US1857952A - Shimmed rail joint - Google Patents

Description

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Patented May 10, 1932 are STATES, PATENT-I oreic WILLIAM EYRE GADD, OF GLEN OLDEN, PENNSYLVANIA,- ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPOBATlGN 0F NEW YORK SHIMMED RAIL JOINT Application filed November 11, 1921. Seria1No.574,40 2.

This invention relates to rail joints, and has generally in view to provide an improved rail joint of the type in which the splice bar is supported at its ends upon the rail flanges, has clearance at its. ends from the und'ersides of the rail heads, and which medially aiiords support for the rail heads at the meeting ends thereof, so that drawing of the bar inward effect elevation of the rail ends and maintains the joint tight and the rail ends high.

More particularly, the invention relates to a rail joint of the foregoing type in which shim means are interposed between the splice bar and the rails to afford the supports and clearances mentioned, and in this connection the general object of the invention is to provide a novel one-piece shim construction to greatly facilitate production'thereof, as well as production of rail joints from the same, and to assure retention of the different portions of the shimat all times in correct operative relation to eachother and to the splice bar and the rails. o

With the foregoing general objectin view, the invention consists in the novel construction and in the novel combination and arrangement of features as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined inthe appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views v Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint constructed in accordance. with. a practica embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section in the plane of the line 25-2 on Fig. 1 showing the shims applied to ahead contact type of rail joint bar. I

Figure 3 is a cross section'in the plane of. the line 3-3 on Fig. 1 showing the shim applied to a headfree type of rail joint bar.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the shim device removed from the rail joint.

The rail joint illustrated in the drawings is inclusive, asusual, of the rails, designated as R, R, and the cooperating splice bar, designated as B, which bar may be of any suitable type, head contact or headfree.

Each rail is inclusive, as usual, of a head 7 10, a web 11 and aiflange 12, and, likewise, the splice barB is inclusive,as usual, of a head 13, a web 14 and a base 15. Also, in accordance with commonpractice, joint bolts 16 are provided for drawing the splice bar inwardly into operative relation to the rails} Referring to the presentshim device, designated generally as S, which is'formed from suitable sheet metal or other material, and which may be produced by a stamping operation or in any other desiredmanner, it will be observed that the same is inclusive of a vertical body portion of generally triangular shape, designated as 17, a medially dlsposed outwardly and slightly upwardly directed tongue or shim element 18 at the top of said body portion, and anoutwardly and slightly downwardly directed tongue or shim element 19 at each end of said body portion at the bottom thereof.

The body portion 17 of the shim device S is provided at properly spaced points with a pair of holes 20- for the accommodation of the two inner joint bolts 16, the shape of said bodyportion being such that the outer joint bolts are adapted to clear the upper edges of said-body portion when the shim device is embodied in a joint. In the use of the shim device to produce a rail joint of the type mentioned the device is interposed between the rails R, and the splice bar B with the two inner joint bolts'extending through the holes 20, Thus, the joint bolts serve as pos1-' tioning means for the shim device whereby correct placing ofthe same in a joint is greatly facilitated, While at the same time said joint bolts also serve as retaining means for theshim device'to positively hold the same in the rail joint assembly. However, it

is pointed'out in this connection, that-the 7 holes 20 are preferably oval or elongated or otherwise suitably formed to permit all ordinary contraction and expansion of the shim device. j a

When the shim device is operatively embodied in a joint the body portion 17 of the device is disposed between the rail webs 11' and the web 14 of the splice bar B with the a tongue or shim element 18 extending outwardly between the upper face of the head of the splice bar and the undersides of the rail heads and spanning the meeting ends of the latter, and with the tongues or shim elements 19, 19 extending outwardly between the upper faces of the rail flanges 12 and the under side of the base 15 of the splice bar at the ends of the latter, respectively. Thus, in the assembled joint the splice bar is supported at its ends upon the rail flanges, has clearance at the ends of its head from the undersides of the rail heads, and through the tongue or shim element 18 affords support for the rail heads at the meeting ends thereof, whereby drawing of the bar inwardly obviously effects elevation, of the rail ends and produces a tight oint in which the rail ends are maintained high.

While new joints of the type mentioned obviously are capable of being constructed economically and with facility by means of the present shim device, and. while the invention contemplates such use of said device, the same is particularly intended for use in reconstructing old and more or less badly worn joints. In this connection it is pointed out that the greatest wear in a rail joint usually takes place on the undersides of the rail heads adjacent to their ends and on the corresponding medial portion of the upper face of the splice bar, the wear extending back relatively short distances from the ends of the rails. Additional wear occurs, on the upper faces of the rail flanges adjacent to their ends and on the corresponding medial portion of the under side of the base of the bar, but this wear usually is not as great as the wear at the head of the joint. In view of the wear occurring as stated, the tongue or shim element 18 preferably is formed of a length substantially correspond ing to or slightly less than the normal length of the worn depression in the upper face of' the head of the splice bar so as to substantially fill said depression and the worn end portions of'the under sides of the rail heads,

while the tongues or shim elements 19 which fit between substantially unworn' faces of the rails and the splice bar are formed of any length suitable to afford the necessary bearing area and without extending too far in wardly from the ends of the bar to interfere with elevation of the rail ends when the splice bar is drawn inward. Moreover, the line of junction of the tongue or shim element 18 with the body portion 17 of the shim device preferably is such that the uppermost edges of the body portion 17 are disposed below the head fillets of the rails so as not to ofl'er any interference with the supporting of the rail ends by the tongue or. shim element 18, while-in order to avoid any interference by the body portion of the shim device with supporting of the end portions only of the splice bar upon the rail flanges, the lower edge of the said body portion, between the tongues or shim elements 19, 19, preferably terminates slightly above the base fillets of the rails.

