US1549054A - Rail joint - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 11', 1925. 1,549,054

P. BACHER RAIL JOINT Filed July 30. 1924 NVENTR. Peter cher ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug.. ll, 1925.

Matata PETER BACHEB, OF DETROIT, MICHXGAN, ASSIGNOR TO KATHERINE RAMSEY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RAIL JO'INT.

Application filed July 30, 1924. Serial No. 729,093.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that 1, Firma BACHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county vof Viayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Rail Joint, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a. rail joint and is designed particularly as an improvement over my invention set forth in Letters Patent No. 1,- 133,694, issued March 30, 1915. An object of the present invention is the provision in a rail joint of this class of a pair of co-operating clamping jaws adapted for clamping the adjacent ends ofrails in fixed relation to each other, while permitting the free movement of the ends o f the rails relatively to each other in response to expansion and contraction, one of the clamping members being provided with a guard member adapted for cowoperation with the flange of the car wheel for increasing the safety of the joint of the meeting ends of rails and rendering the travel of a car over the meeting ends of rails less noisy and for eliminating, to a great extent, the lateral travel of the wheel on the rail when passing the rail joint.

Another object of the invention is to prevent a possible derailment of a car when passing over a rail joint by utilizing a guard member adapted for cooperating with the flange of the car wheel.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a rail joint of clamping mem.u bers having co-operating jaws constructed in an economical manner so as to be possessed of the maximum strength while at the same time reduced in weight.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a rail joint of this class of clamping members adapted for engaging the opposite sides of the rails with which used and provided' with aA recess for the accommodation of the lettering which is ordinarily present on the sides of the rails.

Another' object of the invention is the provision in a rail joint of'this class of a clamping jaw adapted to project slightly above the upper surface of the rail and inclined outwardly upwardly therefrom to present a surplus of material adapted for flowing over the upper surface of the rail upon use.

Another `object of the invention is the provision in a rail joint of this class of an upwardly extending portion adapted for engagement with the side of the ball of the rail for relieving the wear of the side rail incident to the travel of the flange of the wheel in friction' therewith.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a rail joint of this class 0f a clamping member adaptedv for engaging the side of the rail with which used, and provided with outwardly projecting studs for engagement in the holes formed in the rails adjacent the ends thereof, so as to assure in a most eflicient manner the continuous co-operative relation between the clamping plates and the ends'of the rails, while at the same time permitting the rails to move freely relatively to this member in response to expansion and contraction.

Another' object of the invention is the provision in a rail joint of this class of a clamping plate having a spike shoulder adapted for engaging the head of a spike and so arranged as to necessitate the driving of the spike into the ties of the road bed at an incline.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

rllhe invention consists in the combinations an'd arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood` from a reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one-of the clamping members of the invention,

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4: is a sectional View taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another clampin'gmember used in the invention,

Fig.k 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View illustrating the fastening means.

As shown in the drawings, the rail ends 9 and 10 are placed in close relation to each other, having a slight space between the ends thereof. A clamping plate 11 is provided, which is adapted to support the rails 9 and 10, said clamping plate being provided with a portion 12 having a shoulder 13 formed thereon, the upper surface of said shoulder 13 being inclined to the upper surface of said plate 12, a suitable slot being provided in the shoulder and extending through the plate to accommodate the spike 1li, which is driven into the ties positioned on the road bed. The plate 11 is provded with a clamping member which comprises a vertically extending flange portion 15 connected to an angularly turned flange portion 16, made integral with the plate 11. In mounting the rail on the plate 11, the base flange 17 engages between the plate 11 and the portion 16 of the flange, the flange 15 engaging the web 8 along its side, said flange being provided on the inner face with a recess 19 for accommodating thelettering positioned on the side of the rail. Projecting inward-ly from the flange 15, adjacent its opposite ends, are studs 2O and 21 which taper toward the end to facilitate their upsetting if necessary in order to shorten their length. Madeintegral with the flange and plate 11 at intervals are braces 22, which serve to reinforce the flange 15 and retain the same in close engagement with the side of the rail, when clamped in operative position relatively thereto. Formed integral with the plate 11, at intervals, opposite the braces 22, and projecting upwardly from the base 11 are jaws, each having a centrally extending reinforcing rib 23, the upper portion of said jaws being provided with a substantially arcuate shaped lip 24. As shown in Fig. 6, each of the jaws is provided with a semi-circular recess 25. As shown in Figs. 3 and ll, the body from which these jaws are made extends under the plate 11, as at 26, terminating at a point substantially beneath the center of the rail when the same is mounted therein. is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the flange 15 is provided with an upwardly extending portion 27, which engages the inner face of the ball 10 of the rail. Projecting outwardly from adjacent the upper edge of the flange 1F and curved slightly upwardly is a guard portion 28 which is adapted, when a wheel 29 is passing over thel rail, to extend slightly above the lower edge of the flange 30 of the wheel 29, a slight space being present between the surface of the guard 28 and the surface of the flange 30 under normal conditions. This guard 28 extends the full length of the flange 15 and serves as a safety device for preventing a possible derailment through nndue lateral shifting of the wheel when passing over the rail joint.

