US1299634A

US1299634A - Rail-joint.

Info

Publication number: US1299634A
Application number: US17587617A
Authority: US
Inventors: William P Thomson
Original assignee: RAIL JOINT CO
Current assignee: RAIL JOINT Co
Priority date: 1917-06-20
Filing date: 1917-06-20
Publication date: 1919-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 1936-04-08

Description

W. P. THOMSON.

, RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION man JUNE 20,1911. 1 1,299,634, Patented Apr. 8, 1919. 2 s uznshsnur I.

Patented 8, 1919.

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meme/1 WILLIAM I. THoMsoN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Iletters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application filed June 20, 1917. Serial No. 175,876.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. THOMSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in rail joints having for its primary object a construction especially designed to stabilize joints of the type having metal shoe angles and wooden fillers.

' Rail joints of the type embodying wooden fillers and steel shoe angles have been found efiective and reliable in service under ordinary conditions. In order to adapt joints of this character to successfully meet the demands and requirements of modern traific conditions it is proposed by the present invention to provide certain'novel and practical improvements which contribute materially to the serviceability of the wooden filler block, especially in forms of construction where this block occupies the fishing space of the rail, and underlies the head of the rail. To that end, the invention provides means whereby passing loads are met with adequate resistance by the filler block at the proper points, and also provision is made for producing and maintaining a properly directed clamping efieet for the shoe angle. Furthermore, means are provided whereby the angle is utilized not only to produce in the filler block that condition whereby it may be better able to withstand the wheel loads, but also to correct any tendency of the shoe angle, under load conditions, to kick-out from the bottom of the rail.

A further object of the invention is to preferably associate the improvements with a rail joint construction wherein a downward and inward thrust from the filler block onto the top face of thebase flange of the rail may be magnified to a considerable degree so that the upperv part of the wooden filler block beneath the rail head may be sub-- stantially, if not quite, relieved from the necessity of sustaining the upward thrust. At the same time it is proposed to concentrate a maximum density or compression in said upper part of the filler in order to provide and maintain the desirable functions of the invention.

Accordingly, a distinctive and important feature of the invention is the provision of means whereby the upper part of the wooden filler block, adjacent to the top of the bolts, may be so augmented or amplified in density as to focus in this region a materially increased resistance to load thrusts.

Also, to so combine the steel shoe with thefiller block that the tightening of the bolts will not only produce but maintain the preponderant density in'the upper part of the wooden filler, and will cause the base member of the shoe to react upwardly into firm clainping engagement with the bottom of the m1 A further general object of the invention is to provide a construction, characterized by the two principal improvements above referred to, which compels and insures a proper fitting of the joint parts when the bolts are tightened, thus obviating the improper fit some times found in joints of this general type due to improper application by careless workmen.

With these and other objects in viewwhich will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

The fundamental features of the invention, as above indicated, are necessarily susceptible of embodiment in a variety of structures without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, but for the purpose of illustration a few preferred and practical embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a rail joint illustrating one form of the invention wherein the wooden filler block is specially shaped to secure the desired results.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same joint structure in Fig. 1 after the bolts have been tightened, illustrating the substantial obliteration of the sweelled formation of the wooden filler block when the joint is fully tightened.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the use of an additional feature supplementing the resistance of the upper medial portion of the wooden filler block.

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar sectional views upper medial portion of the wooden filler block.

.Fig. 6 is .a sectional view illustrating another modification wherein resistance amplifiers may be combined with the upper medial portion of the wooden filler block to effect the-desired result.

Fig. 7 is'a view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating anauxiliary thrust or wear'element combihed with the structure to still further increase or amplify, in the desired manner, the resistance offered to the wheel loads.

