US573757A - Roadway - Google Patents

Description

A. BLISS.

ROADWAY.

(No Model.

No. 573,757. Patented Dec. 22, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABEL BLISS, OF NEIV LENOX, ILLINOIS.

ROADWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,757, dated December 22, 1896.

Application filed March 28, 1896. Serial No. 584,568. No model.)

Figure 1 represents a cross-section of the" roadway and of its metal tracks for vehicles,

and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the metal rails and showing the ends of two sections of a rail connected by a fishplate having inclined lateral flanges.

This invention relates to certain improvements in roadways, intended more particularly for use in suburban and country dis- 2o tricts, which improvements are fully set forth and explained in the following specification -and claims.

Referring to the drawings, R represents a metal plate forming a rail for a vehicle and 2 5 having downwardly-projecting flanges along each side for projecting into the earth, which flanges give great supporting strength to the track R, and also prevent lateral movement of the rail. It is intended that the space be- 0 tween the flanges B shall be filled with earth, which forms a solid bed and support for the rail and which is prevented from being crushed and spread laterally by means of said flanges. The face of the rail B. may, if desired, be provided with a moderate -sized flange, as shown at a, along its outer edge for preventing vehicles from running oif the track, but the rail may be of sufficient width so wheels of vehicles will not easily run off 0 to either side as long as the team or animal attached to the vehicle does not step outside of the rails. It is intended to first make the It is intended to pave or gravel the roadway between the rails, as shown in Fig. l at P, thus forming a good permanent roadway for animals to travel upon, or it may not be paved or graveled in such place in case cars having other than animal power for their propulsion is used.

The ends of the rail-sections may be connected, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of a fishplate having inclined laterally extending flanges D,which flanges may operate as wheelreplacers should a wheel run 01f the rails.

Such track construction is intended to be used on country roads composed of ordinary soil where the expense of paving, macadamizing, or graveling the entire Width of the roadway would be too great, and can be laid on one side of the road, leaving the remainder of the road in its natural state for use when not wet weather. The downwardlyprojecting flanges serve to retain the earth between them for a support to the rail by preventing the lat- 7o eral crushing out of the earth between them, the earth becoming more compact by being retained between the flanges. If desired, the two rails might be connected by means of cross-rods for more thoroughly preventing their spreading, but ordinarily such cross-tie rods will not be needed.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows: 5 8o 1. A rail for roadways comprising the horizontal or flat portion R having the two depending parallel flanges B adapted to be set into the earth, in combination with the fishplate for connecting the ends of two rails and having the inclined laterally-extending flanges D all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A rail for roadways comprising the horizontal or flat portion R having the two depending flanges 13 adapted to be set into the earth and having lateral projections or flanges for replacing wheels on the rail substantially as set forth.

ABEL BLISS. IVitnesses:

Tnos. H. HUTCHINS, L. B. HUTCHINS.

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