US1320572A

US1320572A - Rail-joint

Info

Publication number: US1320572A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1936-11-04

Description

H. F. ROACH'. mm mm. wru'cmow FILED mm; 1919.

Patented N 0v. 4, 1919.

HARRY F. ROACH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Application filed January 6, 1919. Serial No. 269,819.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. RoAoH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a rail joint of the particulartype described in In prior U. S.

atent No. 1,258,252, dated arch 5, 1918, namely, a rail joint in which the rails move vertically at the ends of the joint, both upwardly and downwardly under load, and fulcrum on the side members of the joint at separated points in proximity to the center bolts of the joint.

The main object of my present invention is to rovide a rail joint, which, in addition to possessing all of the 00d points and characteristics of the rail oint described in.

my rior patent previously referred to, has the ollowing desirable features which make it an improvement on my said prior joint; it can be rolled; it has rail engaging surfaces which can be formed from material that has great wear resisting properties and it is provided with inexpensive renewable parts that receive practically all of the wear to which the joint is subjected when the joint is in service.

Briefly described, m improved 'oint consists of two side mem rs, each 0 which is composed of a renewable fulcrum member that is arranged in engagement with the rails atthe center of the joint, and a, longitudinally-disposed bar that holds said renewable fulcrum member in engagement with the rails in such a manner that it provides fulcrum points on which the under sides of the heads and the upper sides of the base flanges of the rails beer at points a slight distance at either side of the exact center of the joint, said bar being so formed that it will not interfere with the vertical movement of the rails at the ends ofthe joint, bot-h upwardly and downwardly, when the rails fulcrum on said fulcrum member under load. Said bar is preferably of constant cross section, thereby enablin it to be rolled easily, and it can be forme of comparatively soft metal in view of the fact that 'it is subjected to relatively little wear or abrasion when the joint is in service. The

renewable fulcrum member can either be rolled, forged or ressed and it can be formed from material that has great wear resisting properties, such, for example, as high carbon steel, heat treated.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side'elevational view of a rail joint constructed in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said rail joint, partly in horizontal section.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the joint, showing one of the side members in vertical cross section.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the renewable fulcrum members; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevational views, illustrating renewable fulcrum members of slightly different form.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates two abutting rails which are embraced by the two side menrbers of the joint, each of which side members is composed of a bar B that extends longitudinally of the rails and a renewable fulcrum member C arranged at the center of the joint and combined with said bar in such a manner that it will be held in engagement with the under sides of the heads of the rails and the upper sides of the base flanges of the rails.

The renewable fulcrum member C preferably conforms approximately to the fishing section of the rails and is provided with two rail engaging portions 1 and 2 that are disposed at substantially the same angles as the under sides of the heads of the rails and the upper sides of the base flanges of the rails. Said rail en 'ng' portions 1 and 2 are connected toget iia by a vertical web 3 that is provided with notches 4, as shown in Fig. 4, or holes 4, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, for receiving the center bolts 5 of the joints. The web 3 can be of the same or less thickness as the rail engaging portions 1 and 2,. as the only function that said web performs is to hold the rail engaging portions 1 and 2 in proper s aced relation and revent said member from moving longitudinally in either direction. The bar B is so shaped that when it is first arranged in engagement with the renewable member C, the rail en gagin portions 1 and 2 of said member will hold e bar in such a osition with relation to the rails that the en portions of said bar will be spaced away from the webs of the 110 tions 1 and 2 said portions,

