US1486700A - Hakold p - Google Patents

Description

- 1,486,700 H. P. TOMPKINS March 11, 1924.

EXTENSION RAIL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8. 1923 HETmp/(z'm,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY WlTNESSEs Patented Mar. 11, 1924.

UNITED STATES HAROLD P. TOMPKINS, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

EXTENSION RAIL.

Application filed June 8,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HAROLD P. TOMPKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of Vest Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Extension Rails, of which the following is a specification.

In mines, quarries and the like, the track rails for cars require frequent short extensions at the loading or working faces of the mines. The laying of these extension tracks requires a considerable amount of time and labor, and therefore it is the object of this invention to produce a track projector or extension which may be readily positioned on the rails of the ordinary track in an easy, quick and expeditious manner to cause the cars to be properly guided from the main on to the extension track, the construction being such that the rails constituting the track extension will be automatically aligned or gauged by the travel of a car thereover.

A further object is to produce rails to provide projections or extensions for the rails of a mine or other car track, each of which comprising a channeled member of a desired length having a central groove therein to receive the flanges of the car wheels, susceptible to arrangement on either of the track rails so that the weight of the car may be delivered on to the faces of the extension rails at either side of the groove therein, and wherein said rails have at their outer ends handle portions which materially facilitate the arrangement of the same on the track rails and also provide stops for the car wheels.

A still further object is to produce extension rails for the tracks of mine cars or the like which may be laid without necessitating the securing thereof to the main rails and which are supported without the employment of the ordinary ties.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects which will present themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood, reference is to be had to the drawings which accompany and which form part of this application.

In the drawings Figure I is a top plan view illustrating the application of the improvement.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

1923. Serial No. 644,226.

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged transverse sectional view through one of the extension rails in a line with the combined handle and stop thereon.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the end of one of the rails to more clearly illustrate the inclined or beveled corner thereon.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view to more clearly illustrate the engagement of the wedge with the rail and the extension.

The rails constituting the track 1, in a mine or quarry are of the usual construction and are spiked to the ties 2.

Then the face or working place of a mine or quarry has been cut away to require an extension of the track 1, it is the ordinary practice to lay additional aligning rails on additional ties 2. The rail extensions are connected to the ends of the main rails by fish plates or analogous means and the ex tension rails are spiked to their ties. Especially in mines, where head room is small, the laying of such track extension is slow, laborious and dangerous, and to obviate such contingencies I provide a track projector or extension that comprises a pair of rail members of a peculiar construction but amply efficient for the purpose. Each of my improved rails is in the nature of a channeled member, comprising preferably outwardly inclined sides 3 that have their lower edges bent outwardly to provide feet 4. The top 5 of each of the rails is flat and the said top is of a width greatly in excess of that of the heads of the rails of the track 1. The flat head 5 of my improved rail is centrally channeled, as at 6. This channel is provided by grooving the flat top 5 to provide the same with depending parallel walls 6 and a lower rounded wall 7.

The portions of the rail extension 8 which rest on the main rails are preferably straight, and the portions that project beyond the ends of the said main rails are preferably inclined downwardly to rest on the floor of the mine or quarry. Adjacent their outer ends the rail members 8 have riveted or otherwise secured to their sides substantially U-shaped combined handle and car wheel stop members 10. The members 10 facilitate the handling of the rails 8.

