Improvements in and relating to Fish-plates for Railway-rails.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Fish-plates for Railway-rails.
I, ALFRED BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON, of lbbotson Brothers and Company,
Limited, Globe Steel Works, Sheffield, in the County of York, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention is designed to provide more efficiently than heretofore, for uniting
the ends of railway-rails, and my said invention comprises improved fish-plates the
durability of which will be much greater than that of the fish-plates hitherto
employed, whether the latter are of the ordinary form or of the form known as
deep fish-plates.
The fish-plates ordinarily employed, when first applied to the rails, bear at their
upper and lower edges against the underside of the heads, and the upper side of the
feet of rails, and the surface of each fish-plate is in contact with the rails only at
these parts, there being a space between the inner surface of each fish-plate and the
web of the rails, so that, as the rails and fish-plates become worn down on their
respective bearing parts where in contact, the said fish-plates can, from time to
time, be further tightened up again upon the rails by the fish-bolts and nuts used
therewith, and will thus be brought closer to the said web. When, however, a
sufficient amount of wear of the rails and fish-plates has taken place between their
respective parts that are in constant contact, and the fish-plates have been
repeatedly re-tightened, the vertical inner surfaces of the fish-plates come in contact
with the web of the rails, so that no further tightening up can be effected, and it has
been customary to then remove these fish-plates and substitute therefor ordinary
new fish-plates which had been rolled to suit the section of new rails, and which,
therefore, do not properly fill up the space in worn rails.
But, by my invention; I provide an improved fish-plate, the durability of which
is not only more than double that of an ordinary fish-plate, but which affords very
much greater vertical support to the rails than the ordinary fish-plates.
For this purpose, I find it advantageous to make each of my improved fish-plates
double and reversible. One form of my improved fish-plate consists of a single
piece of metal resembling two ordinary fish-plates placed back to back and united
together by solid metal, so that, when the rails and the bearing surfaces of one
part or section of my fish-plate are too much worn for this part or section to be of
any further service, the fish-plate can be reversed and the bearing surfaces of the
other part or section thereof be caused to bear against the rails.
I prefer to make the distance between the bearing surfaces of one part or section
of the fish-plate greater than that between the bearing surfaces of the other part
or section thereof, to compensate for the wear of the rails which occurs while the
smaller part or section is in use for connecting the said rails, that is to say, I make
the distance between the bearing surfaces of the part or section which is to be put
in use last, greater than that between the bearing surfaces of the other part or
section. Therefore, when it becomes necessary, by reason of the wear of the sloping
parts of the rails and of the operative part of my fish-plate first put in use, to
reverse the said fish-plate, the larger operative part or section thereof will
correspond to the greater space (caused by wear) between the head and foot of the
rails, the space between the inner surface of the larger part or section of the fish-
plate and the web of the rails being equal, or about equal to that which existed
between the inner surface of the smaller part or section of the fish-plate and the
web of the rails when the first operative part of my said fish-plate was first applied
to the rails.
It is obvious, however, that I may, if desired, make both the operative parts of
my said fish-plates of precisely equal dimensions and section. In this case, I

page_text: obtain the advantages of increased vertical support for the rails and of reversibility
of the fish-plates.
It will be readily seen that, when one half or section of my fish-plate is worn
out, the other or larger half or section can be fixed in its place against the rails,
and, when the second section is made larger than the first as above described, it will
afford a much better fitting support to the already worn rails than would a new fish-
plate that had been rolled to fit rails which had not been worn. Consequently my
improved fish-plate, when made with one section larger than the other, will be
serviceable for a longer period than two of the ordinary fish-plates.
Moreover, by making fish-plates in the manner above described, I considerably
increase the strength and rigidity thereof.
I sometimes reduce the thickness or distance between the sides of my lastly
described form of double fish-plate, except at the operative edges thereof, so as to
facilitate the punching of the bolt-holes. And I may so form the said double fish-
plate that the bolt-heads will fit into a recess in the sides thereof and the bolts will
thus be restrained from rotation. I can then dispense with square holes in my fish-
plates and with square necks on the fish-bolts.
