US1146496A - Rail-joint. - Google Patents

Description

W. J. HEALY.

BAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED AFR-24, I915.

Patented July 13, 1915.

WILLIAM J. I-IEALY, OF NATIONAL, MARYLAND.

RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed April 24., 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. HEALY, a citizen of the United States, residing at National, in the county of Allegany and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail-joints and especially to the type which embodies a railchair to support the ends of the rail.

The object of this invention is to provide a joint in which the bolts are securely locked by means of one of the flsh-plates and without the use of nuts and to brace the head and web of the rail so that it will be reinforced and strengthened against lateral thrusts and vertical pressures.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section and perspective of a railjoint embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same cut away on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rail-chair; Fig. 4 is a similar view of one end of my combined fish-plate and locking-plate; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section and perspective view of a modification embodying my invention.

The numerals 1 denote the usual railway rails,jhaving their abutting ends seated in the rail-chair of my improved joint, the same embodying a base 8 and an integral side piece 5 extending up on one side of the rails and forming a fish-plate therefor. The 0pposite side of the rail base is upset and overturned to form a flange 7 and providing an under-cut groove 8 to receive the lower outer edge of the combined fish-plate and lockingplate 10. The side piece 5 is provided with the usual bolt holes. I have shown the bolts 12 provided with reduced neck portions 12 which are inserted through the holes in the side plate and secured therein by the heads 141 which are then upset or flanged on the outer ends of the bolts. It is obvious that I may employ bolts having a uniform diameter which may be inserted through the holes in the side piece while the parts of the jointare being assembled and, if desired, such bolts may have a squared neck or body portion and the rail or side pieces may be provided with corresponding holes to prevent the turning of the bolts. The inner ends of the bolts are notched at 15 and preferably have their outer ends rounded as in dicated at 16 to facilitate the assembling of the parts.

The combined fish-plate and locking-plate Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented July 13, 1915.

Serial No. 23,664.

10 is preferably rolled or constructed with the base portion 10" extending outwardly at an angle which conforms to the inclination of the upper face of the rail base and with the toe 10 bent downwardly to conform to the under-cut groove 8 in the railchair. The side or vertical portion of the fish-plate may swell or curve outwardly as indicated at 10 with the upper edge or margin returned or bent downwardly into a vertical flange 10 whichis adapted to slide into the notches 15 of the several bolts of the joint, the space between the downwardly turned flange and the inner wall of the plate forming a recess 16 which incloses the outer ends of the bolts, so that they are completely housed. This recess 16 alsoforms a protected chamber to inclose the usual electric bonds by which the rails are bonded together for the purpose of forming continuous conductors for signaling and other uses.

I prefer to construct the fish-plate so that the top surface will bear tightly against the under side of the head of the rail, the inner vertical face of the flange 10 bearing against the web and the toe 10 being wedged tightly into the groove 8, so that this fishplate will form a very rigid brace for the rail and will transmit lateral strains and vertical pressures to the flange 7 which eX- tends throughout the length of the railchair.

When the parts of the rail-joint are to be assembled, the rails having been properly alined on the ties, the rail-chair 3 is swung under the rail ends with the bolts 12 passing through the usual holes in the rails, this being facilitated by the rounded ends 16 of the bolts. The combined fish-plate and locking-platelO is then placed against the web and base of the rail at one side of the joint and driven in a sliding manner into position, the toe 10 sliding through the groove 8 and the locking flange 1O sliding through the notches 15 of the several bolts. In order that the parts shall be wedged tightly when the plate 10 is in final position, I form the outer edge of the toe 10 upon a slight taper and I also correspondingly taper the depending flange 10 as indicated by the converging broken lines 18 and 19 in Fig. 2. Instead of tapering the flange 10 the notches 15 in the series of bolts may be arranged to project on a tapering line extending from one end of the joint to the other so that the flange 10 will gradually wedge against the outer edges of the notches 15 and thus place all of the bolts under a substantially uniform tension when the lockingplate has been driven into its final position.

The toe 10 of the fish-plate is provided with a series of notches 20 which register with the holes 21 passing through the railchair and flange 7 when the parts are in position so that the spikes which fasten the rail-chair to the ties also lock the fish-plates 1O securely in place. The opposite flange of the rail-chair is provided with corresponding notches 23 to receive the spikes.

I wish it understood that my rail-joint may be used without the rail-chair plate 3 and I have indicated this modification in Fig. 5 of the drawings. In this case the fish-plates are secured in the usual manner by being spiked to the ties and I may also secure one or more spring arms 25 to the plate 5 which pass under the rails and engage notches in the locking-plate 10, as indicated, to thereby securely hold the lockingplate in proper position with respect to the bolts 12. This construction also provides a clamping action between the opposite fishplates which adds rigidity to the rail joints and renders it less liable to displacement under the constant vibrations due to the passing trains.

The great advantages which are derived from the use of my improved rail-joint will be evident to engineers and those especially familiary with road bed constructions. My rail joint not only provides an exceedingly rigid and strong joint, the parts of which are maintained under constant tension which prevents any loosening, as is the case when threaded bolts and nuts are employed, but also effectively protects the outer ends of the bolts from injury and from being tampered with, thereby insuring the integrity of the joint and lessening the liability to fatal accidents. The construction of the locking-plate also provides an unusually strong brace to reinforce the rail against any tendency to lateral bending or shearing due to the enormous strains to which the rails are subjected under conditions of modern traffic.

While I have described in detail the particular construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings for the purpose of clearly disclosing an embodiment of my invention, I am aware that various changes may be made therein within the scope of my claims and without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. The combination with the abutting ends of two railroad-rails provided with boltholes, of a rail chair having a side piece adapted to extend over the rail flange and upwardly against the web forming a fishplate and provided with a series of holes corresponding with said bolt-holes, bolts extending through said holes in the side piece and in the rails and each having a projecting end provided with a notch upon the upper side thereof, and a fish-plate upon the opposite side of the rails having a base flange to bear upon the rail flange and an upright member bent outwardly to form a recess for said projecting bolt ends, and then downwardly to form a depending flange, to engage the notches in the bolts when said plate is shifted longitudinally across the joint.

2. In combination with the abutting ends of two railroad-rails provided with b0ltholes, of a rail-chair adapted to pass under said rails and having an integral side piece extending upwardly on one side of the rails, the opposite side of said chair being provided with an upwardly turned flange, bolts passing through holes in said side piece and through said holes in the rails and having their inner projecting ends provided with notches upon the upper side, and a fish-plate upon the opposite side of the rails having a base-flange adapted to rest upon the railflange and to engage said chairflange, said fish-plate having a side portion bent outwardly to form a recess for the ends of said projecting bolts and then bent downwardly to form a depending flange to engage the notches in the bolts when said plate is shifted longitudinally of the joint.

3. The combination with the abutting ends of railroad rails provided with bolt-holes, of a fish-plate upon one side thereoi 'having holes adapted to aline with said bolt-holes, bolts extending through the holes in said plate and said rails and having projecting ends provided with notches upon the upper side, and a combined locking and fish-plate upon the opposite side havinga flange to bear upon the rail flange and an upwardly extending side portion bent outwardly to form a recess for the ends of said bolts and then bent downwardly to form a depending flange to engage the notches in the bolts when said plate is shifted longitudinally.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. HEALY.

Witnesses JAMns I-I. TENNANT, PAUL L. HrroHINs.

(foplel of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0'."

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