Improvements in Rail Joints.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rail Joints.
1, JOHN LANG POPE, of 110 Superior Street, in the City of Cleveland, County
of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to devices employed in fastening together the ends of
railway rails, and it consists in plates which hold each other firmly in place, and in
contact with the rails, without the use of bolts or other securing devices.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shows a top view of my joint.
Figure 2 shows a cross section view at 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents the manner of applying the plates to the rails.
Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.
This, in each view, 2 represents the rails; 3 indicates a plate beneath the rails
having inwardly bent flanges 4-4, extending up on each side of the rails. This
plate is much shorter than the fish plates as it is intended to go between the ties.
The fish-plates 5-5 have a portion of their outer edges, which extend over the
foot of the rails, bevelled to the same angle as the inner surfaces of the flanges of
the under plate 3. Said surfaces are also formed on an angle lengthwise to the
body of the plates so that the middle of the lower parts of said plates are wedge
shaped.
In Figure 3 the narrow ends of the wedge portions of the fish-plates are shown
between the flanges of the under plate and the rails.
There is sufficient room between the flanges of the under plate to allow the upper
portions of the fish-plates to pass under the head of the rails, when all the plates
are at the relative points of contact represented in the drawing.
It will be noticed that the wedge portions of the fish-plates shown in Figure 3
are reversed, so that when said plates are driven firmly between the flanges of the
under plates and the rails, the under plate adjusts itself to the wedge portions of
the fish-plates.
It is obvious that when all the plates are thus in position, the fish-plates are
beld firmly against the rails by the flanges of the under plate, and because of the
angle of the surfaces of the contact of the plates, the under plate is supported and
held firmly against the bottom of the rails by the fish-plates.
Various modifications can be made of my said invention without departing from
the nature thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
First. In a rail joint, a plate extending beneath the rails, between the ties,
having flanges projecting upwardly on the outer side of the rails, their inner
surfaces which bear against the outer edges of the angle plates being formed at an
acute vertical angle to the plate, their top portions being far enough apart to allow
the plate to be placed in position after the rails are laid, and angle plates extending
over the ties, having the bearing portion of the outer edges of their horizontal
parts formed at an angle longitudinally to the body of the plates, the same surfaces
being bevelled vertically to correspond with the inner faces of the flanges of the
under plate upon which they bear."

page_text: Second. In a rail joint, a plate extending beneath the rails between the ties,
having flanges projecting upwardly on the outer side of the rail, their inner surfaces,
which bear against the outer edges of the angle plates, being formed at an acute
vertical angle to the plate, their top portions being far enough apart to allow the
plate to be placed in position after the rails are laid, and angle plates extending
over the ties, having the centre of the outer edges of their horizontal parts formed
at an angle longitudinally to the body of the plates, the same being bevelled to
correspond to the inner faces of the flanges of the under plate upon which they
bear, the end portions of said plate exteuding laterally over the joint ties.
Dated the 29th September 1896.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.