US2550525A - Road form joint - Google Patents

Description

O. L. BRAUN ROAD FORM JQINT April 24, 1795i Filed April 2. 1947 U M w M w N A M .INVENToR Uttwm L .Braun fr 6? l *Mn ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 24, 1951 Fick;v A,

ROAD FORM JOINT Ottwin L. Braun, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Reliance Steel Products Company, McKeesport, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 2, 1947, Serial No. 738,871

This invention relates used in .the construction of concrete roads for deningthe sides of the road and the elevation of the road surface. More particularly, my invention concerns a road form `joint whereby vthe ends of adjoining rails or forms may be securely fastened together in end-to-end relationship andv rigidly secured in alinement.A

I provide a sliding member located at one end of a rail and which closely lits against the base, the web and the inside of the rail head. The member has a projection which in rail locking position bears against abutments, one of which is secured to the rail base of one rail, and another abutment which is fastened to the rail base of an adjoining rail.

One object of my invention is to provide a retainer member which is slidable to engage two end portions of adjoining rails and hold them securely in end-to-end alinement, and which member can be moved readily so as to free the end of one of the rails.

Another object is to provide an end joint which will reinforce the ends of abutting rails.

A further object is to provide means for simul- L taneously clamping adjoining rails so that the binding members are tightly urged against the rail ends.

The present preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in section along the line I-I of Figure 2 of a rail joint securing together the ends of two abutting end-to-end rails whichI are shown in dotted lines; t

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line II-II of Figure 4;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a retainer plate or sliding member used in my invention; and

Figure `i is a view in elevation of a joint in which my invention is used.

The road rails or road forms which are commonly employed as side forms in concrete road construction are bent from sheet metal of 'suitable gauge. Each rail has a base or base ange I0 which rests on the ground surface, a web Il upstanding from the base, and a tread flange I2 With a depending lip I3. The rails are laid encito-end and securely fastened together by."` my joint structure. lThe road making material is placed between the parallel rails which de'ne the road edges, while the tread or top I2 Q'f.the rail is used to establish the grade of the road surface. The rails not only define the road edges and the road surface level, but are usually emto a readform such as is v '2y 2 ployed to support heavy road laying and -finishing equipment. As a consequence the rails are subjected to heavy strains.; A

The rails must be fastened to Keachl other. at their ends in a rigid manner so that a low joint with a consequent unev'enness in lthe road :surf face may be avoided; My rail jointdoes this in a satisfactory and novel manner.

The joint includes a sliding member or retainer platefl, which is slidable in the-rail, and as shown, is slidable in the adjacent end portion of an adjoining alined rail to maintain said rails in alinement end-to-end. The member hasfa vertical cross section which resembles the nu-A meral 1 (see Figure 2), the upright portion I5 lies along the web for its full depth, `and the cross portion I6 lies in close contact with the under side of the tread I2 of the rail. The bottom of the upright, portion lits closely against the rail base. The member may slide along the rail but cannot move vertically. The ends of the slide has inwardly turned portions or ears I'I which do not extend the full depth of the upright I5 (see Figure 2). The ends of the cross portion I6 are trimmed as shown in Figure 3. In order to prevent battering of the side ears I'I, I weld to each of the ears a driving extension I8.

Secured to the slide or joining plate I4 between the ears I1 is a jammingv or force-transmitting member I9 which comprises a metal angle, the legs of which are welded to the upright I5. The outer edge or corner of the angle provides a narrow line-like surface which is parallel to and spacedv from the face of the upright I5, and is parallel to and spaced from the base flange I0. The angle I9 also serves to stiffen the retainer plate I4 in a longitudinal direction.

At each end of each rail a springable member 2| is secured. The member consists of a rectangular piecey of metal having a stake `receiving hole 22 therein registering with a corresponding hole in the base of the rail. Near the inner end of the member ZI an upstanding lug 20 having outwardly flaring ends 23 is welded. The member 2| is welded along its outer end and for about 1/3 of its length to the rail base. The lug 20 is so located with reference to the rail that the inner end of member 2| springs a little from the rail base when the angle member I9 is driven into the engaging position with the lug 20 as shown in Figure 4-the position where two rails are joined. The plate I4 is securely flocked in rail jointing position by its close lit with the rail and tight engagement of the angle I9 and the lug 20. The corner of the angle I9 which engages the spring plates 2l) provides a narrow line-like engaging surface which is movable rectilinearly over the surface of the spring plates as the retainer plate is slid along the web I I.

When it is desired to disjoint the rails, the member I4 is driven back out of engagement with the lug 20 of the adjoining member and back of the end of the rail. The member becomes operative when the rails are laid end-to-end and the slide I4 forced into engagement with the lug 2] of the adjoining rail as shown in Figure 4.

The rail joint is quite sti, as the locking member is tightly jammed into intimate Contact with the rail end, so that no low joints' will result when the commonly encumbered loads are imposed on the rails during construction.

I have described the presentlyv preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is to be understood that various changes may be made* therein and the invention otherwise embodied within the S'c'ope of the following claims".

I claim: y

l. A joint for roadrail for-ms having' spaced parallel base and tread flanges with a. vertical web therebetween which comprises a joining plate abutting against said web andextending from said base to said tread ilange's so that said' flanges confine movement of said plate to a: slidingv movement along said webinA ahorizontal direction, and means resiliently maintaining said plate abutting against said: web' comprising a spring plate connectedv to and projecting' upwardly from said base flange but being spaced from said web a distance greaterthan' the thickness' of said joining plate, and a force-transmitting member connected to said joining `plate and having anarrow line-like surface movable rectilinearly over the surface of said spring plate upon sliding movement of said joining plate along said web, said narrow line-like surface being spaced'l from said base ange, and said joining plate and force-transmitting member having an overall thickness greater than the spacing of said spring plate from said web so that said spring plate will be resiliently deflected away from; said web when the joining plate is slid to an operative position between the joining and deecting plates with said surface engaged with said spring plate, the resilience of said spring plate upon deflection thereof reacting against said force-transmitting member to hold vsaidV joining plate tightly against said web.

2; A joint as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fioree-transmitting` member comprises an angle section having angularly extending flanges connected along their outer edges toV said joining plate, and a common inner edge providing said narrow1inelike surface.

3. A joint as claimed' in alain-1': I wherein. the

spring plate"l has vertically extending lateral REFERENCES' CITED The following references Aare of record in' the' file of this patent:v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Harrold Jan. 26, 15932 Number

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