US1120557A - Frog and switch. - Google Patents

Description

E. H. STEEDMAN.

FROG AND SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6,1914.

1, 1 20,557, Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

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UITED STATES PATEN FFICE.

EDWIN H. STEEDMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIG'NOR TO CURTIS & COMPANY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WELLSTON, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

FROG AND SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed July 6, 1914. Serial No. 849,316.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN H. STEEDMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Frogs and Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cast metal railway frogs and switches, and particularly to the means used in such structures for connecting the running rails to the cast metal body portion of the structure.

()ne object of my invention is to provide a railway track structure of the character described that comprises an integral base support at one end of the body portion of same on which the base flanges of the running rails rest, and means for causing the rails to be forced downwardly onto said base support, and also drawn laterally toward integral extensions on said body portion and held securely in position when the devices that secure the running rails in position are being tightened.

Another object is to provide a railway rack structure of the character described which comprises a foot guard that also serves as a nut lock to prevent turning of the nuts on the bolts which secure the running rails in position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a frog that has the maximum strength in the cast body extensions that receive the running rails by reinforcing these extensions and connecting them to the body and to each other by an integral cast base plate.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a frog of a design that can be cheaply cast and finished and be of minimum length to properly connect to the running rails at the heel end.

Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

While I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a cast metal railway frog, I do not wish it to be understood that my invention is limited to such a device, for the invention is applicable to various other kinds of railway track structures in which standard track rails are secured to a cast metal body portion.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of a railway frog constructed in ac cordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the toe end portion of the frog. Fig. is a perspective view partly in cross section of said toe end portion; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the prefer-ed form of my invention, A designates the body portion of a cast metal frog which is provided at its toe end with integral body extensions B to which the running rails C are bolted. Said body portion is also provided with an integral base support D (see Fig. 4), on which the base flanges of the running rails rest, said base support preferably extending across the space between the body extensions B and being integrally connected to said exten sions so as to form a pocket at the toe end of the cast metal body portion A whose side walls embrace the running rails and whose floor or bottom supports the base flanges of the running rails.

Each running rail is connected to itscooperating extension B by means of a separate set of bolts E instead of by long through bolts that pass transversely through both running rails and both body extensions, and means is provided for clamping each running rail downwardly onto the base support D when the rail is drawn laterally toward the extension B to which it is being connected. Each of the body extensions B is provided with a vertically disposed web 1, through which the bolts E pass, and at the upper edge of said web is an inwardly projecting flange or portion 2 that is adjacent to, but preferably spaced slightly away from the outer side face of the head of its cooperating running rail, the underside of said flange 2 having a beveled surface 3 of approximately the same angle as the beveled base flange of the running rail. hen the bolts E are tightened the running rail C will be drawn laterally toward the body extenf sion B and also forced downwardly onto the base support D, owing to the wedging action of the filler F against the inwardly projecting flange 2 on the body extension B. The filler F is straight and of the same cros sectional shape throughout its entire length and in practice I prefer to form said filler from a rolled bar. While I have herein illustrated the filler F as fitting snugly in the space between the running rail and the inner side of the coiiperating extension B, I do not wish it to be understood that it is essential to the successful operation of my invention that the filler bear against the web of the rail, against the underside of the head of the rail and against the inner side ofthe web 1 of the extension B, so long as said filler bears against the beveled surface 3 on said extension and against the beveled surface t on the base flange of the rail. In other words, my invention consists in a structure of the character described in which the filler F is so proportioned and designed that it will bear against the two surfaces 3 and 4 of the structure and thus prevent the rail from moving either vertically or laterally after the bolts have been tightened, the act of tightening the bolts causing the rail to be forced downwardly onto the base support D and also drawn laterally toward the extension B, due to the filler bearing against the two inclined surfaces 3 and 4: on the extension B and on the base flange of the rail, respectively. In practice, the filler F is generally so proportioned that it bears against only the two opposed surfaces 3 and i of the structure, as this simplifies the manufacture of the structure and overcomes the necessity of accurately fitting all surfaces on the filler to the parts between which the filler is arranged. In general outline, however, the filler conforms approximately to one side of the rail, and it is in this sense that the filler is defined in some of the claims as conforming to the shape of the side of the rail. The upper edge of the body extension 13 is preferably inclined downwardly, as. shown in Figs. l and 5, so as to form a riser 5 that will guide the outer flange of a guttered or double flanged wheel upwardly onto the running surface of the bodyportion of the structure, and, in view of the fact that said riser is formed integral with the body, the downward forces of a-passing wheel that act on the riser will be transmitted directly to the base support D withoutsubjecting the bolts E to cross strains. Thlsis also true of the downward forces that are exerted on the head of the running rail against the body extensions as the running rail rests snugly on the base plate D. The result is that there is little tendency for the bolts E to work loose, as the downward forces exerted by a passing wheel are transmitted directly to the integral base support D of the structure without subjecting the bolts to cross strains or shearin strains. At the opposite side ofthe vertical web of the running rail is a washer bar G that conforms approximately to the shape of one side of the rail and fits between the head and the base flange of the rail.

