Improvements in or connected with Railway Rail Joints.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd. Dec., 1896 -Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Rail Joints. :
I, ROBERT JASPER CATCHINGS, Merchant, of 594 Columbus Avenue, in the
City and. State of New York, U.S.A., 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 novel features of construction in devices for securing the
fish plates in position at the rail-joints without the use of nuts, or bolts having
threads, and which will hold the fish-plates securely clamped to the rails in
, a locked position.
Heretofore fish-plates for securing the ends of railroad-rails have been held in
place by ordinary bolts and nuts. The objection to such a construction is that the
nuts and screw-threaded bolts must be constructed at too great an expense.
Another objection is that the nuts constantly work loose and drop off, thus
requiring the employment of persons called "nut-tighteners," to tighten or replace
them; and they are easily removed by ill-disposed persons desiring to injure the
road, wreck a train or do other damage of a similar nature.
The object of my invention is to overcome these objections by providing a device
which will dispense with the use of nuts and screw-threads on the fish-bolts
and which will securely hold the fish-plates in a locked position and prevent
rattling.
My invention consists in a lock, key, fish-bolts and-springs, constructed, combined
and operating substantially as "hereinafter more specifically set forth and claimed
when used to clamp fish-plates on rail-joints and hold them in a sécure and locked
position:
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of railroad-rail joint showing my invention-applied
thereto..
Figure 2 is a face view of the lock-casing showing, the fish-bolts in section and
the device in an unlocked position.
Figure 3 is also a face view of the lock-casing showing the device in a locked
position and having flanges underneath to support the lock when used on a single
fish-plate.
Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section taken through one of the fish-bolts when
secured in. a locked. position.
Figure 5 is a detail perspective of one of the fish-bolts.
Figure 6 is a detail view of the key.
Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.
R and R represent the rail-road rails; P and P', the fish-plates; C, the.
lock-casing; c; the fish-bolt chambers in the casing; c', the holes for the reception
of the fish-bolts; e, the slots in the casing for the reception of the fish-bolts;
, the keyhole; c, Hanges to support lock when used on a single fish-plate, as
shown in Figure 4; c, waste-holes to permit of the ready escape of water, sand &c.;
L, the lock-bolt; l, the lock-bolt chamber; F, the fish-bolt; ; the annular recess
in the fish-bolt head for the reception of spring S; f¹, notches for the reception of
flanges c, and K the key.
The operation of locking and unlocking the device is as follows: When the
rails, fish-plates, and fish-bolts are in the position shown in Figure 4, place the

page_text: lock-bolt L'in the lock-bolt chamber in the position shown in Figure 2. Then
insert the fish-bolts in holes c¹ by pressing the lock-casing tightly to fish-plate.
Then slip the casing to the right, the fish-bolts moving in slots until the
lock-bolt L falls in the lock-chamber to the position shown in Figure 3, when the
device is locked.
To unlock insert the key K in keyhole 3 and raise lock-bolt until it touches
the top of lock-bolt chamber, by pressing the key upward. Then slip the lock-
casing to the left, removing key, until the lock-bolt L and fish-bolts F are in the
position shown in Figure 2, when the lock may be taken off by moving it away
from the rail and fish-plate in a horizontal direction.
My lock may be applied with double or single fish-plates or may be used with
either style of fish-plate on one side of the rails and without any fish-plate on the
lock side, the lock-casing taking the place of the fish-plate when so used.
I construct my lock with sufficient play to allow for the usual contraction and
expansion of the rails. :
A desirable feature of my invention is the overcoming of rattling and loose
joints, which I accomplish by inserting springs in annular recesses in the heads of
the fish-bolts, which when pressed tight against the fish-plates and locked on the
opposite side hold the fish-plates snugly against the rails, take up any slack that
may occur by the wearing off of any rough surface, prevent rattling, and keep the
fish-plates firmly bound to the rails, thus giving the road a
perfectly safe and
secure joint.
The advantages which I secure by my construction are strength, simplicity,
durability, and economy. The notched bolts are stronger than bolts with threads.
The retaining-flanges which hold the fish-bolts in place are stronger than the nuts
and will not work off by the running or jar of trains, but will hold the fish-plates
in position until the lock is unlocked. It can be applied with greater speed than
any now known, and can also be easily and quickly removed by any person having
the key and knowing the peculiar manner of using it and removing the casing, but
cannot be taken off by persons not familiar with such method and not in possession
of the key, as can be done by anybody unscrewing the nuts and removing the rails
where bolts and nuts are used. I not only give a more secure fastening of the
rail-joints but also a more excellent and perfect finish to the same.
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:-
1. In a railroad-rail lock, lock-casing, lock-bolt and fish-bolts provided' with
annular recesses in the heads thereof, circular springs taking into said recesses for
the purpose specified, all combined to lock and securely hold the fish-plates to
rails, substantially as described.
2. In a railroad rail lock the combination of the fish-bolts with the spring,
lock-bolt and lock-casing, said lock-casing being provided with a key-hole for the
reception of a key to unlock the device, substantially as described.
3. The combination in a railroad rail lock of the fish-bolts F with the lock-
casing C provided with a hole for the reception of the key K to release the
lock-bolt L, substantially as described.
4. A railroad rail lock having a casing provided with fish-bolt holes, slots and
chambers and a lock-bolt chamber, and a lock-bolt, having a fish-bolt hole in one
end thereof, said lock-bolt being adapted to be fixed or moved in said chamber, as
desired, substantially as described.
5. In a railroad rail lock, fish-bolts having annular recesses in the heads thereof,
springs taking therein, said fish-bolts having notches f' near one end, lock-casing
having flanges c taking into said notches, said lock-casing being provided with
key-hole, waste-holes, fish-bolt holes, slots, chambers and lock-bolt chamber, and
lock-bolt having fish-bolt hole in one end, combined and adapted. to operate
substantially as and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 6. In a railroad-rail lock, lock-casing provided with key-hole, waste-holes, fish-
bolt holes, slots and chambers and a lock-bult chamber, and a lock-bolt having a
fish-bolt hole in one end, adapted to work in said chamber, combined and operating
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
7. The combination in a railroad rail lock, of the rails R, R¹, fish-plates P, P¹,
fish-bolts F, spring S, lock-casing C, and lock-bolt L in said casing adapted to hold
the device in a locked position or to be raised by the key K when unlocking the
device, substantially as described.
8. In a railroad rail lock, rails R, R', fish-plates P, P', lock-casing C, fish-bolts F,
lock-bolt L and spring S, combined and operating substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
9. In a railroad rail lock, rails R, R¹, fish-plates P, P', lock-casing C, flanges c³,
fish-bolts F, lock-bolt L and spring S, combined for the purpose specified.
10. In a railroad rail lock, the combination of the rails R, R', with fish-
plates P, P', lock-casing C, fisb-bolts F having recesses f, springs S taking therein,
said bolts having notches f', flanges c adapted to take into said notches, lock-bolt L
and flange supports c, substantially as described.
11. The combination in a railroad rail lock of the rails R, R' with fish-plate P¹,
fish-bolts F, spring S, lock-casing C and lock-bolt L adapted to rest therein and
hold the device in a locked position, or to be raised by key K when unlocking the
device, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.