US1021200A - Railway-rail joint. - Google Patents

Description

0. P. LANCASTER.

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

, 11 1,02 1 ,200, Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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G. P. LANCASTER. RAILWAY RA'IL JOINT. APPLICATION IILBD'OOT. so, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. LANCASTER, 0F MARION, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH TO WILLIAM M. CORY AND ONEFOURTH TO OTIS L. HARRIS, OF MARION, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 30, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Serial No. 657,477.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES P. LANCAS- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Rail Joints; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in railway rail joints.

One object of the invention is to improve the construction and arrangement of joint shown in United States Letters-Patent, No.

916,880, granted to me March 30, 1909, whereby a stronger and more durable joint is formed.

Another object is to provide a railway joint having means whereby the nuts of the rail fastening bolts are covered and protected from the weather and from being tampered with and are securely locked on the bolts.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of the meeting ends of two rails showing the application of the invention; Fig. 2 is an irregular vertical cross sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view 'of the stationary member of the joint; and, Fig. 4 is a similar view of the hinged or swinging member of the joint.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the stationary or chair member of the joint, said member comprising a base plate 2 adapted to engage or rest on the ties and to receive the meeting ends of the rails. On the outer edge of the base plate 2' is formed an upwardly projecting substantially right angular rail engaging and bracing plate 3, the lower portion. 4 of which is adapted to fit over the upper side of the adjacent base flanges of the rail ends, while the upper portion 5 of the plate is adapted to engage the web and under side of the head of the rail as shown. The upper portion 5 of the plate is preferably curved outwardly as shown thereby forming a trussed brace for the side of the rail which will firmly hold the same against upsetting or spreading. In the upper bracing portion 5 of the plate are formed a series of transversely disposed bolt holes 6 which are adapted to receive rail fastening bolts hereinafter described.

The base portion 2 of the chair member of the joint is of suflicient width to project some distance beyond the opposite side of the rail from that with which the brace plate 3 is engaged and the projecting outer edge of the base plate 2 is turned upwardly at a slight angle and has formed thereon a longitudinally disposed substantially cylindrical rib or bead 7 which forms one member of a hinge connection for the opposite member of the joint which will be hereinafter more fully described. On the head or rib 7 is formed a centrally disposed upwardly projecting locking stud 8, the purpose of which will also be hereinafter described. In the base plate 2 near the edge of the same having the bead 7 are formed spike holes 9 through which are adapted to be driven spikes for fastening the joint members to the ties. In the opposite side of the base plate 2 and the adjacent portion 4 of the bracing plate 8 are also formed spike holes 10 through which are adapted to be driven spikes for fastening this side of the joint to the ties.

WVith the web on the opposite side of the rail from the bracing plate 3 is engaged a fish plate 11, said plate being constructed to closely fit against the side of the web and between the head and flange of the rail, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. In the fish plate 11 are formed bolt holes 12 which coincide or register with the bolt holes in the rails and the bolt holes 6 in the bracing portion 5 of the plate 3. Through the alined bolt holes 6 and 12 and the coinciding holes in the webs of the rails are inserted fastening bolts 13 on the ends of which are secured clamping nuts 14, said nuts being screwed up into tight engagement with the fish plate thereby clamping the same and the chair member 1 to the opposite sides of the rail heads.

Operatively engaged with the chair member of the joint is a hinged or swinging member 15 comprising a base portion 16 having formed therein a longitudinally disposed groove 17 which is adapted to hingedly engage the bead or rib 7 whereby said hinged or swinging member 15 may be swung into and out of operative engagement with the rail. In the inner wall of the groove 17 is formed a segmental notch 18 with which is adapted to be engaged the locking stud 8 on the bead 7 whereby the hinged member 15 is held against longitudinal movement on the chair member of the joint. When the hinged member 15 of the joint is thus engaged with the rib or bead 7, said member may be swung over into engagement with the adjacent base flanges of the rail ends and into engagement with the outer side of the fish plate 11. The upwardly projecting portion of the member 15 is provided with a square or flat inner face 19 which fits into close engagement with the adjacent outer side of the fish plate as shown.

In the fiat inner face 19 of the member 15 are formed vertically disposed recesses 20 which when said face 19 is swung into engagement with the fish plate, will engage and fit over the nuts 14 of the rail fastening bolts thereby firmly holding said nuts against turning and project-ing the same from the weather or from being tampered with. In the lower or base portion of the member 15 are formed spike holes 21 which when themember is in operative position will register with the spike holes 9 in the base plate of the chair member and through said registering holes are driven spikes which firmly hold this side of the joint in place. When the'joint member 16 has thus been secured in place, it will be impossible to remove either member of the joint until the spikes of the member 15 have been drawn and said member swung back on its pivotal connection with the base plate of the chair member. In order to swing the member 15 back to an inoperative .position for exposing the nuts 14: of the rail fastening bolts, it is first necessary to tip the rails and the chair member to one side a sufiicient distance to permit the outer edge of the base portion of the member 15 to swing downwardly, thus preventing any casual disengagement of the member 15 and discouraging any interference with the railv joint by an unauthorized person.

The bolt holes in the rails with which the fastening bolts 13 are engaged are of the usual elongated form to provide for the expansion and contraction of the rail.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. A rail joint comprising a chair or stationary member having a base plate of sufficient width to project beyond the opposite side of the base of the rail from that with which the chair member is engaged, a swinging member having a hinged connection 'with the outer edge of said base plate, said swinging member having formed therein nut receiving recesses and fastening bolts arranged through said chair member and adjacent portions of the rail, said bolts having clamping nuts arranged thereon and engaged by the recesses in said hinged member whereby said nuts are covered and locked.

2. In a rail joint, a stationary or chair member comprising a rail engaging portion and a base plate, said base plate being of sufficient width to project beyond the side of the rail, a fish plate arranged on the opposite side of the rails from the rail engaging portion of the joint, rail fastening bolts arranged through the'rails and the fish plate and stationary member of the joint, fastening nuts arranged on said bolts, a swinging member hingedly connected to the base plate of said stationary member and adapted to be swung into engagement with the adjacent rail flange and fish plate, said swinging member having formed therein recesses adapted to engage the nuts on said bolts whereby said nuts are covered and locked.

3. A rail joint comprising a stationary member having a trussed rail engaging portion and a base plate, said member having formed therein spike holes, a fish plate engaged with the opposite side of the rail from the rail engaging portion,of said stationary joint member, rail fastening bolts arranged through the rail engaging p01. tion of said member, said fish plate and the web of the rail, fastening nuts arranged on the bolts, an upwardly projecting longitudinally disposed rib formed on the outer edge of said base plate, said rib forming one member of a hinged connection, a locking stud formed on said rib, a swinging joint member comprising a base portion having formed therein a longitudinal groove, and a transverse notch adapted to be engaged with said rib and stud on the base plate of the chair member of the joint whereby said swinging member is hingedly connected to said chair member, a rail engaging portion formed on said hinged member, said portion being adapted to be swung into engagement with said rail flange and the outer side of said fish plate and having formed therein recesses adapted to fit over the nuts of said rail fastening bolts whereby said nuts are covered and locked, said rail my hand in presence of two subscribing witengiagiilng pogtion having formed therein nesses. s ire oles a a ted to re ister with similar h ciles formed iii the base plate of the chair CHARLES LANCASTER member whereby said members may be Witnesses: spiked t0 the ties. M. C. COBLE,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set J. W. BRIMACOMBE.

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

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