Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1886.
Specification Accepted, 14th Jan., 1887.
I, JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM of 919 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, 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:-
This invention relates to a nut fastener chiefly designed for securing the nuts of
bolts used for uniting the ends of railway rails.
The improved fastener is formed of a bar curved upwardly and downwardly, the
crown or back of the said bar resting on the fish plate. The ends of the bar are bent
outwardly from the centre or crown, thus causing the resiliency of the spring, which
resiliency is increased owing to the lengthened surface of the spring, without
increasing the dimensions of the spring from bolt to bolt. The crown of the fastener
bears on the fish plate above and below the centre thereof and in such a manner that
the resiliency of the reverse curves begins at the crown, thus leaving the crown strong
and durable. The ends of the eyes of the springs are bent outwards whereby the
sharp edges or angles of said ends are presented to the rear faces of the nuts, so as to
bite against the same thus increasing the holding power of the springs on the nuts.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved nut fastener.
Figure 2 is a top view thereof, the rail being shown in horizontal section, and
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line x, x Figure 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A, A represents two railway or other rails to be spliced or fished.
B represents the splice, fish piece or back plate, and C the fastening bolts having
tightening nuts D.
E represents a curved spring, which is of skeleton form, and has eyes which are
fitted on the bolts C. The spring is constructed of a rod, bar or piece of suitable
metal, having its body of S-shape or of other sinuous or serpentine form, curved in
the direction of its length, and its ends are bent to constitute the eyes for the bolts C.
It will be noticed that the curves of the spring are in reversed directions upwardly
and downwardly, as at a, a', between said eyes. The reverse curves a, a¹ are joined
by a somewhat vertical bar a", which, constituting the crown of the spring extends

page_text: between the points all, a¹¹ and rests flat on the fish plate, said curves thus beginning
at the points a, and bending outwardly therefrom. Each eye F of the spring has
its end turned outwardly, as at b, so as to present the extreme edge or angle c to the
back of the nut and bite thereagainst.
When the fish or back plate, bolts and spring are properly located, the nuts D are
applied and tightened, thus compressing the spring and firmly clamping the rail and
plate. The friction created by the spring serves to hold the nuts and prevent their
rotation, and when the rails, plate &c. wear from service, the slack is taken up, and
thus the parts continue to be held, and rattling of the same is prevented.
As the spring is of S or serpentine shape, it will be found to possess a lengthened
surface between the eyes without increasing the dimension of the spring from bolt to
bolt. This lengthened surface increases the resiliency and power of the spring and
also renders the same strong, light and inexpensive, as it is not weakened by joints or
piercing, and a heavy piece of metal is not required to form the same. The central
bar al also provides a large bearing surface for the spring on the fish plate, and rests
against the main portion of the fish plate, above and below the centre of the same, in
the vertical direction thereof, so that the centre of the spring is strong and durable
and bears firmly against the fish plate on a large surface.
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-
First A nut fastening consisting of a serpentine bar bent outwardly from the
centre, and having eyes at the ends, the curves of said bar extending in vertical
directions, substantially as described.
Second A nut fastening and fish plate spring, consisting of a body having curved
portions a, a, which extend in reversed directions upwardly and downwardly from
the central connecting bar a", from the upper and lower parts of which said curved
portions are bent outwardly, substantially as described.
Third A spring having eyes at the end, the extreme end or angle of each of which
projects outwardly so as to bite the back of the nut, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.