According to another form or modification of my invention, when the bearing
slopes of the feet of the rails are formed at an angle of 45 degrees with tho vertical
centre of the web of the rails, I make my improved fish-plate with the two operative
parts, faces or sections at a right angle to each other.
In this case, my fish-plate is so formed that it has three bearing surfaces, viz. :-
one at each of the free ends of the two sections, and the other at the junction of
the said sections. The section which is to be used for worn rails is made longer
than the other as above described, and its length should exceed that of the other
section to such an extent as to compensate not only for the wear of the rails, but for
the wear of the bearing surface at the junction of the sections, which bearing
surface has to serve for both of the said sections. The web of the rail must, in this
case, be of such height as to leave sufficient space for the fish-bolts and nuts above
the section of the fish-plate which is not, for the time being, in contact with the
rails, and to permit the screwing up of the said nuts satisfactorily.
According to another modification of my said invention, my improved fish-plate
consists of a single piece of metal somewhat resembling in shape or configuration
what is known as a deep dipping fish-plate, so that one of the operating parts
thereof dips below the base of the rails and is beneath and parallel to the other, and
has its upper edge united by solid metal to the lower edge of the said other
operative part, the operating part not in use facing outwards and the upper part in
use against the sides of the rails facing inwards, so that the lower or dipping part
or section will be clear of the foot of the rails. By these means, when the rails and
one operative part or section of my fish-plate become worn to such an extent, that
such part or section of the fish-plate can no longer be caused to bear tightly at the
upper and lower edges against the sloping parts of the said rails, the fish-plate can
be reversed and the lower portion, which then becomes the operative part or section
thereof, be placed against the sloping bearing surfaces of the rails and be bolted
thereto.
In this case, I may, by the use of the dipping part of the last mentioned form of
my improved fish-plates and the bolt-holes therein, give a further support; if desired,
underneath the ends of the rails.
According to a further modification of my invention, instead of forming my
double and reversible fish-plates back to back or at exactly right angles or as deep
dipping fish-plates as above described, I may extend the operative part thereof
which is not in use against the rails, outwards at any suitable angle to that part
which is bolted to the rails, but, by preference, at such an angle that it shall be at
or about the same level as the bottom of the rails, so that it may, if desired, rest
upon the joint-sleepers or other sleepers, and, until required to be reversed, be
bolted or spiked thereto, to prevent the rails from creeping on the sleepers and to
give the rails at their joints additional support.

page_text: I find it important, in all cases, that the bolt-holes of both the operative faces or
parts of my fish-plate should, in position only, precisely correspond with the holes
in the rails.
In order to obtain the great desideratum of all eminent railway engineers,
viz.one continuous strength of line, I use, in connection or in combination with
my improved fish-plates, what are known as Ibbotson's steel fish-bolts with self-
locking steel nuts of the most approved type now patented and used in many
countries.
In the case of flat-bottomed rails, it may be advantageous to so construct my
improved fish-plates that the part or section of the fish-plate first put in use will
form a depression or indentation in the upper surface of the foot of the rails and the
other operative part or section of the fish-plate, when placed in position against the
rails, will fit into and fill up such depression or indentation, whilst no part of
the fish-plate will be liable to take a bearing against the foot of the rails at any
point further from the centre of the rails than the said indentation. I thus provide
for diminishing the stress to which the bolts and nuts are subjected, and, in the
case of the deep dipping and laterally extended fish-plates, I am enabled to
diminish to some extent the weight of such fish-plates.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Fish-plates for Railway-rails.
I, ALFRED BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON, of Ibbotson Brothers, and Company
Limited, Globe Steel Works, Sheffield, in the County of York, 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 is designed to provide more efficiently and economically than
heretofore, for uniting the ends of railway-rails, and my said invention comprises
improved fish-plates the durability of which will be much greater than that of the
fish-plates hitherto employed, whether the latter are of the ordinary form or of the
form known as deep dipping fish-plates.
