US681262A - Railway-track structure. - Google Patents

Description

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UNITED STATES TATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. PRINDLE, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE A LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

`RAILWAY-TRACK STRUCTU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,262, dated August 27, 1901. Application filed December 3, 1900. Serial No. 38,433. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. PRINDLE, of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and 4State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Track Structures, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. 1o My invention has relation tozcertain new and useful improvements in railway-track structures, and more particularly to that class of track structures which are provided with hardened pieces or plates which form the track I5 intersections or other portions of the structure subject to greatest wear. y

My object isV to provide simple and efficient means for securing these hardened pieces or platesV in place in such a manner as to prevent their becoming loose under continued service, bu twhich will permit them to be readily removed and replaced when necessary without disturbing the other. portions of the structure or the adjacent pavement.

j 5 A further object is to provide means espe` cially calculated to facilitate the unseating of the platewhen necessary to remove it.

I attain these objects by the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis a plan view of a frog or curve- 3 5 cross embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of` the same with the plate removed; Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4, a detail View showing one of the seats for the bolts or fastenings. `Fig.`5 4o is a fragmentary section of the plate on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section showing a different seating of the plate.

The letterA designates the rail members y `of the structure, which are properly fitted and are, then placed in a mold and secured by casting a body B of metal around them in a manner well `known in the art, said body being cored out to form a pocket C for the 5o reception of the center or intersection plate D. This plate is made of especially hard and tough metal or else has its surface hardened in such a manner as to enable it to withstand for a considerable period the wear `to which it is subjected. Myinvention, however, is not concerned with a plate of any particular material or character, but may be used with any suitable plate. The plate is made of proper length to cause it lto abut closely the ends of the rails A, but is prefer- 6o ably of somewhat less Width than the width of the pocket in order to receive a thin layer of spelter or other suitable retaining mateA rial which will obviate the necessity for accurate fitting. The provision of these 'lat- 65 eral spacesalso permits lateral adjustment of the plate in seating it toin'sure proper adjustment of gage-lines. The bottom of the b'oX is cored out, as shown-in Figs. 3 and 4, to `form seats E for "the head of fastening 7o members or bolts F. These seats consist of depressions in the ybottom of the box, which are partially overhung by walls e, which are slotted at e to receive the shanks of the bolts. The lateral walls of the pocket adjacent to the seatsEare also cored or grooved to seat or partially seat the bolts, with semi- 'circular enlargements e2 at the top, which register with similar places d in the platesy to form shallow circular pockets. The bot- 8o tom walls of these portions of the pockets are inclined, as shown at d in Fig. 5. The bolts F are provided withrounded circular heads f at their lower ends and at their upper ends are provided with laterally-extend- 8 5 ing heads f The manner of seating and securing a plate is as follows: The fastening-bolts are engaged with their seats and turned, so that their heads lie in the depressed space or pocket c2 9o vin the cast body B. The plate is theninserted and adjusted, being properly surface-alined by placing thin shims on the bottom of the pocket. The fastening-bolts are then turned and their heads f are forced up the inclined surfaces d of the pockets d suiiciently to securely bind the plate. These inclined surfaces also provide for slight variations in the lthickness or adjustment of the plate, and greater variations may be taken care of by roo means of thin shims laid on said inclined surface. The space underneath the plate and at the sides thereof is then filled with liquid spelter, as indicated atv S, and the spelter is allowed to rise and fill the pockets e2 d around the heads of the bolts, and thus secure them against turning. Although not so shown, these pockets may, if desired, be made of such depth that the heads of the bolts will be entirely covered by the spelter. 'lo remove the plate, the spelter is chipped out of the pockets e2 d and the bolts are turned (either by a suitable wrench or by driving) sufficiently to release their engagement with the plate. If the plate is then held by the spelter so that it cannot be pried out, this can be chippedout at the sides, or the pockets d may be undercut, as at d2, to receive suitable lifting devices actuated by screw or other power. n

In Fig. 6 I have shown two tapered wedges T on the bottom of the pocket upon which the plate is seated. The heads of these wed ges are beveled and abutted, so as to leave a wedge-shaped space t between them in line with a vertical aperture T', cored in the plate. When it is desired to unseat the plate, the fastenings, which may be those above described, or any other suitable devices, are released. A cold-chisel or other suitable implement is then inserted through the aperture T and between the heads of the wedges and by being driven through into a recess t in the cast body will separate the wedges, which in turn will lift the plate and loosen it from the spelter. preferably beveled upwardly, as shown, to slightly enlarge the said pocket at the top. I have also shown the pocket in Figs. 1, 2,

4and 3 similarly beveled; but this is not essential, since, if desired, the walls may even be slightly undercut to give the spelter a better holding-down effect.

