IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS.”
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Potts, the younger, of Sunderland, in
the County of Durham, Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS.”

page_text: '
and provided with proper flanges to take rest upon the sleeper or sleepers,
and to be bolted thereto. In either chairs or fish plates the upper
portions are made to fit between the upper and lower flanges of the rail,
be the same double headed or flat bottomed, while beneath the lower
edge or bottom of the rail they are provided with bevelled internal
flanges or ledges projecting towards each other, the bevels being trans-
verse to the chair or fish. On these bevelled ledges, between the two
halves of the chairs or fishes and underneath the bottom of the rail I
place a rolled piece of iron or steel, which is bevelled transversely on its
under side in reverse directions. This bearing piece is longitudinal to
the chair or fish, and is of the same length. The transverse bevels of its
lower side rest upon the bevelled ledges above described, so that on
tightening up the sides of the chair or fish to the rail by the usual
screws and by a lower set placed below the rail the effect is to force up
the bearing piece against the under side of the rail ends in the chair or
fish plate, the effect being to render unequal deflection of the same
impossible, and give the joint greatly increased strength with the
requisite amount of elasticity.
Flat-bottomed rails may or may not have the flanges reduced at the
joint for the application of these chairs or fishes.
By having notches, rolled or otherwise, formed at suitable intervals
in the apex or ridge on the under side of the bearing piece for the
reception of the lower set of fish bolts, any displacement of the said
bearing piece will be prevented should the fish plates become loose.
According to a second arrangement the fish plates, as in the first
arrangement, extend beneath the rail foot, and have internal projecting
flanges or ledges, rolled or otherwise, formed thereon, which bear
directly against the under face of the rails, so as to increase the rigidity
of the joint. One of the ledges may have a V or any other equally
efficient shaped rib or ribs formed thereon, which fit into a corresponding
V or any other equally efficient shaped channel or channels in the other
ledge, so as to still further increase the rigidity of the entire joint when
screwed up by the usual fish bolts and the additional set of fish bolts
below the rail.
With a view to securing the nuts employed with my improved or with
other fishes and chairs, and to prevent their accidental slacking back
whilst still nermitting of their being tightened un at intowels as max ha

page_text: required, I propose to employ a thin iron clip, through which the fish
bolts are passed, and against which the nuts are tightened up, this clip
having slits cut in it on one or both edges, and the tongue formed by
such slit bent up slightly, so as to offer a resistance or check to the side
of the nut, preventing it from slacking back. As these tongues are
inclined on their surface they will not impede the turning of the nut in
the opposite direction for tighting it up.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Potts, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
POTTS, the younger, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Architect,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the 37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Potts, the younger,
Her special license that I, the said Joseph Potts, the younger, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said.
Joseph Potts, the younger, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United.
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF
RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Potts, the younger, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing, under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: on tightening up the sides of the chair or fish to the rail by the usual
screws and by a lower set f, f, placed below the rail, the effect is to
force up the bearing piece e against the under side of the rail ends in the
chair or fish plate, and so render unequal deflection of the same
impossible, and give the joint greatly increased strength with the
requisite amoun tof elasticity.
Flat-bottomed rails may or may not have the flanges reduced at the
joint for the application of these chairs or fishes, as seen in Figures 6, 7,
8, and 9.
By having notches, rolled or otherwise, formed at suitable intervals
in the apex or ridge on the under side of the bearing piece e (see
Figure 2) for the reception of the lower set of fish bolts f, f, any
displacement of the said bearing piece e will be prevented should the
fish plates or chairs become loose.
If desirable the chairs or fishes may be made of cast iron in lieu of
wrought iron, and the said bearing picce e may be made of hard wood,
vulcanite, or any other suitable material in lieu of iron or steel, as above
described.
According to a second arrangement, shewn in transverse section in
Figure 10, the fish plates a, a¹, as in the first arrangement, extend
beneath the rail foot, and have internal projecting flanges or ledges d, d',
rolled or otherwise formed thereon, which bear directly against the
under face of the rails, so as to increase the rigidity of the joint. One of
the ledges may have a V or any other equally efficient shaped rib or ribs
formed thereon, which fit into a corresponding V or any other equally
efficient shaped channel or channels in the other ledge, so as to still
further increase the rigidity of the entire joint when screwed up by the
usual fish bolts and the additional set of fish bolts f,f, below the rail.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
'
First. The peculiar construction and arrangement of chairs or fish
plates with internal bevelled ledges in combination with the adjustable
bearing piece e, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Second. The peculiar construction and arrangement of chairs or fish
plates with internal ledges bearing against the under side of the rails in
combination or not with the V shaped ridge and channel in such ledges,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Potts, the younger, have to 5
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of
May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
JOSEPH POTTS, JUN³. (L.S.)