The fish-plates ordinarily employed, when first applied to the rails, bear at their
upper and lower edges against the sloping part under the heads and the sloping
part on the upper side of the feet of the rails, and the surface of each fish-plate
is in contact with the rails only at these parts, there being a space between the
inner surface of each fish-plate and the web of the rails so that, as the rails and
fish-plates become worn down on their respective bearing parts where in contact,
the said fish-plates can, from time to time, be further tightened up again upon the
rails by the fish-bolts and nuts used therewith, and will thus be brought closer to
the said web. When, however, a sufficient amount of wear of the rails and fish-
plates has taken place between their respective parts that are in constant contact,
and the fish-plates have been repeatedly re-tightened, the vertical inner surfaces of
the fish-plates come in contact with the web of the rails, so that no further
tightening up can be effected; and it has been customary to then remove these
fish-plates and substitute therefor ordinary new fish-plates which had been rolled
to suit the section of new rails, and which, therefore, do not properly fill up the
space in worn rails.
But by my invention I provide an improved fish-plate the durability of which
is not only more than double that of an ordinary fish-plate but which affords very
much greater vertical support to the rails than the ordinary fish-plates.
For this purpose, I make each of my improved fish-plates double and reversible,

page_text: that is to say my improved reversible fish-plate consists of a single piece of metal
resembling two fish-plates one slightly larger than the other, united together by
solid metal, so that, when the rails and the bearing surfaces of the smaller or first
operative part or section of my reversible fish-plate are too much worn for this
smaller or first operative part or section to be of any further service, the fish-plate
can be reversed and the bearing surfaces of the larger or second operative part or
section thereof be caused to bear properly against the rails and fill up the
increased space left between the head and foot of the rails by reason of the wear
of the same.
I make the distance between the bearing surfaces of the operative part or section
of the reversible fish-plate to be used second (after the rail has been worn) so much
greater than that between the bearing surfaces of the operative part or section to
be used first (before the rails are worn) as to compensate for the wear of the rails
which occurs while the smaller or first operative part or section is in use for
connecting the said rails. Therefore when it becomes necessary, by reason of the
wear of the sloping parts of the rails and of the smaller or first operative part of
my reversible fish-plate first put in use, to reverse the said fish-plate, the larger or
second operative part or section thereof will correspond to the greater space
(caused by wear) between the head and foot of the rails, the space between the
inner surface of the larger or second operative part or section of the reversible
fish-plate and the web of the rails being equal or about equal to that which existed
between the inner surface of the smaller or first operative part or section of the
reversible fish-plate and the web of the rails when the smaller or first operative
part of my said reversible fish-plate was first applied to the rails.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown various forms or modifications of
my double reversible fish-plates.
Figure 1 is a transverse section through a rail joint fastened with two of my
reversible fish-plates and shewing the bearing surfaces (b,) of the smaller or first
operative part or section thereof bearing against the sides near the ends of new
rails of corresponding section.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the said fish-plates reversed after some wear
and showing the bearing surfaces (1) of the larger or second operative part or
section thereof bearing against the sides near the ends of worn rails and filling up
the greater space due to wear of the rails. It will be observed in this figure that
the distance between the plates and the web of the rail is the same or about the
same as in Figure 1 when the rail was new.
Figure 3 shows, in transverse section, another form of my reversible fish-plate.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, and
Figure 5 is a transverse section showing two of my deep dipping reversible fish-
plates applied to the rails.
Figure 6 is a transverse section illustrating a slight modification in the form of
my deep dipping reversible fish-plates, one half of the said section representing a
new rail, and the other half a worn rail with the fish-plate reversed.
Figure 7 is a transverse section showing a rail to which are applied two of my
laterally extended reversible fish-plates.
