US1566443A

US1566443A - Guard rail

Info

Publication number: US1566443A
Application number: US615855A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stephens Henry
Original assignee: INTERSTATE RAILWAY SUPPLY COMP
Current assignee: INTERSTATE RAILWAY SUPPLY Co; INTERSTATE RAILWAY SUPPLY COMP
Priority date: 1923-01-30
Filing date: 1923-01-30
Publication date: 1925-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1942-12-22

Description

Dec. 22 1925- STEPHENS GUARD RAIL Filed Jan. 30, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. STEPHENS GUARD RAIL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30. 1923 INVENTOR.

A TORNEYS Patented ec. 22, 1925.

g 1,566,443 1 UNITEDf STATES TENTo FICE.

HENRY STEPHENS, 0F, CL VELAND, onro, ASSIGNOR To THE INTERSTATE RAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF' OHIO.

GUARD RAIL.

Application filed January 30, 1923. Serial No. 615,855. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HE -RY STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Guard Rails, of

which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish itfrom other inventions.

The present invention relates j to: guard rails for railroad construction and more particularly to a guard rail of the. type which furnishes a supporting. base for the bottom of the main rail, the base being formed integrally with the guard rail. More particularly the present guard rail embodies certain features of construction whereby the overall length of the rail is kept at a minimum. and yet a construction which allows either end to be used in front of the frog point. The construction is suchas to give gr'eatstrength and durability with. the least amount of metal possible. To the accomplishment'of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. f The accompanying drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain -'1'116ChZLI1lSII1 embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said accompanyingdrawing:

Fig. 1 is aplan View of my improved guard rail; Fig. 2'is aside'elevation of. the same; Figs. 3, 4 and '5 are sectional views onthe lines 33, 4-4, and 5-5 respec-.

tively of Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a track crossover. and frog point showing the position of the guard rail relative to the frog point. g h

In the present construction, one rail of a track is illustrated, the rail 1 being mounted above the usual. wooden ties 2, the guard rail 8 asv a unit beingformed with transversely extending base plates4 which rest upon the ties and extend under therail 1, the base plates having spike receiving apertures '5 for securing the two rails in position.

The main rail 1 is of the usual construction having a head 6, a vertical web "I and base 8. The guard rail?) is preferablyan integral casting andv comprises an upper or head port on 9: havlng a vertical-web 10,

the head and web having a central "straight section and two outwardly curved end portions, At spaced points along the guard rail the verticalweb 10 is extended downwardly intothe base plates 4 which extend underneath the main rail, thus forming supporting piers.

.To add strength to theguard rail, the partsabove the base plates are reenforced by flanges or webs, there being two triangular shaped reenforcing-flanges 11 which extend from the guard rail head 9 tothe outer edge of each base'plate 4 and two smaller rectangular shaped flanges .12 extending from underneath the rail head 9 to each base plate. 4 on the inner side of the rail. These latter two'flanges 12 are spaced within the other two flanges 11.. The guardrail be- 1 tween each two base plates is supplied with' a reenforcing flange. .13 on the inside and the lower edge of the vertical web is formed into a horizontal iflange 14which extends I from oneflange 11 to the adjacent flange 11 on the next base'plate and these flanges .14 are curved outwardly at their ends to form arcuate horizontal reenforcing portions 15 adjacent the flanges 11' as best 5 shown in Fig. 1. These parts are, of course,

formed together as a single casting but due .tothe reenforcing flanges the structure is very rigid and strong; tween the base plates are strengthened by .the horizontal flange 14 and the corner por- The sections betions 15 as well as by the small vertical flanges 13 on the inside while the guard .rail head is very strongly braced at the base .plates by the two large triangular vertical webs as flanges 11 on the outside or away .from the main rail, and by the two in- 'wardly extending Webs or flanges 12.

24: passing through an aperture in the central part of the vertical web 22 where it fits between the flanges 12 and a suitable apertui'e formed in the vertical web of the guard rail.

The present guard rail presents great stren th as the rail part proper is of Z bar shape and by means of the webs or flanges at the base plates the guard rail is strongly braced, the flanges or webs 11 being compression braces while the other webs 12 act as tension braces. The use of the horizontal flange of the rail 2 bar with the horizontal corner braces 15 makes a horizontal arch construction of great strength with a minimum amount of metal. The base plates which with the braces form the supporting piers are extremely rigid and hold both the main rail and the guard rail securely. If desired, the inner face of the guard rail head 9 may be hardened to reduce wear and this is desirable in guard rails for certain uses.

