IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS."
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Augustus Huddart, of Brynkir, in the
County of Carnarvon, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Augustus
Huddart at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 31st March 1870.
I, GEORGE AUGUSTUS HUDDART, of Bryukir, in the County of Car-
narvon, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is to provide a break joint arrange-
ment for the rails of railways, whereby a continuous support is formed
for the running wheels of engines and carriages in passing over the
joints of the rails. To this end I use a trough coupling of the full depth
of the rails, into which the ends of the rails to be joined are inserted, the
lateral projection of the heads and feet having been first cut away to
give the rails an uniform thickness at their ends. As the lips of the

page_text: trough coupling extend upwards to and are level with the heads of the
rails they will form a bearing for the running wheels, thus virtually
The two sides of this
bridging over the gap between the adjoining rails.
frough coupling I prefer to make of different lengths so that the angles
formed in paring away the rails at their opposite sides to fit the trough
will occur in different planes, and the strength of the rails laterally will
not be materially impaired. Instead of using a trough I may attain
the like effect by employing a fish plate and a-shaped piece, which
together will form a trough, or I may attain a good effect by using two
fish plates of the same depth as the rails and forming together the
complement of the pared heads of the rails. These fish plates and also
the trough couplings I prefer to fix permanently to one of the rails,
making them detachable from the other rail, according to the Invention
for which I obtained Letters Patent, dated October 1st, 1869, that is to
say, the trough or fish plates which ever are used will be attached by
welding, brazing, rivetting, or equivalent means to one rail, and by bolts
and nuts to the other, and thus not only will a continuous bearing
surface for the wheels as they pass over the joints of the rails be formed,
but a firmer joint than can be obtained by ordinary fishing of the rails
will be secured.
Another plan of obtaining the continuous support is when using
reversible rails, to crank the ends of the adjoining rails and to trim
down or shape by forging the cranked portion of each to fit against the
unchanged section of the ends of the adjoining rails. The cranked ends
will be formed with a head to bear the pressure of the running wheels,
that portion which acts the part of an inner fish plate will be the
A
reversed counterpart of the other to render the rail reversible.
modification of this plan will be to form the cranked portion of one
In that
end of a rail with a double head for the support of the wheels.
case the adjoining cranked portion of the meeting rail will retain only
the web. By these means I form a lap joint with a continuous or
unbroken bearing surface. When the rails are not reversible I so form
the ends of the rails that they will respectively clamp the foot of the
meeting rail and form a support for the foot thereof.
Another mode of using the trough is to form it with a head correspond-
ing somewhat to that of the rails, and to apply it to rails in an inverted
position, the heads of the rails being cut away at their extremities to
allow of its fitting on the rails and forming a continuation of the head;

page_text: or the foot of the rails may be cut away to allow the rail to fit into a
trough, the lips of which will extend up to the height of the common fishi
plates. In these modifications of the trough the plan of permanently
attaching the trough to one of the rails will be adopted.
A further improvement consists in permanently securing by welding,
or otherwise the heads of the screw bolts used for coupling up the
fished joint to one or other of the fish plates. This arrangement will
ensure a firm coupling of the parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Augustus Huddart in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
AUGUSTUS HUDDART, of Brynkir, in the County of Carnarvon, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said George Augustus Huddart, Iler special licence
that I, the said George Augustus Huddart, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Augustus Huddart,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Augustus Huddart, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Oflice within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Augustus Huddart, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon 5
(that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to provide a break joint arrangement
for the rails of railways, whereby a continuous support is formed for
the running wheels of engines and carriages in passing over the joints of
the rails.
In order to attain this object I splice the ends of the rails together,
as shown in the accompanying Drawing, which represents several
arrangements of spliced couplings which are applicable to varying
circumstances, but all of which will give a continuous support to the
running wheels.
I will first describe what I term the trough coupling, which consists of
a trough suitably formed to receive the ends of the rails that are to be
joined.
1
1
The trough is by preference permanently attached to the end of onc
rail, and it is made fast by bolts and nuts to the end of the adjoining 2
rail.
When using this trough coupling I sometimes cut away the laterally
projecting parts of the heads and feet to give the rails an uniform thick-
ness at their ends. In this case I extend the lips of the trough coupling
upwards to and on a level with the heads of the rails, whereby I obtain 2
for the running wheels a bearing that virtually bridges over the gap
between the coupled rails.
This arrangement is shewn in side elevation at Fig. 1 of the accom-
panying Drawings, in plan view at Fig. 2, and in cross section at Fig. 3,
as applied to a Trail.
A, A, is the trough which receives the web of the pared ends of the
rails B, C. This trough is by preference permanently attached by rivets
or it may be by welding or brazing to the rail B, so that it virtually
forms one piece therewith, and bolt holes are formed in the projecting
half of the trough for receiving the screw bolts by which the rail C is 3
attached to the trough. The two sides of this trough coupling I prefer
to make of different lengths (as shown at Fig. 2). The angles formed
3

