US1151097A - Adjustable block for frogs. - Google Patents

Description

B. T. GIBBS, la. ADJUSTABLE BLOCK FOR FRoGs.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22.1915.

gw f .....m M d ma e .m @www COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co..wA5H|NnToN. D, C.

B. T. GIBBS, JR. ADJUSTABLE BLOCK FOR FRoGs.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1915.

Patented Aug. 24,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

.uLuMBm PLANncRAPx-x Co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNTTFD STATES PATENT FFTE@ BENEDICT T. GIBBS, JR., OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MORDEN FROG & CROSSING WORKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE BLOCK FOR IEROGS.

Application led April 22, 1915.

To al] whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENEDIGT T. Grens, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago Heights, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ad justable Blocks for Frogs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad tracks and to the use therein in connection with switch tracks of hard metal frogs well known in the art having extending from one end two separated diverging projections between which two ordinary track rails are to be placed at an angle to each other and secured to the frog. It is common practice to place between such two diverging rails a wedge block performing the double function of forcing the rails into good .contact with the frog projection and iilling the apex of the angular space between the rails while said space is sufiiciently narrow so that the foot of a workman or trespasser could get caught between the rail end portions. `When a one-piece solid metal spacing block is used provided with transverse holes for bolts securing the frog rails and spacing blocks together, it is impossible within the financial limits imposed on the art to make the parts sufiiciently accurate so that they will go together properly in the first instance and so that they will remain in adjustment under various conditions of wear of the parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a two-part wedge device for filling the space between the rail ends, said wedge parts being adjustable with reference to each other and one of them being adjustable with reference to the bolts for securing allthe parts in place so that in installing the device the parts may all be fitted together in proper relationship without undue expense and that later adjustments may be made to compensate for wear as it takes place.

Another object is to make the device adjustable without removing -it from position between the rails.

The invention consists in a device capable of carrying out the foregoing objects, which can be easily and conveniently made and installed, which is satisfactory in use and not readily liable to get out of order.

The invention further consists in the con- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

Serial No. 23,008.

struction and features hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar numerals indicate the same parts throughout the several views, Figure l is a plan view of an entire railroad frog having the rails which are attached at the left hand en d thereof equipped with the device of this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view` partially in section of the wedge or spacing device of this invention removed from the frog and the adjacent rails. Fig. 3 1s an enlarged plan view of the left hand end of Fig. l showing the device of this inventionapplied to the frog. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional end view taken on the line of Fig. l. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the two parts of the wedge separated from each other. Fig. 7 is an end v view of the wedge device in assembled position.

A hard metal frog l0, shown in Fig. l, 1s only one of various frogs of this general typewhich might be shown to illustrate the application of this invention in connection with its two rearwardly extending, angularly placed, projections l2 and 14, shown enlarged in Fig. 3, between which the rails 16 and 18 are rigidly secured in place.

The spacer block or wedge of this invention comprises the two parts 20 and 20, clearly shown in perspective in Figs. 5 and 6, and is, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, made with its side edges 22 and 24 of the same angularity with reference to each other as the angle of the rail 16-l8 when they are in proper position within the frog. This wedge is made of such a height, as clearly appears in Fig. 4, that it fills all the space between the ends of the rails 16-18 except that the upper surface 26 is recessed to permit the passage of the wheel flanges on the wheels which travel along the tracks 16 or 18.

The parts 20 and 20a of the wedge are separated one from the other along the preferably substantially straight line 28 made preferablyl substantially parallel to one of the angular faces 22 or 24 of the wedge, in the particular case here illustrated 24. One of the wedge parts is provided on its face 28, just referred to, with a projecting lug 30 adapted to lie and travel in a correspondingly formed notch or recess 32 in the other part. In the case here illustrated, this recess 32 is in part 2O2L and the lug or rib 30 is on part 2O but, obviously, these locations may be reversed without ldeparting from this invention. At the end ofthe wedge, means is provided for detachably securing the two parts 20 and 20ZL together in different selected positions with reference to each other. In the case here illustrated, this means consists in providing. a pin or cotter pin 34 adapted to pass through one particular hole 36 in one of the wedge parts anda selected one of several differently placed 4holes 38 in an lenlarged portion lof l'the lug 30, `heretofore referred to. In the particular case here illustrated, the holes 38 are staggered with reference to each other along adjacent parallel lines in order to make the effective distance between successive holes shorter than as though Athey were pla-cedon one straight li-ne parallel to face 28. In view of this `disposition of the holes 38, the hole 36 is made in the form of an elongated slot extending transversely of part 20, as shown.

