Fishplate

Fishplate

:"This article relates to the connection bar used in railways. For the type of Greek pottery, see Fish plate."

plate that slips onto both rails to provide the functions of maintaining alignment and electrical continuity.

History

The device was invented by William Bridges Adams in May 1842, because of his dissatisfaction with the scarf joints then in use. It was first deployed on the Eastern Counties Railway in 1844. He patented his invention in England, Ireland and Scotland but, supposedly by some underhand means, the patent shortly afterwards passed to James Samuel, the engineer of the ECR.

Electrical connection

When railway lines are equipped with track circuits, or where the line is electrified for electric traction, the electrical connection provided by fishplates is too poor and unreliable and has to be supplemented by bonding wire which is spot welded to the two rails either side of the joint.

Alternatives

Even though fishplates strengthen the weak points represented by rail joints, improvements can still be made. For example, the joints can be welded together using the thermite process.

References

* Ellis, C. Hamilton (1958). "Twenty Locomotive Men", Ian Allan Ltd, London.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • fishplate — [fish′plāt΄] n. [prob. < Fr fiche, means of fixing < ficher, to fix < OFr fichier < VL * figicare, intens. for L figere: see FIX] a wood or metal piece used to fasten together two timbers, railroad rails, etc. that meet end to end …   English World dictionary

  • fishplate — noun Date: 1855 a steel plate used to lap a butt joint …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • fishplate — 1) one of the plates of a fish joint, q.v. Strengthens a joint by overlapping, e.g. a flat piece of metal connecting railway rails to the ties or connecting pieces of masonry 2) the perforated drainage grid of a fish kettle, q.v …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • fishplate — /fish playt /, n. 1. a metal or wooden plate or slab, bolted to each of two members that have been butted or lapped together. 2. Railroads Now Rare. a joint bar. [1850 55; fish, alter. of F fiche fastening, deriv. of ficher to fasten, fix (see… …   Universalium

  • fishplate — noun A metal bar that is bolted to the ends of two rails to join them together in a track …   Wiktionary

  • fishplate — noun 1》 a flat piece of metal used to connect adjacent rails in a railway track. 2》 a flat piece of metal with ends like a fish s tail, used to position masonry …   English new terms dictionary

  • fishplate — fish·plate …   English syllables

  • fishplate — fish•plate [[t]ˈfɪʃˌpleɪt[/t]] n. bui a metal or wooden plate or slab bolted to each of two members that have been butted or lapped together • Etymology: 1850–55; fish < F fiche fix (see fichu) +plate …   From formal English to slang

  • fishplate — /ˈfɪʃpleɪt/ (say fishplayt) noun one of the splicing plates used in a fishjoint …  

  • fishplate — noun metal plate bolted along sides of two rails or beams • Hypernyms: ↑plate …   Useful english dictionary

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