Improved Combination of Chair and Fishplates for securing Joints of Railway Rails.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 14th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 14th June, 1887.
Improved Combination of Chair and Fishplates for securing
Joints of Railway Rails.
сце
We, ARTHUR THOMAS ALLEN and HENRY CAVILL both of the Hallamshire
Engineering Works Sheffield in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of our said invention for IMPROVED COMBINATION OF CHAIR AND FISH-
PLATES FOR SECURING THE JOINTS OF RAILWAY RAILS to be as follows
:―
Our invention of improvements in appliances for securing the ends of contiguous
rails commonly termed the joint, has for its chief object to reduce the number of the
separate parts of such appliances, and thus to simplify the manufacture and reduce
the cost, & to avoid the use of bolts & nuts.
It consists in a novel combination of fish plates of a peculiar construction requiring
no bolts and nuts, and a chair and key such as described in our Patent No. 128548 or
a modification thereof.
To carry out the invention, we make a Chair with a fixed jaw on one side, and a
divided jaw, or two vertical lugs on the other side, and we use by preference the double
or "knuckle joint" key as described in the before mentioned patent.
The Fishplates are constructed as follows; the one intended to fit against the
single jaw is made with two lugs or projecting strips, so placed that they will admit
the jaw between them, and will thus be prevented from moving in either lateral
direction, the plate has also a suitable number of holes made through it longitudinally
four being usually sufficient for the purpose.
The opposite fishplate is made with a number of projecting studs, corresponding
with the number of holes in the before described other fishplate, and of sufficient
length to pass through clearance holes in the web of the rail, and to engage with the
holes in the opposite fishplate; the said projecting studs being preferably made solid
with the plate.

page_text: When the back fishplate is placed in position against the jaw of the chair and the
rails being also in position against the fishplate, the studs of the front fishplate are
passed through the clearance holes in the web of the rail and into the holes in the
back fishplate; the key.is then driven in between the vertical lugs (or divided jaw)
and the fastening is completed.
If desirable, the ends of the front fishplate or that part which projects beyond the
key on each side may be enlarged so as to prevent all the lateral strain of a creeping
movement coming upon the studs, also the studs may be formed upon the back plate,
and the holes in the front plate.

page_text: 13417
Joints of Railway Rails.
We ARTHUR THOMAS ALLEN, and HENRY CAVILL, both of the Hallamshire
Engineering Works, Sheffield in the County of York, Engineers, 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 :-
Our invention of improvements in appliances for securing the ends of contiguous
rails of railway permanent way commonly called the joints, has for its object to
reduce the number of the separate parts of such appliances, and thus to simplify the
manufacture and reduce the cost, as well as to avoid the use of bolts and nuts and the
troubles resulting therefrom.
•
It consists in a novel combination of fishplates of a peculiar construction requiring
no bolts and nuts, with a special Chair and key, such as described in our Patent
No. 12854-1885, or any mere modification thereof.
We annex a sheet of drawings illustrating same, and to which we shall refer,
premising that similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in any of the figures
in which they occur.
Fig. 1, is a plan of the combination of the Chair and Fishplates.
Fig. 2, is a section of rail and fishplates.
Fig. 3, is a top view of the fishplates, apart.
In carrying out our invention we make a chair having a fixed jaw on one side, of
the opening or place for the rail, and two vertical lugs with an open space between
them on the opposite side, and we preferably use the "double" or "knuckle joint
key as described in the specification of the before mentioned Patent No. 12854.
A is the fixed jaw, B, B, the vertical lugs, C is the base of the chair, and D, D, the
double key.
The fishplates are constructed as follows The one marked E intended to fit against
the fixed or single jaw A, is made with two projecting strips F, F, with a space G
between them corresponding with the width of the jaws A, so that when placed in
position, it is prevented moving in a lateral direction; this plate is provided with a
number of holes H, H, H, H, four being usually found sufficient.
The other fishplate I, is made with a number of projections J, J, J, J, corresponding
with the before mentioned holes in the plate E, and made of sufficient length to pass
through corresponding clearance holes in the web of the rail, and to engage with the
holes H, in the opposite fishplate, the said projections being preferably made solid
with the plate, which may readily be accomplished by casting the plate and projections
in steel.
When the fishplate E, is placed in position against the jaw A, and the ends of the
rails K K, being also in position against the plate E, the projections J, on the other

page_text: plate are passed through the clearance holes in the rail, and into the holes in the fish-
plate E, the key D, D, is then driven in between the lugs B, in the manner indicated
by the various dotted lines, and the fastening is then completed.
If desirable, the ends of the fishplate I, may be enlarged at the back so. as to take
a bearing on the lugs, and relieve the projections from some of the strain caused by
creeping," also if preferred the projections may be made on the plate E, and the
holes in the plate I, or there may be projections of half the length described, made
upon each plate so that they would meet in the centre of the web of the rail.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :—
1. The improved combination of chair and fishplates for securing the joints of
railway rails, arranged substantially as hereinbefore described, and as shown in the
drawings.
purpose
2. Fishplates constructed substantially as hereinbefore described for the
of dispensing with bolts and nuts, used in combination with a Chair such as
hereinbefore described and shown.