Improvements in Railway Fished Joints.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1899-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Fished Joints.
Ì, JOHANN SCHULER, of 8, Taubenstrasse, Berlin, W., Germany, Engineer, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
This invention relates to railway fished joints for double-headed rails in which
angle fish plates are used and has for its object the construction thereof in such
a manner that the vehicles shall pass over the joint without jar. For this pur-
pose the abutting ends of the rails rest on a bridge or gib, of considerable
length which rests in extensions of the fish plates, widely spread to give an
elastic support to the gib the fish plates being attached to the rails by bolts
in the usual manner.
In order that this invention may be better understood, I now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, like letters refer to like parts in the
various figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of the joints.
Figure 2 is a side view thereof.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of joint.
The rails are connected by two angle fish plates a the downward extensions b
of which bent off at an angle so as to extend below the lower head of the rails
are at some distance from the sides of the rails so as to give elasticity to the
lower vertical part of the fish plate. The extensions 6 have rectangular holes c
which when the fish plates are placed in proper position are opposite each other
in the vertical plane of the butt joint.. Through the holes c passes a gib or
bridge which is recessed where it comes in contact with the rail, so that the
head of the rail can fully rest on the supporting piece d; and further a locking
piece e on which holds the piece d in position.
When the nuts of the bolts f are screwed home to effect the joint, the fish
plates partly rise under the pressure of the nuts on the supporting faces of the
rails and partly turn on the middle of the lower supporting surfaces. Both
movements cause the locking piece e and the supporting piece d to press firmly
against the lower faces of the rails. In consequence the ends of the rails are
held firmly together, where they abut, by the fish plates a, the supporting
piece d, and the locking piece e, which two latter form the before mentioned
support for the rails, below the abutting ends of the rails.
When the wheel of a vehicle approaches a butt joint, the end of the rail which
it is going to leave is depressed and also the support d e, and as the latter is fixed
to the end of the rail on to which the wheel is to run, the last mentioned rail
end is also forced down. Therefore both rail ends come to the same level at the
joint, in consequence the wheel passes softly from one rail end to the other.
This is further assured inasmuch as the extensions of the fish plates are
somewhat elastic. Increased elasticity may be obtained by stamping three sides

page_text: of the rectangular hole and bending down the piece thus formed on which the
supporting and locking pieces d and e, rest see Figure 3.
The pieces d and instead of being parallel as shown in Figure 1, may be
wedge shaped as shown in Figure 3, so that wear of the pieces may be com-
pensated by driving the piece e further into the holes c.
-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. A fished butt joint for double headed or similar rails having angle fish
plates a the extensions 6 of which are bent off so as to be situated a distance away
from the lower rail head and have holes through which pass a piece & shaped
to fit the underside of the rail, and another piece below the piece d these devices
forming a bridge below the butt joint, which bridge is pressed against the ends
of the abutting rails so that the rail ends are connected in such a manner as to
be depressed simultaneously under the pressure of the wheel passing the butt
joint.
2nd. A modification of the fished butt joint claimed in Claim 1, in which the
holes in the extensions of the angle fish plates are produced by stamping three
sides and bending down the pieces g, thus formed, to make an elastic support
for the bridge below the butt joint.
3rd. A construction of the fished butt joint as claimed in Claims 1 and 2 in
which the pieces d and c are formed so as to act as wedges, for taking up wear.
Dated this 3rd March 1899.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicants.