US143708A - Improvement in railway-rails - Google Patents

Description

PATENT Outrunr BENJAMIN MYERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-RAILS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,708, dated October 14, 1873 application filed August 1,' 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN MYERS, of Ghicago,'in the county of Cook and StateV of Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Railroad-Rails and Bearings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

of a sectional view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

` This invention relates to that class of railroad-rails known as Vreversible rails. My objects are, first, to construct a reversible rail which shall present four rolljng-surfaces'on A heads, either one of which can be adjusted into position for use where the other is worn out, which heads are flanged somewhat like the well-known T- shaped rail, so that, while the periphery of one head will serve as an elevated rolling-surface for a wide-gage track, the ilange or lateral side of an adjacent head will, at 'the same time, serve as a rolling-sur.- face for a narrow-gage track; second, to con struct such rail to receive on both sides of its presented rolling-surface wooden bridge-bear-a ings, which are adjustedV Vinto the concave spaces between its heads, and when so adjusted they not only afford side supports for Ybalancing the rail upon its cross-ties, but they also enable me to use at least half the number of ties commonly employed with other rails; third, to construct such a rail of hollow wrought metal, pressed into shape so as to leave a central channel for the admission of an insulated telegraphic wire, which, owing to the peculiar shape of my rail, will not be brorolling-surfaces in constructing a wide and narrow gage track.

This rail is preferably made by taking a tube of wrought metal, of proper diameter for the height of rail desired, and of suitable thickness, and, by means of dies suitably adapted to the purpose, pressing together the walls of the tube, so as to leave the four heads A, the concave interspaces c, and a longitudinal center channel, g, in which latter an insulated y telegraphic cable, E, is applied. Figure l of the drawings is a lrepresentation If desired, each head A may have a channel, i, through it for receiving a smaller telegraphic wire, as shown in Fig. l.

The rail thus formed, with twelve rollingsurfaces, is supported upon its crossties G by means of two wooden bridges, B B, provided with angular convex surfaces d and flat bearing-faces c, as shown, which are shaped so as to iill up snugly two of the spaces c c, and afford a broad iiat base, which maintains the rail in an upright position when secured down by spikes D, applied as shown in Fig. l.

Owing to the shape of the spaces between the rail-heads, and the shape of the bridges, the latter cannot become displaced laterally, nor will they allow the rail to rock laterally. These bridges, as their name implies, sustain 'the rail between the cross-ties, and so straighten and stiffen it that the ties may be arranged at considerable distances apart, and fishplates, chairs, and other like straightening devices dispensed with.

I do not claim, broadly, a four-headed railroad-rail; neither do I claim, broadly, a rail having a channel through it for receiving a telegraphic cable.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A reversible railroad-rail having twelve rolling-surfaces on heads A, flanged somewhat i like the T- shaped rail, the periphery ofone head serving as an elevated rolling-surface for a wide-gage track, and the flange or lateral side b of the adjacent rail serving as a rollingsuriace for a narrow-gage track, substantially as shown and described.

2. rI he rail formed out of tubular metal, pressed into the shape shown, and having a channel, g, centrally through it for receiving a cable, E, substantially as described.

3. In combination With a rail having four In testim0n7 that I'claim theabove I have heads, the Wooden bridges B B, having the hereunto subscribed my name in the presence angular convex surfaces d and fiat bearingof tivo Witnesses.

faces e, adapted. to t a concave space, c, and B. MYERS. side surfaces b between the rail-heads and Witnesses:

cross-ties, substantially as and for the pur- GEORGE E. UPHAM,

pose set forth. Jos. B. Looms.

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