US1090949A - Rail-joint. - Google Patents

Description

R. J. SMITH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.25, 1912.

1,090,949. Patented Mar. 24, 1914 4 /J I I 2 7 /J IIIIIII H9, 5 IIIIII I IIIIIII I I I I l I I l I I I L q v I I I l l l I I I I I I i I I I I I I 4 I COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0 WASHINGTON. n c.

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RAIL-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD J. SMITH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Gwanda, Rhodesia, South Africa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway rail joints and has for its principal object to provide a simple and efiicient means for connecting rail ends, which is accomplished in such manner that a smooth continuous rail surface is at all times presented to passing car wheels, irrespective of any expansion or contraction of the rails.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rail connection of such construction that danger of broken joints, due principally to the shearing action of the fish plates upon the securing bolts, is eliminated.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a rail connector which may be applied to the ends of ordinary rails without the necessity of cutting or jointing the rail ends or having the rail ends of any particular construction. ll ith the above mentioned objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention comprises a pair of fish plates which are adapted to be secured in the usual manner to the opposing rail ends, each fish plate being provided at one end with longitudinally disposed slots through which extend the extremities of the securing bolts of the opposing fish plate, and the said fish plates being also provided, upon the upper edges thereof and at a point intermediate their ends, with upwardly extending ball forming portions. These ball forming portions are so positioned upon the fish plates that when the latter are properly assembled upon the rail ends the said portions cooperate to form a bridge for spanning the gap between the rail ends. These members thus assembled provide a joint which presents a smooth surface to the car wheels, and the slotted manner in which the fish plates are connected to the rail ends, allows for expansion or contraction of the rails without detracting from the efiiciency of the joint.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway joint embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 with the inside Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 25, 1912.

Patented Mar. 24, inlet. Serial No. 727,708.

fish plate removed, and Fig. l is a'transverse section taken upon the line m.n of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 and 2 indicate the ends of ordinary traction rails to which my invention is applied.

The fish plates comprising my invention are indicated at 3 and 4, and are each rigidly secured at one end to opposite rail ends by means of bolts 5. The fish plate 3 being adjacent the inside of the track, is bolted securely to the web of the rail end 2 while the opposite end of said fish plate, which is provided with longitudinally disposed slots 6, extends to the opposite rail end 1, and is adjustably connected thereto by the bolts 5. The fish plate 4 is in a like manner attached to the opposite side of the rail webs, being rigidly bolted to the web of the rail end 1 with its opposite end, provided with similar slots 7, extending to the opposite rail web to be adjustably secured thereto. It should be noted that the bolts, by means of which the fish plates 3 and a are rigidly secured to the respective rail ends, extend through the slots 6 and 7 of the opposite fish plates. It will be seen that a connection of this character allows for ample expansion and contraction of the rails.

Formed upon the upper edge of the fish plate 3, and located at a point intermediate the ends thereof, is a ball forming member 8. This member, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, is of the same thickness as the fish plate of which it is a part, and is provided at its ends with vertical faces 9 and 9. A flange 10 is formed upon the lower edge of the fish plate 3, directly below the ball. forming portion 8, and extends outwardly a distance equal to the width of the rail flange.

The fish plate l is of a construction similar to the fish plate 3 with the exception of the ball forming portion 11, which portion, as shown in Fig. 4, is extended inwardly a distance equal to the thickness of the rail web, to abut the inner face of the opposite ball forming portion 8. It will from this construction, be seen that the line of con tact between the two ball forming portions is directly in the line of travel of the tread of a car wheel, and that pressure of said wheel will be equally distributed to the two ball forming portions.

In assembling my improved rail joint, the fish plates are first placed in position, one on each side of the rail with their slotted ends engaging the webs of the opposite rail ends. The bolt openings in the rail webs are positioned relatively to those of the fish plates so that upon registration of the bolt openings, the faces 9 of the ball forming portions will abut the rail ends 1 and 2. The rails are spaced a distance apart slightly greater than the length of the ball portions of the fish plates in order to allow for any expansion or contraction of the rails, which, obviously will be compensated for by the slotted connection of the fish plates to the rail webs.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings it will be obvious that a railway track equipped with fish plates of this design will, at the rail joints, present to the car wheel a smooth, continuous surface over which cars may pass with the least possible shock or jar and with little or no noise. The construction of my fish plates and the positioning of the ball portions thereon presents a surface to the principal point of contact of a car wheel, whereby the weight therefrom is equally distributed to the fish plates and the rails, and in such manner that the shearing action of the fish plates upon the bolts, which is common to railway rail joints of the present type, is entirely eliminated. By placing a railway tie directly beneath the joint and securing the fish plates thereto by way of the supplemental flange 10, the durability and strength of the joint is greatly increased. The slotted connection between the fish plates and the rails allows for any expansion or contraction of the rails without in any way affecting the stability or silence of the joint.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a rail joint, the adjacent rail ends, and a pair of fish plates, said fish plates being rigidly connected at 'one end with the respective rail ends and in sliding engagement with the opposite rail'ends, said fish plates being provided at a point intermediate their ends with upwardly extending. ball forming portions, said ball forming portions forming portions, one of said portions be- '1 111g of a thickness equal to that of its respective fish plate, the'ball formingsportion upon the opposite fish plate being extended to abut the inner faceof the first mentioned ,7 1

ball forming portion, substantially as described. f i

3. In a rail joint, the adjacent rail ends, in combination with an inner and an outer fish plate, said fish plates being rigidly con- I nected at one end with the respective rail ends and in sliding engagement with; the op posite rail ends, s'aid fish, plates beingpro vided at a point intermediate their ends with upwardly extending ball forming portions, V the ball forming portions on the inner plate I being of a thicknessequal' to that of the plate, and the ball forming portion upon V 85.

the outer fish plate being extended inwardly to abut the inner face of the ball forming portion upon the inner fish plate, sub stantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I have signed' my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD JOHN SMITH.

Vitnessesi I v V M. P. MILNER, v

M. FREEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. 0."

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