Improvements in and relating to Rail-joints.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Rail-joints.
I, ERNST FRIEDRICH AUGUST REICHOW, of Kleiner Schäferkamp 36,
Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
-
My invention relates to an improved rail-joint and its object is to provide a
joint by means of which any jolting or jumping of the rolling stock in passing shall
be entirely obviated.
This object is attained by bevelling off the heads of the ends of the rails to be
joined, on the inside of the same, to an angle with the web, so that at the end of the
rail the inside of the head is flush or nearly flush with the inside of the web. Thus
when the two rail-ends are butted together an obtuse angular indentation is formed
in the inside edge of the two rail heads. The inside fish-plate is provided with a
head formed to fill out this indentation with its corresponding side, and to lie flush
with the inside edge of the rail head at its other side.
In order that the joint may be perfectly stiff, the fish plate may be provided
with a projecting lug or shoulder running its whole length on the inside and at a
height so that the upper surface of the shoulder lies under and supports the head
of the rails. The front edge or surface of this upper lug may be against the web
of the rail and in consequence will then be parallel to the outside or back of the
fish plate and preferably extends as far forwards as the apex of the wedge-shaped
top or head thereof.
The breadth of the supporting surface of this shoulder therefore increases as the
head of the fish-plate diminishes towards the ends. The top edge of the fish-plate
will also be slightly tapered down at the ends towards the foot owing to the curved
transverse section of the rail. The other fish-plate lies in the usual way with its
top edge under the head of the rail and rests with its bottom edge on the foot.
It is obvious that in a joint of this construction all jolting or jumping of the
rolling stock in passing, is avoided and that the strength i.e. power of resistance
of the head of the inner fish-plate increases with the proportion of the weight which
it has to carry, being greatest at the point of juncture of the two rail-ends, where
it has to receive the weight of the rolling stock for an instant.
The number of bolts employed in the joint is optional, being dependent on
prevailing circumstances. The angle to which the rail-ends are bevelled is also to
a certain extent optional being mainly determined according to the section of
the rails.
Dated this 6th day of Santambar 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Rail-joints.
I, ERNST FRIEDRICH AUGUST REICHOW, of Kleiner, Schäferkamp 36,
Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany Merchant, 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 an improved rail-joint and its object is to provide a joint
by means of which any jolting or jumping of the rolling stock in passing will be
entirely obviated

page_text: This object is attained by bevelling off the heads of the ends of the rails to be
joined, on the inside of the same, to an angle with the web so that at the end of the
rail the inside of the head is flush or nearly flush with the inside of the web. Thus,
when the two rail ends are butted together an obtuse angular indentation is formed
in the inside edge of the two rail heads. The inside fish plate is provided with a
head formed to fill out this indentation with its corresponding side, and to lie flush
with the inside edge of the rail head on its other side.
In the accompanying drawing have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure is a perspective view showing the corresponding ends of two rails
with the fish-plate arranged on the inside thereof and a sole-plate beneath the lower
rail flange, the fastening bolts being removed.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the outside fish-plate;
Figures 3 and 4 represent the bevelled rail-ends and the inner fish-plate separated
from each other;
Figure 5 is a cross section through the fish-plates and the sole-plate in the line
of the joint of the butting rail ends, and
Figure 6 is a plan of the sole plate.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
•
The inside of the head of the abutting ends of the rails is bevelled off from a
certain point towards the web a, preferably so that at the end the head and the
inside of the web are flush, as shown in Figure 5. When the two rail ends are
placed together an obtuse angular indentation is formed in the line of the inside
edge of the head of the rails. The top of the inside fish-plate, which is flush
with the upper surface of the head of the rail is formed in fill out this angular
indentation and its outside edge runs flush with the line of the inside edge of the
rail head.
In order that the joint may be perfectly stiff, the fish-plate may be provided
with a projecting lug or shoulder running its whole length on the inside and at
a height so that the upper surface of the shoulder lies under and supports the
head of the rails. The front edge or surface of this upper lug may be against the
web of the rail and in consequence will then be parallel to the outside or back of
the fish-plate and preferably extends as far forward as the apex of the wedge-shaped
top or head thereof.
The breadth of the supporting surface of this shoulder therefore increases as
the head of the fish-plate diminishes towards the ends. The top edge of the
fish-plate will also be slightly tapered down at the ends towards the foot owing to
the curved transverse section of the rail. The other fish-plate e lies in the usual
way with its top edge under the head of the rail and rests with its bottom edge on
the foot.
The bolt holes e and e³ in the fish-plates e and are round and the holes a¹ in
the rail ends oval, as usual to allow the necessary play for the contraction or
expansion of the rails. At their joint the rail-ends are preferably supported in a
sole-plate g having side flanges g' 9' enclosing the foot of the rails which fits exactly
between them, and I preferably arrange these sole-plates directly on the sleepurs in
the permanent way. In such cases it sometimes happens that owing to the sharp
edges of the abutting rail ends the sole-plates are injured under the pressure of the
rolling stock. 1 therefore provide the sole plate underneath the abutting rail ends
and in the direction of their joint with a recess h, so that the sharp edges of the
rail ends will not come in contact with the material of the sole-plate.
It is obvious that in a joint of this construction all jolting or jumping of the
rolling stock in passing is avoided and that the strength i.e. power of resistance of
the head of the inner fish-plate increases with the proportion of the weight which
it has to carry being greatest at the point of juncture of the two rail-ends, where it
has to receive the weight of the rolling stock for an instant.
The number of bolts employed in the joint is optional, being dependcut on

page_text: prevailing circumstances. The angle to which the rail-ends are bevelled is also
to a certain extent optional being mainly determined according to the section of
the rails.
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 :-
First. The herein described improved fish-plate adapted to be used with rails
having bevelled ends, the same consisting of a single plate (/) bearing upon the
lower rail-flange and having a central thickened portion and tapering therefrom
towards its ends, and a shoulder (¹) projecting from its inner face beneath the
head of the rails, substantially as set forth.
Second. The herein described sole-plate g adapted to be used for supporting the
rail ends on the sleepers in the permanent way, the same being provided with side
flanges g g and a recess h, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 6th day of June 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.