A cooperating clam-ping member is used in the device, which comprises a plate 31, having an inclined base 32 adapted to lie, when in operative posit-ion, in engagement with the upper surface of the base flange 33 of the rail, this base 32 terminating substantially flush with the outer edgeof the base flange 33. The main body of the plate 31 is adapted for lying in close engagement with the web S of the rail and is provided with a recess 34 for accommodating the lettering on the side of the rail. The plate 31 is provided with a shoulder 35 adapted to engage the undersurface of the ball of the rail, a neck 36 projecting upwardly in close engagement with the face of the ball of the rail and terminating at its inner edge flush with the upper surface of the rail and at its outer edge at a slight distance above the rail, the upper surface of the neck 3G thus being inclined downwardly from its outer side toward the rail as shown in Fig. 1. The form shown in Fig. lis the condition and arrangement of the parts when first mounted on the rail. As shown in Fig. 3, upon the use of the device, the wheels 29, in passing over the joint, will cause a flowing inwardly of the surplus material of the neck 36 so that there is a slight layer 37 of material on the upper surface of the rail. This flowing inwardly of this metal serves to present at the rail joint a continuous strip of material so that the wheel, in passing over the rail joint is not brought into engagement with a crevice or an abrupt ending of the rail over which it is traveling.

lt is to be noted, also, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, that the neck 36 serves to support, to a great extent, the wheel when the same is passing over the rail joint. As shown in Fig. 5, the plate 31 is provided at intervals with outwardly extending projections 33, a pocket 39 being formed in the plate 31 opposite each of these projections 33, in order to lighten the plate and necessitate the use of less material. Each of these outwardly extending projections 3S is provided with a semi-circular groove 39 formed therein. llhen the plate 11 is mounted in position, on the rail, the plate 31 may then be` placed in position as shown in Fig. d. The grooves 39 are brought into registration with the semicircular recesses 25, so that the grooves 39 and the semi-circular recesses 25 coeoperate for the reception of a locking ball l10. As shown in Fig. 3, the walls of these recesses and grooves 25 and 39 are inclined so as to converge toward each other at their bases, and the upper end is flared outwardly. Flaring the openings outwardly at their upper ends facilitates the entry of the locking ball l() into the grooves. Owing to the vibration which tralies place in the rails and is delivered to the rail joint upon a passing of a wheel over the rails, the balls 40 are shaken downwardly into the channels provided by the grooves and the recesses, so that the balls serve to loclr the plate 31 and the flange 15 in close clamping engagement with the sides of the rails. ln this way, there is provided a rail joint which is efficient in binding the ends of the rails in close engagement with lOl) each other and at the same time easily assembled and disassembled.

A cover plate 41 is provided with a downwardly extending centrally arranged portion 42 adapted for seating in the pockets formed for the balls 40. As shown in Fig. 1, the ends 43 and 44 of this cover plate 41 are inclined downwardly. A notch 45 is provided in one edge of the plate 11 for the reception of a bolt 46 which is projected through the plate 41, the head of the bolt 46 being seated in a recess formed in the plate so that its upper surface lies flush with the upper surface of the plate 41. The plate 41 is provided with a pocket in which is positioned a spiral spring 47 mounted in embracing relation on a bolt 46 and adapted to engage, at one end, the bottom of the recess in the plate 41 and the undersurface of the head of the bolt, at its opposite end, so as to normally maintain a Cotter pin 48 in engagement with t-he lower surface of the plate 11. In this way the plate 41 is retained in position so as to cover the pockets and prevent the entry of any foreign material therein and eliminate the possibility of the balls 40 being unduly removed from their pockets.

