Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 4th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
We, ISRARL HACKETT of Poplar Cottage Victoria Road Surbiton in the County
of Surrey Permanent Way Inspector, and WILLIAM SANDFORD BURRINGTON KEMPE
of 85 Broadway Wimbledon, in the County of Surrey, Railway Agent do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has reference to improvements in that form of fish plate generally
known as the Bracket fish plate, used for jointing together the double-headed rails of
the permanent way of railways.
The Bracket fish plate is so constructed that the uppermost part fits close in the
web of the rail whilst the lower part is fashioned to fit the lower. head of the rails,
extending under them forming a bracket for both the rails to rest in. The fish plate
is bolted to both lengths of rail in the usual manner.
It will be readily understood for instance that for the heels of switches, such a fish
plate as the Bracket fish plate in its present entire form could not be employed in-as-
much as it is the practice to rest and slide the ends of both rails upon the slide or
point heel chairs.
Our improvements consists, firstly, in forming the Bracket fish plate so as to enable
it to be used for the heels of switches, that is to say to enable it to be employed for
jointing the switch or moving point rails to the permanent or fixed rails, the said
joint being made over the point heel chairs so that both rails have a bearing upon
the flat surface of the chairs.
We effect this improvement by cutting a portion of the lower curved end of the
Bracket fish plate away; at least the width of the chair, so that the ends of both
rails rest and slide upon the point heel chairs as now, but retaining the bracket or
curved portion of the fish plate on either side of the chair.
Our second improvement consists in employing a special chair, similar to an
ordinary point chair, but with two bolt holes through the jaw, (and the jaw
straight instead of curved to fit the rail, as well as lessening the slide portion, as no
side movement of the rail is necessary) under each joint of the rails throughout the
permanent way.
At present it is usual (except where flat bottom rails are used) to arrange for the
joints of the rails to take place between sleepers, and are provided with no other
support than the ordinary fish plate. We now propose and it constitutes this portion
of our invention, to employ our special chair above referred to in every case of rail
joints.
We arrange it as follows.
The ends of the two rails are laid upon the flat surface of our joint chair, on the
inside of the rails, our improved Bracket fish plate, which fits over the slide portion
of the joint chair, is fixed. On the outside also our improved fish plate is fixed, but
a larger portion is cut away to allow our joint chair to be brought close up to the
bottom of the rail. Bolts are placed through the chair, the rails and both fish plates.
The bolt which goes through the right hand hole for example, holds the joint chair,
the right hand rail and the fish plates. Again the bolt which goes through the left
hand hole, holds the joint chair, the left hand rail & both fish plates.
Our joint chairs of course are spiked to sleepers in the usual manner. We employ
if necessary a piece of wood or a packing such as felt or the like, we shape like the
fish plate, to act as a means of tightening up the plates & also to prevent any jar and
shakiness.
We gain as advantages that we prevent any longitudinal movement of the switch
tongues, or any other portion of the permanent way, the fish plate being as it were

page_text: wedged over the point chairs and joint chairs, and we enable our form of bracket fish
plate to be used for every situation, the extra support of the plates being obtained at
situations hitherto unprovided with them.
Dated this 5th day of February 1889.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, M.L.M.E., &c.,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Permanent Way of Railways.
We, ISRAEL HACKETT of Poplar Cottage Victoria Road Surbiton in the County
of Surrey Permanent Way Inspector and WILLIAM SANDFORD BURRINGTON KEMPE
of 85 Broadway, Wimbledon in the County of Surrey, Railway Agent, 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 -
Our Invention has reference to improvements in that form of fish plate generally
known as the bracket fish plate used for jointing together the double headed raits of
the permanent way of railways.