For short plates a single fasteningfbolt at each side will be sufficient. For a plate of medium length there are preferably two of the bolts near each end, as shown, and for plates of considerable length, such as are used in switch-mates, three or more bolts may be used at each side.

It will be noted that the spelter protects the bolts from becoming rusted in their seats.

Although I have illustrated my invention as applied to a curve-cross or frog, it will be obvious that it isequally adapted to various other structures, such as straight crossings, tongue-switches, mates, &:c.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular details of construction and arrangement which I have herein shown and described for the purpose of fully illustrating my invention, since various modifications may be made without affecting my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. In a railway-track structure of the class described, the combination with a central body provided with a pocket, and a Wear- The walls of the pocket C are' plate seated in said pocket, of fastening members seated in said body and adapted to be moved into and out of fastening engagement with the edge portions of said plate without unseating them.

2. In a railway-track structure of the class described, the combination with a body portion securing the rail members of the structu re,and provided with a pocket in its surface, of a wear-plate seated in said pocket, and fastening members seated in the said body portion and arranged to be moved to engage edge portions of the said plate, together with means for normally securing such engagement but which can be removed to permit disengagement. A

3. In a railway-track structure of the class described, the combination with a body portion which secures the rail members of the structure and which is provided with a pocket, of a wear-plate seated in the said pocket, and fastening members rotatively seated in said body and engaging opposite edge portions of the said plate.

4. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portion having a pocket therein,and a wear-plate seated in said pocket, of fastening members seated in said body and engaging said plate to prevent both lateral and vertical movement thereof, and means whereby said members may be moved to free said plate without unseating them.

5. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portion having a pocket therein,and a wear-plate seated in said pocket, of vertical fastening members rotatively seated in the walls of the said pocket and having head portions arranged to engage the said plate, at opposite sides thereof.

6. In a railway-track structure, the combin ation with a body portion having a pocket therein, of a wear-plate removably seat-ed in said pocket, and fastening members rotatably seated in the walls of said pocket and having head portions rotatable into and out of lateral engagement with the said plate.

7. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portion having a pocket therein, of a wear-plate removably seated in said pocket, and fastening devices having bearings in the bottom and side walls of said pockets, and provided with extended heads, said plate and body portion having registering surface-pockets to receive the said heads.

8. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body'portion having a pocket therein, of a wear-plate removably seated in said pocket, fastening devices having bearings in the bottom and side walls of said pockets, and provided with extended heads adapted to be moved to engage said plate, said plate and body portions having register'-v ing surface-pockets to receive the said heads, and retaining material, such as spelter, filling said pockets around the said heads.

9. In a railway-track structure, the com bination with a body portion provided with a IOI) IIO

pocket whose bottom wall is formed with slotted bolt-seats, of a Wearplate in said pocket, and vertical bolts seated in the'lateral walls of said pockets and having headed lower ends rotatively engaging said seats and headed upper ends engaging said plate.

10. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portion provided with a pocket having in its bottom undercut recesses or depressions adapted to receive bolt-heads,

`and open slots leading into the undercut portion ofsaid recesses or depressions, of a wear.-

` plate seated in said pocket, and rotatable members in its bottom and lateral walls, a

plate seated in said pocket, and fastening members for said plate rotatively seated in said bearings and secured against removal by the said plate.

12. In a railway-track structure, the oombination with a body portion having a pocket therein, a plate seated in said `pocket rotatable fastening members seated in open bearings in the walls of said pocket and secured against removal by the said plate, and means for normally securing said members against y rotation. l y ss I3. In a railway-traok structure, the combination with a body portion having a pocket therein, a plate seated in said pocket, and fastening members rotatively seated in said body w portion and having heads at their upper ends,

said body portion and plate having registering pockets to receive the said heads, the pockets of the plate having their bottom walls inclined.

14. In a railway-track structure, the oombination of a body portion having a pocket therein, a plate seated in said pocket, rotatable headed fastening members seated in said body portion and engaging said plate, and spelter or like retaining material which iills said pocket around the plate` and also surrounds the heads of the said bolts.

l5. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portion having a pocket therein, a wear-plate seated in said pocket, releasable fastening devio'es for the said plate, a wedge seated between the bottom of said plate and the bottom of the pocket, and means whereby said wedge may be moved to thereby loosen said plate in its seat.

16. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portion having a pocket therein, a wear-plate seated therein, a platelifting member in said pocket upon which the plate is seated, and means for moving said member from the surface of the structure.

17. In a railway-track structure, the corn-V bination with a body portion having a pocket therein, and a wear-plate removably seated and secured in said pocket, of a pair of wedges seated underneath the said plate with abutted heads, and a vertical aperture in said plate through which a suitable tool may be intro;` duced between said heads for the purpose of separating the wedges and thus loosening the plate in its seat. In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses. l WILLIAM E. PRIN DLE;

Witnesses:

Cona G. COX, H. W. SMITH.

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