IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF CONNECTING RAILS FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Constantine Henderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
July 1865.
I, CONSTANTINE HENDERSON, of 43, Parliament Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF CONNECTING RAILS FOR RAILWAYS
AND TRAMWAYS," to be as follows:-
The present system of connecting the rails as referred to are insecure and
expensive. The old method of connecting the rails together by means of a
fish plate on either side with bolts and nuts, in the first place, is exceedingly
laborious and costly, and independent of this such a principle of securing the
rails together is bad. Bolts and screws subjected to the continued oscillations
caused by the traffic on the line cannot retain the bite or hold for any given
time, and the moment the first hold has given way it will be obviously seen
that rescrewing up cannot effect but a very defective and uncertain hold,
because it must be remembered that the screw and nuts have not given way
in consequence of the rail having become reduced, but on the contrary it is
on account of the screw having lost its gripe, and consequently all the
rescrewing up is a perfect fallacy, and becomes an expensive, useless, and
exceedingly dangerous mode of fishing the rails. Again, the moment ond
bolt or nut gives way the others are subject to additional strain, and upon

page_text: the giving way of another bolt or nut the fish plate becomes wholly unfit for
its purpose. There are other modes of connecting the rails together by
means of locking one rail into another, this method is more dangerous and
unsuited for the purpose than the system of fish plate as herein-before
mentioned, as it will be seen by such means where the principle and most
important additional strength is required, namely, the joints of the rails, the
very substance is taken away to form the tenon or socket. To meet this
great want I propose to secure the ends of the rails by means of boltless
fish plates. Thin plates are cut to a given length and the required thickness,
the sides of these plates I cut to an angle of 45 degrees, more or less; I then
prepare the ends of the rails (or they may be rolled) to a similar angle or
degree, which allows the fish plates to run into the groove or socket parallel
with the wed or body of the rail on either side, I then bring up the connecting
end of another rail, and having placed them together, I bring back the fish
plate half its length into the next rail and securely fix same by a small soft
iron or wood wedge, which cannot move when driven up. By this mode of
fishing the rails I obtain the following results:-
1st, I effectually prevent the possibility of the rails being thrust apart, the
tendency and the greatest strain the rails are subject to.
2nd, the constructional arrangement of my fish plates form with the whole
substance of the rail a complete bound free and independant of all bolts, nuts,
or screws.
3rd, the possibility of either rail rising up or sinking down when laid is
also effectually prevented, and here again the entire length of my fish plates
are fulfilling that duty, and are not dependant on any part or particular.
portion thereof, and therefore it will be seen that such a complete wedge and
uniform bound renders this. fishing of the rails of very great strength and
durability.