With my improvement the extension rails are arranged over the heads of the rails of the main track so that the side walls 6 of the extension rails will contact with the sides of the heads of the respective main rails As either of the extension tracks maybe arranged on either rail of the main track. it will be apparent that the flange of the wheel of the car 11 may travel over either portion of the head 5 at the opposite side of the groove of the rail, and consequently two car tread receiving surfaces are provided. when arranged on the rails the handles are grasped and the extension rails are slid outwardly from the main track to proper position with respect to the face or working place in a mine or quarry. The operator can, by his eye, determine if the ends of the extension rails are disposed opposite each other. The car 11 traveling toward the face or working place of the mine or quarry will travel oil of the rails of the main track over the beveled ends 12 of the rail extensions and be guided thereby so that their wheel flanges will be received in the grooves 6 and their treads be delivered on to the flat top of the raile extensions. The movement the car over the extension rails, in view of the contacting engagement of the 7 wheel flanges with the walls of the said grooves will cause the extension rails to be properly gauged. As this action is automatic, its value will be appreciated to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates. The ends of the projecting rails will rest on the floor of the mine or quarry so that they will assume a downward inclination with respect to the rails of the main track and consequently afford more head room in a mine, the vertical crown or middle ordinate of the extension rail allowing the other end to tit snugly to the main track rail. The rail extensions, at suitable intervals from their lapping engagement with the rails of the main track may be braced by shale, rock, or other material disposed on the floor under the said rails. If desired, a wedge 14 may be inserted between the heads of the rails of the main track and the angle sides of the rails 8 adjacent thereto so that the inner ends of the rail extensions will he firmly connected to the rails of the main track.

lVith my improvement a track can be ex tended in a very short period of time and by a Single hand, and no tools or securing means are required. This can be accomplished by an ordinary miner. Because of its width and the feet i on the sides thereof, the track extension will not sink into the floor to any comparative degree and any slight sinking will only serve to hold the rails of the said track extension in proper alignment. The rails 8 can be removed as easily as positioned, are interchangeable, can be used over and over indefinitely, over wood, steel or other kind of ties and on any size rails or gauge track.

My improved extension rail may be ar ranged upon either wooden or metal ties, and in Figure 3 of the drawings, the tie 2 has its central portion of wood and its upper face of metal and its lower face of wood. The sect-ions are of different sizes. This, as a matter of fact, discloses three separate ties upon any one of which the main rails and the extension rails may be positioned.

Having described the invention, I claim l. A car track extension for mines, quarries or the like, comprising a pair of channeled members each of a width materially greater than the cross sectional width of the heads of the mine car rails, and each centrally and longitudinally grooved to permit either of the side walls provided by the groove contacting the side of the car rail heads, and wedgmg means for holding the track extensions in such position.

2. An extension track for the car tracks of mines, quarries, etc., comprising a pair of similarly constructed rails, each comprising a cross sectionally U-shaped member having the edges of its sides bent outwardly to provide feet and each having its fiat head centrally channeled longitudinally, each of said track extensions being of a materially greater width than the cross sectional width of the head of the mine car rails whereby either of the side walls provided by the groove in the track extensions will be brought next to the side of the said rails when the track extensions are arranged on the mine car rails, and means wedging the inner ends of the track extensions to the rails of the track.

3. In combination with a railway track, of an extension therefor, comprising a pair of similarly constructed rails each constituting a member which is substantially U- shaped in cross section, having its sides inclined outward and terminating in bent feet, theflat face of each rail extension being centrally channeled longitudinally, either of the side walls provided by the channel designed to contact with the side of the traclr rail head when arranged thereover, the sides of each of the track extensions being inclined, and a combined handle and car wheel stop secured to each of the track extension rails adjacent to the outer end thereof.

4. In combination with a railway track, of an extension therefor, comprising a pair of similarly constructed rails each constituting a member which is substantially U shaped in cross section, having its sides inclined outward and terminating in bent feet, the flat face of each rail extension being centrally channeled longitudinally, either of the side walls provided by the channel designed to contact with the side of the track rail head arms secured to the sides of the rail extenon the heads of the car rails and outer insions adjacent to the outer end thereof and clincd portions to rest on the floor of the providing a combined handle and car Wheel mine, and each of said rail extensions being 10 stop. centrally and longitudinally channeled to re- 5 5. An extension for the tracks in mines, ceive the flanges of car Wheels therein.

etc, comprising a pair of channeled meni- In testimony whereof I affix my signature. bers having inner straight portions to rest HAROLD P. TOMPKINS.

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