Figures 8 and 9 are transverse sections showing a further modification of my said
invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
a, a are the rails; bb are the first operative parts or sections and b¹¹ the second
operative parts or sections of my improved reversible fish-plate; 62, 6² are recesses
in the fish-plates; 63, 63 are ribs for distinguishing first from second operative parts;
, bare projecting ribs to produce indentations in the upper surface of the rail-
foot; al al are indentations in the rail-foot; c c are the fish bolts which are
provided with nuts d. z indicates by dotted lines and arrow-points the distance
between the bearing surfaces of the portion to be used first, and y indicates by
dotted lines and arrow-points the distance between the bearing surfaces of the
portion to be used second.

page_text: Each of the reversible fish-plates shown in Figures 1 and 2, consists of a single
piece of metal somewhat resembling at first sight two ordinary fish-plates placed
back to back and solidly united. But the operative part or section b of each
reversible fish-plate, which is to be put in use first, is made to fit new or unworn
rails as shown in Figure 1. The operative part or section of each reversible
fish-plate, which is to be put in use last has its bearing surfaces at a greater
distance apart than those of the section that is to say, the distance between
the bearing surfaces at the line y is so much greater than that between the
bearing surfaces b at the line z that, when the bearing surfaces of the latter section
and of the rails, in contact with each other, become worn to such an extent that
no further tightening up of this section is practicable, then the section 6' will
properly fit the worn rails as if the rails had not been worn as shown for example
in Figure 2.
I find it advantageous to reduce the thickness or distance between the sides of
my reversible fish-plate except at the operative edges thereof, so as to facilitate the
punching of the bolt holes. For this purpose, the fish-plates shown in Figures 1
and 2 are made with a recess 2 in each side thereof. And I may so form my said
reversible fish-plates that the bolt-heads will fit into either of the said recesses b³.
The bolts will thus be restrained from rotation, and as is well known, I can then
dispense with square holes in my reversible fish-plates and with square necks on the
fish-bolts. It is evident however, that I can if desired, make the said reversible
fish-plates without such recesses, as shown in Figure 3.
According to another modification of my said invention illustrated in Figures 4
and 5 my improved reversible fish-plate consists of a single piece of metal some-
what resembling in shape or configuration what is known as a deep dipping fish-plate,
excepting that in an ordinary deep dipping fish-plate only the upper part is designed
to bear against the rails the deep dipping part being for vertical strength only and
not capable by reason of its section of being reversed, while in my improved deep
dipping reversible fish-plate the deep dipping part is so designed (i.e. made larger
than the upper part) as to be capable when reversed after wear of rail of filling
up the increased space caused by such wear of the rail. One of the operative
parts or sections b, bb', b₁ of my said reversible fish-plate dips below the base of
the rails and is beneath and parallel with the other part or section, and has its
upper edge united by solid metal to the lower edge of the latter the operative
part or section not in use for the time being facing outwards below the rail and the
operative part in use being recessed inwards and bearing against the sloping parts
of the rails without touching the web of the rails. The lower or dipping part or
section for the time being will be clear of the foot of the rails. By these means,
when the sloping parts of the rails and the bearing surfaces of the smaller or fir-t
operative part or section 6 of my reversible fish-plates become worn to such an
extent that such smaller or first operative part or section of the reversible fish-
plates can no longer be caused to bear tightly at their upper and lower edges
against the sloping parts of the said rails, the reversible fish-plate can be reversed
or inverted and the bearing surfaces of the deep dipping larger second operative
part, be placed against the sloping bearing surfaces of the worn rails and thus
become the immediately operative part or section and because of filling up the
space caused by wear be bolted as securely thereto and form as elastic and effective
a support to the heads of the rails as if the rails and reversible fish-plates
were new.
In some instances I form a rib or projection 63 on the smaller or first operative
part or section which is to be first applied to the rails as shown in Figures 5
and 6, so that a plate-layer can easily distinguish this smaller or first operative
part or section from the larger or second operative part or section b¹ when
applying the reversible fish-plates to the rails. To reduce the weight of my
reversible fish-plate, recesses 62 may be formed in the section b, b' as shown in
Figure 6.
