US151131A - Improvement in railway-rail joinfs - Google Patents

Description

v w. u. HUT-crimson.

Railway-Rail Joints.

Pate-med May 19,1874.-

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without injury to the sleeper or the rail.

rrnn S'r WILLIAM nnnrcnrnson, or WELLESBOURNE, NEAR nrnnronn, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAV='RAIL JOINTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 115L131, dated May 19, 1874 application filed March 16, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM NELsoN HUTGHINSON, of Wellesbourne, near Bideford, in the county of Devon, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Bail Joints; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings-that is to say:

The object of my invention is to produce an improved form of railway-rail joint by which a firm connection may be effected between the extremities of rails, which will prevent their hammering or jumping by the passage of trains, and retain the ends always upon the same level; and it consists of a jointchair upon which the contiguous ends of the rails are supported, formed with an inclined face, in combination with a wedge arranged to enter between the inclined face of the chair and a fish-plate embracing the webs of the rails at the point of connection; and, in combination therewith a bar of iron or other material arranged in a groove in the chair or wedge, to retain the latter in position by its ends being bent, respectively, over the end of the chair and wedge the inclined face of the chair being, in cross-section, curved or of equivalent form, and the proximate face of the wedge of corresponding shape, by which vertical displacement of the wedge is prevented. The object of thepresent invention is to give the firm continuous connection to the extremities of contiguous rails that was and is so much required. It will-be found that by the proposed arrangement both extremities share in supporting the weight of a passing wheel. It is no longer wholly borne by each successively. The union afforded by the usual fish-plates is combined with the strength given by being able to support both extremities on one chair Indeed, the joint-chair and sleeper are placed under more favorable conditions than the others, as the portions of railswhich rest on them (the portions at the extremities) could be made firmer than the other portions.

The accompanying drawings explain this invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section, taken in the line LLof Fig.2, through the chair G G, the rail It, rectangular fish-plate 1, wooden wedge or key K, and rod or small bar of galvanizediron fastening, f. The chair is in every respect similar to the one in use on the Southwestern Railway of England, and others, excepting that the arm G-is, at no increase of expense, cast obliquely to the arm G at an angle of about three degrees, (thus forming G intoa fixed wedge,) and has its inner face hollowed cylindrically, with a groove in it for the reception of the bar-of-iron fastening should such fastening f be used and the groove not taken out of the wedge or key. Moreover, this arm is of the same breadth as the sole of the chair, in order to give it a longer grasp of the wooden wedge or key. How much it is cast aslant is shown in Fig. 2.

In ordinary keying the fibers of the wood are necessarily much bruised by the key being violently driven in, (through rigid parallel planes,) in order that its ends shall so swell as to become a fastening against the sides of the chair. The crushing and consequent expansion of the fibers of the wood, which much hastens decay, is avoided by adopting the double-wedge plan. The key K, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 2, is a wedge sloped to the same angle as the fixed wedge G, and having its sloped face so rounded cylindrically that its convex surface accurately fits into the concave in the face of the fixed wedge. This cylindrical contact of the two wedges keeps the sliding one K always properly embraced by the heads of the rail and in close contact with its stem, even should it, from any accidental cause, be out of the perpendicular. By the oblique faces of the two wedges being in contact when the sliding wedge is driven forward, (one oblique face acting against the other,) an equal pressure is exerted against the fish-plate throughout the whole length of the sliding wedge or key K. The key is pushed home by merely a slight blow from a wooden mallet. It is then securely fastened in position by the small bar of galvanized iron being turned up and hammered close to the side of the chair, as represented in Fig. 2; or it may be fastened by one or two screws driven in close to the side of the chair into the thin edge of the wedge at S, Fig. 2. After years of wear the key might require to be further driven in to retighten it, when fresh screws with a broader head would be driven into the same holes, or fresh holes be made. The threads of the screws would not rust were they dipped in hot beeswax. As the arms of the chair are not subjected to the severe strain which is usual when keys are driven in, they could be cast lighter than is usual. The keys could be made of the hardest, closestgrained wood. As their extremities are not required to swell as a fastening, the fibers couldlie at right-angles to instead of running parallel with the direction of the rail. This arrangement would save wear. The rail R is in every respect similar to the ordinary rail used on the Southwestern and other English lines, excepting that the heads meet the stem at nearly at a right angle instead of its being obtuse and rounded. The weightis the same, the metal abstracted at the angle being added to the swell. P is a rectangular metal fish-plate, of any substance or length, and of such a breadth that it is grasped by the heads of the rail. According to the closeness or slackness of the fitting and length and substance of the plate, could any degree of elasticity or rigidity be given to the portion of the rails near their extremities. A mechanical fit would make the rail too rigid and inflexible. Under ordinary circumstances the rails would not deflect (from the weight of a passing wheel) to a greater extent than the space which intervenes between the head of the rail and the plate. The rails being thus deflected, their heads would then embrace the plate with the closest contact, and their united strength would be employed in resistin g further depression.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line L L, Fig. 1, through the chair G G, the extremities of two rails, R R, the rectangular fish-plate P, the wooden wedge or key K, the small bar of galvanized-iron fastening, f, and the creeping-bolt 0. The figure clearly shows the angle at which the fixed wedge G and the sliding wedge K are sloped aslant--say, about three degrees.