With a structure of the character described it is not necessary to machine, bend or otherwise shape the ends of the running rails in order to make them fit the cast metal bodyportion of the structure, and therefore the running rails can be attached quickly and easily. After being attached the running rails and cast metal body portion are practically rigid, owing to the fact that the rails rest upon an integral base support on the body portion and are wedged tightly down on same by the fillers F which are inning rails and the inwardly projecting flanges 2 on the upper edges of the body extensions B, said fillers being so designed that they transmit the downward forces exerted on the risersand on the heads of the rails directly to the integral base support D. of the structure.

A foot guard H is arranged betweenthe terposed between the base flanges of the runrunning rails, as shown in Fig. 3, and said 7 foot guard is so designed that it serves as a nut lock for the nuts on the inner ends of the bolts E. As shown in Fig. 5 the foot guard H is provided with pockets 6 thatreceive the nuts on the inner ends of the bolts E, the side walls of said pockets bearing against the edges of said nuts, and thus preventing them from turning. The foot guard herein shown consists of a hollow casting of substantially wedge-shape in outline that is provided with two pockets 6 which extend transversely across the entire width of same, but said foot guard could be formed in various other ways without departing from my broad idea, which consists From the foregoing it is obvious that the pocket formed by the body extensions and base plate which receives the end of the running rail is of 'such a form that it may be accurately and cheaply molded and cast, and of a shape that is readily inspectable and cleaned in the foundry, therefore cheap and practical as to manufacture, as well as of proper function in operation. The particular design of my frog gives great strength to the body extensions, as the integrally cast base plate connects each extension to the other and ties them most strongly to the body, and also adds greatly to the safety factor in my frog, for if one body extension were to break oil", the base plate would keep the running rail on the broken side in place and prevent accident to the train running over the frog, while, without the base plate, the breaking of a body extension would permit the running rail to spread and wreclr the train without any warning.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A railway track structure of the character described. provided with integral extensions to which the running rails are secured, an integral support on said body portion on which the base f anges of the running rails rest, and fillers arranged between said extensions and running rails'that clamp the rails to said support.

2. A railway track structure of the character described, comprising a body portion provided with integral extensions to which the running rails are secured, a support for said rails integrally connected to said body portion and extensions, and fillers arranged between said extensions and running rails that clamp the base flanges of said rails downwardly on said support.

3. A railway track structure of the character described, comprising a cast metal body portion provided at one end with a pocket for receiving the running rails, the base flanges of said rails resting on the bottom of said pocket, fillers interposed between the side walls of said pocket and said rails for clamping the rails downwardly on the bottom of the pocket, and means for securing the rails to said side walls.

i. A railway track structure of the character described, comprising a body portion provided at one end with integral rail extensions and with a supporting base on which the base flanges of the running rails rest, means for securing the running rails to said extensions, and means for forcing the rails downwardly onto said support, said means consisting of fillers having inclined faces that are interposed between said extensions and said rails.

