US1449810A - Rail fastener - Google Patents

Description

Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

HARLEY n. CHASE, or sYcAMonE, ILLINOIS.

RAIL FASTENER.

Application filed October 21, 1922. Serial No. 596,031.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLEY E, CHASE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sycamore, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to rail fasteners and has for its principal object to provide means for fastening the ends of rails together so as to prevent their accidental displacement without the necessity of using nuts and the like as is now commonly the case, which experience has taught to have a tendency to become loose causing accidents and the like.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a rail fastener which may be readily assembled and disassembled, which is efiicient and reliable in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and well adapted for the purpose for which it is designed.

WVith the above and other objects in view as will appear as the description progresses the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing- Figure l is an elevation of one fish plate forming part of my invention,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan thereof a portion thereof being shown in section,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken through the rail fastener assembled with a rail,

Figure 4 is a perspective of the wedging device used in conjunction with the invention,

Figure 5 is a detailed section taken through a wedge and fish plate showing clearly the means for preventing the accidental displacement of the wedge, and

Figure 6 is an elevation of two rails with my fastening device holding them together in end to end relation.

Referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that this fastening device contemplates the holding of the two rails 1 in end to end relation so as to be in alignment with each other and consists of a pair of fish plates 2 which in the present illustration are each constructed with four apertures. The apertures adjacent one end are adapted to receive the bars 3 having annular channels 4 adjacent their ends. These bars 3 extend inwardly from the fish plate to which they are attached. The other apertures 5 are disposed so as to receive the ends of thebars 3 on the fish plate on the opposite side of the rail. The fish plates are provided with a serles of vertically extending grooves or,

notches 6 adjacent the end aperture which receives the end bar 3 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

A wedge member 7 is constructed with a longitudinally extending slot 8 which is provided with a transversely extending enlargement 9 and a similar enlargement 10. The enlargement 9 is disposed intermediate the ends of the wedge member while the enlargement 10 is disposed at the smaller end of the wedge. These enlargements are provided so that the bars 8 may be passed therethrough until the wedge may be engaged with the annular grooves 4 thereof. The wedge is also provided at its enlarged end on its inclined face with a tooth ll engageable with the grooves or notches 6.

In assembling the device the fish plates are disposed one on each side of the rails to be connected together and held in place by spikes (not shown) engaging notches 12 provided in the base of the fish plates The bars 3 are then extended through the fish plates and through the rails as are the ordinary bolts now commonly used. The wedges are then engaged with these bars and are driven by hammers toward each other there being one wedge situated on each, side of the rail and as these wedges are driven toward each other the teeth ll'thereof will engage with the notches 6 thereby locking-the wedges against accidental displacement. These wedges it will be understood bind the fish plates tightly against the web of the rail and efiiciently hold the rails in alignment with each other at the same time bracing them and it will also be noted that the wedges are practically immune from accidental displacement.

' Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is 1. In combination, a pair of fish plates, bars passing through the fish plates and extended therebeyond and provided with annular grooves, a pair of Wedge members provided with longitudinally extending slots, a tooth extending from the slanting surface of each wedge member, said fish plates provided with notches engageable by said tooth, one wedge member provided on each outer face of each fish plate being in engagement with the annular grooves of the bars.

2. In combination, a pairof fish plates, bars passing through the fish plates and extended therebeyond and provided with annular grooves, a pair of wedge members pro vided with longitudinally extending slots, a tooth extending from the slanting surface of each wedge member, said fish plates provided with notches engageab le by said tooth,

one wedge member provided on each outer face of each fish plate being in engagement with the annular grooves of the bars, said longitudinally extending slot of eachwedge member being provided with an enlargement.

In testimony whereof I'afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HARLEY E. CHASE. \Vitnesses:

Ross MILLET, DORAH ANDERSON.

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