Improvements in Nut-locks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
Improvements in Nut-locks.
I, WILLIAM JEFFERSON JONES, of Pinson, in the County of Madison, and
State of Tennessee, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in nut-locks and it has for its object to
provide a cheap, simple, and effective locking device for the nuts of bolts used in
connection with railway rails, and in other situations where the parts are subjected
to continuous or often repeated jarring.
A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the class named which
can be readily detached without injury to the bolt or other parts for purposes of
repair, etc.
Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the following
description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the
claims.
In the drawings :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of locking devices embodying my invention, shown
in connection with a section of a track.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is a similar view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the locking plates, detached, showing its
rear side.
Similar numerals refer to corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.
1 and 2 refer to the ends of adjoining rails and 3 to a frog which I have illustrated
for the purpose of showing a position in which three adjacent bolts are employed.
4 represents fish-plates of the ordinary construction which are employed to
connect the ends of the adjoining rails but which, as will be seen, are omitted
opposite the frog for the reason that they are unnecessary. The bolts 5 extend
through coincident perforations in the rails and fish-plates, and are provided with
the usual nuts 6.
One, two or more nuts may be locked in series, as indicated in the drawings,
Fig. 1, and the stationary spring-plate 7 is provided with a number of holes 8
corresponding to the number of bolts, the intervals between the said holes corre-
sponding with those between the bolts so as to fit thereover. The nuts are screwed
down upon, so as to engage and hold, the spring-plates.
In carrying out my invention it is necessary to support the spring-plate so that
its center or an intermediate portion thereof is out of contact with the fish-plate or
rail or other means of support. It is necessary that there should be an interval or
space in rear of the spring-plate. This may be accomplished in various ways, but
that which I prefer and which I have illustrated in the drawings, is to arrange upon
the bolt, between the spring plate and the fish-plate or rail, a sleeve or collar 9,
against the outer end of which said spring plate bears and is locked by the nut.
The rear or inner end of this sleeve or collar bears against the fish-plate or rail
around the perforation therein.
When the nut or nuts are tightened the parts are as firmly secured together as
they would be if the nut came down firmly upon the fish-plate, and the spring-plate
is firmly held at the desired distance from the surface of the fish-plate or rail.
10 represents a locking plate which is removable from the spring-plate and is
provided upon its rear or inner side with a projecting web 11 to engage a slot 12 in
ID 7

page_text: the spring-plate. The locking plate is provided with terminal, up-struck flanges 13
(one or two according to the number of nuts to be locked) which engage the inner
or adjacent sides of the nuts, and 14 represents a locking-lever which is fulcrummed
in the locking-plate, near its upper edge, and is provided with a short rear or inner
arm 15 to engage the upper edge of the spring plate (passing between the rear
surface of the latter and the surface of the fish-plate or rail) and a handle 16 which
moves over the front or outer surface of the locking-plate. The handle and locking
arm 15 of the said lever are parallel, whereby when the former is in its vertical
hanging or depending position the locking arm is in engagement with the spring-
plate.
The handle of the locking-lever is preferably weighted at its lower end as shown
at 17 to cause it to normally maintain its locking position, but in addition to this I
prefer to employ up-struck studs 18 near the lower edge of the locking-plate to
engage the free end of said handle.
It will be noted that the locking-lever is fulcrumed in a perforation 19 in the
locking-plate, whereby it is held from accidental displacement or disengagement.
It can be detached if necessary when the locking-plate is removed from the spring-
plate, by turning the lever up to a vertical position, or a position opposite to that
shown in the above description to be its normal position, and then inclining the free
end of the handle to the rear. This is the only manner in which the lever can be
disengaged and it will be obvious that accidental displacement is not liable to occur.
The retaining web 11 which is attached to the rear side of the locking plate to
engage the corresponding slot in the spring plate is preferably secured thereto by
means of an integral stud, 11", fitted in a perforation in the locking-plate and spread
upon the outer surface of the latter.
It will be seen that all parts or members of the locking device, with the exception
of this retaining web may be struck from sheet metal, as shown in the drawings,
thus enabling the same to be manufactured at a small expense.
Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted
to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the
advantages thereof.
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 nut-lock, the combination with a stationary plate provided with bolt holes
and a slot, of a locking-plate provided with a retaining web to engage the slot and
means for engaging the nuts, and a locking-lever carried by the locking-plate to
engage the stationary plate and retain the said web in the slot, substantially as
specified.
2. In a nut-lock, the combination with a stationary plate having bolt-holes and a
slot, of a locking-plate provided with upstruck flanges to engage the nuts, and a
retaining web to engage the slot in the stationary plate, a locking-lever fulcrumed
upon the locking-plate and engaging the stationary plate, and studs to engage and
hold the free end of the locking-lever when the latter is in its locking position,
substantially as specified.
3. In a nut-lock, the combination with a stationary plate provided with a bolt
hole and adapted to lie in rear of and be held in place by the nut, and means to
support said plate and provide a space in rear thereof, of a locking-plate provided
with means to engage the nut, and a locking-lever fulcrumed upon the locking-plate
and provided with a locking-arm to engage the upper edge of the stationary plate
and lie in rear thereof to retain the locking plate in its operative position,
substantially as specified.
4. In a nut-lock, the combination with the bolt and nut, of a stationary plate
provided with an opening to receive said bolt, a sleeve or collar fitted upon the bolt
in rear of said plate to provide a space in rear of the plate, a locking-plate provided

page_text: with means to engage the nut which bears upon the outer surface of said stationary
plate, and a locking-lever fulcrumed upon the locking plate and provided with an
arm to engage the rear surface of the stationary plate substantially as specified.
Dated this 31st day of July 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.