US1431369A - Railway track structure and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

C. BURTON, I. K. DIXON, AND S. C. WEEKS. RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZX, I922.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. BURTON, I. K. DIXON, AND S. C. WEEKS. RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME. APPLICATION FILED JULYZI. 1922.

1 45331 369 Patented 0st. 1M), 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. BURTON l. K. DIXON, AND S. C. WEEKS. RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

' APPLICATION FILED IuIY2I. I922.

1,481,369. Patented Oct. 10,1922. z gez 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

UITEDV srArs CARROLL BURTON, IsnAEnK. mgronjnnnsnmunno. WEEKS, or JoHNsTowN, PENN-V SYLVANIA.

RAILWAY TRACK sTnUoTUnn AND METHOD or MAKING same:

Application filed .ll'uly 21, 1922. Serial No.'576,534.

.To all whom z't-m'ag concern: g

Be it known that we, CARROLL BURTON, IsRnnL K.. DIXON, and SAMUEL C; VVnEKs,

. citizens of the United States, and residents of J ohnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Track Structures and Methods of Making Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway track structures and method of making same, and more particularly to frogs and crossings constructed of a plurality of rail ends or sectionsanda non-renewable center plate, all united by a body of cast-metal.

Heretofore in structures of this class it has been the practice to form a central castmetal portion of cast-iron poured in a liquid state, and to form a pocket or recess in the upper face of the cast-metal portion, in which, subsequently, was fitted and secured an intersection center or wear plate of harder metal or steel. Track structures thus constructed were expensive, the wear or center ,platesbecame loosened, and the'structure destroyed.

The present invention has for its object the provision of atrack structure that will be free of the above objections, and one that will greatly improve the art.

In the drawings, Figure lzis a plan of a switch frog constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of the center"or wear plate used in the frog of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan of a crossing structure constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 5 is a plan of the center-or wear plate used in the crossing of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the center plate of Figure 5.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the several rail sections which are joined to make the track structures by center or wear plates 3 and cast-metal connecting portions 4. The plates 3 have the usual grooves or wheel ways 5 in their upper. faces, and are provided with a plurality of downwardly extending lugs 6 having apertures 7 therein adapted to be embedded in the cast-metal connecting portions 4. The edges of the plates 3 may betapered upwardly asat 8 soras to form wedgelike or dovetail'joint with the cast-metal connecting portions 4.

In carrying out this invention, the center or wear plates 3 are first formed or shaped from alloy steel and are then hardened by heating to approximately 1550 degrees Fahrenheit, and quenched to harden them be yond the critical hard point for use. The

plates thus formed and the rail sections are positioned in a suitable mold and molten ferrous metal such as iron or steel or semisteel is cast in the mold and flows through the apertures in the lugs 6, and around the tapered edgesof the plates and also around the rail sections, thus forming a substantially solid integral structure. The molten metal acts upon the plates 3, as it cools, to soften them. That is, the plate absorbs sufficient heat from the molten metal to so draw the temper of the plate that when the molten mass has cooled the plate will be reduced to the hardness desired for use.

While we have shown only two embodiments of our invention, it will be understood that various other embodiments may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim i 1. The combination with a railway track structure having intersecting rails, of a nonrenewable steel alloy center plate between and connecting said rails, and a ferrous metal base cast around said center plate and said rails after they are assembled to secure said rails and said plate together.

2. The combination with a railway track structure having intersecting rails, of a nonrenewable steel'alloy center plate between and connecting said rails, said center plate being provided with downwardly extending apertured lugs, and a steel base cast around said center plate and said rails after they are assembled, said cast steel being adaptedto flow through the apertured lugs on said plate, and to form a secure binding between said rails and said plate.

3. The method of forming railway track structures having intersecting rails and a non-renewable center plate, which consists in assembling the rails and center plate, and casting ferrous metal around said rails and center plate.

4. The method of forming railway track structures having intersecting rails and a non-renewable hard steel alloy center plate, which consists in forming the steel alloy center plate, hardening the plate beyond the critical hard point, assembling the rails and center plate, and casting a body of ferrous metal around said plate and rails to join them together, said plate absorbing suiiicient heat from east ferrous metal to reduce its hardness and provide a tough Well Wearing plate.

5. The method of forming railway track structures having intersecting rails and a non-renewable hard steel alloy center plate,

which consists in forming the steel alloy center plate, hardening said plate beyond the degree of hardness desired for said structure by heating said plate to approximately 1550degrees Fahrenheitand quenching-as sembling the rails and center plate, and casting a body of ferrous metal around said plate and rails to join them together, said plate absorbing sufficient heat from said cast ferrous metal to reduce its hardness and provide a tough Well Wearing plate.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

CARROLL BURTON. ISRAEL K. DIXON. SAMUEL C. WEEKS.

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