Year: 1895

page_text: 1, WILLIAM MORRISON, of 49 Robinson Street, in the City of Toronto, in the
County of York and Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is a rail joint in which bolts do not form an essential
part and which will allow due play to expansion and contraction.
For this purpose I use a pair of fish plates of special construction and a key
piece consisting of a pair of short and specially shaped fish plates integrally
connected transversely at the center. The sides of said key piece fit the web of
the rails closely and the central connecting part. passes through the web at the
joint, notches being cut in the ends of the rails for that purpose. prefer to shape
said central connection in longitudinal section to resemble à longitudinal section of
a round headed bolt with part of the neck, set upright, so that its upper line is
convex; to this the notch in the rail ends, when the two rails are brought together,
is made to correspond. At the bottom, near each end of each side of said key
piece, is a pin which engages a corresponding perforation in the foot of the rail,
said perforations being somewhat elongated to allow for expansion and contraction.
The outer lower edges of said sides are rabbeted and in the center a shallow
concave recess is cut out. The upper edges of said sides are slightly concaved in
the center, a shoulder is then formed on each side of the center and the edges are
cut away convexly towards the ends.
The fish plates extend from the underside of the head down the web over the
foot and over the edge of the foot level with the sole thereof, are considerably
longer than the sides of the key piece and have each a central gap, opening or
perforation which is the exact counterpart of the side of the key piece, with a
projection or lug fitting the concavity at the bottom of the latter, so that the fish
plates will fit over the sides of the key piece, the edges making butt joints except
at the bottom which forms the counterpart of the rabbeted edges of the key
piece.
When it is practicable to extend the fish plates over two sleepers, they are
secured with two spikes upon each at each side, the spikes being driven close
against the edges of the fish plates. In lieu of this or in addition to it, however,
bolts may be passed through the fish plates and web.
Dated this 17th day of October A.D. 1895.

page_text: Improvements in Railway Rail Joints.
I, WILLIAM MORRISON, of 49 Robinson Street, in the City of Toronto, in the
County of York and Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, Engineer,
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 :-
The object of my invention is a rail joint in which bolts do not form an essential
part and which will allow due play to expansion and contraction.
For this purpose I use a pair of fish plates of special construction and a key
piece consisting of a pair of short and specially shaped fish plates integrally
connected transversely at the center. The sides of said key piece fit the web of
the rails closely and the central connecting part passes through the web at the
joint, notches being cut in the ends of the rails for that purpose. I prefer to shape
said central connection in longitudinal section to resemble a longitudinal section of
a round headed bolt with part of the neck, set upright, so that its upper line is
convex; to this the notch in the rail ends, when the two rails are brought together,
is made to correspond. At the bottom, near each end of each side of said key
piece, is a pin which engages a corresponding perforation in the foot of the rail,
said perforations being somewhat elongated to allow for expansion and contraction.
The outer lower edges of said sides are rabbeted and in the center a shallow
concave recess is cut out. The upper edges of said sides are slightly concaved in
the center, a shoulder is then formed on each side of the center and the edges are
cut away convexly towards the ends.
The fish plates extend from the underside of the head down the web over the
foot and over the edge of the foot level with the sole thereof, are considerably
longer than the sides of the key piece and have each a central gap, opening or
perforation which is the exact counterpart of the side of the key piece, with a
projection or lug fitting the concavity at the bottom of the latter, so that the fish
plates will fit over the sides of the key piece, the edges making butt joints except
at the bottom which forms the counterpart of the rabbeted edges of the key
piece.
When it is practicable to extend the fish plates over two sleepers, they are
secured with two spikes upon each at each side, the spikes being driven close
against the edges of the fish plates. In lieu of this or in addition to it, however,
bolts may be passed through the fish plates and web.
To enable those skilled in the art to carry my invention into practice, I subjoin
a more detailed description of the same, together with drawings, hereto annexed
and forming part hereof and in which:
Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved rail joint.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on line 2-2 Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same on line 3-3 Fig. 1, being through the
joint.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same on line 4-4 Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pair of fish plates.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the key piece.
Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same on line 7-7 Fig. 8.
Fig. 8 is a top view of the same.
Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through the center of the rail joint.
Fig. 10 shows the fish plates removed and the rail ends raised, illustrating the
manner of disengaging the key piece.

