tie plate

American  

noun

Railroads.

1. a plate set between the base of a rail and a crosstie to distribute the rail load over a greater area of the tie and thus reduce wear and damage to it.

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Etymology

Origin of tie plate

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Another borrowed part of the money with which to obtain a patent on a railway tie plate, which was bought by ap.

From Project Gutenberg

They are then securely fastened with a tie plate or clamp which passes over the end of the strut and is bound firmly against the surface of the frame piece by the eye bolts of the stanchion sockets.

From Project Gutenberg