US359521A - Rail-joint - Google Patents

Description

S. R R 0 ml. S W l `(No Model.)

BAIL JOINT;

l,Pa/sentedMar. l5, 1887.

. INI/EJVTOR WHWESSES fm www 0 NV PETERS. PhMh-Lkhgmpher, Washington, D. C4

STATES i trice..

PATENT RAIL-Jouw.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,521, dated March l5, 18E?.

Application lilcd July 10, 1F86. Serial No. 207,711. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern: l Be it known that I, J osErH W. Sronns; a citizen of the United States, residing at New London, in the county ot' New London and l the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a horizontal section of lmy invention on the line m x, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 isa plan or top view thereof. l Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line y y, Fig. l. Fig.

1 4 is a side View of one of thelish-plates. Fig.

5 is aviewot' an end of agrail properly shaped to form the joint shown in the other Jfigures.

Similarletters indicate corresponding parts.

In the'drawings, the letters A and B designate two rails, which are joined by means of iish-plates C and bolls D. The rails are formed, as usual, of the head77 a, the web b, and the base c. In the joint shown in the drawings the head and web of each rail are cut off obliquely, while the base may be cutoff at right angles at the center of the oblique end of the web; or it may be dividedat the center of theweb and a recess, d, cut into one side and a projection, e, formed on the other side thereof, the projection on one rail being made to t into the recess formed in the other. By making the ends of the two rails in this form a sliding joint is obtained, by means of which the bases of the two rails will always'remain in contact, while the heads thereof will separate but slightly as the rails are contracted by changes of temperature. The opening thus formed` between the two rails being oblique, the wheels of themcar would at all times during their Apassage over this joint rest rrnly on the surface of the rail, and their passage over this joint could b e accomplished without the jolt usually felt when passing over joints formed in the 'old manner, particularly when the rails have been worn and the ends thereof have been forced out of shape byV continued blows from the car-wheels, the force of which 5o increases with the distance between the ends of the rails. To prevent as much as possible this defacement of the ends of the rails, it is necessary that the heads of the two rails should be kept in close contact at all times. This I accomplish by means of the elastic fish-plates C,

which are secured on each side of the web b each side of the joint and on opposite sidesl of the rail, so as to forni a fulcrum, or a recess, g, may be cut into one side-of each of the plates and the latter so placed that the recesses come on opposite sides of the joint; or both the washer and the recess may be employed, as shown in the drawings.

y To permit the contraction of the rails above mentioned, slots h are formed in one end of each of the fish-plates, while holes' i, into which the bolts D t, are cut into the other, the fish-plates being so placed that the bolts which pass through holesi in the ishplate on one side of the web will pass through slots h in the fish-plate on the other side of the web.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the contraction of the rails will cause an oblique opening to appear be,` tween the heads of the two rails, while their bases will always remain in contact with each other. This opening I close by springing7 the webs of the t-wo rails sufficiently toward each other to bring' their heads in contact by means of the above-described elastic fishplates, which, when the bolts D have been properly tightened, act as springs, their point of impact being the washers f, which, being on opposite sides of the joint, will act equally on each rail, forming an elastic joint, which has a tendency to keep the heads of the two rails in contact. To Vprevent the nuts on the bolts D from turning after the fish-plates have been properly adj usted, I place 'under the nuts the nut-locks j, consisting of thin flat plates of .metal provided with a projection, k. In the fish-plates are cavities Z, which receive these projections and prevent .the plates from turning on the bolts. Then these nut-locks are applied to movable bolts, these cavities are elongated to permit the necessary movement.

l After the nuts on the bolts have been properly tightened, the ends of these plates are ICO turned over one ol' the edges of the nuts, Fig. 1, thereby holding theni in position and pre venting their being turned by accident. It is evident that any other forni of nut-lock may be employed; but I prefer that here shown and described.

I do not desire to confine myself to the forni given to the end et' the rail in the drawings, as any other shape may be given to the lower portion of the rail, provided the oblique end of the head is retained.

lVhen desired, the corners at the june-tion of the web with the base and the head ol' the rail may be rounded, in which case it will be necessary to round oil" the corners of the iishplates to correspond.

Vhat I clainl as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the rails A and B, having oblique ends constructed to overlap each other, of the elastic iish-plates C and the bolts D, passing through one of the rails and through the iish-plates, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the rails A and B, having oblique ends constructed to overlap each other, ol the elastic iish-plates C, the

washers f, placed between said fish-plates and the rails, and the bolts D, passing through one of the rails and through the fish-plates, substantially as described.

3. The eo1nbination,wth the rails Aand B, having oblique ends constructed, to overlap each other, of the elastic fish-plates C, provided with the recess g, and the bolts D, passing through one of the rails and through the sh-plates, substantially as described.

4. The'combination, with the rails A and B,

having oblique ends constructed to overlap each other, of the iish-plates C, the bolts D, passing through one ot the rails and through the fish-plates, and the nut-locks j, substantially. as described.

5. rIhe combination, with the rails A and B, having oblique ends constructed to overlap each other, of the slotted fish-plates C, the bolts I), passing through one of the rails and through the {ish-plates, the plates j, forming the nut-locks, the projections 7s on said plates, and the oblong cavities Z in the fish-plates, constructed to receive said projections, substan tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH W. STORRS. L. s]

Witnesses:

JOHN E. lllnnow, WM. H. Bnnv 15s.

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