US1221899A

US1221899A - Rail-joint.

Info

Publication number: US1221899A
Application number: US10048816A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alphonso T Palmer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1916-05-29
Filing date: 1916-05-29
Publication date: 1917-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 1934-04-10

Description

A. TJPALMER.

' RAIL JOINT APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. I9I6.

Patented Apr. 10,1917.

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ALPI-IO'NSO '1. PALMER," or CICERO, rumors.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented a ore Application as May 29, 1916. Serial No. 100,488.

Illinois, have invented certain new and use- 'ful Improvements in Rail-Joints,-of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to'rail joints, and

has for its object, the provision of simple and efficient means for connecting adjacent ends of railway rails. appear hereinafter.

An embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of two abutting rail ends equipped with means for fas tening them together in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section of the same taken on line 22 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1; and, i

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of the invention.

My invention is adaptable for embodiment in rail joints for joining rails of conventional patterns where the rails are in abutting relation. 1 4

Referring more particularly to the drawing, two rail ends 4 and 5 are shown in abutting relation. Under the rail ends is a plate 6, which is adapted to rest on the ties 7 and facilitate making the joint rigid. In order to further strengthen the plate 6, I provide a depending projection 8 which is formed immediately under the joint between the rail ends 4 and 5 and between the ties 7. The purpose of the projection 8 is to strengthen the plate vertically and form a sort of bridge between the rail ends 4 and 5. At one side of the rail ends 4 and 5, is a fish-plate 9, which may be of conventional construction, or of the construction shown, wherein the fish-plate engages the under sides 10 of the heads 11 of the rail ends 4 and 5 at its upper edge, and the flanges 12 of said rail ends at its lower edge. The

fish-plate shown has an extension 13 which reaches over the flanges 12, and is provided with notches to receive spikes 14, which are adapted to hold the joint on the ties 7 in the usual manner. spacing the inner side of the fish-plate slightly from the webs 15 of the rail ends, and letting it engage the heads 11 and Other objects will It is found that, by

flanges 12, a more rigid joint is formed than where the plates are clamped against the webs 15, due to thewedging action of the fish-plate between said heads and flanges.

At the other side of the rail ends 4 and o, 1 provide a fish-plate 16, which has its inner surfacespaced slightly from the webs 1 ,,and-1ts upper and lower edges engaging the heads 11 and flanges 12 in a manner to wedge the fish-plate 16 tightly against the webs and flanges of the rail ends 4 and 5.

,Through the web 15 and the fish-plates 9 and 16 are bolts 17. The bolts 17 are provided with nuts 18, which are shown as having enlargements 19 thereon. The en largements 19 are provided to form larger bearing surfaces for the under sides of the nuts.

Between each pair of bolts 17 is a curved leaf spring 20, which is curved laterally of the rail ends with its upper and lower edges resting against the fish-plate 16, and its central portion engaging. against nuts 18. The arrangement is such that when the nuts 18 are tightened, the springs are flattened out substantially against the fish-plate 16, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. This flattening of the springs 20 provides considerable pressure on the outer side of the fish-plate near its top and bottom edges, which cooperating with the bolts 17 binds the fishplates 9 and 16 tightly against the rail ends forming a substantially rigid joint, and yet providing sufficient looseness to accommodate the contraction and expansion of the rail ends.

The nuts 18 are preferably cut away, as at 21, around the bolts, so that. only the edge portions of the nuts will engage the springs.

At the remote sides of the end bolts of the joint, I provide projections 22, substantially of heights equal to the thickness of the springs 2D,'so that the nuts 18 on the end bolts will rest on said extensions 22 attheir remote sides to prevent'bending the bolts.

"The springs 20 are limited against downbe provided with an extension 24' along its upper edge to permit of the springs 20 being formed wider than if the extensions 24 were omitted, thereby giving more flexibility to the springs.

The springs 20 are preferably rectangular in form, and of substantially'the same thickness-throughout. They are preferably cut away at their corners, as at 25, Fig. 1, to render the lateral edge portions thereof more flexible than their central portions. 'In the drawing, the corners are shown as rounded, but any particular form may be employed, when so desired, in cutting away the corners. This construction provides springs without any notches or markings which tend to cause the springs to break in use.