Like references designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The invention in its preferable application possesses special utility when associated with a rail joint structure including a wooden filler block fitting the fishing space of the rail, and a steelshoe angle having a direct clamping engagement with the outer side of the filler block, but is not necessarily limited thereto. However, in order that the essential and distinctive features of the invention may bestbe understood the several suggested embodiments thereof shown in the drawings are illustrated in connection with 1 a rail joint structure including in combination with the rail R and the usual joint bolts, a wooden filler block 1, and a steel shoe angle 2. These principal elements are necessarily included in all forms of the invention, and it will be observed that the shoe angle comprises the upright bolting member 3 and the horizontal inwardly extending base member 4:, the said shoe angle being designed to? clampingly engage the outer side of the filler block so that it will firmly grip the web and top of the base flange of the rail, when the bolts are tight. 7

As above pointed out, one particular fea ture of improvement is the concentration in the upper medial portion of the filler block,

above thecenter line of the bolts, of a pre ponderant density of'compression, so that thispart of the block may afi'ord the maximum of its reslstance to crush under load conditions. The preferable focusing of resistance, to crushing load thrusts, to the upper medial portion of the filler block, as

above mentioned, is based upon observation of a substantial disadvantage of squeezing a filler block too .close to its top, where there is a freely exposed gap between the lower. outer corner of the rail head and the upper of maximum density in the block must be kept low enough to prevent the flow of the top of the block into the open gap, and at the same time it must be kept high enough to focus the effective resistance of the block the embodiment suggested in Fig. 1, it will be seen that this construction involves the feature of forming the filler block with a lateral or horizontally swelledupper part 5 which ineffect produces a lateral enlarge ment of this part of the filler block. In the form shown this lateral enlargement manifests itself in an inner bulge or protuberance 6, adapted to bear against the rail web, and

an outer bulge or protuberance 7 adapted tobe engaged by the inner upper portion of the bolting member 3 above the center line of the bolts. In the initial application of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the filler block preferably fits comparatively loosely in the fishing space so that the bulges or protuberances 6 and 7 are respectively in contact with the rail web and with the shoe angle upright, before the bolts are tightened.

Then, upon the tightening of the bolts.

the initial pressure is necessarily imposed.

through the laterally enlarged or swelled upper part of the filler block. This results in producing a major compression in that zone of the block, whereby a preponderant density is created therein which will more adequately resist the load thrusts than otherwise.

construction shown in Fig. 1, the superf.ullness or swelled effect of the filler block practically disappears and the inner clamping face of the upright bolting member becomes substantially parallel with the opposing -11!) During this drawing-in process, with the outersurface of the filler block, thus obtaining supportforthe outer face of the block throughout. At the same time an upward and inward rocklng movement is imparted ber thereof to exert an upward clamping effect. beneath the rail base. This ultimate '1 2 0 to the shoe angle which causesthe base mem-,

relation of the parts is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and is maintained by .the tightening of the bolts. Also in connection with the construction of Fig. 1 the preferable feature is illustrated as having the opposing contacting faces of the filler block and of the upright bolting member inclined such part free to subserve the'function above ascribed thereto.

Should it be required to distribute the abrasive load impacts on top of the filler, a metal thrust or wear plate 8 may be interposed between the under side of the rail head and the filler block. This is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

By way of illustrating. another modification that may be resorted to in carrying forward the invention, there is suggested in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the expedient of forming in the lower part of the wooden filler block, below the bolt holes, one or more saw kerfs 10 extending longitudinally thereof, and serving to increase the yieldability of this part of the block, at the same time preventing the formation of a fulcrum for the shoe angle below the bolt holes. Accordingly, with such a construction, the tightening of the bolts operates to contract or compress the kerfed lower part of the filler block without increasing the density thereof, thus maintaining the preponderant density in that part of the block above the center line of the bolts, as contemplated by the present invention. Also the effect of this construction is to cause the shoe angle to pull-in, or react in an inward and upward direction at the base. With this construction there may be or may not be em-' ployed the supplemental wear or thrust plate 8 above referred to. Also it should be noted that the saw kerfs 10 may be employed with or without the feature of the lateral enlargement of the upper part of the filler block, though the combination of these features as suggested in Fig. 4 quite effectually assures the functioning of the parts contemplated by the present invention.

