Improvements in Rail Joints for Railways and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1898-Accepted. 30th July, 1898
Improvements in Rail Joints for Railways and the like.
I, JOHN FISHER, of Chindrass House, Matlock Bath, in the County of Derby,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the fish-plates for rails by which the ends
of adjoining rails are firmly secured together. It has for its object novel methods of
construction and arrangement, by means of which a very solid and durable connec-
tion is formed between the fish-plates and the rails, the safety and durability of the
joint between the rails is increased, and the vibration caused to carriages passing over
the joints of rails on railways is reduced.
In order to put my invention in operation, supposing that it is to be applied to
ordinary double-headed rails carried by chairs fixed upon sleepers in the usual way,
the ends of the adjoining rails which are to be rigidly connected together are
arranged with a very small space between them to allow for expansion. Fish-plates of
the usual kind and shape are fitted upon each side of the rails, between the flanges
of the latter, the fish-plates being held by bolts passing through holes in the rails and
in the plates and tightly screwed up by nuts, the holes in the rails being slightly
elongated in the usual way to allow for expansion.
The parts of the rails which require to be most firmly supported and held by the
fish-plates are those adjoining the ends of the rails, and with such fish-plates as are
ordinarily used these are the parts which are most quickly loosened by the vibration
and pressure caused by the weight of the traffic passing over them.
By my invention, I fit packing pieces or plates upon each side of the ends of the
rails inside the fish-plates these plates extending to, or partly or entirely over,
the inner bolt holes, and having holes through them corresponding with these
latter.
Their inner sides are made flat, so that they fit closely against the sides of the web
of the rail, for its full depth, and their outer sides are rounded so that they fit as
closely as possible against the inner hollow sides of the fish-plates. I make these
plates very slightly thicker than the space between the flat side of the rail and the
inner curved side of the fish-plate.
When the rails, fish-plates, packing plates and bolts have been fitted together, the
two outer bolts are screwed tightly up, bending the ends of the fish-plates slightly
against the flanges of the rails, and pressing their central parts with great force upon
the packing plates, and the two inner bolts are then tightened up, so that the ends
of the rails, for a considerable distance back from their extremities, where any vibra-
tion or deflection will be most felt, are held absolutely firmly and solidly together
between the plates, whilst their top and bottom flanges are also firmly held and sup-
ported between the upper and lower bevelled edges of the fish-plates, and the entire
joint is practically one solid mass.
By the weight of the traffic passing over the rails, a small movement of the sur-
faces in contact takes place, by the wear from which they come into more perfect
contact and are from time to time tightened up.

page_text: My invention may not only be applied to ordinary double-headed rails and corre-
sponding fish-plates, but obviously also to rails of other forms of section.
The packing plates described may be. slightly tapered down in thickness towards
their ends at their outer side, so that the fish-plates when forcibly bent down upon
them by screwing the outer bolts, may take a more gradual bearing upon them; and
instead of the packing-plates being separate from the fish-plates they may be formed
upon the inner sides of the latter during the process of manufacture.
Where the fish-plates and packing-plates have worn, so that when screwed up tight
they do not thoroughly fill the spaces for them, one or more lining pieces of thin
sheet metal may be fitted between the rail and the fish-plate and packing-plate. Such
liners are bent or formed to fit against the web of the rail and the inner inclined
sides of the top and bottom flanges of the latter, and they may be of any desired
length, (not greater than that of the fish-plate). Holes are of course made through
them for the passage of the bolts.
Two or more of such liners may be used one above the other, one being shorter
than the other and arranged at the centre of the length of the fish-plate, opposite to
the packing-plate inside the latter, but both or all the liners being bent outward both
above and below so as to fit against the inclined flanges of the rail. Liners shaped
as described may also be used with ordinary fish-plates where the packing-plates
described are not used.
Dated
L
104 4094rways aпа ще пке.
I, JOHN FISHER, of Chindrass House, Matlock Bath, in the County of Derby,
Gentleman, 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, and accompanying drawing, that is to say :-
My invention relates to improvements in the fish-plates and joints for rails by
which the ends of adjoining rails are firmly secured together. It has for its object
novel methods of construction and arrangement, by means of which a very solid and
durable connection is formed between the fish-plates and the rails, the safety and
durability of the joint between the rails is increased, and the vibration caused to
carriages passing over the joints of rails on railways is reduced.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention.
Figure 1 is a side view of the entire joint between the ends of two rails.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal horizontal section of the fish-plates and the joint
between the ends of the rails.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section through the line x-x, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a similar section through the line y-y in Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a similar section to Figure 4, but showing a separate lining between
the rail and the fish-plate.
Figure 7 is a similar section to Figure 5, but showing the same separate
lining, and also a part of the latter bent down to prevent the nuts from
unscrewing.
Figures 9, 10, 11, show a side view, top view, and transverse section of the
packing piece i.
1

