Improvements in Rail Joints for Railways and Tramways and Appliances Connected therewith.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 30th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 1st Nov., 1887
Improvements in Rail Joints for Railways and Tramways and
Appliances Connected therewith.
I WILLIAM MARSHALL, Permanent way Superintendent, of 30 Foundry Street
Bury, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL JOINTS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS AND
APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to provide an effectual and inexpensive method of
rendering the Joints of certain sections of flat bottom rails used on Railways and
Tramways, more secure than is obtainable by the ordinary fish plate joints commonly
employed for the purpose.
My invention is more particularly applicable to flat bottom Rails of the kind known
as the Girder section, being a rail with a grooved head, deep web and broad bottom
flanges, which is for the most part laid upon concrete without sleepers and which
owing to the various ineffectual methods at present employed for securing the joints,
have been found to work, both in a vertical and lateral direction, thereby giving
considerable trouble in maintaining in good serviceable condition.
I attain the object of my Invention by employing auxiliary joint plates on the
flanges of the rail in conjunction with a base plate in the following manner.
Where two rails are laid end to end and jointed with ordinary fish plates and bolts
I place under the bottom flanges of the rails a metallic base plate of approximately
the same length as the fish plates used in the web of the rails or about eighteen inches
long, and of the same width or of about the same width as the bottom flanges, I do
not however restrict myself to size, the dimensions may be varied according to
circumstances.
This base plate is so placed under the ends of both rails that an equal, or nearly
equal, proportion of each end rests upon it, I then place two joint plates or what may
be called auxilliary fish plates, in a horizontal position on the upper surfaces of the
bottom flanges of the rails, half over each and one on each side; and by means of
an equal number of bolts in each end and on each side of each rail, I secure these

page_text: Auxilliary Joints or fish plates to the base plate, suitable holes being prepared for the
reception of the bolts in the rails, the base and fish plates.
In the trials I have made I have found four bolts sufficient, namely:-Two at each
side or two in each end of each rail, and when fastened in the manner herein described
it has been found that the objectionable working of the joints both in a vertical and
latteral direction has been overcome.
As a modification of the means employed for fastening the base and Auxilliary joint
plates to the Rails, Dog spikes or suitable bolts formed with heads made larger on one
side than the other may be used, so as to be applicable to Rails already laid, and which
have not been provided with holes for the reception of bolts as herein previously
described.
The essential feature of my Invention is the employment of a base plate, combined
with two horizontal joint plates secured to the bottom flanges of the Rails by Bolts
spikes or other equivalent fastening in addition to, or as an auxilliary to the ordinary
fish plates used in the webs of flat Bottom Rails as herein described.
Dated this 29th day of December 1886.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rail Joints for Railways and Tramways and
Appliances Connected therewith.
'
I WILLIAM MARSHALL, Permanent way, Superintendent, of 30 Foundry Street,
Bury, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL JOINTS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS AND
APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH," and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my Invention is to provide an effectual and inexpensive method of
rendering the joints of certain sections of flat bottom rails used on Railways and
Tramways, more secure than is obtainable by the ordinary fish plate joints commonly
employed for the purpose.
My invention is more particularly applicable to flat bottom rails of the kind known
as the Girder section, being a rail with a grooved head, deep web and broad bottom
flanges, which is for the most part la upon concrete without sleepers and which
owing to the various ineffectual methods at present employed for securing the joints,
have been found to work, both in a vertical and latteral direction, thereby giving
considerable trouble in maintaining in good serviceable condition.
I attain the object of my Invention by employing auxiliary joint plates on the
flanges of the rail in conjunction with a base plate in the following manner.
Where two rails are laid end to end and jointed with ordinary fish plates and bolts
I place under the bottom flanges of the rails a metallic base plate of approximately
the same length as the fish plates used on the web of the rails or about eighteen inches
long, and of the saine width or of about the same width as the botton flanges, I do
not however restrict myself to size, the dimensions may be varied according to
circumstances.
This base plate is so placed under the ends of both rails that an equal, or nearly
equal, proportion of each end rests upon it, I then place two joint plates or what may
be called auxiliary fish plates, in a horizontal position on the upper surfaces of the
bottom flanges of the rails, half over each, and one on each side; and by means of
an equal number of bolts in each end and on each side of each rail, I secure these
auxiliary joints or fish plates to the base plate, suitable holes being prepared for the
reception of the bolts in the rails, the base, and fish plates.
In the trials I have made I have found four bolts sufficient, namely:-Two at each
side or two in each end of each rail, and when fastened in the manner herein described
it has been found that the objectionable working of the joints both in a vertical and
latteral direction has been overcome.
As a modification of the means employed for fastening the base and auxiliary joint
plates to the rails, dog spikes or suitable bolts formed with heads or bolts with clips
made larger on one side than the other may be used, so as to be applicable to rails
already laid, and which have not been provided with holes for the reception of bolts.
as herein previously described.

page_text: The essential feature of my Invention is the employment of a base plate combined
with two horizontal joint plates or clips secured to the bottom flanges of the rails by
bolts spikes or other equivalent fastening in addition to, or as an auxiliary to the
ordinary fish plates used in the webs of the flat bottom rails as herein described.
My invention will be better understood on reference to the accompanying sheet of
drawings in which,
Fig. 1, is an end view in perspective of my improved rail joint and appliances in
which the auxiliary joint or fish plates are secured to the base plate by bolts passing
through holes formed in the bottom flanges of the rails.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.
Fig. 3 is an end view in perspective of my improved rail joint and appliances in
which the rails are secured to the base plate by means of clips with bolts nuts and
washers or their equivalent without holes being formed in the bottom flanges of the
rails and by means of which the auxiliary fastenings may be applied to rails already
laid and which have not been provided with holes for the reception of bolts as hercin
previously described.
Fig. 4, is a side view of the same.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views:―
a, is the rail.
b, is the ordinary fish plate.
c, c, c, c, c, c, are the ordinary fish plate bolts.
d, is the base plate.
e, e, is the joint or auxiliary fish plates.
ffff, are the bolts for securing the same.
9:9:9, 9, are the washers or clip plates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is.
(1) The employment of a base plate combined with two horizontal joint plates
secured to the bottom of the flat bottom rails at their joints by bolts with nuts and
washers or clips or by screws, spikes, studs, rivets, or other equivalent fastening in
addition to or as an auxiliary to the ordinary fish plates used on the webs of such
rails substantially as herein described and illustrated.
(2) The employment of a base plate combined with clips secured to the bottom of
flat bottom rails at their joints by bolts with nuts and washers or by screws spikes,
studs, rivets or other equivalent fastening in addition or as an auxiliary to the
ordinary fish plates used in the webs of such rails substantially as herein described
and illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying sheet of drawings.
(3) Improvemements in Rail joints for Railways and Tramways and appliances
connected therewith substantially as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 29th day of September 1887.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.