According to a further modification of my invention instead of forming my

page_text: reversible fish-plates so that they shall be used as shown in Figures 1 and 2 or as
deep dipping reversible fish-plates as above described, I extend the operative part
thereof which is not in use, i.e. the larger or smaller operative part as the case may
be, from the rails outwards at any suitable angle to that part which is bolted to
the rails, but, by preference at such an angle that it shall be at or about the same
level as the bottom of the rails as shown in Figure 7, so that it may, if desired rest
upon the joint sleepers or other sleepers, and, until required to be reversed be
bolted or spiked thereto to prevent the rails from creeping on the sleepers and to
give the rails at their joints, additional support. It must however be understood
that it is not a fish-plate of angle form in the ordinary sense of the term but rather
a laterally extending dipping form because as will be seen in Figure 7 the fish-
plate dips down as far as the sleeper under the joint will allow it to dip, and thus
gives the before mentioned additional advantage of a greatly increased vertical
support to the rails.
In the case of flat-bottomed rails, it may be advantageous to construct my
improved reversible fish-plate with a projecting rib as shown in Figure 8 so that
the projecting rib * of the smaller or first operative part or section thereof will
gradually in course of wear form a depression or indentation a' in the upper
surface of the foot of the rails and the projecting rib of the larger or second
operative part or section 6 when placed in its turn in position against the rails will
fit into and fill up such depression or indentation a¹ whilst no part of the reversible
fish-plate will be liable to take a bearing against the foot of the rails at any point
further from the centre of the rails than the said indentations a¹.
I thus provide
not only for the increased life of the reversible fish-plate but also for the
diminishing of the stress to which the bolts and nuts are subjected and, in the case
of my reversible deep-dipping and laterally extended fish-plates I am enabled to
diminish to some extent the weight of such reversible fish-plates. Figure 9 is the
same as Figure 8 but with my reversible fish-plates applied to old or worn flat
bottomed rails; the larger or second operative parts are here shewn in position, the
projecting ribs being firmly seated in the indentations a' which were gradually in
course of wear made in the upper surface of the foot of the rails by the projecting
ribs of the smaller or first operative parts.
It will be readily seen that, when the smaller or first operative part of my
reversible fish-plate is worn out, the larger or second operative part can be fixed in
its place against the rail, and the second operative part being made larger than the
first operative part as above described, will afford a much better fitting support to
the already worn rails than would a new fish-plate that has been rolled to fit rails
which had not been worn. Consequently my improved reversible fish-plate, being
made with one operative part larger than the other, will be serviceable for a longer
period than two of the ordinary fish-plates.
Moreover by making fish-plates in the manner above described, I considerably
increase the strength and rigidity thereof.
I find it important, in all cases that the bolt-holes of both the operative faces or
parts of my fish-plate should in position only (i.e. not necessarily in shape), precisely
correspond with the holes in the rails.
In order to obtain the great desideratum of all eminent railway engineers,
viz. one continuous strength of line I use, in connection or in combination with
my improved reversible fish-plates, what are known as Ibbotson's steel fish-bolts
with self-locking steel nuts of the most approved type now patented and used in
many countries.
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. A reversible fish-plate formed in one piece and having two distinct
operative parts and four bearing surfaces, each of the said operative parts having
two bearing surfaces distinct from both of the bearing surfaces of the other of the

page_text: said operative parts, the said bearing surfaces being adapted to engage with the
sloping parts under the head and above the foot of the rails, and so constructed
that while one operative part of the fish-plate has such a distance between its two
bearing surfaces as to adapt it for use with new rails, the other of the said operative
parts has a greater distance between its two bearing surfaces and is thus adapted to
fit and properly support the same rails when the said sloping parts of the rails and
the bearing surfaces of the first operative part of the fish-plate are so far worn as
to render the said first operative part incapable of properly supporting the rails,
substantially as specified.
Second. A reversible fish-plate constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figures 1 to 3, or to Figures 4 to 6 or to Figure 7, or to Figures 8
and 9, and operating as, and for the purpose, specified.
Dated this 6th day of January 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.