Fish-plates Employed in Permanent Ways.
Year: 1888

page_text: Fish-plates Employed in Permanent Ways.
We, WILLIAM KNOWLES of Hartford Mill and Round Hill Mills, Bolton in the
County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, and JAMES SMITH of Ashcroft, Wentworth
near Rotherham in the County of York, Brick and Tile Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or relating to apparatus or means for
securing fish-plates employed in permanent ways and has for its object the supplying
of a long felt deficiency; that is to say, the minimising of the liability of the
loosening of bolts and nuts employed in securing fish-plates for jointing rails in
permanent ways. It is well known that the bolts and nuts referred to are frequently
found loose. This is mainly due to vibration or spring caused by the rolling action
of trains or vehicles forming railway stock passing over the joints of the rails. The
nuts at present employed for this purpose are either square or hexagonal with broad
flat bearing surfaces. These form a greater leverage from the centre of the bolt
to the outer angles of the nut than the leverage from the centre of the bolt
to the outside of the thread. The broad flat bearing surfaces of the said nuts prevent
the same being screwed up tightly on the bolts, for as soon as the pressure and the
friction caused by the flat surfaced nut exceeds the power that can be exerted by the
ordinary spanner or screw-key employed by the plate-layers in the usual way it is
impossible to turn the nut further although as yet the bolt has not been drawn
sufficiently tight.
After a nut of the ordinary kind has been screwed up as tightly as the broad
bearing surface will allow its natural tendency is to release itself as soon as possible.
In the case of permanent ways this release or unscrewing is effected by vibration or
tremor given to the rails when trains or vehicles are passing over the same. lt
will be readily seen that for the purpose of thoroughly tightening the nuts on
the bolts the bearing surface and consequent leverage of the nuts must be de-
creased as much as is practicable. This we effect in the following novel manner :-
Each side of the nut and also each side of the washer is convexed in order to reduce
D77

page_text: the bearing surface. This convexing of the nuts and washers will allow of the nuts
being more easily turned and thoroughly tightened by the ordinary spanner or screw-
key employed by the plate-layers, provided equal force is employed as upon those of
the ordinary description and at present in use.
It will be manifest that owing to the reduced bearing surfaces of our improved
nuts and washers on the fish-plates that if the force or power at present imparted by
the plate-layers upon the ordinary form of nut with the ordinary spanner or screw-
key is employed our improved convexed nut will be screwed considerably tighter than
those at present in use, for it will easily be seen that a considerable portion of the
force or power exerted by the plate-layers in order to properly tighten the nut
ordinarily used is lost through the friction created by the flat-faced nut with broad
bearings. As this will increase the liability of stripping..the thread..we make the nut
of extra depth to give the same a greater bearing surface on the threaded end of the
bolt. The minimised bearing surfaces of the convexed sides of the nuts and washers
so far reduces the leverage as to almost entirely remove the possibility of the nuts
unscrewing themselves by the actions before mentioned.
To prevent the outer threads of the nuts being damaged by pressure we provide the
convexed sides with countersinks; the outer edge of which extends into the solid
part of the nut slightly beyond the bottom of the thread, thus placing the bearing
surfaces in the best possible position.
The diameter of the hole in the washer is only slightly in excess of the diameter of
the threaded portion of the bolt.
If desired the nuts and washers can be convexed only on one of their respective
sides, but we prefer to make them convexed on each side as stated above, for it will
be seen that if the nut or washer was convexed on one side only there would be a
possibility of the plate-layer placing the flat-faced side of the nut or washer against
the fish-plate.
Dated the 7th July 1888.
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Apparatus or Means for Securing
Fish-plates Employed in Permanent Ways.
We, WILLIAM KNOWLES of Hartford Mill, and Round Hill Mills, Bolton in the
County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, and JAMES SMITH of Ashcroft, Wentworth
near Rotherham in the County of York, Brick and Tile Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to improvements in or relating to apparatus or means for
securing fish-plates employed in permanent ways and has for its object the supplying
of a long felt deficiency; that is to say, the minimising of the liability of the
loosening of bolts and nuts employed in securing fish-plates for jointing rails in
permanent ways. It is well known that the bolts and nuts referred to are frequently
found loose. This is mainly due to vibration or spring caused by the rolling action of
trains or vehicles forming railway stock passing over the joints of the rails. The nuts
at present employed for this purpose are either square or hexagonal with broad flat
bearing surfaces. These form a greater leverage from the centre of the bolt to the .
outer angles of the nut than the leverage from the centre of the bolt to the outside of
the thread. The broad flat bearing surfaces of the said nuts prevent the same being
screwed up tightly on the bolts, for as soon as the pressure and the friction caused by
the flat surfaced nut exceeds the power that can be exerted by the ordinary spanner or
screw-key employed by the plate-layers in the usual way it is impossible to turn the
nut further, although as yet the bolt has not been drawn sufficiently tight.
After a nut of the ordinary kind has been screwed up as tightly as the broad
bearing surface will allow its natural tendency is to release itself as soon as possible.
In the case of permanent ways this release or unscrewing is effected by vibration or
It will
tremor given to the rails when trains or vehicles are passing over the same.
be readily seen that for the purpose of thoroughly tightening the nuts on the bolts the
bearing surface and consequent leverage of the nuts must be decreased as much as is
practicable. This we effect in the following novel manner :-Each side of the nut
and also each side of the washer is convexed in order to reduce the bearing
surface. This convexing of the nuts and washers will allow of the nuts being more
easily turned and thoroughly tightened by the ordinary spanner or screw-key
employed by the plate-layers, provided equal force is employed as upon those of the
ordinary description and at present in use.
It will be manifest that owing to the reduced bearing surfaces of our improved
nuts and washers on the fish-plates that if the force or power at present imparted by
the plate-layers upon the ordinary form of nut with the ordinary spanner or screw-
key is employed our improved convexed nut will be screwed considerably tighter than
those at present in use, for it will easily be seen that a considerable portion of the
force or power exerted by the plate-layers in order to properly tighten the nut