The spacing wedge block, just referred to, is like many prior devices of this character secured in place by bolts 40 passing through the block, adjacent rails 16 and 18 `and the frog projections 12 and 14. These bolts 4L() pass through ordinary round holes 42 in part 20iL made simply large enough yto let the bolts go through in the `ordinary manner, while inthe caseof part 20 of the wedge, holes 4/1 are provided-elongated in the direction of the block, as clearly appears in the figures, so that within proper limits the portion 20 of the block may move lengthwise of portion 2O2L without being stopped by the bolts 4:0.

The result of the construction just 4described is that when the wedge block is put in place between the rai-ls, as illustrated in the igures, and it is found any adjustment is necessary in order to make it lit right and do its work, it is only necessary for the operator to remove the cotter pin 34 and move part 20 of the wedge to the position which will 'make the entire wedge 'lit properly and then insert the cotter pin in the nearest adjacent hole 38, heretofore described. This adjustment may `be made in either direction and it may, ofcourse, be made and, in fact, should 'be made once at thetime all the parts are lirst assembled. Vhen wear takes place the cotter pin 'is removed and the portion 2O v is, after irst loosening the bolts 10, driven -up and the cotter lpin vreplaced in a new hole 38, all this without removing the block from its yposition :in the track.

Having ythus vdescribed my invention, what I claim as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. I-n 'combination with two angu'larly placed rails and transverse bolts lfor securing them together; a wedge shaped spacing and filler block between said rails, pierced by said bolts, and made in two parts permitting one of said parts to slide while in place 'between' the rails with reference to the other in the direction of the length of the rail, the holes, through the movable block part, through which said bolts pass, being elongated in the direction of the length of 4the rails to permit said movement, and means for detachably securing said wedge block parts together in selected different positions -withvreference to each other.

'2. In combination with vtwo angular-ly 'placed rai-ls and transverse bolts for secur- 80 ing them together; a wedge shaped spacing and filler block between saidrails, pierced -bysaid bolts, and made in two parts permitting one of said parts to slide while in place 'between the rails with reference to the other in the direction of the length of the rail, the holes, through the movable block part, through which said bolts pass, being elongated in the direction of the length of the rails to permit said movement, while the -holes in the 'other block part are merely of normal size to receive said bolts, and means for detachably securing said wedge block parts together in selected different positions with reference to each other.

3. In combination with a railway track frog having extending from one end two separate diverging projections, track rails angular to each other placed between said frog projections, and bolts passing through said'frog projections and rails for securing them together; a wedgeshaped spacing' and filler block for forcing said rails into contact with said frog projections, between said rails, pierced by said bolts, and `made in two parts, permitting one of-said parts to slide while in place between the Vrails with reference to the other in the direction of the length' of the rails, the holes 'through said movable block part through rwhich said. bolts pass being elongated in the direction of the length of the rails to permit said movement, and means for detachably securing said wedge block parts together in selected different positions with reference to1115 each other. Y

Il. In combination with a railway track froghavingl extending from one vendi two separate diverging projections, track rails angular to each other placed between said movable block part, through which said bolts pass being elongated in the direction of the length of the rails to permit said movement while the holes in the frog projections, the rails and the other block part through which the bolts pass are lmerely of normal size to receive said bolts, and means for detachably securing said wedge block parts together in selected different positions with reference to each other.

5. In combination with two angularly placed rails and transverse bolts for securing them together; a wedge shaped spacing and filler block between said rails, pierced by said bolts, and made in two parts permitting one of said parts to move with reference to the other in the direction of the length of the rail, the holes, through the movable block part, through which said bolts pass, being elongated in the direction of the length of the rails to permit said movement, a guiding flange on one of said block parts along the surface of separation between them lying in a corresponding recess in the other part, and means acting through said flange and the part in which it lies for selectively securing the block parts in different positions with reference to each other.

6. In cbmbination with two angularly placed rails and transverse bolts for securing them together; a wedge shaped spacing and filler block between said rails, pierced by said bolts, and made in two parts permitting one of said parts to move with reference to the other in the direction of the length of the rail, the holes, through the movable block part, through which said bolts pass, being elongated in the direction of the length of the rails to permit said movement, while the holes in the other block part are merely of normal size to receive said bolts, a guiding flange on one of said block parts along the surface of separation between them lying in a corresponding recess in the other part, and means acting through said flange and the part in which it lies for selectively securing the block parts in different positions with reference to each other.

7 In a device of the class described, two members contacting each other in a straight line movable with reference to each other along said line, a flange or rib on one of said members entering a recess in the other member to prevent lateral displacement of said members with reference to each other while permitting said longitudinal movement, and means coperating with said flange and the one of said parts in which it moves for selectively adjustably securing said part in different positions with reference to each other.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. ,i

BENEDICT T. GIBBS, JR.

lVitnesses:

DWIGHT B. GHEEVER, MAX S. RosENzwnrG.

G'opies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

Images