US1199751A - Roadway. - Google Patents

Description

C. W. BAKER.

ROADWAY.

APPLrcATloN FILED mm3, 19|5.

1,199,751. Patented 001;. 3,1916.

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CHARLES WHITING BAKER, F MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

ROADWAY.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 3, 1916.

Application led April 23, 1915. Serial No. 23,344.

To all whom t may concern' Be it known that I, CHARLES IVI-IITING BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roadways, of which the following is a specific-ation.

My invention consists of an improved roadway which is usable both by ordinary vehicles and also by cars of my invention which are adapted to run on a. single line of rail, being balanced over the same by Wheels running on the roadway at either side of the central rail.

' My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a cross-section of the roadway with a car shown in diagram thereon; Fig. 2 is a. cross-section of the forms used in molding' the groove for the rail, with the means for holding them in line-and surface; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the rail as laid in the surface of the roadway; and Fig. fl is a diagrammatic side elevation of the car with the roadway yin longitudinal section.

My improved roadway, shown in crosssection in Fig. l, is composed of cement concrete, and has embedded in the surface there-Y of a single line of rail l with its head either ushnvith the roadway surface, or projecting only slightly above it, so as not to interfere with the use of the roadway by ordinary vehicles. I do not, however, embed the rail directly in the cement concrete, as eX perience has shown that the concrete in contact with the rail, being of a brittle nature, becomes broken by the jar and vibration set up in the rail by the passage of wheels over it. I therefore mold a groove in the surface of the concrete' roadway, and after the con crete has fully hardened, I lay the rail in this groove and lill in around it with an elastic bituminous composition which combines to a certain degree the properties of a solid and a liquid, so that even if cracks are formed between it and the rail, by jar or by vibration, the material will, by its plasticity, flow back in contact with the rail and eX- clude water.

Describing now in fuller detail the construction of my improved roadway, the underlying earth or subgrade is thoroughly compacted, preferably by a steam roller, so

as to afford a solid foundation to the con- 1 of concrete roads.

crete wearing surface. The surface of the roadway, when ready for the concrete, should be of theform shown in Fig. l having a central depression 2. Along the line of this central depression there is then laid the line of forms for the rail groove. These forms 8 (Fig. 2) are preferably of wood, and to permit of bending them to conform to curvature in theroadway, they may be made laminated, several boards being bolted together, by bolts 4 passing through slotted holes. After the form is bent to any desired curve, tightening of the nuts on the bolts holds the form in the bent position. These forms for use on curves may be` made deep enough to project above the surface of the concrete, so that the bolts will not be covered thereby. The forms 3 may also be made thicker at the topy than at the bottom to facilitate their removal'from the groove after the concrete has hardened. The 'forms are placed along the roadway, and supported preferably by piles of bricks at intervals, and held in proper alinement by stakes 5 driven at the sides. rAfter the forms are accurately adjusted as to level and alinement, and their surfaces oiled or soaped to prevent adhesion of the concrete, the concrete is laid according to the best practice inV thelaying The stakes 5 which hold the forms in alinement are removed before the concrete hardens. i

After the concrete has become seasoned so that it is'. in condition to be safely used by vehicles, the forms 3 are 4removed from the central groove. Melted asphaltum or other hot bituminous material is then poured into the groove in quantities suflicient to form a layer 6 (Fig. 3) of about one-quarter inch thickness, more or less. This hot asphaltum fills all inequalities in the bottom of the groove, and before hardening assumes a perfectly level surface from side to side of the groove. After this asphaltum has cooled there is laid upon it a strip of felt or similar v elastic material 7. `The rails 1 are then joined by angle-bars in the usual manner, and temporarily supported on cross-pieces spanning the groove. On'removal of the cross-pieces, the line of rails is lowered into the groove, the foot of the rail resting on the felt 7 The space around the rail is then filled in flush with the surface with asphalt or other bituminous paving material S, the same being compressed by tamping and rolling, to give a smooth unyielding surface. If

the top of the rail is flush with the pavement surface, grooves 9 for the wheel flanges are formed in the asphalt on each side of the rail head.

lf desired, reinforcing rods or a network of reinforcing wire may be embedded in the concrete under the rail. to secure the necessary strength to support the loads upon the rail by thorough compacting of the earth beneath and by increased thickness of the concrete under the rail, rather than by the use of reinforcing steel.

rThe cars to run on this rail are shown in diagrammatic cross-section in Fig. l, and in side elevation in Fig. The main 'weight of the car is carried on the central doubleflanged wheels l0 which run on :the rail. `Wheels 11 at either side running on the concrete road surface, and carrying a small pa'rt of the cars weight, keep the car balanced over the central rail. Short springs l2 carry the load to the central wheels, and long springs 13 to the side wheels, and effect a proper distribution of the weight.

As seen in Fig. 4, the car floor is brought down very low, so as to bring down the center of gravity of the car and its load and reduce the .proportion of weight necessary to be carried on the side wheels to keep the car steady.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. A hard-surfaced roadway having a groove formed in the surface thereof, a cushion of compressible elastic material in l prefer, however,

.. the bottom of said groove, a line of rails in said groove continuously supported on said cushion, and a filling of bituminous material in said groove around the rails.

2. A hard-surfaced roadway having a groove formed in the surface thereof, a layer of congealed bituminous material covering the bottom of said groove, a cushion of compressible elastic material over said bituminous material, a line of rails in said groove continuously supported on said elastic cushion, and a filling of bituminous materia-l in said groove around the rails.

3. In a concrete roadway, the combination of a longitudinal groove formed in the surface of said roadway, a downward projection of the concrete beneath said groove, a layer of elastic compressible material in said groove, a line of rails in said groove resting on said elastic compressible material, and a filling of bituminous material in said groove on each side of said rail.

Jn. A concrete roadway having a longitudinal groove formed in the surface thereof, a layer of compressible elastic material in the bottom of said groove, a line of rails continuously supported on said elastic material, and a iilling of bituminous material in said groove on each side of the rail.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES vWHTIGV BAKER `Witnesses:

M. E. MCNINCH,

CHARLES S. JONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, l). C.

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