US1193937A - snodgrass - Google Patents

Description

L. M'. SNODGRASS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l6| 1914.

' 1,1 93,937. Patented Aug. 8, 1516.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

L. M. SNODGRASS.

RML JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED mm 16, i914.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

QN J n mu LESLIE M. SNOIDG-RASS, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY NEUERBURG, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application filed June 16, 1914. Serial No. 845,477.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESLIE M. SNoDGRAss, citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rail joints; and its object is to provide a novel, simple and efiicient joint or connection between the meeting ends of rails which will form a smooth tread surface and prevent pounding of the car Wheels at the joint; which will prevent sagging of the adjoining ends of the rails; which will obviate the use of fish plates and similar splicing devices; which will allow free expansion and contraction under climatic changes; and which will hold the ends of the rails securely locked or tied together.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a detail perspective view illustrating the manner in which the meeting ends of the rails are joined; Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the formation of one of the rail ends; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the other or meeting rail end; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the rail ends properly joined; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1 and 2 designate respectively the rails to be joined, the adjacent terminals or meeting ends of the respective rails being adapted for complementary engagement as shown.

Rail 1 is longitudinally cut away as indicated at 3 to form a vertically inclined shoulder 4. A longitudinal recess 5 is formed in the rail section 1, the base or bottom of the recess 6 being cut at an angle as is also the longitudinal wall 7 thereof, this formation, as will hereinafter appear, prov1d1ng a biting edge adapted for engagement with the under side of a complementary rib, flange or projection 8 formed integrally with the adjacent or meeting end of rail 2.

A second vertically inclined shoulder 9 is formed upon the rail 1, the inclination of said shoulder 9 being opposite to the inclination of shoulder 4 abOVe mentioned, the said shoulder 9 being formed preferably at a point equidistant the terminals of extension 10 of rail 1 formed by that portion of the rail cut away. Between shoulder 9 and the free end of rail 1, the said free end being also cut at an inclination as indicated at 11, the inclination being substantially parallel to that of shoulder 9,1 provide a rib,'enlargement or extension12 integral with the extension 10 and shaped to fit a longitudinal recess 13 therefor in extension 14" of rail section 2. Extensions or enlargements 12 and 8 and recesses 5 and 13 are the same in formation thereby providing effective means whereby the rail ends are held in longitudinal alinement and against sagging often apparent in rail joints heretofore conceived after incessant pounding of car wheels thereupon.

The engaging face of rail 2, particularly extension 14 thereof, is complementary to the engaging face of rail 1, particularly extension 10 thereof; the said complementary extension, when the rails are properly joined through the medium of bolts or like fastening elements 15 presenting a smooth tread at the joint, the fastening elements preventing lateral movement of one of the rails independently of the other and holding the extensions 10 and 14 firmly in engage ment. The openings 16 through which fastening elements 15 extend are slightly elongated as shown, this formation allowing for expansion and contraction of the rails due to climatic changes. Extensions 8 and 12 are slightly smaller in their longitudinal dimension than the respective recesses 5 and 13, this being shown to advantage in Fig. 7. To properly assemble, it is but necessary to incline the rails relatively to permit the downturned edges 8 and 13 to enter the recesses therefor.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is apparent that by providing the several vertically inclined shoulders, the rails are additionally held against displacement relatively to each other, the said shoulders serving to at all times maintain the adjoining rails in longitudinal alinement; that the extensions 8 and 12, by reason of their peculiar formation bitingly engage the respective or complementary walls of the recesses therefor, thus preventing sagging of the rail ends when in use; and that by enlarging the webs of the respective rails 1 and 2, as shown to advantage in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the recesses or extensions may be formed in the rails without weakening or in any way injuring their qualities of strength.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form'of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus fully described my invennals, a shoulder formed at an angle to the 'VGXlZlCfll and at the inner end of each extension, a shoulder formed at an angle to the vertical and upon each extension intermediate its ends, a shoulder formed at an angle to the vertical and at the outer end of each extension, the inner shoulder and the intermediate shoulder of each extension extending at an angle to each other, a biting edge laterally engaging a longitudinally extending projection formed upon the inner face of each of the said extensions betweenthe outer shoulder and the intermediate shoulder to engage in a complemental recess therefor formed in the other of the said extensions between the intermediate shoulder and the inner shoulder, the under face of each projection extending at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, and a means transversely penetrating the complemental extensions to maintain the rail ends joined.

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

LESLIE M. SNODGRASS. Witnesses:

C. C. BALDWIN, D. A. E. FRINK.

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

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