page_text: In the end of the web of each rail, R, Figs. 19 and 10, is cut one half of a
notch, the whole of which, when the two ends are brought together as in Fig. 9, is
represented by the longitudinal section of the transverse connecting center, a, of
the key piece A. and which preferably resembles the head and part of the neck of
a round headed bolt in a vertical position. The key piece A, shown separate in
Figs. 6 7 and 8 and also applied in Figs. 1 and 10, in cross section in Figs. 3 and 4,
and in longitudinal section in Fig. 9, consists of two sides rigidly connected
transversely by the center a and acting, in a measure, as fish plates. Their free
iuner faces fit against the webs of the rails, their upper and lower edges
respectively against the underside of the head and the upper side of the foot, the
lower edges having a rabbet a' at the outside and near each end a pin all, adapted
to engage a perforation 711 in the foot of the rail. The center of the lower edge
has a flat concaved recess a¹11. The upper edge a 4 is slightly convex and is cut
short by two vertical shoulders or offsets a 5 from whence the edges a 6 are curved
down convexly towards the ends, leaving only a short length a7 of moderate
thickness above the rabbet parallel therewith. The perforations in the feet of
the rails are made sufficiently large to permit the necessary expansion and
contraction of the rails longitudinally.
The fish plates, B, shown separate in Fig. 5, in elevation in Fig. 1 and in cross
section in Figs. 2 3 and 4, are longer than the key piece and in cross section each
extends from the underside of the head down the web and over and around the
edge of the foot level with the sole thereof. In the central part each has au
opening, b, the counterpart of and corresponding exactly to and adapted to receive
the key piece A, the edges making butt joints, except at the bottom which forms
the counterpart 61 of the rabbeted edge a¹ of said key piece and having an inwardly
projecting segmental lug 6111 fitting the segmental recess all of the key piece. The
edges of the key piece and recess or opening bare essentially horizontal, to enable
the fish plates to be slid sideways upon the key piece and in their proper position.
The relative thicknesses of the fish plates and key piece are such that their outer
surface when in their places, is, as nearly as may be, flush, as shown in Figs. 23
and 4. In Fig. 1 the fish plates B are shown to extend over two ties, T, and where
this is practicable they are secured upon each tie with two spikes, S, on each side,
and the edges of the fish plates may be notched for the spikes, if desired, as shown
at 68 in Figs. 5 and 2. The spikes hold the fish plates in position on the rails and
these in turn hold the key piece; but where spikes cannot be used, bolts, passing
through the web of the rail may be used holding the fish plates together.
To undo a joint, the fish plates are removed, which is done readily as soon as the
spikes are removed, and then the joint is lifted, as shown in Fig. 10, thereby
disengaging the pins all from the perforations 7" and allowing the rails to be
drawn apart.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a railway rail joint, the combination of a key piece consisting of two sides
each extending along the webs of the two rails and fitting close against the web
head and foot and having its lower edge rabbeted and provided near the ends with
pins engaging perforations in the feet of the rails and its upper edge at each end
shortened by a shoulder and sloped off convexly and said sides connected by a
central rigid connection of angular longitudinal section adapted to pass through
a corresponding perforation in the meeting ends of the rail web, a pair of fish plates
fitting the rails close and each extending in cross section from the underside of the
head around the edge of the foot and having a central recess or perforation which
is the exact counterpart of the side of the key piece and making close butt joints
therewith and the ends of the rail webs notched to form an angular perforation
when the two rail ends are brought together and adapted to receive the transverse
connection of the key piece, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. In a railway rail joint, the combination with the web of the rail ends of
notches forming when the two rail ends are brought together an angular perforation,
and a key piece consisting of two sides rigidly connected transversely by a central
part fitting the perforation in the rail web ends and fitting close against the webs
and the underside of the heads and the upper faces of the feet of the rails and
having on its lower edges at each end a pin engaging a corresponding perforation
in the feet of the rails, substantially as set forth.
3. In a key piece for a railway rail joint, the combination of two sides each
fitting against the web and the underside of the head and the foot of the rail, a
transverse center of angular section rigidly connecting said sides, a rabbet at the
lower edge of each side, a central segmental recess in the lower edge of each side
and an upper edge shortened by offsets and convexly sloping ends, substantially as
set forth.
4. In a fish plate for a railway rail joint, the combination of a plate extending
from the underside of the head of the rail down the web and over and around the
edge of the foot and fitting close upon the same and a central recess the exact
counterpart of the side of a key piece which it is adapted to receive, substantially
as set forth.
5. In a railway rail joint, the combination of a pair of rail ends having the ends
of their webs notched to form when brought together an angular perforation, a
key piece A. having two sides transversely connected by a center adapted to pass
through the perforation in the web of the rails aud having in its lower edges pins
engaging the rails and the upper edges of the sides shortened by offsets, a pair of
fish plates Beach having a recess which is the exact counterpart of the side of the
key piece adapted to pass over and receive and interlock with the same, and
spikes S driven close against the edges of said fish plates, substantially as set
forth.
6. A railway rail joint, consisting of a key piece composed of two sides or plates
fitting the rail web and connected centrally by a rigid transverse connecting piece
passing through a perforation in the rail web joint and said sides having on their
lower edges pins adapted to engage perforations in the rails, a pair of fish plates
each fitting the rail from the underside of the head down the web and over and
around the edge of the foot and provided with a central recess or perforation being
a counterpart of the side of the key piece and adapted to receive and fit the same
and spikes by which said fish plates are secured upon the ties, substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 16th day of January 1896.