By reason of a one-piece shim device constructed as shown and described it is apparent, as aforesaid, that the device itself is capable of being produced economically and with facility, that the effective shim elements thereof are always retained in assembled and properly spaced relative relation, that the correct placing of the device in a joint is thereby greatly facilitated, and that any possibility of loss of any one or more of the shim elementsfrom the joint is effectually eliminated. 3

lVithout further description it is thoughtthat thefeatures and advantages of the in vention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim '99 1. A rail oint including the rails, the splice bar, shim elements interposed between the ends of the splice bar and the rail flanges, a shim element interposed between the medial portion of the head of the bar and the under sides of the rail heads, and means permanently connecting said shim elements together in a unitary structure.

2. A rail joint including the rails, the splice bar, and a one-piece sheet metal shim device, said shim device comprising a body portion interposed between the rail webs and the web of the splice bar, a pair of shim elements in the form of tongues extending outwardly from the ends of said body portion, respectively, one of said shim elements being disposed between one end of the splice bar and the upper face of the related rail flange and the other of said shim elements being disposed between the other end of the splice bar andthe upper face of the flange of the other rail, and a third shim element in the form of a tongue extending outwardly from said body portion and disposed between the medial portion of the head of the splice bar and the under sides of the meeting end portions of the rails.

3. A. rail oint including the rails, the splice bar, and a one-piece sheet metal shim device, said shim device comprising a body portion interposed between the rail webs and the web of the splice bar, a pair of shim elements in the form of tongues extending outward from the ends of said body portion at the bottom thereof and interposed between the ends of the splice bar and the upper faces of the rail flanges, respectively, and a third shim element in the form of a tongue extending outwardly from said body portion'medially thereof at its top and interposed between the medial portion of the head of the splice bar and the under sides of the meeting end portions of the rails, said body portion having holes for the accommodation of the innermost pair of the joint bolts and being of generally triangular shape whereby it is cleared by the other joint bolts.

4. A rail joint including the rails, the splice bar, and a one-piece sheet metal shim device, said shim device comprising a body portion interposed between the rail webs and the web of the splice bar, a pair of shim elements in the form of tongues extending outward from the ends of said body portion at the bottom thereof and interposed between the ends of the splice bar and the upper faces of the rail flanges, respectively, and a third shim element in the form of a tongue extending outwardly from said body portion medially thereof at its top and interposed between the medial portion of the head of the splice bar and the under sides of the meeting end portions of the rails, said body portion having holes for the accommodation of the innermost pair of the joint bolts.

5. A rail oint including the rails, the splice bar, and a one-piece sheet metal shim device, said shim device comprising a body portion interposed between the rail webs and the web of the splice bar, a pair of shim elements in the form of tongues extending outward from the ends of said body portion at the bottom thereof and interposed between the ends of the splice bar and the upper faces of the rail flanges, respectively, and a third shim element in the form of a tongue extending outwardly from said body portion medially thereof at its top and interposed between the medial portion of the head of the splice bar and the under sides of the meeting end portions of the rails, the lower edge of said body portion between the tongues at the ends thereof terminating above the base fillets of the rails.

6. A rail joint including the rails, the splice bar, and a one-piece sheet metal shim device, saidshim device comprising a body portion interposed between 'the rail webs and the web of the splice bar, a pair of shim elements in the form of tongues extending outward from the ends of said body portion atthe bottom thereof and interposed between the ends of the splice bar and the upper faces of the rail flanges, respectively, and a third shim element in the form of a tongue extending outwardly from said body portion medially thereof at its top and interposed between the medial portion of the head of thesplice bar and the under sides of the meeting end portions of the rails, the line of junction of the tongue at the top of the body portion with said body portion being disposedbelow the head fillets of the rails.

7. A one-piece sheet metal shim device for use in producing a rail joint of the type in ,of the rail flanges, respectively, and a shim element in the form of a tongue extending outwardly from the top of. the body portion medially thereof to be interposed between the medial portion of the head of the splice bar and the under sides of the heads of the rails at their meeting ends.

v 8. A shimdevice as set forth in claim 7 in which the body portion is provided with holes for the accommodation of certain of the joint bolts and is of a shape to clear other of the joint bolts.

9. A shim device as set forth in claim 7 in which the lower edge of the body portion between the shim elements at the ends thereof is disposed relatively to said shim elements so as to lie above the base fillets of the rails when the shim device is operatively embodied in a joint.

10. A shim device as set forth in claim 7 in which the line of junction .of the body portion with the shim element at the top of the body is disposed to lie below the head signature.

WILLIAM EYRE GADD.

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