rails before the end bolts 6 of the joint are tightened. l

0 install the joint the renewable {fulcrum members C are first arranged at the opposite sides of the ra'ls at the center of the joint and the bar B are then inserted between the rail engaging portions 1 and 2 of the lrenewable member C. The center bolts 5 are then tightened so as to draw the bars B into snug engagement with the rail en 'ng portions 1 and 2 of the arts C, an t ereafter the end bolts 6: of t e joint are ti htened so as to draw the end portions of t e bars B inwardly into engagement with the webs of the rails, as shown 1n Fig. 2. The 'center portions of the bars B are prevented? from moving inwardly toward the rails by the engagement of 'the upper and lower edges of said bars with the rail en ging portions 1 and 2 on the renewable fu crum members C. Consequently, when the end bolts 6 of the joint are tightened, the bars B will bow out slightly at the center of the joint, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby causing said bars to exert pressure on the rail engaging porof the members C at the ends of said members, and consequently, producing a slight relief between the bars B and the rail engaging portions 1 and 2 at the center of the joint. In other words, the operation of ti htening the end boltsfi causes the bars B to orce the ends of the rail engagaing portions 1 and 2 into snug engagement with the heads and base flan es of the rails, thereby causing the rails to lcrum on the ends of the rail engaging surfaces 1 and 2 of the renewable fulcrum member C in substantially the same manner that the rails fulcrum on the rail engaging surfaces of the. side members of the oint described in my prior patent previously referred to. The upper and lower edges of the bars B of course bear against the rail engaging portions 1 and 2 throughout the entire length of said rail engagin portions, but the actual fulcrum points 0 the rails on the portions 1 and 2 are at the ends of due to the fact that when the ends of the bars B are drawn inwardly sufficiently to bow out the center, portions of said bars, a slight relief will be provided between said bars and the intermediate portions of the rail engaging surfaces 1 and 2 on which the extreme ends or the rails bear. While I have herein shown the rail engaging portions 1 and 2 of the joint constructed in such a manner that they contact with the heads and base flanges of the rails throughout the entire length of said portions, it will, of course, be obvious that the rail engaging portion 1 and 2 could be so constructed that they would not bear against the terminals or extreme ends of the rails. I prefer to construct the renewable fulcrum members C in the manner herein terminals of 'rails, each of said illustrated, however, because such a design simplifies the operation of manufacturing the joint and it is as eflicient as a design in which the rail engaging portions 1 and 2 are of such shape that they do not contact dicectly with the terminals of the rails.

A- rail joint of the construction above described. permits the wave motion of the rails throughout the track to be continued uniform] through the joints of the track; it provi es a slight relief for the terminals or extreme ends of the rails at the center of the joint, thereby reducing the stiffness of the portions of the rails that are embraced by the side members of the joint; it can be manufactured at a low cost, owing to the fact that the bars B can be rolled and the renewable fulcrum members C can either be rolled, forged or pressed; it is of such design that the rail engaging surfaces ofsame can be formed of high carbon steel or other metal that has great wear resisting properties and it can be maintained in a highly efiicient condition, with minimum trouble and expense, owing to the fact that the only portions'of same which are subjected to severe wear are the renewable fulcrum members C. When the joint is in service there is practically no slippage between the bars B and the fulcrum member C. Consequently, the bars B can be used indefinitely, as they are subjected to little or no wear when the joint is in service.

In instances where the center bolts of the joint are spaced relatively far apart, the web of the renewable fulcrum member 0 is provided with lateral extensions, as shown in Fig. 5, equipped with holes 4* through which the center bolts pass.

I preferi to form member O in one piece, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, but, if desired, the renewable fulcrum member can be composed of two horizontally-divided sections 7, as shown in Figi 6.

avin g thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A rail joint provided with side members that are arranged on opposite sides of the rails each of said side members being com use of a renewable fulcrum member havlng portions that bear against the heads and base flanges of the rails, and a bar or member that holds said fulcrum member in engagement with the rails in such a manner that a slight relief is provided at the center of the joint for the extreme ends or terminals of the rails. 1

2,, A rail joint provided with side members that are arranged on opposite sides of the side members being composed of a renewable fulcrum member having portions that bear against the heads and base flanges of the rails, and a bar or memthe renewable fulcrum I an au her that holds said part in engagement with the rails in such a manner that the rails will fulcrum on said fulcrum member at points in proximity to the center'bolts of the joint.

3. A rail joint, comprisin side members arranged on opposite sides 0 the rails, each of said side members being composed of a renewable fulcrum member having rail engagin portions that bear against the unersi es of the heads and the upper sides of the base flan esof the rails, and a bar for member combined: with said renewable fulcrum member in such a manner that when the end bolts of the joint are tightened the ends of said rail enga ing portlons will be forced. into suflicientgr snug engagement with the rails to form fulcrum points for the rails located at either side of the center of the joint.

4. A rail joint, comprising side members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and each composed of a renewable fulcrum member having rail en aging portions whose ends bear against t e heads and the base flanges of the rails and form fulcrum points for the rails at points in proximity to the center bolts of the joint, and a bar or member for holding said renewable fulcrum member in position, constructed in such a manner that it does not interfere with the vertical movement of the rails upwardly and downwardly when the rails fulcrum on said fulcrum member under load.

5. A rail joint, comprising side members arranged on opposite sides of the rails and each composed of a renewable fulcrum member having rail engaging portions which bear against the under sides of the heads and the top sides of the base flanges of the rails, and a bowed bar or member for holding said renewable fulcrum member in position, the end portions of said bar being spaced away from the heads and base flanges of the rails, for the purpose described.

