US1374381A - Connecting rails - Google Patents

Description

J. C. H. LUBKEN.

CONNECTING RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12. 1919.

1,37%,381. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

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JOHN c. n. LUZBKEN, or wiisrMoNT soaor en, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONNECTING RAILS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed'December 12, 1919. Serial No. 344,423.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN C. H. LUBKEN,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Westmont, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, (whose post-oflice address is Johnstown, Pennsylvania,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connecting Rails; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enab e others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in uniting railway track rails and the like, and

has for its objects the splicing and bonding of the adjacent ends of two rails. N

' Heretofore when comparatively short rail bonds have been used to connect the adjacent ends of two rails and particularly the flange portions thereof, ordinary flat splice bars have been used whichpermit the edges of the flanges to project outwardlytherefrom, and holes may be drilled or burned in said flanges when said flat splice bars are in place and the terminals of the bonds secured therein. Such flat splice bars, however are not as strong as the rails and 'a pair of angle bars niakes'a very much better and stronger joint. The flanges of the angle bars, however, cover the top of the surface of the .rail flanges in such a way that the rail flanges are inaccessible below them. With the high cost of copper or other rail bonds, it is desirable to use as short a one as possible for the sake of economy and in mines and similar localities a bond located beneath the flange of the rail is in a much more protected position so that I prefer to locate my rail bond below the edges of the outwardly projecting rail flanges, the connections of the terminals of said bonds being quite close to the joint between the two adjacent rails, thus making a short and economical bond.

To make a strong joint I also use an angle bar and in order to allow the bond to be placed or replaced readily, I bend up pore tions of the lower flange of the angle bar,

leaving said flange, however, integral in such a way'as not to impair its strength and thus I give access to the rail flanges at two places so that the holes can be drilled or burned therethrough and the bond inserted either by compressing, welding or fusmg the same in position, while the angle bar 1s in position.

If the rail flanges-.are to be drilled in place, I prefer to drill them from the bottom upward, and there is ample room forthis in the thickness of the tie, ora small amount of ballast can be scooped out to allow a ratchet drill to be inserted below the rail flange and operated. If the holes are to be Patented Apr. 12, 1921. I

burned in the flange, I can readily project" the flame of an acetylene or electric burner against the edge of the flange in the recess formed by the up-bent flange of the splice bar and burn a. hole or notch in, it to receive the rail bond. Ofcourse, these bond holes may also be drilled or punchedat the shop before the tails are laid in place, which will thus obviate the necessity of any such field work. I

Having thus given a general description of my invention, I will now, in order to make thesame more clear, refer to the accompanying sheet of drawings, annexed to this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional elevation through a rail with an le splice bars and a rail bond attached to tie flange splice bars are secured to the rail ends 1 by means of the usual bolts 4. Ihe splice bar 3 as originally rolled is similar to the s lice bar 2, but has formed in its base a'ng'e a pair of upwardly bent portions or arches 5 providing openings or spaces 6 between the base flan e of the splice bar and the top surface of t e base flanges of the rails at which point the holes 7 are formed in the base flanges of the rail ends by punching, drilling, fusing, or otherwise. By reason of the bent-up portions or arches 5 in the splicebars, access is given to the upper surface'of the rail flange, thus readily allowing the holes to be formed therein and the bond secured within said holes in any desired manner. 8 indicates the cable of the bond having end terminals 9 with plugs which are inserted in the holes Tandsecured to the base flanges of the rails as at 10 by .rai ls as at 15, to allow the plugs of the bond In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification in which the base flange ll of the rail is notched as at 12 and the splice bar 13 1s bent up as at 14 and notched at 16 and spaced apart from the base flange of the terminals to be more easily secured in position.

In carrying out my invention I first make the holes or notches through the base flanges near the ends of each of the rails at the desired points by means of a punch, drill, electric arc, gas torch. or other means, and I then insert the plugs of the bond terminals in said holes and rivet, expand, fuse or weld the ends thereof to the base flanges of the rails beneath the arched or bent-up portions of the base flange of the splice bar.

When laying newtrack I may make the bond connection before the splice bfirIS are put in place, but after the track is laid and the splice bars bolted up firmly, it is very difficult to replace them as the bolts become.

rusted or secured very firmly in position and frequently it is found in mines or other damp locations that the splice bars cannot be removed without destroying them or their bolts. With my splice bars 3, however, provided with the upwardly extending portions 5 forming arches, space is provided to give access to the rail flange and either new bonds can be placed in location after the splice bars are installed or the bonds can be removed without removing the splice bars, all of which tends to ease and economy of'construction. The fact that I can use a very short bond also is very useful and economical.

Other'prior types of bonds have been secured in the webs of the rails somewhat removed from the ends of the splice bar,

which requires the use of a very long bond and said bond lies upon the tops of the ties adjacent to the track and is' frequently cut and destroyed when a car or a number of them are derailed and the wheel flanges pass over said bond. My bond is short and located beneath the flanges of the rails andis absolutely protected from such destruction, besides which the ends of the bonds are at all times accessible for inspection, repair or replacement. While the average joint would require the use of only one of my special bars and one bond, it is to be distinctly understood that two .of my splicebars may be used at a joint, thus permitting the use of two bonds to insure suflicient electrical conductivity if one bond is not enough.

