US1334877A - Support for contact-rails - Google Patents

Description

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

INI/ENTOR IAA E ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT B. TAYLOR, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB. TO GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMBANY, OF GATES, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION; O1? NEW YORK.

Leanser.,

Application filed September 21, 1915.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT B. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Support for Contactftails, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to supports for contact rails or ramps, more particularly to supports for contact rails of light construction which are used in automatic train control systems.

ln certain systems for automatically controlling railway trains, the communication between the moving train and the apparatus arranged along` the trackway necessary for the operation of the system is obtained by the coperation of a contact shoe or similar device carried by the train with cpntact rails or ramps fixed along the trackway. These contact rails or ramps are ordinarily of light construction and are generally supported in some way upon the ties of the track. It is important that the alinement and the relative position of the contact rails and the track rails should be accurately maintained in order that the eiliciency of the contact between. the shoe on the train and the contact rails may not be impaired. For this reason, the means for supporting' the contact rails must be of suflicient rigidity to prevent the contact rails from being dis placed by ordinary forces to which they are likely to be subjected. Also, it is desirable to support the Contact rails directly from the track rails, since the ties may not always retain their correct position relatively tothe track rails.

One of the principal objects `ofthis invention is to devise a simple, cheap, and durable support for contact rails or ramps which will provide for the proper insulation of the ramp, which `will maintain a certain relative correspondence between the contactrail and the Jtrack rails, and which can be easily and quickly secured in place orv adjusted.

Other objects and advantagesgwill appear as the description of the inventlon progresses, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims. I

With the above and other objects, in View, the invention .consists in .the parts, and, in the assassiner-ts aedlombnatisa @fretta Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 19.20.

Serial No. 51,792.

which will be set forth more fully hereinafter.`

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a preferred physical embodin'ient of my invention, and wherein like characters ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a side view of a support for contact rails or ramps embodying the invention, the track rail, the contact rail, and parts of the support being shown in section for the sake of clearness; Fig. 2 is an end view of the support shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view of a support for contact rails embodying the invention and showing a slightly modified construction; Fig. 1. is a detail plan view showing the means by which the modified form of support is clamped to the track rail; and Fig. is a side view ofthe modified form of support, the contact rail and the track rail being shown in section.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the support for the contact rail comprises a bracket B which is secured to a track rail T of ordinary construction having a head 5, a web 6 and bottom fianges 7. The bracket B comprises a web 8 and integral upper and lower flanges 9 and 10 respectively; and the inner end of the bracket B, that is, the end adjacent to the track rail T is formed with npends hooked over the opposite flange 7 of the track rail T, the other ends of said; bolts 14; being screw-threaded and being each provided with two nuts 15 arranged in locking relation.

The outer end of the bracket B is formed with a horizontal scat 16 and an upright flange-17 extending along one side ofsaid seat `16. A bar 18 of wood or other suitable insulating` material rests on. the seat 16I and is fastened to the flange 17 by a bolt 19, a washer 20 being interposed between the head of said bolt 19 and the outer side of the bar 18. The contact rail R, which in this instance is shown as a flat bar or strip reetangular in cross section, is arranged edgewise'in a longitudinal groove in the upper face of the insulating bar 18, andis held in place by a metal pin21 passing through a transverse hole insaid insulating bar 18 and through a mating hole in the contact rail R. The spaces between the ends of the pin 21 andthe flange .17 of the bracket B and the washer 20 are filled with a suitable insulating material, so that the pin 21 cannot work endwise and make electrical contact with the flange 17 or with the washer 20.

In practice, several of the brackets B hereinbefore described are clamped to the track rail T at suitable intervals and the bar 18 is secured to each of said brackets. Ordinarily the contact vrails or ramps for automatic traincontrol systems slope gradually downward to their ends in order that the contact between the shoes carried by the trains and the contact rails may be made without undue shock; and when the contact rails are supported by vsupports embodying this invention, it is contemplated that some of the brackets B will be made of dierent shapes so as to support the different portions of the contact rails at different heights relatively to the track rail Ty and thereby obtain the necessary inclination or slope for the ends of the contact rails. The insulating bar 18 serves t0 tie the brackets B together so that they are not likely to twist from the track rail.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 8, 4 and 5, the bracket B1 comprises aV web 22 and upper and lower integral flanges 23 and 24, respectively. The inner end of the bracket Bl is formed with a jawlike groove or recess shaped to receive one of the flanges 7 of the track rail T, the upper flange 23V extending along the edge of said jaw-like groove and being shaped to constitute upper and lower faces 25 and 26, respectively,'whichv are arranged to bear against the upper face of the flange 7 and the under side of the track rail T. The inner end of the bracket B1 extends beyond the edge of ,the opposite flange 7 and is formed with' a rectangular recess 27 opening upwardly and having an inclined face 28. AV clamping member 29 is shaped to enter the Arecess 27 and has one face thereof beveled to correspond with the' inclined face 28 vof said `recess 27, the opposite face of the clamping member 29 touching the edge of the adjacent flange 7 of the track rail T. A bolt 30 extends vertically through theclamping member 29 and through the bracket B1; and when said bolt 30 is tightened, said clamping member 29 is forced downwardly into the recess 27 and also toward the flange 7 of the track rail T.

