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The main function of fish plates in an elevator rail system is to securely connect and align adjacent sections of guide rails. They ensure the rail joints are straight and stable, allowing the elevator car and counterweight to move smoothly without jolts or misalignment. By maintaining structural continuity and distributing loads evenly across the joints, fish plates play a crucial role in the safe and reliable operation of the elevator.
The term "fish plate" comes from an old nautical term. In shipbuilding, a “fish” was a wooden or metal piece used to reinforce or join two parts of a ship’s mast or spar. The shape often resembled a fish—flat, elongated, and tapered at the ends—which is how the name originated.
When this concept was adapted for railways and later for elevator guide rails, the same term was used because the connecting plates served a similar purpose: reinforcing and aligning two joined sections. Despite modern materials and applications, the name “fish plate” stuck due to its functional and visual similarity to the original.
People also call them joint plates, connecting plates(this is what we say), and slice plates.
Solid fish plates are made from a single, solid piece of metal (typically steel) and are used to connect solid guide rails. They offer higher strength, rigidity, and durability, making them ideal for high-load or high-speed elevator systems where maximum stability is required.
Hollow fish plates, on the other hand, are designed to match the hollow guide rails, often featuring a lighter structure and sometimes partially open or shaped to fit the rail profile. While not as robust as solid ones, they provide adequate strength for mid-rise or residential elevators where the structural demands are lower.