A railway track structure of the character described, comprising a body portion provided at one end with integral extensions, each of which is arranged on the outer side of the running rail with which it coa cast metal body portion provided at one end with a base support on which the running rails rest and with integral extensions to which the running ails are bolted, portions on said extensions that lie adjacent the outer sides of the heads of the rails, and a filler interposed between each of said rails and its cooperating extension and designed in such a manner that it clamps the base flange of the rail tightly to said support.

7. A. railway track structure of the character described, comprising a cast metal body portion provided at one end with an integral support on which the base flanges of the rails rest and having extensions to which the track rails are bolted, risers on said extensions, and devices interposed between said risers and the base flanges of the rails for transmitting the downward forces on said risers directly to the base flanges of the rails, thus operating to securely clamp said base flanges to said support.

8. A railway track structure of the character described, comprising a cast metal body portion provided at one end with a support on which the base flanges of the rails rest and also extensions that are arranged on the outside of the rails, a separate set of fastening devices for each rail which draws the rail laterally into engagement with its cooperating extension, and independent means for clamping the rails downwardly on said support.

9. A railway track structure of the character described, comprising a cast metal body portion provided at one end with a support on which the base flanges of the rails rest and also extensions that are arranged on the outside of the rails, a separate set of fastening devices for each rail which draws the rail laterally into engagement with its cooperating extension, inwardly projecting portions on said extensions that lie adjacent the side faces of the heads of the rails, and means interposed between the inwardly projecting portions of said extensions and the base flanges of the rails for clamping said base flanges tightly to said support when the fastening devices are being tightened.

10. In a railway track structure of the character described, a body portion provided at one end with a rail extension having an inwardly projecting portion that lies adja cent the side of the head of the rail, the underside of said inwardly projecting portion being beveled, a support on said body portion on which the base flange of the rail rests, and a filler interposed between the rail and said rail extension and having inclined surfaces that bear on the top face of the base flange oi the rail and against the beveled surface on said rail extensions.

11. Ina railway track structure of the character described, a body portion provided at one end with a rail extension having an inwardly projecting portion that lies adjacent the side of the head of the rail, the underside of said inwardly projecting portion being beveled, a support on said body portion on which the base flange of the rail rests, and a filler arranged between therail and said rail extension and conforming to the shape of the side of the rail and the underside of the inwardly projecting portion on said rail extension.

12. In a railway track structure of the character described, a body portion provided at one end with a rail extension having an inwardly projecting portion that lies adjacent the side of the head of the rail, the underside of said inwardly projecting portion being beveled, a support on said body portion on which the base flange of the rail rests, a filler arranged between the rail and said rail extension and conforming to the shape of the side of the rail and the underside of the inwardly projecting portion ,on said rail extension, a reinforcing bar arranged on the opposite side of the web of the rail, and bolts passing transversely through said rail, extension, filler and reinforcing bar to secure the rail in position.

13. In a railway track structure of the character described, converging rails, a

member to which said rails are bolted, and a foot guard interposed loosely between said rails and actingas a nut lockto prevent Copies of this patent. may be obtained for rotation of the nuts on the bolts that secure the rails in position. i V

l-i. In a railway track structure of the character described, converging rails, a member to which said rails are bolted, and a foot guard loosely arranged between the rails and provided with pockets for receiving the nuts on the bolts that secure the rails in position. I v

15. In a railway track structure of the character described, a cast metal body portion provided at one end with rail extensions that are arranged outside of the rails, abase support on which the rails rest, bolts that pass transversely through the webs of the rails and through said extensions, and a foot guard loosely arranged between the rails and provided with means for preventing the nuts on said bolts from turning.

16. In a railway track structure of the character described, a cast metal body portion provided at one end with an integral base support on which the rails rest and with integral extensions that have inwardly projecting flanges that lie adjacent the outer sides of the heads of the rails, fillers interposed between the rails and said rail extensions and designed in such a manner that they clamp the base flanges of the rails tightly on said support, bolts for drawing the rails laterally toward said rail extensions, and a foot guard arranged between the rails and provided with means for preventing the nuts of said bolts from turning.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this nineteeth day of June, 1914.

EDWIN H. STEEDMAN.

Witnesses:

L. P. LESSARD, L. S. BUoKLEs,

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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