewn at Figure 1.
I would state that I am aware that spring washers for locking the screw nuts of
the fish joints of railway rails have before been formed of bent or arched plates of steel
having holes formed through them near their ends for the screw bolts to pass through.
A spring washer so formed was described in the Specification of a Patent granted to

page_text: William Robert Lake on the 11th November 1885 No. 13754-A communication from
James Perry Ball, Nathaniel Martin Bennett and Mary Emily Bates.
By forming the washers of a bar of steel bent to form and hardened and tempered
as hereinbefore described they can be made far more effective than when they are
made of plates of steel as in the above prior Patent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A washer for locking the screw nuts of the fish joints of railway rails composed
of a bar of spring steel bent at its ends to form it into eyes and arched substantially
as described.
2. A washer for locking the screw nuts of the fish joints of railway rails formed
substantially as herein before described and illustrated at Figures 1 and 2.
3. A washer for locking the screw nuts of the fish joints of railway rails formed
substantially as herein described and illustrated at Figures 3 and 4.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.