Improvements in Means for Preventing the Loosening of Nuts and Bolts Used with Fish Plates for Connecting Railway or Tramway Rails.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1895
Tomplete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1896
LIVN
Improvements in Means for Preventing the Loosening of Nuts and
Bolts Used with Fish Plates for Connecting Railway or Tramway
Rails.
I, JOSEPH THOMAS ANDREWS of 51 Blackheath Road, Greenwich in the
County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be
as follows:-
Hitherto there has been a great difficulty in efficiently securing the nuts and
bolts (used with fish plates for connecting two lengths of rails) from loosening
under the vibration of the locomotives and vehicles passing over them; and the
object of my invention is to provide means for efficiently securing the nuts and
bolts against such loosening.
According to my invention I take a strip of metal having holes therein of a
shape which will fit over the nuts of the bolts so that they cannot rotate therein.
This is slipped over the nuts of the bolts and effectually prevents them from
turning, and in order to secure this strip or plate of metal so that it is held in its
place and will not shake off by the vibrations set up by passing locomotives or
vehicles, I further attach it by means of bent clips at each end of the fish plate or
strip and in any intermediate position if desired. Each of these clips is perforated
with a hole through which one of the bolts holding the fish plates and rail together
passes and the said clip is bent so that it passes from the side of the rail opposite
that at which the nuts are situated under the rail and is made to engage or clip the
aforesaid perforated strip of metal placed over the nuts.
Dated this 11th day of June 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Preventing the Loosening of Nuts and
Bolts Used with Fish Plates for Connecting Railway or Tramway
Rails.
1, JOSEPH THOMAS ANDREWs, of 51 Blackheath Road, Greenwich, in the
County of Kent, 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:-
Hitherto there has been a great difficulty in efficiently securing the nuts and
bolts (used with fish plates for connecting two lengths of rails) from loosening
under the vibration of the locomotives and vehicles passing over them and the
object of my invention is to provide means for efficiently securing the nuts and
bolts against such loosening.
According to my invention I take a strip or plate of metal having holes therein
of a shape which will fit over the nuts of the bolts so that they cannot rotate

page_text: therein. This is slipped over the nuts of the bolts and effectually prevents them
from turning and I secure this strip or plate of metal so that it is held in its place
and will not shake off by the vibrations set up by passing locomotives or vehicles
I may do this by means of bent clips at each end of the fish-plate or strip and in
any intermediate position if desired. Each of these clips is perforated with a hole
through which one of the bolts holding the fish plates and rail together passes and
the said clip is bent so that it passes from the side of the rail opposite that at
which the nuts are situated under the rail and is made to engage or clip the
aforesaid perforated strip of metal placed over the nuts.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will describe with
reference to the accompanying drawings means whereby my invention may be
carried out in practice.
Figure 1 shews in side elevation the contiguous ends of two lengths of rails
connected together according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section at the part where one of the bolts by which the
fish plates are secured to the rails, passes,
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 shewing another mode of securing the nut
locking plate in position,
Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the web of the rails,
Figure 5 is a transverse section at the part where one of the bolts which connect
the fish plates to the rails passes, and
Figure 6 is a similar section at the part where one of the fastenings which
secure the locking plate in position is situated.
A are the contiguous ends of the two lengths of rail to be connected, B are the
fish plates placed on opposite sides of the webs C, of the rails and covering the
joint between the ends of the rails. D are bolts which pass through holes in both
fish plates and in the webs C, nuts E being tightly screwed onto the ends of the
bolts whereby the lengths of rail are securely connected together. F is a metal
plate with star shaped holes, having say, eight points. This plate F is placed in
position against the fish plate against which the nuts E bear, the said nuts
projecting through the holes in the plate the angles or corners of each of the
nuts engaging in four of the points of the corresponding star shaped holes in
the plate F thereby preventing the nuts from loosening or turning on the bolts.
The star shaped openings admit of the plate F, being slipped over the nuts
whether their sides be either horizontal and vertical, or at an angle of 45° to the
longitudinal edge of the plate thereby admitting of an adjustment of the nuts to
the extent of one eighth of a turn. To prevent the plate from being displaced
by the vibrations caused by the rolling stock the said plate may be secured by
clips G near each end of the plate as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 each clip having a
hole therein at one end through which passes one of the bolts which connect the
fish plates to the rails, the said clip being bent round the underside of the rail and
the free end caused to bear against the plate F below the nut E. Or as shewn in
Figures 3 to 6 the fish plate adjacent to the nuts may be provided with holes
countersunk at their ends next the web of the rails, in which holes are studs H
having heads which enter the counter sinks in the ends of the holes, the said studs
projecting through the fish plate and through corresponding holes in the plate F;
ordinary split pins or keys a being inserted in holes provided in the projecting ends
of the studs as shewn which pins securely hold the plate in position.
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 combination with the nuts and bolts of the fish plates of the rails of
railways and tramways a strip or plate of metal having holes therein which fit over
the nuts and prevent them from rotating, the said strip or plate being secured by
clips or fastenings substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The means hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying

page_text: drawings for preventing the loosening of nuts and bolts used with fish plates for
connecting railway or tramway rails.
Dated this 11th day of March 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.