The outer end of the bracket B1 is formed with a horizontal seat 31 and a-n upright integral flange 32 which extends along said seat at one side thereof. Resting on the seat 31 is a bar 33 of wood or other suitable insulating material, which is fastened to the flange 32 by a bolt 34. The contact rail R1, which in this instance is shown as ay piece of flat iron rectangular in cross section, is bolted or riveted to the upper end of an auxiliary bracket or support 35; and said auxiliary bracket 35 is fastened by a vertical bolt 36 to the bar 33.

In practice it is contenlplated that several brackets B1 will be clamped to the track rail T at intervals and that the bar 33 will be fastened to each of said brackets. The ramp R1 is supported on the bar 33 by the auxiliary brackets 35 which may be spaced at intervals as close together as is necessary to obtain the desired rigidity of construetion. Then the bolt 30 of each bracket Bl is tightened the clamping` member 2S) is forced downwardly and toward the [lange 7 of the track rail T, and consequently thc whole bracket B1 is moved transversely of said trackrail, the coperation of the faces 25 and 2G with the upper face of the flange 7 and the under side of the track rail T causing` the bracket to grip the track rail tightly.

The ramp supports hereinbefore described can be easily and quickly attached to the track rails, and also can be easily adjusted. The insulation of the ramp from the supports and the track rail T is afforded by the wooden bar 18 suiiiciently for the low differences of potential between said ramp and the track rail used in automatic train control systems; lbut obviously other insulating materials, such as molded porcelain and the like may be used instead of the bar 18; and, if desired, a single block may be used l'or each support. Since the ramp is secured to the track rail, the exact correspondenfus between the ramp and the track rails is maintained at all times regardless of the slight weaving and displacement of the track rails and ties which occurs under practical conditions.- The bolts of the ramp supports hereinbefore described are provided with lock nuts or lock washers, and the parts are made of a solid and substantial construction so that the brackets are not likely to break or work loose.

While the ramp has been shown in the accompanying drawings as the flat piece of iron, the ramp may be an angle iron or other suitable shape without departing from the invention or the particular physical embodiment thereof shown and described. Also,

of the ramp supports shown are believed to ll (l lll() make the supports light and at the same time strong, it should be understood that suitable variations may be made in the exact proportions and shapes of the parts and in the arrangements of these parts without departing from the invention.

Although I have particularly described the construction of one physical embodiment of my invention, and explained the operation and principle thereof; nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention. Y

WhatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a support for contact rails a bracket provided With a javv shaped to receive the flange of a track rail and to provide a clear ance between the jaW and one edge of said fiange said jaw being adapted to engage the upper face of one flange of the track rail and the lower face of the track rail near the other' flange thereof, means including a screw threaded member associated With the bracket and adapted to bear against the outer edge of the other flange of the track rail, said means acting upon a tightening thereof to Wedge the bracket bodily against opposite faces of the flanges of the track rail to cause it to be tightly clamped thereon, and a block of insulating material secured to said bracket and adapted to support the contact rail.

2. In a support for contact rails, a bracket provided with a jaw shaped to receive the flange of a track rail, one side of said jaw being arranged to bear against the upper face of one of the flanges of the track rail, the other side of said jaw being arranged to bear against the bottom face of the track rail near the other flange thereof, a block carried by the bracket and positioned to bear against the outer edge of said other flange, means includinof a screw threaded member for moving the block longitudinally of the bracket and transversely of the track rail, and an insulating member secured to the bracket and adapted to support a contact rail.

3. In a support for contact rails, the` eomi bination With track rail, of a bar 0f insulating material supported from the track rail and extending parallel thereto, metallic supports fastened to said bar at intervals, and a Contact rail fastened to said supports.

4. In a support for contact rails, a bracket provided With a jaw shaped to receive the flange of a track rail, one side of said jaw being arranged to bear against the upper face of one of the flanges of the track rail, the other side being arranged to bear against the bottom face of the track rail near the other flange thereof, said jaw being shaped to form a clearance space between the firstmentioned fiange and the bracket to permit of movement of the bracket bodily relatively to the track rail, the end of the bracket opposite the jaw being formed with a recess having one of its sides inclined, a block fitting in said recess and having one of its sides beveled to fit against the inclined side of said recess, screw threaded means for lWedging said block between the secondmentioned fiange of the track rail and said bracket, and thereby moving the bracket bodily transversely of the track rail to cause the bracket to be tightly clamped thereto, and a block of insulating material secured to said bracket and adapted to support a Contact rail.

HERBERT B. TAYLOR.

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