US1207140A - Track-brace for railroads. - Google Patents

Description

P. E. {)UNNINGHAM.

TRACK BRACE FOR RAILROADS- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. I916.

1,207,140. Patented Dec. 5,1916.

. 1 P v r 1 i t STATES PTET FFICE.

TBACK-IBRACE FOR RAILROADS.

Application filed June 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, PERCY E. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waverly, in the county of Humphreys, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Braces for Railroads; and I do hereby 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 track braces for railroads and has for its object to provide a brace designed to hold the rails of the railroad track parallel so that they will not spread under heavy traflic or from other causes.

Another object is to provide a brace which may be applied to a track at any point, without removing the rails from the ties.

Another object is to provide a brace which will perform its function independently of the ties or any other portions of the track already constructed.

Another object is to provide a brace which may be quickly and easily applied without the necessity for skilled labor.

Another object is to provide a device including pivoted members, but which will also include an arrangement, independent of the pivots which will receive the stress incident to the spreading tendency of the rails, so as to prevent breaking or distortion of the pivot, so that the brace may be removed from the track if desired without difficulty.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a section through a railroad track showing the pres ent device engaged therewith; Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the present device as it is being engaged with the rails, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device removed from the track. with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings the present invention comprises two bars 5 and 6. These bars are disposed in overlapped relation at their inner ends, and a pivot pin 7 is engaged therethrough adjacent to the inner extremity of the bar 5. Thus, if the pivot point is raised above the outer ends of the bars, the inner end of the bar 6 will be elevated above the bar 5. A transverse recess 8 is formed in the upper edge of the bar 5 outwardly of the pivot pin 7 but in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 106,660.

the portion of the bar 5 which is overlapped by the bar 6. A laterally extending plate 9 is firmly secured to the upper edge portion of the bar 6 in position to lie within the recess 8 and to engage the end walls thereof when the bars are in the same plane. The outer ends of the two bars are provided with transverse recesses 5 and 6 in their upper faces to receive the base flanges of rails indicated at 10 in the drawings. The inner walls of these recesses 5 and 6 are out under asindicated at 11 to form lips 12 which engage over the base flanges of the rails when the device is in position. At the opposite side of the recess 8 from the pivot pin 7 the overlapping portions of the bars 5 and 6 are provided with openings 13 which register when the device is in position upon a track for the reception of a fastening device 14.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the brace is applied to the track by moving the two bars upon the pivot pin to elevate the inner end of the bar 6. The outer ends of the bars are then disposed between the rails and the lips 12 are engaged over the inner edges of the base flanges 10. The inner ends of the bars are then depressed, which moves the outer ends of the bars so that the base flanges of the rails are received in the recesses 5 and 6. At the same time the plate 9 enters the recess 8 to prevent movement of the bars below the horizontal, and the fastening device 14 is then engaged in the openings 13. This brings the inner walls of the recesses 5 and 6' against the inner edges of the base flanges and disposes the outer walls of these recesses against the outer edges of the base flanges so that the rails are held in parallel relation.

It will be noted that, by reason of the arrangement of the plate 9, it is this plate which receives the greatest stress incident to the tendency of the rails to spread. Since the edge of the plate which lies in the direction of the pivot pin 7 engages the corresponding wall of the recess 8, there is formed an interlock between the two bars and thus breaking or bending of the pivot pin is prevented.

What I claim is A railroad track brace comprising two arms overlapped at their inner ends and having rail receiving recesses in their outer ends, a pivot pin engaged through the over- In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, 1n the presence of tWo wltnesses.

PERCY E. CUNNINGHAM.

lVitnesses H. C. CARTER, ROY CARTER.

lapped portions of the tWo arms adjacent to the inner end of one of the arms, and a laterally extending plate carried by the other arm between the pivot pin and the inner end of said arm, the first mentioned arm having a recess for the reception of the laterally extending plate.

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

Washington, D. C.

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