The bracket is so constructed that the uppermost part fits close in the web of the
rail, whilst the lower part is fashioned to fit the lower head
under them, forming a bracket for both the rails to rest in.
to both lengths of rail in the usual manner.
of the rails extending
The fi-h plate is holted
It will be readily understood for instance that for the heels of switches, such a fi-b-
plate as the racket fish plate in its present entire form conll not be employed
ina-much as it is the practice to rest and slide the ends of both rails upon the slide
or point heel chairs. Our improvements consist firstly in forming the bracket fish
plate so as to enable it to be used for the heels of switches: that is to say, to enable
it to be employed for jointing the switch or moving point rails to the permanent or
fixed rails; the said joint bring made over the point heel chairs, so that both rails
have a bearing upon the flat surface of the chairs.
We effect this improvement by cutting a portion of the lower curved end of the
bracket fish plate away, at least the width of the chair, so that the ends of both
rails rest and slide upon the point heel chairs as now, but retaining the bracket or
curved portion of the fish plate on either side of the chair.
In order that this first part of our Invention may be fully understood, we will
describe the accompanying drawings, reference being made for that purpose to the
figures and letters marked thereon:
Fig. illustrates a plan of a pair of switch points, fitted with our Invention.
a is the point heel chair. is the rail of the switch.
plate.
Fig. 2 is a cross section .. y. of Fig 1.
is the bracket fish
d represents the part of the underside of the fish plate that is cut away to allow the
chair to fit inside.
Fig. 6 is a side view, showing how the gap d in the fish plate e fits over the baso
of the chair a.
Our second improvement consists in employing a special chair, similar to an
ordinary point cluir but with two bolt-holes through the jaws (and the jaw straight
instead of curved to fit thu rail, as well as lessening the slide portion, as no side
movement of the rail is necessary) under each joint of the rails throughout the
permanent way.
It may be found desirable, however, to provido a rib (as at e in Fig. 4) to form
a bed for the bottom of the rail to rest in.
At present it is usual, except where flat bottom rails are used) to arrange for
the joints of the rails to take place between sleepers, and they are provided with
no other support than the ordinary fish plates. We now propose, and it constitutes

page_text: this portion of our Invention, to employ our special chair above referred to in every
case of rail joints.
We arrange it as follows :-
The ends of the two rails are laid upon the flat surface of our joint chair, on the
inside of the rails, our improved bracket fish plate, which fits over the slide portion
of the joint chair is fixed.
On the outside, also our improved fish plate is fixed, but a larger portion is cut
away to allow our joint chair to be brought close up to the bottom of the rail.
Both are placed through the chair, the rails and both fish plates. The bolt which
goes through the right hand hole for example, holds the joint chair, the right hand
rail and the fish plates. Again, the bolt which goes through the left hand hole,
holds the joint chair, the left hand rail and both fish-plates.
Our joint chairs of course are spike to sleepers in the usual manner.
We employ if necessary a piece of wood, or a packing such as felt or the liko, in
shape like a fish plate, to act as a means of tightening up the plates, and also to
prevent any jar and shakiness.
And in order that this second application of our Invention may be fully understood,
we will describe the drawings,―roforence being unade for that purpose to the figures
and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the application of our Invention for rail jointing.
Fig. 4 is a section through r. s of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the permanent way.
Fig. 7 is a plan of Fig. 3. In these figures k is a special chair, which can be
made with or without the rib e.
We gain as advantage that we prevent any longitudinal movement of the switch
tongues, or any other portion of the permanent way, the fish-plate being as it were,
wedged over the point chairs and joint chairs, and we enable our form of bracket
fish-plate to be used for every situation, the extra support of the plates being obtained
at situations hitherto unprovided with them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our Invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed or put into practice, we
desire it to be understood that wo lay no claim to the general principle of employing
chairs for rail jointing,—but we declare that what we do claim is :—
1st. In railway permanent way, the employment of a bracket fish plate which
clips the base of the chair,-substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and
as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In railway permanent way, the combination of the fish plate claimed in
claim 1, with the special chair & (Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7), substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth, and, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dased the 14h
NL 1980
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, S.W., Agent for the said Applicants.