Although I have referred to forming holes in the rail flanges to receive the bond terminals, I may dispense with such previously formed holes and fuse or weld the bond terminals directly to or into the surface of the rail, as will be readily understood.

Although I have described and illustrated my invention in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited to the exact and specific details thereof, as shown and described, but may use such modifications in, substitutions for, or equivalents thereof, as are embraced within the scope of my invention, or as pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with the end portions of a pair of abutting rails of an angle splice bar secured thereto, a portion of the flange of said splice bar being bent upwardly to expose a part of the rail flange.

2. In a rail joint, an angle splice bar, an integral portion of the lower flange of which is removed from the rail flange thereby providing access thereto.

3. In a rail joint, an angle splice bar, a

portion of the flange of which is spaced bars, at least one of which is an angle splice with parts of the lower flange portion bent upwardly away from the rail flanges thereby providing access to said rail flanges; and an electrical bond, the terminals of which are secured to said rail flanges at the exposed portions thereof.

6. A rail joint comprising a pair of splice bars,'at least one of which is an angle splice with a lower flange, integral parts of said lower flange being bent upwardly away from. the rail flanges to provide access thereto, a rail bond provided with terminals inserted within holes in the rail flanges below said bent-up portions and secured to the rails by means operating within the space between the bent-up flange of the splice bar and the rail flanges.

7. A rail joint comprising a pair of an gle bars secured thereto, portions of the lower flange of one of said bars being bent jacent to the bent-up portions of said splice get gear bar flange and fused or welded therein by means operating within the spaces between the splice bar flange and the rail flanges.

8. In a rail joint, an angle splice bar provided with an upwardly bent portion having anotch in the edge thereof, a rail below the same having a notch adapted to receive the terminal of an electric bond, and a bond secured within the notch of said rail, said upwardly bent portion providing a space whereby access may be had to said terminal.

9. In a rail joint, a pair of splice bars, arches in the flange of one of the splice bars and a bond having its terminals attached to the flanges of the rails beneath the arches in the splice bar.

10. In a rail joint, an angle spllce bar with arches in the flange thereof, and a bond with ends fused or welded to the rail flange on each side of the joint at points under the said arches.

11. The method of bonding a railjoint provided with an angle splice, at least-one of the angle bars having arches in the flange thereof, thereby exposlng portions of the upper surfaces of the rail flan es; which consists in forming an opening t rough the base of the flange of each rail under said arches, inserting terminal plugs of a rail bond in said openings, and then fusing or welding said terminal plugs to the rail flanges.

.12. The method. of bonding a rail joint provided with an angle splicebar having arches in the flange thereof which provide spaces between said flange and the upper surfaces of the rail flanges; which consists in forming openings through the portions of the rail flanges under said arches, inserting the terminal plugs of a railbond in said openings, and then fusing or welding said terminal plugs to said real flanges by heat applied through the openings adjacent to said arches.

13. The method of bonding a rail joint provided with a pair of angle splice bars, the flange of; one of said splice bars having bent-up or arched portions, thereby expos ing portions of the rail flanges comprising ,fusing an opening in each-of the rail flanges.

by means operating in the spaces between the flange of the splice bar and-the rail flanges, and then welding the ends of a bond to the flange of each rail within the openings formed in the rail flan es.

. 14:. The method of onding the meeting ends of rails, which consists in splicing the ends of the rails by means of a pair of splice bars, one of said splice bars having a base flange with bent-up or arched portions, melting an opening through the flange of each rail beneath the bent-up or arched portions ot the splice bar, inserting the ends of a rail bond in the openings thus formed, and then welding the ends of the bond to the flange of each rail within the openings formed therein.

15. The method of bonding the meeting ends of rails, which consists in splicing the ends of the rails by means of a pair of splice bars, one of said splice bars having a base flange with bent-up or arched portions, melt.- ing an opening through the base flange of each rail beneath the bent-up or arched portions of the splice bar, inserting the plugs of the terminals of a rail bond in the openrail, and then welding the plugs of the terminals of the bond to the flange of each rail within the openings therein.

-16. The method of bonding the meeting ends of rails which consists insplicing the ends of the rails by means of a pair of splice bars, one of said splice bars having a base flange with two bent-up or arched portions, melting an opening through the base flange of each rail beneath the bent-up or arched portions of the splice bar, attaching arail bond to the underside of the base flanges of the rails by inserting the plugs of the terminals of the rail bond in the openings thus formed in the base flange of each rail, and then welding the plugs of the bond terminals within said openings and to said flanges. V

17. The method of applying rail bonds to a rail joint having an angle bar splice;

compnsing providing spaces between the rail flanges and the angle flange adjacent to the bond terminals and securing said terminals to the rail flanges by means operating within said spaces.

In witness whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN @511. LUBKEN.

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