Improvements in Railway Joints.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1890-Accepted 14th June, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE CONTINUOUS RAIL JOINT COMPANY, of the
United States of America.]
Improvements in Railway Joints.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY JOINTS" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of this invention is to more securely fasten the fish-plate to the cross
tie, to prevent the rail from or the fish-plate thereof from "creeping," to reduce the
cost of construction and of maintaining the track in proper combination, to secure
other advantages and results substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally
embodied in the clauses of the claim.
Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like letters indicate corresponding
parts in each of the figures,
Figure 1, is a perspective view showing portions of two rails connected by fish-
plates of my improved construction showing certain dove-tailed slots therein adapted
to receive certain spikes of peculiar formation.
Figure 2, is an end view of the same ;
Figure 3, is an elevation of a spike adapted for use in connection with said fisb-
plates.
Figure 4, is a section of the same taken on line ..
Figure 5, is an elevation of an improved or preferred form of said spike, and
Figure 6, is a section taken on line y.
In said drawing, a indicates the rails, b, b, the fish-plates for connecting the same,
c, c, the ties d, d, the bolts for fastening the fish-plates to the rails and e, e, spikes for
fastening the fish-plates to the ties to prevent the rail from "creeping" and to hold
said fish-plate to said tie.
The said fish-plates are formed as shown more clearly in Figure 2, in which b' are
vertical portions having upper and lower bearings which engage the head of the rail
and the foot of the rail respectively, the bearings being of the same degree of inclination
but oppositely inclined as shown.
6, and 6, are horizontal or approximately horizontal bearings which engage the
upper and lower sides of the flanging, the two bearings being of the same thickness of
metal integrally connected at the edge of the flanges.
Where the plate forming the bearings, b³, is bent to turn around the edge of the
flange or foot of the rail, the same is provided with dove-tailed slots f, f, Figure 1,
and into them are forced triangular spikes e, e, the faces of which may be plane adjusted
as at g', Figures 3 & 4, or preferably, they are concaved as shown in Figures 5 & 6.
By the latter construction, as greater frictional area is secured and sharper cutting
edges secured so that as the spike is forced into the wood of the ties the fibre will be
cut and regularly forced aside into frictional contact with the surfaces more perfectly
than by the means now employed.
The triangular spike forms with the slot f, in the fish-plate a dove-tailed joint
whereby the fish-plate is locked in position, preventing both a "creeping" or longi-
tudinal movement of the rail and a lateral movement as will be understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my Foreign Correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with the fish-plates providing the integral bearings 6ª, 6ª, t
, to

page_text: engage the upper and lower faces of the rail flange and having at the bend therein
dove-tailed slots, of triangular spikos, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination with the rails of a fish-plate having dove-tailed slots, and
triangulur spikes, substantially as set forth.
3. The improved rail-joint, combining with rails a, a, and ties c, c, fish-plates b, b,
having vertical portions uniformly inclined as described and horizontal portions
integrally connected at the ages of the rail, the said horizontal hearing portions being
provided with dove-tailed slots and the bend, triangular spikes and bolts d, all said
parts being arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Datel this 6th day of Anvil 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.