Improvements in Rail-jointing of Permanent-ways of Railways and Tramways and for other Purposes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1886]
Complete Left, 28th July, 1887
Complete Accepted, 11th Oct., 1887
DESEDVS¢
Improvements in Rail-jointing of Permanent-ways of Railways and
Tramways and for other Purposes.
I WILLIAM LEWIS MEREDITH of the City of Gloucester in the County of
Gloucester, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL-JOINTING OF PERMANENT-WAY OF RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows :-
My Invention is designed more particularly to secure more effectually the jointing
of the rails of Permanent-ways of railways and Tramways, but is also applicable to
other cases wherein two or more parts, held together are liable to become loose.
A rail-joint usually consists of Rails, Chairs, Sleepers, Fish-plates, Bolts and Nuts.
These parts, especially the fish-plates, bolts and nuts, constantly work loose, and
becoming displaced from their proper positions, damage, and destroy the thread, or
screw, of the fish-bolts, which is the principal means of maintaining the rail-joint in
a sound condition, by the vibration, or wear of the loose parts, of the rail-joint,
incidental to the wear and tear of Permanentway, as is well understood.
To remedy the defects produced by the loosened parts; and the damage, and
destruction, of the Thread, or Screw of the fish-bolts; of the rail-joint, I make a
Nut with a hollow chamber, or countersunk chamber, in it, and larger in diameter, than
the diameter of the fish-bolt. I make the chamber in the Nut deep enough, and large
enough to hold sufficient Thread, or Screw, to screw up, and maintain, the parts of the
rail-joint securely, and at the same time to keep the Thread or screw of the fish-bolts
wholly outside the exterior surfaces of the parts of the rail-joint, when either loose, or
secure, as a means of preventing damage, or destruction, of the Thread or Screw of the
fish-bolt.
Th] thận 20th day of November 1886

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rail-jointing of Permanentways of Railways and
Tramways and for other Purposes.
I, WILLIAM LEWIS MEREDITH of No. 16 Brook Street, in the City of Gloucester,
Civil Engineer 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 more particularly to secure more effectually the jointing
of the rails of permanent ways of railways and tramways, but is also applicable to
other cases wherein two or more parts held together are liable to become loose.
A rail-joint usually consists of rails chairs sleepers fish-plates bolts and nuts.
These parts, especially the fish-plates bolts and nuts constantly work loose and
becoming displaced from their proper positions, damage and destroy the threads or
screw of the fish-bolts-which are the principal means of maintaining the rail-joint in
a sound condition-by the vibration and abrasion of the loose parts of the rail-joint
incidental to the wear and tear of the permanent way as is well understood.
In the sheet of drawings which accompany this specification my Invention is
illustrated in its application to the securing the several parts of the rail jointing.
In the said drawings fig. 1 is a vertical section taken on the centre line of a fish-bolt
hole showing the rail fish plates and nut in section and the fish bolt in plan or elevation
Fig. 2 is a section of the nut through its centre. Fig. 3 shows the end view of
the nut.
To remedy the defects caused by the loosened parts of the rail-joint and to prevent
the damage and destruction of the threads or screw of the fish bolt by the said
loosened parts I make the threads or screw G of the fish-bolt or bolt E to be kept
outside the exterior surface or surfaces of the several parts to be jointed or bolted
together as indicated by the lines C. D. of the fish plates F F in drawing fig. 1.
I make a nut B figs. 1 and 2 with a hollow chamber or countersunk chamber in it
marked A or otherwise by forming the hollow or countersunk chamber in a separate
piece of metal or washer and affixing it to the nut, or upon it, or against it to
correspond to its position as shown in figs. 1 and 2.
I make the hollow or countersunk chamber A larger in diameter than the diameter
of the fish-bolt and deep enough to hold sufficient of the Threads or screw G of the
fish-bolt E outside the exterior surface or surfaces of the fish-plates F F as indicated
by the lines marked C. D. to screw up the said fish-plates F F and rails H until the
spaces J, J, between them are closed.
By forming or making the said hollow chamber A in a separate piece of metal or
washer my Invention may be applied to any kind of bolt and nut, but I prefer to a
make a nut with a hollow chamber in it, in one solid piece of metal as shown in the
drawings.

page_text: Although I have only illustrated the principal use for which my Invention is
adapted I do not confine myself to such use. The nut B with a hollow chamber in
it is applicable to many similar purposes wherein the Threads or screw of bolts are
liable to become damaged through contact and friction of parts bolted together and
subjected to constant vibration.
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-The Threads or screw of the Fish-bolt or Bolt to be kept outside the exterior
surface or surfaces of the several parts to be jointed or bolted together as and for
the purpose set forth and indicated herein before and in and by the accompanying
drawings.
2-The Nut to have a hollow or countersunk chamber made in it, or affixed to it,
or upon it, or against it, to hold the Threads or screw of the Fish-bolt, or Bolt, for
screwing the several parts to be held together and formed and adapted to be used
as set forth and indicated.