Improvements in Rall-joints.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr.. 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
Improvements in Rall-joints.
1, REGINALD HENRY PIERCE, of Abu Road in the Province of Rajputana,
East India, Permanent-way Inspector on the Rajputana Railway, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
As is well known, much trouble is caused with the ordinary fish-plates by which
the rails of permanent ways are joined together, owing to the working loose of the
bolts and nuts by which they are secured, and the various devices that have been
proposed for preventing the nuts from becoming slack, have only partially obviated
this trouble.
Now this invention has reference to the construction of a simple and reliable rail
joint without the use of bolts and nuts. And in order that the nature of this
invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe the same with the
aid of the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show my improved joint as applied
respectively to flat-bottom or Vignole rails and to double-headed rails of large
section,
Figs. 1 and 4 being elevations as seen from outside and inside the track
respectively,
Figs. 2 and 5 cross sections, and
Figs. 3 and 6 plans of the joints.
Fig. 7 shows separately in side elevation and Fig. 8 in plan, a chair forming part
of the joint illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 ; and
Figs. 9 and 10 show respectively in side elevation and in plan a connecting piece
hereinafter more fully described.
A, A A' is a chair of which the one part A', when in position, fits close to the
feet of the rails R to be jointed beyond which it projects, and is provided with a
rectangular hole H (Fig. 8), whilst the other part A2 is turned upwards and
suitably pressed or moulded to form the inner fish-plate (see Figs. 2 and 5). The
part A is provided with a gap G in the middle and with two taper holes F (Fig. 7)
corresponding to, but smaller than, those of the usual fish-bolt holes, punched in the
rail ends R.
B is an ordinary fish-plate, which is of the same length as the chair and has two
holes corresponding to, but larger than, the holes F.
According to this invention the ends of the rails are not brought near together
as is the case when using ordinary fish-plates, but a considerable space, varying
according to circumstances, is left hetween them. The object of this space is to
allow of the insertion of a connecting piece C by means of which the whole joint
is secured or bound together. The width of this connecting-piece, and consequently
the amount of space between the rail-ends, is determined by the amount of strength
necessary for any particular rail-joint. The width of the piece C determines also
the size of the gap G in the part A² as the piece C must fit into this gap easily but
closely. The said connecting-piece is made of the shape clearly shown in Figs. 9
& 10, and is provided with two lugs J which fit into grooves or recesses J₁ formed
on the outside of the part A of the chair, and with a shoulder 1 which passes
through the hole H and catches the underside of the part A. Its function is
twofold; it forms the medium through which the force is applied which binds the

page_text: inner and outer fish-plates A and B tightly against the rail-ends R; and it partly
fills up the space between the rail-ends so that the rolling-stock can pass over the
joint without jars.
D is a wedge, which is of about the same length as the chair A and is made with
a slight taper and preferably of,T-section, as shown. E E are two studs made
with taper points and of such a diameter as to nicely fit the holes in the rail-ends
and in the part 'A² and fish-plate B. The function of these studs is to prevent
creep" of the rails, by which the latter might be moved apart.
66
In making a rail-joint according to this invention, the chair A, A', A' is first
brought into position, the part A being arranged on the inner side of the rail-
ends R; the fish-plate B is then placed in position on the outer side of the rail
ends, and the studs E are driven through it and the holes in the rail-ends, until
their taper points fit into the holes F in part A, which holes, as hereinbefore
explained, are made rather smaller than those in the fish-plate B, so that the said
studs cannot work through them. The connecting-piece C is now fitted in place
so that its lugs J engage in the grooves or recesses in the outer side of the
part A and the shoulder L passes through the hole H and catches the underside
of the part A. There is now a space left between the fish-plate B and the piece C
which is filled up, and the joint completed, by driving in the wedge D. The
wedge, it will be observed, covers the holes in the fish-plate B through which the
studs E have been driven, so that until it is removed, there is no possibility of
the pins coming out. As there is a comparatively small amount of taper in
the wedge D it can be driven in very tightly, and it is almost impossible for it to
become loose unless driven out with a hammer.
Dated this 12th do
Improvements in Rail-joints.
I, REGINALD HENRY PIERCE, of Abu Road in the Province of Rajputana,
East India, Permanent-way Inspector on the Rajputana Railway, 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 :-
As is well known, much trouble is caused with the ordinary fish-plates by which
the rails of permanent ways are joined together, owing to the working loose of the
bolts and nuts by which they are secured, and the various devices that have been
proposed for preventing the nuts from becoming slack, have only partially obviated
this trouble.
Now this invention has reference to the construction of a simple and reliable
rail-joint without the use of bolts and nuts. And in order that the nature of this
invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe the same with the
aid of the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification, in which,
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show my improved joint as applied
respectively to flat-bottom or Vignole rails and to double-headed rails of large
section,
Figs. 1 and 4 being elevations as seen from outside and inside the track
respectively,
Figs. 2 and 5 cross sections, and

