IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCK NUTS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Gilbert and Arthur
Edward Gilbert at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
27th March 1883.
EDWARD GILBERT, and ARTHUR EDWARD GILBERT, both of Dundee, in the
County of Forfar, "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCK NUTS,"
The object of this Invention is to provide a "locking nut" for securing the bolts
in fish plate of railways, which shall be absolutely free from the risk of loosening
under vibration or other such such causes.
This result is attained by adding to an ordinary nut of a fish plate bolt, four,
six or other number of flat radial lugs of any suitable size or shape to project
outwards from the sides of the nut.
A number of recesses are formed in the fish plate, and after the nut has been
screwed home the lug coming opposite to one of the recesses is pressed or driven
into it by a hammer or other instrument to lock the nut.
The projecting lugs may be formed on the inner face of the nut as part of the
nut; or as an equivalent locking device, the radial lugs inay form or be formed on
a separate washer, which is passed over the bolt and secured between the fish
plate and the nut. The washer is formed with a recess into which the nut fits, so
that the nut and washer turn together; and when the nut is screwed home, one of
the lugs of the washer is struck and bent into one of the recesses in the fish plate
to lock the nut. Six lugs are by preference formed on the nut, or on the washer,
to present a hexagonal shape, and the recesses in the fish plate are spaced radially
round the bolt hole to correspond. Instead of, or in addition to; forming recesses
in the fish plate, the chamfered edges of the fish plate may be used to hold or lock
the nut by simply bending one of the lugs over the chamfered edge.

page_text: Instead of the radial lugs on the nut or washer, and recesses in the fish plate, a
circular flange added to or formed on the face of the nut, and a slight wedge
shaped projection or rise on the fish plate may be, adopted, so that by using a
hollow punch and hammer, (the former corresponding in shape to the wedge like
projection) the flange on each side of the projection is cut or torn, thereby forming 5
a tongue and opening and allowing the projection to come through to the outside of
the flange on the nut. In this modification, the locking is effected at any position
that the nut may be bound up to on the bolt.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Gilbert and Arthur Edward Gilbert in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 22nd September 1883.
EDWARD GILBERT, and ARTHUR EDWARD GILBERT, both of Dundee, in the
County of Forfar. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCK-NUTS
"
The object of our said Invention is to provide a locking nut for securing the bolts.
in fish-plates of railways, which shall be absolutely free from the risk of loosening
under vibration or from other such causes.
This result is attained by adding to or forming on the face of an ordinary nut of
a fish plate bolt, four, six, or other number of flat radial lugs of any suitable size or
shape to project outwards from the sides of the nut or by adding to or forming on
the face of the nut a thin circular flange.
A number of recesses, grooves, or projections are formed in or upon the fish-plate,
and after the nut has been screwed home, the lug or that part of the circumference
of the circular flange coming opposite to or overlapping one of the recesses, grooves,
or projections is pressed down or cut and driven into or over it by an ordinary
plate-layer's hammer or other instrument to lock the nut. The lugs of the nut may
have a slight chamfer or inclination on the edges of the under side or face to
facilitate the locking of the nut. The chamfered edge of the fish-plate may be used
to hold or lock the flanged nut, by simply bending the edge of the flange over the
chamfered edge.
Our Invention is illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, in which Figures 1
and 2 are respectively a section and an elevation of a modification of the improved
locknut as used to secure the fish-plates on a railway. The nut A is formed with
lugs or projections a on each side, which when the nut is screwed home on the
bolt B, come over recesses or notches c formed in the fish plate C. The recesses or
notches c are so disposed round the bolt hole that the turning of the nut to a slight
extent, brings one or other of the lugs a opposite one of the recesses or notches c.
That lug is then knocked into the recess by a slight blow from a hammer, and the
nut is thereby securely locked.
Figures 3 and 4 are an elevation and cross section of a rail D showing the fish

page_text: plates secured by a bolt B, and a modified form of the improved lock-nut. This
nut A is formed with a circular flange a, instead of with lugs, and it is secured by
a blow from a hammer applied to turn the edge of the flange a over a longitudinal
groove or recess c², formed in the fish-plate, or over the chamfered edge c² of the
fish plate. The nut when bound up can thus be locked at any position on the bolt.
This form of nut with its broad bearing flange may in general be locked simply by
the friction between the bearing surfaces, in which-case the bending over of the
flange is dispensed with.
Having thus particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is,—
A lock-nut formed with lugs or a flange upon its bearing face and adapted to fit
into or over recesses, grooves, or projections, formed in or upon the fish-plate,
substantially as herein described and illustrated, and for the purpose set forth.
In Witness Whereof, I the said Arthur Edward Gilbert, on behalf of the said
Edward Gilbert and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this twentieth
day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-
three.
ARTHUR E. GILBERT. (L.S.)