page_text: ordinarily used is lost through the friction created by the flat-faced nut with broad
bearings. As this will increase the liability of stripping thread we make the nut of
extra depth to give the same a greater bearing surface on the threaded end of the bolt.
The minimised bearing surfaces of the convexed sides of the nuts and washers so far
reduces the leverage as to almost remove the possibility of the nuts unscrewing them-
selves by the actions before mentioned.
To prevent the outer threads of the nuts being damaged by pressure we provide the
convexed sides with countersinks; the outer edge of which extends into the solid part'
of the nut slightly beyond the bottom of the thread, this placing the bearing surfaces
in the best possible position.
The diameter of the hole in the washer is only slightly in excess of the diameter of
the threaded portion of the bolt.
If desired the nuts and washers can be convexed only on one of their respective
sides, but we prefer to make them convexed on each side as stated above, for it it will
be seen that if the nut or washer was convexed on one side only there would be a
possibility of the plate-layer placing the flat-faced side of the nut or washer against
the fish-plate.
Fig. I is a transverse sectional elevation of a permanent way rail, fish-plates, and
bolt, wherein a single nut and washer are employed on our improved principle,
and Fig. 2 is a similar view with the addition of a check nut.
A is a permanent way rail; B the fish-plates, and C a bolt for securing the fish-
plates B to the permanent way rail A. Each side of the nut D and also each side of
the washer E is convexed as shown to reduce the bearing surface, by means of which
the nuts can be more easily turned and thoroughly tightened than hitherto. When
desired or necessary the check nut G is provided, and is convexed on both sides similar
to the nut D. In the latter case the bolt C must be made longer according to the
width or depth of the check nut.
To prevent the outer threads of the nuts D and G being damaged by pressure the
convexed sides are provided with the countersinks H. The outer edge of each
countersink H extends into the solid part of the nut slightly beyond the bottom of
the thread, thus placing the bearing surface in the best possible position so as not to
damage the thread when subjected to pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In combination with fish-plates and bolts employed for securing or jointing
permanent way rails the use of convexed nuts and washers for the purpose specified,
substantially as described and as shown on the drawings.