The plate 41 is provided with a downwardly extending portion 42 which does not contact with the balls 40 when in their normal position. This plate 41 is therefore formed T-shaped, so that the stem 42 serves to prevent lateral displacement of it.

The upper edge of the plate 31 is provided with a V-shaped notch 49 to indicate the center of the plate for facilitating the assembly of the rail joint on the rail. This plate 31 is provided at opposite sides with inwardly projecting studs 31 adapted for cto-operating with the studs 20 and 21, these studs being projected through the same openings in the web of the rail as are the studs 2O and 21. A slight distance separates the ends of these studs when in operative relation. In forming the portions 38 on the plate 31, the plate is dished out as at 38 opposite each of the members 38, so as to reduce the material used in forming the plate. It is also to be noted that the base 32 of the plate lies in Contact with the upper surface of the base flange 33 of the rail and terminates substantially Hush with the outer edge of this base flange 33.

The structure as presented affords a solid foundation for the base of the rail, inasmuch as the plate 11 extends the full width of the rail. In this respect, the present invention differs from the previous invention by me and greater' facility of assembly is the result from the use of a larger base plate, such as shown in the drawings. rlhe guard mounted on the clamping plate is also important inasmuch as it performs the functions already outlined.

Thile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of structure, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise form of structure shown but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what i claim as new and ydesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rail joint adapted for use on meetin ends of adjacent rails comprising a plate adapted for Contactin clamping relation to the vertical webs of the rails, said plate having an integrally formed base adapted to engage the full undersurface of the base of said rails; a'plurality of jaws integral with said plate and projecting upwardly therefrom, the inner face of said jaws being grooved substantially semi-circular and inclined outwardly upwardly of said plate, a reinforcing'rib extending along the outer surface of each of said jaws and inwardly of said plate to substantially the center thereof; a co-operating clamping plate adapted for engaging the opposite side of said vertically extending web, said co-operating plate having an upwardly projecting neck adapted for extending slightly above the upper surface of the rail with which used, and for flowing over said rail upon use; and means (zo-operating with said clamping plate and said jaws for retaining said plates in clamping relation to said rail.

2. A rail joint comprising a clamping plate adapted for engaging one side of the vertical web of a rail with which used, said plate having an outwardly upwardly inclined guard portion for extending slightly around the flange of a car wheel passing over said rail to form a guard for said wheel, said guard being normally in spaced relation to the flange of said wheel during its passage over said rail; a base for said plate adapted to engage the undersurface of the base of the rails with which used throughout the width of said undersurface; and means co-operating with said base for retaining said plate in clamping relation. to the rails with which used for normally preventing lateral movement of the rails with which used relatively to each other.

3. A. rail joint comprising a clamping member adapted for engagement with the vertically extending web of rails with which used; a guard member integral with said plate and projecting outwardly therefrom for embracing in spaced relation the flange of a wheel when passing over said rail; and brace members formed integral with said plate for normally resisting an outward thrust delivered to said plate; and means (zo-operating with said plate for clamping the same in close engagement with the side of said rail.

4. A rail joint comprising a clamping plate adapted for engagement with one side of the vertically extending weh of the rails With which used; bra-ces for said plate; a base integral with said plate and extending under said rails and adapted for engagement with the undersuri'ace of said rails throughout their Width; upwardly eX- tending aivs mounted on said hase; a reinforcing rib on each of said jaws extending under said base and terminating substantially at the center' thereof; an auxiliary clamping pla-te adapted for engaging the opposite side oit said vertically extending web; removable means positioned between said avvs' and the outer surface of said auX- iliary plate for normally retaining said plaltes in clamping engagement with said rai 5. A rail joint comprising a clamping plate adapted for engaging the vertically extending webs o1 the rails with which used; a hase mounted on said plateintegral therewith and adapted to project under said rails and for engaging the undersur'face of said'rails throughout their Width; a wheel flange guard mounted on said plate and adapted for partially embracing in spaced relation the flange ot a Wheel passing over said rails; and means integral with said base terminating substantially at the center thereof and projecting outwardly to one side for reinforcing the saine.

In testimony whereot` I have signed the foregoing specication.

PETER BACHER.

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