A NEW OR IMPROVED RAILWAY FROG
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederick Redfern, of the General Patent Office,
4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an
Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED RAILWAY FROG." A communication
from abroad by F. G. Smith, of Truro, Province of Nova Scotia, and Dominion
of Canada
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Georgo Frederick Redfern
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th September 1880.
GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "A NEW OR IMPROVED
RAILWAY FROG." [A communication from abroad by F. G. Smith, of Truro,
Province of Nova Scotia, and Dominion of Canada.]
The object of the Invention communicated to me is to provide a cheaper and
more durable railroad frog than those commonly in use, and the Invention consists
in metallic end plates for affording bearings for the frog; of a frog V constructed
in one piece, and of wing or guard rails, and a V provided with loops or koepers
through which pass the keys, whereby the said wing or guard rails and V are held
in place, and given an clastic bearing.
A metallic bottom or bed plate extends the length and breadth of the frog, a
plank of like length and breadth being secured on the upper face of the plate.
Plates of iron, which form chairs, are provided for the rails to rest upon, and also an
upper plank, transversely across the face of which are secured iron end plates, to
which the outer ends of the wing or guard rails, and the V of the frog are secured
by rivets or other suitable fastenings; the iron plates or keys are bolted across the
upper plank, and pass through the holder of the frog, to hold it in place while
allowing it some degree of elasticity. The V part of the frog is provided with
down ward projecting loops or keepers, and the wing or guard rails are each provided
with a downward projecting loop or keeper. A key passes through the keeper of
the V part of the frog, and is secured by screw bolts and nuts to the upper plank.
One of the herein-before described keys passes through the keeper of the V part of
the frog, and also through the keeper of the wing or guard rails, and thus holds
these parts of the frog down in place. The absence of the ordinary heavy plates
which compose part of the frogs in common use gives this frog great advantage
both in weight and cost, and makes it more elastic. The keys herein described
aro substituted for such heavy plates as are commonly used; and by increasing the
elasticity they also increase the durability of the frog, and with this device too, the
removal and replacing of a fractured V or wing rail occupies much less time and
labour than is required on an ordinary frog.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Frederick Redfern in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th March 1881.
GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "A NEW OR IMPROVED 5
RAILWAY FROG." A communication from abroad by F. G. Smith, of Truro,
Province of Nova Scotia, and Dominion of Canada.
The object of the Invention, communicated to me is to provide a cheaper and
more durable railroad frog than those commonly in use, and the Invention consists
in metallic end plates for affording bearings for the frog; of a frog V constructed I
in one piece, and of wing or guard rails, and a V provided with loops or keepers
through which pass the keys, whereby the said wing or guard rails and V are held
in place, and given an elastic bearing.
But to make the Invention communicated to me better understood; I will proceed.
to describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 1
is a perspective view of the improved railway frog;-Figuro-2, an elevation of the
same, partly in section; Figure-3;-a-side elevation of the V part, and Figure 4, a
similar view of one of the wing or guard rails of the frog. Similar letters-in-all-
the Figures represent similar parts.
A represents a metallic bottom or bed plate, extending the length and breadth of 2
the frog; B is a plank of like length and breadth secured on the upper face of the
plate A; C, C, are plates of iron which form chairs for the rails to rest upon, and
D is an upper plank, transversely across the face of which are secured the iron end
plates E, E, to which the outer ends of the wing or guard rails I, I, and the V part H
of the frog are secured by rivets or other suitable fastenings; F and G are iron
plates or keys bolted across the plank D, and passing through the holder of the
frog to hold it in place while allowing it some degree of elasticity. The V part H
of the frog is provided with downwardly projecting loops or keepers K, K¹, and the
wing or guard rails I, I, are each provided with a downwardly projecting loop or
keeper L. The key F passes through the loop or keeper K of the V part H of the
frog, and is secured (as also is the key G and the plates E, E,) by screw bolts and
nuts to the upper plank D, and the key G passes through the loop or keeper K' of
the V part H of the frog, and also through the keepers L of the wing or guard
rails I, I, and thus holds these parts of the frog down in place. The absence of
the ordinary heavy plates which compose part of the frogs in common use, give
this frog great advantage over them, both in weight and cost, and renders it more
olastic. The keys hereinbefore described and shown are substituted for such heavy
plates as are commonly used, and by increasing the elasticity they also increase the
durability of the frog, and with this device too, the removal and replacing of a
fractured part or a wing rail occupies much less time and labour than is required
with an ordinary frog.
Having thus described the Invention communicated to me, I wish it to bo
understood that what is claimed and intended to be protected by the herein in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. In a rail road frog, the V shaped portion H constructed in one piece,
substantially as herein shown and described, and provided with keepers K, K', as
shown, whereby the pointed end of this part of the frog is held down.
Secondly. The combination of the keys F and G with the part H, and the wing
rails I, I, of a rail road frog, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby
the frog is held in place, and given an elastic bearing, as set forth.
Thirdly. In a rail road frog, the wing rails I, I, provided with keepers L, sub-
stantially as herein shewn and described.

page_text: Fourthly. The combination with the V part H and wing rails I, I, of a rail road
frog, of the transverse plates E, E, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Fifthly. The combination with the planks B and D of the plates C, C, substan-
tially as shewn, whereby chairs are formed for the rails to rest upon, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Frederick Redfern, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty ono.