page_text: Fig. 7 sbows separately in side elevation and Fig. 8 in plan, a chair forming part
of the joint illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 ; and
Figs. 9 and 10 show respectively in side elevation and in plan a connecting piece
hereinafter more fully described.
A, A', A' is a chair of which the one part A', when in position, fits close to the
feet of the rails R to be jointed beyond which it projects, and is provided with a
rectangular hole H (Fig. 8), whilst the other part A is turned upwards and
suitably pressed or moulded to form the inner fish-plate (see Figs. 2 and 5). The
part A is provided with a gap G in the middle and with two taper holes F
(Fig. 7) corresponding to, but smaller than, those of the usual fish-bolt holes,
punched in the rail ends R.
B is an ordinary fish-plate, which is of the same length as the chair and has two
holes corresponding to, but larger than, the holes F.
According to this invention the ends of the rails are not brought near together
as is the case when using ordinary fish-plates, but a considerable space, varying
according to circumstances, is left between them. The object of this space is to
allow of the insertion of a connecting piece C by means of which the whole joint
is secured or bound together. The width of this connecting-piece, and consequently
the amount of space between the rail-ends, is determined by the amount of strength
necessary for any particular rail-joint. The width of the piece C determines also the
size of the gap G in the part A' as the piece C must fit into this gap easily but closely.
The said connecting-piece is made of the shape clearly shown in Figs. 9 and 10,
and is provided with two lugs J which fit into grooves or recesses J¹ formed on the
outside of the part A' of the chair, and with a shoulder L which passes through
the hole H and catches the underside of the part A'. Its function is twofold; it
forms the medium through which the force is applied which binds the inner and
outer fish-plates A and B tightly against the rail-ends R; and it partly fills up the
space between the rail-ends so that the rolling-stock can pass over the joint
without jars.
D is a wedge, which is of about the same length as the chair A and is made with
a, slide taper and preferably of T-section, as shown. E, E are two studs made
with taper points and of such a diameter as to nicely fit the holes in the rail-ends
and in the part A' and fish-plate B. The function of these studs is to prevent
creep" of the rails, by which the latter might be moved apart.
65
In making a rail-joint according to this invention, the chair A, A', A' is first
brought into position, the part A being arranged on the inner side of the rail-
ends R; the fish-plate B is then placed in position on the outer side of the rail
ends, and the studs E are driven through it and the holes in the rail-ends, until
their taper points fit into the holes F in part A, which holes, as hereinbefore
explained, are made rather smaller than those in the fish-plate B, so that the said
studs cannot work through them. The connecting-piece C is now fitted in place
so that its lugs J engage in the grooves or recesses J¹ in the outer side of the
part A and the shoulder L passes through the hole II aud catches the underside
of the part A. There is now a space left between the fish-plate B and the piece C
which is filled up, and the joint completed, by driving in the wedge D. The wedge,
it will be observed, covers the holes in the fish-plate B through which the studs E
have been driven, so that until it is removed, there is no possibility of the pins
coming out. As there is a comparatively sinall amount of taper in the wedge D it
can be driven in very tightly, and it is almost impossible for it to become loose
unless driven out with a hammer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. A rail-joint comprising a chair provided with a cheek adapted to serve as a
fish-plate for one side of the joint, a separate fish-plate for the other side of the
ioint, a transverse connecting-niece adanted to engage the said cheek and the base

page_text: of the chair, and means for forcing apart the said connecting-piece and the separate
fish-plate, substantially as herein described for the purpose specified.
2. A rail-joint of the kind specified in the preceding claim having a transverse
connecting piece adapted to nearly fill up the space between the rail ends and
provided with lugs or projections for engaging the cheek and base portions of the
chair, and a wedge adapted to tighten up the whole when driven into position
between the separate fish-plate and connecting piece, substantially as herein
described.
3. A rail joint of the kind specified in the preceding claims provided with pins
extending through the rail ends and into the chair and separate fish-plate and held
in place by the tightening up wedge, the arrangement being such as to lock the
various parts together in an end ways direction substantially as herein described.
4. My improved rail-joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to and shown in the drawings.