I preferably provide longitudinal grooves 26 in the fish-plate 16, under the springs 20, to provide air spaces to ventilate the joint. By the provision of the grooves 26, air can get to the under sides of the sirings 20. This prevents water from standing under the springs and rusting them away.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a slightly modified formof my invention. there are two fish-plates 27 alike in form and construction. A bolt 17 passes through the fish-plates and webs 15 in the same manner, as that shown in Figs. 1 ,to 3 inclusive. In this form, the outer surfaces of the fish plates are curved. In this form the springs 20 are flat when not in use, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. When tension is ting rail ends having the usual heads, webs I and are straightened out by putting stress on them to hold the joint together, and in Fig. 4 the springs are straight, and bent by putting stress on them to make the joint tight. The fish-plates 27 fit between the under sides of the heads 11 and the top sides of the flanges 12 in both forms.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, I provide a plate 29, under the flanges 12 of the rail.

The lateral edges of the plate 29 are bent upwardly around the remote edges of the flanges 12 to prevent lateral movement of the rail ends with respect to each other. As indicated in dotted lines, one edge of the plate is left partly bent before the plate is applied to the joint, and after it is applied, it is bent to the form shown in full lines. The plate 29 may extend a length equal to plate 6, .or shorter, if desired, but must engage both rail ends 4 and 5, in order to prevent relative lateral movement thereof.

I claim:

1. A rail joint comprising a pair of abutand flanges; fish-plates on opposite sides of the rail ends; bolts passing through said rail ends and fish-plates; and leaf springs oetween and engaging said bolts on one of In this figure" the fish-plates, said springs being curved laterally of the-rail ends and having their Strengths diminished gradually from their central portions toward their lateral edges.

2. A rail joint comprising a pair of abutting rail ends having the usual heads, webs and flanges; fish-plates on opposite sides of the rail ends; bolts passing through said rail 'ends and fish-plates; and leaf springs between and engaging said bolts on one fish plate, said springs being substantially rectangular with their corners cut away rendering the springs stronger in their central portions than at their lateral edge portions.

3. A rail joint comprising a pair of abutting rail ends having the usual heads, webs and flanges; fish-plates at opposite sides of the rail ends; bolts passing through said rail ends and fish-plates; curved leaf springs between the bolts on one fish-plate having their central portions curved laterally with respect to the rail ends away from the fishplate, the corner portions of the springs being cut away to render opposite edge portions of the springs more flexible than the central portions, and nuts threaded on the bolts clamping the springs against the fishplates.

4. A rail joint comprising a pair of abutting rail ends having the usual heads, webs and flanges; fish-plates on opposite sides of the rail ends; bolts passing through said rail ends and fish-plates; leaf springs disposed between said bolts on one of the fishplates and engaging the to sides of the flanges at one side of the red ends; and a head on one of the fish-plates limiting u-pward movements of the springs.

5. A rail joint comprising a. pair of abutting rail ends having the usual heads, webs and flanges; fish plates at opposite sides of the rail ends; bolts extending through the rail ends and fish plates; leat' springs disposed between said bolts on one of said fish plates; and nuts threaded on the bolts holding the springs against said fish plate, there being grooves in the fish plate under said springs permitting the free passage of air under said springs when the latter are brought tightly against said fish plate.

6. A rail joint comprising a pair of abutting rail ends having the usual heads, webs and flanges; fish-plates on opposite sides of the rail ends, engaging the lower sides of said heads and the upper sides of said flanges and spaced from'said webs; bolts passing through said webs and fish-plates; springs disposed between the bolts and having their top and bottom edges engaging one of the fish-plates and their central portions curved away from said fish-plates; and nuts threaded on the bolts pressing on the curved portions of the springs for holding the latter tightly against the fish-plate.

7. A rail joint comprising a pair of abutmaneee ting rail ends having the usual heads, webs and flanges; fish plates at opposite sides of the rail ends; a leaf spring disposed against one of the fish plates and having its strength diminished gradually from a median line thereof toward its edges at the sides of said median line; and bolts passing through the rail ends and fish plates and engagingapproximately said median line of the springs holding the latter under compression.

8. A rail joint comprising a pair of abutting rail ends having the usual heads, webs and flanges; fish-plates at the side of the rail ends, spaced from said webs and engaging said heads and flanges, one of the fish-plates having a groove in its outer side;

curved springs on the fish-plate oversaid groove, said springs being curved laterally of the rail ends outwardly from the fishplate at their central portions, the corner portions of said springs being cut away to render the upper and lower edge portions more flexible than the central portions thereof; and nuts threaded on the bolts holding the rail ends, fish-plates and springs together.

9. A rail joint comprising a pair of abutting rail ends having the usual heads, webs and flanges; fish plates on opposite sides of the rail ends; leaf springs on one of said fish plates, each of said springs being substantially rectangular with its corners cut away rendering it stronger at its central portion than at its edge portions; bolts passing through the rail ends and fish plates between said springs and holding the latter under compression; and means on said fish plate at the upper edges of said springs preventing upward movement of the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, on this 27th day of May, D. 1916.

ALPHONSO T. PALMER.