Improvements in Fish-plates for Vignole Rails.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fish-plates for Vignole Rails.
1, AUGUST WILKE, of 2 Frankfurterstrasse, Brunswick, in the Empire of
Gerinany, Manufacturer, 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 :-
Experience has shown that the breakages of rails occur almost always from the
butt ends first bending down and finally breaking at right angles to their longi-
tudinal axis. The efforts to render such broken rails temporarily serviceable have
been almost always of no avail as the method hitherto in use of keying wood blocks
underneath the ends of the rails was insufficient to fulfil its purpose, even for
moderate speeds.
The present invention has for its object the production of a fish-plate for Vignole
rails of any section, which fish-plate is suitable for readily mending rails along the
permanent way.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which represents a
section of a Vignole rail with a pair of fish-plates secured thereto.
a is a longitudinal fish-plate, which is adapted exactly to the form of the rail
and fits against the web, around the foot and underneath the same to the centre of
the rail, whilst at the top it fits closely against the inclined part underneath the
head of the rail, in order to support the latter. Underneath the foot of the rail
the said fish-plate extends downwards in the form of a longitudinal web or plate b.
which serves as a means to receive the bolts c to securely draw the two opposite
fish-plates together. If the permanent way inspector finds a broken rail of the
said nature he has first to remove so much of the bed from underneath the spot
as to allow a pair of fish-plates of the character above described to be applied
to the broken rail in order to render the said rails serviceable for a short time.
The said fish-plate can also be used, in lieu of the ordinary fish-plate, for con-
necting the rails, in which case the usual holes in the rails for use with the ordinary
fish-plates are left unused. The improved fish-plate has in this case the great
advantage that, in consequence of the support from the lower portion of it, the
bending of the ends of adjoining rails is obviated.
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 :-
A fish-plate for Vignole rails to be used for connecting the ends of adjoining
rails and for temporarily repairing broken rails, so shaped as to support the
head of the rail, to fit against the web, round the foot of the rail and underneath to
the centre thereof, whence it is extended downwards in the form of a longitudinal
web or plate, which latter, with the aid of screw bolts, serves to draw a pair of fish-
plates together, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 21st day of November 1892.
St
AUGUST WILKE,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.