6. 'A rail joint member, comprising a fulcrum member provided with rail en ging portions that bear against the hea s and the base flanges of the rails, and a longitudinally-disposed bar or member combined with said fulcrum member in such a manner that when the end bolts of the joint are tightened the intermediate portion of said bar will be bowed out at the center of the joint, thereby causing the bar to force the ends of said rail engaging portions into sufficiently snugengagement with the heads and base flanges of the rails to form fulcrum points for the rails located far enough away from the center of the joint to provide a slight relief for the terminals of the rails.

7. A rail joint member composed of a fulcrum member adapted to be arranged at the center of the joint and provided with rail engaging portions that cooperate with the heads and base flanges of the rails, and a longitudinally-disposed bar or. member inrposed between said rail en a 'ng port ons and so designed that it W1 1 e spaced far enough away from the webs of the rails to cause the center ortion of said bar to bow out when the and tightened, thereby causin the rail engaging portions on said fu crum member to bear against the rail in such a manner that a slight relief is provided for the terminals of the rails when the 'oint is in service.

8. A rail joint mem er, comprising a renewable fulcrum member that conforms a proximately to the fishin section of t e rails and which is adapts to be arranged at the center of the joint between the heads and base flanges of the rails, and a bar or member adapted to be arranged longitudinally of the rails with its intermediate por-.

tion bowed outwardly and its upper and lower edges bearing against portions on said renewable fulcrum member that'cobolts of the joint are olperate with the heads and base flanges of t e rails to form fulcrums for the rails,

said bar being so designed that it will not contact with the heads and base flanges of the rails at the ends of the joint when the rails fulcrum on said fulcrum member.

9. A renewable fulcrum -member for rail joints, consisting of a member adapted to be arranged at the center of the joint at one side of the rails and provided at its up er edge with a rail engagin portion of ess length than the distance tween the and bolts of the.joint that coiiperates with the heads of the rails.

10. A renewable fulcrum member for rail joints of the type referred to, consisting of a member of ess length than the joint adapted to be arran d in engagement with the under sides of t e heads of the rails in proximity tothe center bolts of the joint.

11. A renewable fulcrum member for rail. joints, of the type referred to, consisting of a member of less length than the distance between the end bolts of the joint ,and provided at its upper side with a rail engaging portion that forms fulcrum points the rails located adjacent the center bolts of the joint.

12. A renewable fulcrum member for rail joints, of the type referred to, consistin of a member of less length than the joint, adapted to be arranged at the center of the joint at one side of the rails and provided with rail engaging ortions that cooperate with the heads and ase flanges of the rails to form fulcrum ointsfor the rails located in proximity to t e center bolts of the joint.

13. A renewable fulcrum member for rail joints of the ty e referred to, consisting of amember of su stanti'ally channel shape in vertical cross section that is ada ted to be arranged at the center of the joint at one side of the rails, the flanges at the upper and lower edges of said rail engaging portions whose ends nate in proximity joint.

member constituting termito the center bolts of the 14. A. renewable fulcrum member for rail joints of the type a member posed web 1: lat extends of the rails of the join portions on said web the heads and baseflen rail engaging portions referred to, consisting of rovided with a vertically-disparallel to the webs t, and rail engaging1 that cooperate wit es of the rails, said eing of less length then the distance between the end bolts of the joint. A renewable fulcrum member for rail jomts of the ty referred to, consisting f a honzontallyivided member adapted to be arran 7 d at the center of the joint at one side of t e rails and provided with rail enaginJ portions of less length than the disanee etween the end bolts of the 'oint that cooperate with the heads and base anges of the rails. V

' HARRY F. ROACH.

Correcuons in Letters Patent No 1,320.572.

It is horoby oertifioo that in Letters Potent No. 1,320,572, gnntod November 4, 1919, upon the applicot ion of Hang F. Roach, of St. Louis, Missouri, for an improvement in Rail-Joints, arrors aiapear in the printed specification requirin con-action as follows: Page 2, line 8, for the word "member .read members; page 3, line 74,"cloim 7, for the word "rail read rails; and that the said Letters Potont should be read with these corrections theroin that the some mo ooniorm to the record of the cm in the Pltolit Signed ma sob lied this 25th doy of November, A. D., 1919.

M. H. COULSTON, Acting Comiuioner of Patonta.