US1011655A - Foot-guard for railway-track structures. - Google Patents

Description

.T. W. STEPHENSON. FOOT GUARD FOR RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8, 1911.

INVENTOR WITNESSES um-Q12. 1 m

coLummA PLANQGRAPH c0. WASH J. W. STEPHENSON.

r001 GUARD FOR RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURES. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 8,1911. 1,01 1,655.

Patented Dec. 12, 191 1 2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

III;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. STEPHENSON, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEAIBLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FOOT-GUARD FOR RAILWAY-TRACK STRUCTURES.

Application filed April 8, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

v Be it known that 1, JOHN 1V. STEPHEN- SON, a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Foot- Guards for Railway-Track Structures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view showing my invention applied to two converging track rails; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the upper guard members; Fig. 4 is a side view of the same; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the other guard member; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the lower supporting member of the guard; and Fig. 7 is a section on the line VIIVII of Fig. 1.

My invention has relation to guards for railway track structures, such as frogs and the like, having converging rails.

The object of my invention is to provide a foot guard of simple and effective character and which is capable of adjustment vertically to suit rails of diflerent heights and is also capable of lateral adjustment, so that it can be used between rails having different angles of convergence.

My invention, therefore, consists in a foot guard having means for both vertical and lateral adjustment to suit wide variations in the height and angle of the rails, thereby largely reducing the pattern work required in the manufacture, and also reducing the number of standard foot guards required.

In the drawings, the numerals 2 designate two converging track rails, between which I have shown my improved guard applied.

The guard proper consists of a plate adapted to fit between the track rails, and having upwardly and laterally projecting flanges 3, which fit underneath and bear upwardly against the under sides of the heads of the rails. The inner faces of these side flanges are beveled, as shown at 4, so as not to interfere with proper wheel flange clearances. The plate is divided longitudinally on a substantially central line, to form the two members 5 and 6, having their inner edges preferably overlapping, as best indicated in Fig. 7. The rear ends of the plate members are shown as having down- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

Serial No. 619,873.

wardly extending flanges 7. The member 5 is shown as having at its rear end a curved laterally projecting arm 8, which has a sliding engagement with lipped lugs 9, on the member 6. The member 6 is shown as having at its forward end an oppositely projecting arm 10, which has a sliding engagement with the lipped lugs 11, on the under side of the member 5. The arms 8 and 10 by their sliding engagement with the lipped lugs 9 and 11, form guides, whereby the two members may be moved laterally with respect to each other to give a considerable change in the variation of the angle of their converging outer sides.

The divided guard plate is supported at its wider or rear end by means of a member 12, having a tapered or conical head 13, the inclined surfaces of which engage the inclined or cam surfaces 14 and 15 formed on the under side of the guard plate members 5 and 6. The member 12 is supported by a helical spring 16, which is seated in a pocket 17, of a lower supporting member 18, having side wings 19, which rest upon the bases of the track rails.

The forward ends of the guard plate members are preferably supported by a helical spring 20, which is seated at its lower end around a boss 21 of the lower member 18, and which is received at its upper end in a hollow boss or spring seat 22, depending from the lower side of the member 6.

The springs 16 and 20 are made of sufficient rigidity to hold the members of the guide plate firmly underneath the heads of the rails in the position shown in Fig. 7 and also to sustain, without any very great deflection of the plate, any ordinary weight which it may receive. It will be readily seen that these springs provide capacity for a considerable amount of vertical adjustment, whereby the guard will adapt itself to changes in the heights of the rails. It will also be apparent that, by reason of the beveled or cone-shaped head 13 of the member 12 and the cooperating cam surfaces 14 and 15 of the guard plate members, as the member 12 is pressed upwardly by its spring, it will exert a spring action upon the said members. This provides for a very considerable degree of adjustment, to suit varying angles of convergence of the track rails.

The members may, if desired, be provided with depending lugs 23, which are perforated, as shown at 24;, to receive bolts, by which a positive attachment may be made to the track rails. I also preferably provide the lower member with a rearward eX- tension 25, having a spike hole 26, which permits of a positive attachment of the lower member to a tie. I have also shown the guide plate members as having upwardly beveled stop lugs 27, which engage the inner sides of the heads of the rails in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

I do not desire to limit myself to the details of construction and arrangement of the parts which I have herein shown and described, since it is obvious that very many changes may be made therein, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the appended claims. Thus, I may dispense with the overlapping of the adjacent inner edges of the guard plate members, since the range of adjustment is not sutiicient to leave an objectionable opening between the edges of the members.

I claim:

1. In a foot guard, laterally adjustable guard members, and a device for supporting said members and also acting to spread the same; substantially as described.

2. In a foot guard, laterally adjustable guard members, and a vertically adjustable device for supporting said members and also acting to spread the same; substantially as described.

3. A foot guard for railway track structures, having'a longitudinally divided guard plate, and means for eifecting both a lateral spreading and a vertical adjustment of said plate, substantially as described.

a. A. foot guard for railway track structures, comprising a longitudinally divided guard plate, and spring supports therefor, one of said supports acting as a spreader for the said divided plate, substantially as described.

5. A foot uard for railway track structures, comprising a longitudinally divided guard plate, and spring supports for said plate, at least one of said supports having a cam spreading action upon the divided plate, substantially as described.

6. A foot guard for railway track structures, comprising a tapered longitudinally divided guard plate, and vertically yielding supports for said plates, at least one of said supports having means for exerting a lateral spreading action on the parts of the divided guard plate; substantially as described.

7. A foot guard for railway track structures, comprising a guard plate divided longitudinally into two members, a lower supporting member for the divided guard plate, and spring supports interposed between the lower supporting member and the divided guard plate, at least one of said supports having a cam spreading action on the members of the plate; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN W. STEPHENSON.

lVitnesses J OI-IN J. MANNING, ADoLPH F. SEUBERT.

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

Washington, D. 0.

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