ff, a piece of a small bar or rod of galvanized iron, is bent over the thick end of the sliding wedge K. When the wedge is forced home the bar is pushed through the groove in the fixed wedge, and the end of the bar is raised and hammered against the side of the wedge. Thus the sliding wedge cannot retreat, and when, in the course of years, it requires retightening,it can, in a moment, be farther driven in, and the end of the bar be farther turned up. The groove might be either in the fixed wedge or be taken out of the sliding wedge. At so small an angle as three degrees, the strain of the wedge to retreat is but trifling. However much it might shrink, the bent arm of the bar round the thick end of the wedge would retain it in position.

Obviously, there are other means by which the sliding wedge, whether of wood or metal, could be retained in position; but the inventor thinks he has described the simplest.

a is a loose bolt, passing through a cylindrical hole in the middle of the stem of the rail. It prevents the rail from creeping. The head lies in a recess in the fish-plate, which prevents the plate from slipping forward or backward.

In the several figures, which are about half size, the dotted lines mark the outline of the sole of the chair. The circular dotted line marks the hole for the sleeper-bolt.

It is manifest that the method described for fishing is applicable to keying, the prim cipal difference being that the thickness of the fish-plate is added to the key or sliding wedge.

The system of fishing and keying by the double wedge has this advantage, that in countries where wood is liable to be soon destroyed by white ants, &c., the keys could be made of metal. When this is done, the arm of the chair which forms the fixed wedge might be shorter than is usual, and to further save metal the keys could be hollowed.

It will be seen that the described plan for fishing and keying is applicable in nearly every particular to single-headed rails. It might, however, in some instances, be advisable to make the cylindrical recess in the fixed wedge somewhat deeper, in order to give a firmer grasp of the sliding wedge or key.

It may be observed of the proposed method of fishing and keying, as compared with other plans, first, that, in fishing, by placing the extremities of two rails on one chair, not only is the greatest support given to the ends of the rail, but fewer sleepers and chairs are required; secondly, that the rails are not weakened, as'is generally the case, by having holes or slots cut in them; on the contrary that much additional strength and support is given, and where most required-viz., at the end of the rails-for all experience shows that the ends are the weakest parts, and those most subject to wear thirdly, that the fish-plates and keys are fastened without bolts with nuts, yet that under no reasonable circumstances can they become loosened or displaced; consequently, that they require but little superintendence; fourthly, that should their close fitting, in course of time, become too slack, they could be quickly retightened, and at no expense, by merely driving the sliding wedge or key farther in; fifthly, that from the contiguous ends of two rails being formed into one rail, great steadiness is given to the joint-chair, and, con sequen tly, great endurance to the sleeper; sixthly, that the system is most economical from its simplicity, durability, facility of ap plication, saving in superintendence, and little cost at starting, for the metal required for fish ing but little exceeds the weight of the two fish-plates, bolts, and nuts usually employed, yet so simple is the arrangement that many keys and fishing-plates could be permanently fixed. in position in less than an hour by one NELsoN HUTOHINsON, have hereunto set my workman. hand and seal this sixteenth (lay of December, I claim as my inventionone thousand eighthundrecl and seventy-three. The improved mode of conneotin railwayrails by means of a joint-chair, Gr 'G, snp- HUTOHINSON' porting the ends of the rails in combination Witnesses:

with a secured Wedge, K, and fish-plate P, J. G. GUNN, whereby the ends of the rails are held securely Bideford, Accountant. in place, substantially as herein set forth. Tnos. ANDREW,

In witness whereof I, the said WILLIAM Of Bideford, Attorneys Clerk.

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