page_text: in paring away the rails at their opposite sides (to fit the trough) will thus
occur in different vertical planes, and thereby the strength of the rails
laterally will not be materially impaired. By this arrangement not only
will a continuous bearing surface for the wheels as they pass over the joints
of the rails be formed, but a firmer joint than can be obtained by ordinary
fishing of the rails will be secured.
A modification of this trough is shewn in Figures 4 and 5, Fig. 4 being
a side view of a rail joint, and Fig. 5 a cross section of the same. In
the latter Figure it will be seen that instead of using a trough I attain
the like effect to that just described by employing a fish plate A' and
an L-shaped piece A, which together will form a trough. In this case
I may secure the L picce to the end of one rail by rivetting or welding,
and the fish plate to the other rail by similar means, and then by means
of screw bolts secure the parts together; or the two pieces A and A'
may be rivetted or otherwise permanently secured to the same rail.
I may also attain a good effect by using two fish plates of the same
depth as the rails and forming together the complement of the pared ends
of the rails. This modification is shewn in side view and cross section
at Figures 6 and 7, the fish plates being applied to double-headed rails.
These fish plates, like the trough coupling, I prefer to fix permanently
to one of the rails, making them detachable from the other rail according
to the Invention for which I obtained Letters Patent dated October First,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine. In some cases, however,
one fish plate may be attached permanently to each rail.
Another mode of adapting the trough is to form it with a head
corresponding somewhat to that of the rails, and to apply it to the rails
in an inverted position. This plan is shewn in side elevation and cross
section at Figures 8 and 9 as applied to T rails or rails formed with a
broad base. The head being cut away at the extremities of the rails
allows of the inverted trough fitting on the rails and forming a con-
tinuation of the head. It will be obvious that this arrangement may
equally be applied to double-headed rails, in which case should the rails
required to be reversed the trough will act as and form a very efficient
fish plate.
Another modification of the arrangement last described is shewn at
Figures 10 and 11, Fig. 10 being a side view and Fig. 11 a cross section
of the same. In this instance the heads of the rails are retained, and
the feet are cut away to allow the rails to fit into the trough, the lips of

page_text: which instead of reaching, as in Figures 1 and 3, to a level with the
heads of the rails extend up only to the height of the common fish
plates. In these modifications of the trough the plan of permanently
attaching the trough to one of the rails will be adopted.
Another plan of obtaining the splice joint and continuous support
is when using reversible rails to crank the ends of the adjoining rails,
and to trim down or shape by forging the cranked portion of each to
fit against the unchanged section of the ends of the adjoining rails.
This part of my Invention is illustrated at Figures 12, 13, and 14;
Fig. 12 being a side elevation of the spliced coupling; Fig. 13 a plan
view of the same; and Fig. 14 a transverse section. The cranked ends
it will be seen are formed with a head to bear the pressure of the
running wheels, and that portion which acts the part of an inner fish
plate is in form the reversed counterpart of the other to render the rail
reversible. The cranked portion A' of the rail A fits at its upper edge
under the head of the rail B like an ordinary fish plate, and its lower
edge is brought to a level with the bottom head of the rail B. In like
manner the lower end of the cranked portion B' of the rail B fits
against the lower head of the rail A, and the upper edge of the cranked
portion B is brought up to a level with the upper head of the rail A,
thus forming a bearing surface for the wheels of the passing train.
The rails are connected together by screw bolts and nuts in the usual
manner.
A modification of this plan is shewn at Figures 15, 16, and 17, Fig.
15 being a side elevation; Fig. 16 a plan view; and Fig. 17 a cross
section of the same. In these Figures the cranked portion of one rail
is formed with a double head for the support of the wheels, and the
adjoining cranked portion of the meeting rail retains only the web.
By this means I form the desired lap joint with a continuous or un-
broken bearing surface. When the rails are not intended to be reversed
I so form the cranked ends of the rails that they will respectively
clamp the foot of the meeting rail and form a support for the foot
thereof.
This modification is illustrated at Figures 18 and 19; Fig. 18 being
a side elevation of the splice joint; and Fig. 19 a transverse section of
the same. In this, as in the other cranked arrangements, it will be
readily understood that the cranked portions may be made by welding
on to their respective rails bar iron rolled to the desired section, or the

page_text: ends of the rails may themselves be cranked and additional metal applied
thereto by forging on in a well known manner.
My last improvement in the construction of railways consists in per-
manently securing by welding or otherwise, the heads of the screw
bolts used for coupling up the fished joints of railways to one or other
of the fish plates. This arrangement will ensure the maintenance of the
firm coupling of the parts.
Having now set forth the nature of my "Improvements in the Con-
struction of Railways," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First. Connecting the ends of the rails of railways together by a
trough like coupling as described.
Secondly. Permanently attaching to rails a trough like coupling picce
by rivetting, brazing, or equivalent means for the purpose above set
forth.
Thirdly. Forming a spliced coupling by cranking the rails in the
manner shewn and described.
Fourthly. Enabling the trough like and other couplings above de-
scribed (with the exception of that shewn at Figures 10 and 11) to
take the tread of the wheels when passing over the joint in the manner
described.
Lastly. Securing the heads of the screw bolts to the fish plates used
in connecting together the rails of railways in the manner and for the
purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Augustus Huddart, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of Septem-
ber, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
GEO. A. HUDDART. (L.S.)