A variation of the construction shown in Fig. 4, is suggested in Fig. 5 wherein the same kerfed formation is provided for the wooden filler block, but the upright bolting member of the shoe angle is formed with an inwardly extending head member 11 which is arranged to engage beneath the under side of the rail head and to overlie the top part of the filler block.

Another example of the range of modification that may be employed in carrying forward this invention is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings wherein the upper part of the wooden filler block is shown provided with one or more saw kerfs 12 designed to provide recesses or sockets to accommodate metal strips or plates 18 which act as resistance amplifiers, and necessarily serve to increase the density of the upper medial portion of the filler block as compared with the more yieldable lower part of the block. This embodiment materially augments the resistance in the upper part of the filler to provide an excess of resistance at such part to prevent crushing down of the filler under excessive load. With the resistance amplifiers there may also be employed a supplemental Wear or thrust plate 8 as shown in Fig. 7.

The improved. rail joint construction described herein includes a desirable feature of practical importance. This feature provides for adequate drainage of the joint at the bottom beneath the center of the rail, allowing the water to freely drain from the bottom fiber pieces thus protecting the same against deterioration. This is effected by reason of the base members 4: of the shoes having their inner edges terminating short of the center of the rail and the bottom fiber pieces being correspondingly arranged, so that there is a drainage opening immediately beneath the bottomof the rail at the center thereof between the inner edges of the bottom fiber pieces and the inner edges of the base members of the shoes.-

Various other structural formations may be resorted to in carrying out the present invention, as well as changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, without in any way departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. And, it will also be noted that the claimed improvements may be embodied with or without insulating means, or in other words used for insulated or non'- insulated joints, and furthermore, that even the use of bolts or other clamping means below the rail base would not detract from, or impair the functions of the invention as herein particularly set forth.

I claim:

1. A rail joint including in combination with the rail and joint bolts, a shoe angle, and a Wooden filler block having its maximum density horizontally and longitudinally thereof in an intermediate portion adj acent to the top of the bolt holes 2. A rail joint including in combination with the rail and joint bolts, a shoe angle, and a wooden filler block fitting the fishing space and having the intermediate portion above the center line of the bolt holes subject to greater compression than either of the portions located above and below said intermediate portion.

3. A rail joint including in combination with the rail and joint bolts, a shoe angle, and a wooden filler block provided in an intermediate portion adjacent to thetop of the bolt holes with a longitudinally extending lateral enlargement reducible by the clamping effect of the shoe angle to produce a relatively dense core in the block adjacent to the horizontal plane-located at the tops of the bolt holes.

4. A rail joint including in combination with the rail and joint bolts, a shoe angle, a

, Wooden filler block having kerfs therein, and

means cooperating with said kerfs for producing a maximum density in the medial portion of the upper part of the block adjacent the horizontal plane located at the tops of the bolt holes.

5. A rail joint including in combination with the rail-and joint bolts, a shoe angle, and resistant Ineans'interposed between the rail web and the portion of said shoe angle above the center line of the bolts to produce in this zone a preponderance of resistance to the clamping action of the bolts.

6. A rail joint including in combination with the rail and joint bolts, a shoe angle,

and a Wooden filler block having a horizontally swelled upper part presenting inner and outer projections respectively engaging the rail web and shoe angle, said swelled part being reduc1ble by the clamping effect of the angle to produce a preponderant density in the block above the center of the bolt holes.

7 A rail joint including in combination with the rail and joint bolts, a :shoe angle, anda wooden filler block having a lateral enlargement above the bolt holes, and kerfis therein below the bolt holes.

8. A rail joint including in combination with the rail and joint bolts, a shoe angle, and a wooden filler fblock having a lateral enlargement above the bolt holes and longitudinally extending kerfs below the bolt holes.

9. A rail joint including in combination with the rail and joint bolts, a shoe angle,

and a wooden filler block pnovided-with longitudinaily extending kerfs.

Inxtestimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. WILLIAM P. THOMSON. Witnesses;

E. K. KnRs NER, U. A. DISBROW.

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

. Washing.ton,-.D..O..