US1007573A - Rail-joint. - Google Patents

Description

E. B. HUTTON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.18,1911.

1,007,573, Patented 0012.31, 1911.

i i 5 WITNESSES 6 [NVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARL B. HUITON, OF WEST BROWNSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL B. HUTToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vest Brownsville, in the county of Wash ington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The present invent-ion comprises certain improvements in that type of joint means for the ends of rails utilizing angle bars at opposite sides of the rails and a cross wedge or key tending. to take. up all looseness or play between the angle bars and the rails, and at the same time afford a springfyield ing base member beneath the meeting extremities of said rails.

For a full understanding of the present invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a cross section showing more clearly the mounting of the transverse key and the form thereof when in operative position; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the key or wedge; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the wedge or key; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of the wedge.

Throughout the following detail descrip tion and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

The construction of the parts employed in carrying out the invention is comparatively simple.

Referring particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the ends of adjacent rails of a track and 2 angle bars at opposite sides of said rails. The angle bars 9. are connected together by a suitable number of bolts 3 and each angle bar is formed with a downwardly extending edge flange 4 having a transverse elongated aperture 5. The apertures 5 of the flanges 4 are in transverse alinement when the angle bars are secured to the rails, and a wedge or key 6 is adapted to be inserted beneath the rail ends at the points of meeting, so as to pass through said-apertures 5.

The wedge or key 6 is of peculiar formation, its upper surface being somewhat convex so that the key is thicker intermediate its ends than at its extremities. At such in termediate portion, the wedge 6 is formed Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 31, 1911. Application filed March 18, 1911.

Serial No. 615,396.

with a plurality of teeth 6 said teeth being adapted to engage with the under surfaces of the rail ends, as shown in Fig. 3, and to bite firmly into the metal of the rails when the wedge is driven into operative po sition. In general conformation, the wedge 6 is tapering toward one end and the smaller end is formed on itsunder surface with teeth 6" adapted to engage with that portion of the flange 4 at the lower side of'the aperture 5, through which the smaller end of the wedge passes.

The action of'the wedge when placed in position is peculiar for, by reason of its special shape or formation, when the device is driven into place beneath the ends'of the rails and through the apertures 5 of the flanges 4, the engagement of the teeth 6 at the intermediate portion of the wedge with the base portions of the rails, tends to spring said intermediate portion downwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 3, and by reason of the bearing afforded for the end portions of the wedge by the apertures 5. Necessarily the peculiar engagement of the teeth 6' with the base portions of the rails 1 tends to cause positive interlocking engagement of the teeth 6" of the wedge with the flange 4 coacting with the smaller end of said part. The wedge 6 therefore, when driven home, is bent or bowed downwardly intermediate its ends, such action tending to increase the biting or engaging effect of the teeth 6 and 6 and taking up all play or looseness between th angle bars and rails.

In Fig. 6, the form of the wedge is slightly modified in that a side edge of the wedge adjacent to the teeth 6 is inclined or cut away as shown at 6 and the opposite edge portion toothed as shown at 6*. The above structure is such that, as the wedge is driven into place in engagement with the angle bars, the inclined surface 6 tends to force the smaller end of the wedge laterally to obtain the necessary engaging or locking action of the teeth 6 with respect to the end wall of the adjacent aperture of one of the angle bars. Otherwise than as above described, the wedge shown in Fig. 6 is formed the same as the structure illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a rail joint, the combination of rail ends, angle bars at opposite sides of said rail ends, connections between the rail ends and the angle bars, the angle bars being formed with flanges projecting downwardly below the base portions of the rail ends and formed with transversely registering apertures, and a wedge passing beneath the rail ends and through said apertures, said wedge tapering toward one end and provided intermediate its ends on its upper surface with teeth adapted to engage the under sides of the rail ends, the smaller end of the wedge being formed with teeth on the side opposite those first mentioned and engaging the bottom portion of the aperture of the flange through which said end of the wedge passes.

2. In a rail joint, the combination of rail ends, angle bars at opposite sides of said rail ends, connections between the rail ends and the angle bars, the angle bars being formed with flanges projecting downwardly below the base portions of the rail ends and formed with transversely registering apertures, and

a wedge passing beneath the rail ends and through said apertures, said wedge tapering toward one end and provided intermediate its ends on its upper surface with teeth adapted to engage the under sides of the rail ends, the smaller end of the Wedge being formed with teeth on the side opposite those first mentioned and engaging the bot tom portion of the aperture of the flange through which said end of the wedge passes, and the wedge being thicker at its intermediate portion than at its ends whereby when driven in place, it is bowed or bent downwardly at the intermediate portion so as to have the spring engagement with the rail ends for the purpose described.

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

EARL B. HUTTON. \Vitnesses:

DANIEL LIVINGSTON, CLARENCE S. DWYER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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