In using guard rails it has been found necessary to have the guard rail extend approximately four feet ahead of the frog point and the straight portion of the guard rail or the portion parallel. to the main rail must extend ahead of the frog point at least a distance equal to the distance between ties. Consequently integrally formed or unit type guard rails which have base plates for supporting the main rail have been made long enough to extend over five ties, the ends of the guard rail resting on the end ties and having the center point opposite the frog point on the center tie as the frog point is always located ona tie. By so making a guard rail the straight portion extending ahead of the frog point is equal to the distance between ties and the further extending curved portion equal to the distance between ties. Thus the portion of the guard rail parallel to the main rail is approximately'twice as long as either curved end as there is as much straight portion behind the frog point as in front thereof.

. In thepresent guard rail the length is reduced-and the rail spans only four ties but overhangs slightly at each end. The present guard rail may be. consideredns of three sections, two outer curved sections a and a central straight section 6, each section being of approximately the same length.

In use as illustrated in Fig. 6, the present guard rail for either outside track 49 is placed with the rear end of the central section-b opposite the frog point 50, that is with the frog point opposite the rear part of the straight portion and, as the two interior base plates rest on ties 51 and 52, with one interior base plate on the tie 51 opposite the frog point 50 and two piers or base plates ahead thereof. By thus arranging the straight and curved portions it has been found possible to -furnish a reversible guard rail of approximately six feet in lengthequally as satisfactory in use as former guard rails of about eight feet in length. Thus the total weight is reduced and the cost without sacrificing strength or rail protection as it is only in front of the frog point that the rail is necessary.

(Ether modes ofapplying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided. the means stated by any of the fol lowing claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

1 therefore particularly point out and .dis tinctly claiml as my invention l. A guard rail for a switch frog adapted to be secured to four cross ties, having a short central tangent portion of a length approximately equal to the distance from the frog point to the throat of the frog, and a wing portion of substantially equal length thereto at each end of said tangent portion, integral plates formed at approximately the meeting line of thetangent with each wing portion and adjacent the outer ends of each wing portion, where by said guard rail may have. the greater portion of the tangent section and one Wing section disposed in advance of the frog point of a switch a distance of two ties, integral compression braces formed vertically on the outer faces of said guard rail in alignment with said plates and tension braces integrally formed on the inner face of said guard rail in vertical alignment with said plates.

2. A guard rail comprising a series of base plates and a rail .of Z-bar shape formed integrally therewith having a continuous vertical web and having its head section. projectingtoward the running rail, and braces betwen said rail bar andbase plates comprising two compression webs on the outside of said Z-bar and two. tension webs .on the inside of said Z-bar at each base plate.

3. A guard rail comprising-an extending rail ofZ-shape having ahead section projecting toward the running rail and a continuous vertical .web, a series ofsupporting piers, formed integrallytherewith, said piers comprising base plates adapted to extendunder a main rail and outwardly beyond the 'uard rail, compression braces extending from the guard rail headto such outwardly extending. base plates, and tension braces extending from under saidrail head to said base platesonutheinside. of said guard rail.

4. In guard rail construction, a unitary flange, a plurality of piers formed integrally along said rail and adapted to form the supports for said rail, said piers comprising a base plate of'inverted T section provided with compression webs on theoutside and tension webs on the inside and running rail a continuous vertical web and an outwardly extending lower horizontal flange, a plurality of piers formed integrally alongisaid rail and adapted to form the supports for said rail, said piers comprising a base plate of inverted T section provided with two compression webs on the outside and two tension webs on the inside and formed with corner braces connecting Wllih. said lower'horizontal flange of the rail.

6.In guard rail construction, a unitary structure comprising a guard rail of Z shape having a rail head projecting toward the running rail, a continuous Vertical web and an outwardly extending lower horizontal flange, a plurality of piers formed integrally along said rail and adapted to form the supports for said rail, said piers comprising a base plate of inverted T section provided with two compression Webs on the outside extending from the rail head to the base plate and two tension webs on the inside extending from underneath said rail head to said base plate and spaced closer together than said compression webs, and formed with corner braces connecting with said lower horizontal flange of said rail.

Signed byme this 24th day of January,

.HENRY STEPHENS.