IMPROVEMENTS IN NUT Locks
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
NUT Locks." A communication from abroad by Frank B. Davis, of Johnstown,
Cambria County, State of Pennsylvania, and James Cartwright, of Youngstown,
State of Ohio, both in the United States of America.
Sealed the 12th July 1878, and dated the 18th March 1878,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th March 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN. NUT. LOCKS." [A communication from abroad
by Frank B. Davis, of Johnstown, Cambria County, State of Pennsylvania, and
James Cartwright, of Youngstown, State of Ohio, both in the United States of
America.]
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple and effective device for pre-
venting nuts and bolts used on fish plates or splice bars of rails, or for other similar
purposes, from getting loose by accidentally turning and unscrewing.
The Invention consists in providing fish plates or splice bars with a rib or
shoulder of any suitable shape, continuous or at intervals, formed on or attached to
said fish plates, or on or to a separate piece attachable thereto, and in combination
therewith of a wedge or key of any size suitable for locking one, two, or more nuts
at a time, said key being kept from sliding out of place longitudinally by bending
one or both of its ends around the nut or nuts, or around the end or ends of the fish
plate.
The Invention also consists in providing the rib or shoulder, against which the
wedge or key is placed with a groove for the reception of the said key to prevent it
from slipping out of position laterally.

page_text: The fish plates are arranged one on each side of the rails and secure the two
rails together by means of bolts and nuts as usual. The bolts are kept from
turning in the holes made for them through the fish plates and rail by being made
to rest with one side of the bolt head flush, or nearly so, against or upon the rib or
shoulder, which is formed upon or attached to one of the fish plates, the other fish 5
plate being provided with a similar rib, preferably formed on the bar in the rolling,
either continuous or at intervals; or the rib or shoulder may be formed upon a
washer held on the bolt by the nut, and resting to prevents its turning on the flange
of the rail, or of the fish plate.
The distance between the bolt hole and the rib should be large enough to allow 1
of the nut being turned on the bolt, and when sufficiently tightened presenting one
of its sides to the rib. This being done the nut is prevented from turning out of
this position by a wedge or other key being inserted between the nut and the
rib.
The key, if a wedge key, is held in place by its thinner end being turned up on 1
the side of the nut, or if a straight key, may be made to hold one, two, or more
nuts at the same time, and is held in place by bending up both of its ends, or it
may extend along the whole rib and fish plate, and be kept in position by bending
in its ends around the ends of the latter.
In order to prevent the key from slipping out sideways, I form a groove on the 2
rib to receive it.
The rib may be made flat, broad, and thin enough to fasten the bolt or nut
directly by being turned up to rest against one of its sides, or by being notched
and turned up to embrace two of its sides.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
September 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN NUT LOCKS." A communication from abroad
by Frank B. Davis, of Johnstown, Cambria County, State of Pennsylvania, and
James Cartwright, of Youngstown, State of Ohio, both in the United States of
America.
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple and effective device for pre-
venting nuts and bolts used on fish plates or splice bars of rails, or for other similar
purposes from getting loose by accidentally turning and unscrewing.
The Invention consists in providing a fish plate or splice bar with a rib or
shoulder of any suitable shape, continuous, or at intervals, formed on or attached to
such fish plate, or formed on or attached to a separate piece attachable to such fish
plate, and in combination therewith of a wedge or other shaped key of any size
suitable for locking one, two, or more nuts at a time, said key being kept from
sliding out of place longitudinally by bending one or both of its ends around the
nut or nuts, or around the end or ends of the fish plate.
The Invention also consists in providing the said rib or shoulder with a groove
for the reception of the said key to prevent it from slipping out of position laterally,
as will be herein-after more fully described with reference to the accompanying
Drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a side view, and Figures 2 and 3 cross
sections of a rail joint with the improvement applied.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.
A are the rails, and B, B', are the fish plates, one on each side. thereof, securing
the two rails together by means of the bolts C and their nuts D. The bolts C are
kept from turning in the holes made for them through the fish plates and rail by
making one side of the square bolt heads abut closely, or nearly so, against or upon
a rib or shoulder 6 formed upon or attached to the fish plates B (as seen in Figures
2 and 3).
The fish plate B¹ may, as shown in Figure 3, be provided with a similar rib b¹,
preferably formed on the bar in the rolling like rib b, either continuous or at
intervals; or the rib or shoulder b, b¹, may be formed upon a washer E held on the
bolt C by the nut D, and resting to prevent its turning on the flange of the rail, or
of the fish plate. In either case the rib or shoulder b₁ is grooved or slightly
hollowed, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 for a purpose hereafter explained.
The distance between the bolt hole and the rib b¹ should be large enough to
allow of the nut D being turned on the bolt C, and when sufficiently tightened
presenting one of its sides to the rib 6. The nut is then prevented from turning
out of its position by a wedge or other shaped key F being inserted between the
nut and the rib b¹.
The key F, if a wedge key, is held in place by its thinner end being turned up
against the side of the nut (as shown in Figure 1), or if a straight key, it may be
made to hold one, two, or more nuts, at the same time, and is, in that case, held in
place by both of its ends being bent up; or it may extend along the whole rib and
fish plate, and be kept in position by its ends being bent inwards around the ends
of the fish plate.
In any case the key F corresponds to and is received in the groove or hollow of
the rib or shoulder 6', and is thereby prevented from slipping out sideways.
The rib b' (or b) may be made fiat, broad, and thin enough to fasten the bolt or
nut directly by being turned up to rest against one of its sides, or by being notched
and turned up to embrace two of its sides.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I would observe that I do not limit or confine myself to the exact construction
of the ribs, or of the keys herein shown, as they may be varied without deviating

page_text: from the Invention, but what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The rib or shoulder b (or b¹), continuous, or at intervals, formed on or
attached to the fish plate B (or B') for the purpose of keeping a bolt head or nut
from getting loose, substantially as shown and described.
2nd. The rib or shoulder 6' formed on or attached to the fish plate B¹, or the
washer E in combination with the key F for locking the nut D in position, sub-
stantially as set forth.
3rd. The rib or shoulder 6 grooved upon its surface for the reception of the key F,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
•
4th. A nut lock, in which a wedge F is passed with its smaller end between a
polygonal nut and bar b' until its inclined surfaces contact with both, the smaller
end of said wedge being then turned about the nut, as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.