page_text: In order to put my invention in operation, supposing that it is to be applied to
ordinary double-headed rails carried by chairs c, c¹ fixed upon sleepers e in the usual
way, the ends a, b of the adjoining rails which are to be rigidly connected together
are arranged with a very small space between them at d to allow. for expansion.
Fish-plates f, f¹, of the usual kind and shape are fitted upon each side of the
rails a and b, between the flanges of the latter, the fish-plates being held by
bolts g, 9, 9, g, passing through holes in the rails, and in the plates, and tightly
screwed up by nuts h-the holes in the rails being slightly elongated in the usual
way to allow for expansion.
The parts of the rails which require to be most firmly supported and held by the
fish-plates are those adjoining the ends of the rails, and with such fish-plates as are
ordinarily used these are the parts which are most quickly loosened by the vibration
and pressure caused by the weight of the traffic passing over them.
By my invention, I fit metal packing pieces or plates i, i (preferably of steel)
upon each side of the ends of the rails a, b, inside the fish-plates f, f¹, these plates
extending to, or partly or entirely over, the holes for the inner bolts g, g, and having
holes (or parts of holes, as shown in Figure 9) through them corresponding with
these latter.
Their inner sides are made flat, see Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, so that they fit closely
against the sides of the central web of the rail, for its full depth, and their outer
sides are rounded so that they fit as closely as possible against the inner hollow sides
of the fish-plates f, f¹. I make these plates i, i very slightly thicker than the space
between the flat side of the rail and the inner curved side of the fish-plate.
When the rails a, b, fish-plates f, f¹, packing plates i, i, and bolts g, ; g¹, g', have
been fitted together, the two outer bolts g¹ g¹, are screwed tightly up, bending the ends
of the fish-plates slightly against the flanges of the rails, and pressing their central
parts with great force upon the packing plates i, i, and the two inner bolts g, g, are
then tightened up, so that the ends of the rails, for a considerable distance back from
their extremities at d, where any vibration or deflection will be most felt, are held
absolutely firmly and solidly together between the plates i, i, whilst their top and
bottom flanges are also firmly held and supported between the upper and lower
bevelled edges of the fish-plates f, f', and the entire joint is practically, therefore, one
solid inass.
By the weight of the traffic passing over the rails, a small movement of the surfaces
in contact takes place, by the wear from which they come into more perfect contact,
and are from time to time tightened up.
My invention may not only be applied to ordinary double-headed rails and
corresponding fish-plates, but obviously also to rails of other forms of section, by
making the necessary variation and alteration in the shape of the several parts.
The packing plates i, i described may be slightly tapered down in thickness
towards their ends at their outer side, so that the fish-plates when forcibly bent down
upon them by screwing the outer bolts g', g', may take a more gradual bearing upon
them; and instead of the packing-plates i, i being separate from the fish-plates f,f,
they may be formed upon the inner sides of the latter during the process of
manufacture.
Where the fish-plates and packing-plates have worn, so that when screwed up tight
they do not thoroughly fill the spaces for them, one or more lining pieces k, k,
Figures 6, 7, and 8, of thin sheet metal may be fitted between the rail and the
fish-plate and packing-plate i. Such liners k, k, are bent or formed to fit against the
web of the rail and the inner inclined sides of its top and bottom flanges, and they
may be of any desired length (not greater than that of the fish-plate). Holes are, of
course, inade through them for the passage of the bolts.
Two or more of such liners may be used one above the other, one being shorter
than the other and arranged at the centre of the length of the fish-plate, opposite
to the packing-plate inside the latter, but both or all the liners being bent outward
both above and below so as to fit against the inclined flanges of the rail. Liners

page_text: shaped as described may also be used with ordinary fish-plates where the packing-
plates described are not used.
The top or bottom edge of one of the liners k may be extended sufficiently to
be bent down, as shewn at 1, Figure 7, after the bolts have been screwed up, and
serves as a stop to prevent the nuts h from becoming unscrewed.
The inner surface of the plates which are held against the rail may be
advantageously formed (by rolling or otherwise), with parallel longitudinal
corrugations, serrations, or roughnesses. By the vibration of the traffic passing
over the joint after the bolts have been screwed up, these serrations or roughnesses
are forced more or less into the surface of the rail, and more certainly ensure the
absolute solidity of the joint, and the absence of movement between the parts which.
are tightened against each other.
The serrations or roughnesses may be made on both sides of the packing
pieces i, where the latter are made separate from the fish-plate, as shewn in the
drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In joints for the rails of railways, the combination with the fish-plates of a
packing-plate i, substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
2. In combination with the packing-plate i and the fish-plates, the separate liner k,
substantially as and for the purposes described and illustrated.
3. The longitudinal serrations upon the surface of the packing-plate i, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
3th day of June 1898.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.