US1571008A

US1571008A - Rail-fastening means

Info

Publication number: US1571008A
Application number: US558087A
Authority: US
Inventors: Meier G Hilpert
Original assignee: Bethlehem Steel Corp
Current assignee: Bethlehem Steel Corp
Priority date: 1922-05-03
Filing date: 1922-05-03
Publication date: 1926-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 1943-01-26

Description

JIM/A4 :1 v

M. HELPER"? RAIL FASTENING MEANS Jan, 26,1926. 1,571,008

Filed May 5, 1922 Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,571,008 PATENT. OFFIQE.

MEIER G. HILPEBIT, 0F BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMFANY, A GORPQRATIGH OF DELAWARE.

RAIL-FASTENING IIIEANS.

Application filed May 3, 1922. Serial No. 558,087.

7 '0 all whom it ma/g/ concern:

Be it known that I, MEIER G. I-IILPERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bethlehem, county of Northampton, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Rail-Fastening Means, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to rail fastening devices and more particularly to such devices as are employed for fastening the rails for turntables.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a dependable means for securing the rail in position on its bed which shall be adjustable in every direction.

Another object is to provide a fastening means all parts of which can be easily removed and yet secure the rail to its foundation with a force at least equal to the rolling load coming on the rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of fastening block or clip.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be apparent from the description taken in connection with drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a fastening device and a support constructed in accordance with the present invention, a fragment of the track rail being shown;

Fig. 9. is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the rail and device;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the adjusting wedges, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an inverted fastening block.

Referring to the drawings, the track rail which is to be secured in place is indicated by the reference character 10. The present invention is particularly adapted for securing in position the circular rails of turntables, but obviously it is not limited to this use. At intervals the rail 10 rests on supports or ties 11. These ties preferably are of T-shape as shown in Fig. 3 and may be made by cutting an I -beam in two by a division extending longitudinally of its web. Preferably the ties 11 are set in concrete, the top surfaces thereof being slightly above thetop surface of the concrete, the latter being indicated by the reference character 12. V

The lipsll and the immediate supporting means therefor, for example, concrete, constitute what maybe termed rail supporting structure. In other words, the immediate supporting means for the ties 11 cooperate with the latter to constitute a unitary supporting structure, the ties 11 immediately engaging the bottom face of a rail, the blocks 13, hereinafter referred to, having portions for engagement with the top surfaces of the tie 11 and with the top surfaces of the flanges of a rail, and the sup porting means or concrete structure for the tie having anchored thereto fastening means, hereinafter referred to, whereby the blocks may be held in position with portions thereof engaging the tie 11 and the top surfaces of rail flanges under pressure.

The means for adjustably securing the rail to the ties 11 includes the fastening blocks 13, disposed on opposite sides of the track rail 10. As shown these blocks are formed with a lip or flange 14 adapted to take over and lie on top ofthe top surface of the base flange of the track rail. Each block is secured to the support, with its lip clamping the flange of the rail, by a bolt 15 the lower end of which is threaded into an anchoring member 15 imbedded in the concrete thus permitting removal of the bolts for replacement. The upper end projects through the bolt hole 16 in the block and is threaded for a nut 17 Any suitable means may be provided to lock the nut to the bolt. The bolt hole 16 and bolt 15 are positioned so that the shoulder or edge 18 of the block is spaced from and inclined to the adjacent edge of the base flange of the rail. A wedge 19 is adapted to be inserted in the space between the said edge 18 and the edge of the base flange of the rail. In assembling the parts the rail is adjusted laterally by the extent of the insertion of the wedges. After the wedges have been driven home, the rail is positively held in the desired position of lateral adjustment. Movement of the bolts 15 away from the rail, of course, is prevented because of the fact'that they pass through openings 11 in the tie 11.

One of the principal features of the invention is the provision of means whereby the rail is clamped in position with a force such that when the rolling load comes on the rail there will be no displacement there-' of, This is accomplished, in the first place,

by supporting the rail on ties embedded in concrete. If necessary, in order to attain the proper vertical adjustment of the rail, liners may be inserted between the bottom of the rail and the top of the tie. These liners should cover the tie member between the bolts to allow for removal or replacement in case of settlement of the foundation. For clamping the rail down with the necessary force the nuts 17 are screwed down sufficiently so that the fastening means are clampeddown on the rail flanges with a pressure equal to and preferably greater than the wheel load that will come on the rail. This is accomplished by using extra length wrench handles for screwing down the nuts. With this arrangement, the wheels pass over the rail and compress the ties somewhat; the fastenings, however, continue to remain in contact with the flanges of the rail. due to the tension in the bolts, and, therefore, under all conditions of traffic, there is no looseness of parts to cause rattling and thus a longer life is insured. To explain further, in my construction, the nuts are screwed down to an extent suflicient to produce a total tension stress in the bolts greater than any compression stress which will be imposed on a tie due to load on a rail. In this way, the bolts act in tension at all times to hold a rail in position with respect to a tie, thereby keeping therail tight and avoiding play or looseness.

A rail fastening of the usual type ordinarily has point and line contact with the rail with,the result that the safe bearing pressure is often exceeded and the fastening becomes loose and fails to function. It is one of the principal aims of the present invention to avoid this difliculty and this is accomplished in the manner described below. Preferably the fastening block is made with three points of contact on the rail and chair, two on one part and one on the other. Thus as shown the lip 14 has two spaced bearing pads 14; adapted to engage the rail flange at spaced points. The portion of the block resting on the chair is narrowed and formed with a tie bearing pad 13, whereby the block rests on the tie at one bearing surface only. This three point bearing insures that the rail is positively clamped to the tie after the nuts 17 have been turned down.

After the rail has thus been clamped in position, it is desired to further increase the bearing area between the block and the rail flange in order that the safe bearing pressure of the metals employed may not be exceeded. To this end, according to the present invention, the under surface of the lip or flange 14: is formed with a recess 20 and the lip isalso formed with an opening 21 extending therethrough and communicating with areea After the'railhas been properly positioned and "the wedges 19 driven home, a suitable molten metal may be poured in through the opening 21 and on cooling this metal will secure the parts against displacement and also increase the bearing area between the bearing block and the rail flange. Preferably a metal such as hot spelter is employed for this purpose. In order to aid in thus securing the parts together, the face of the wedge 19 engaging the edge of the base flange of the rail may be formed with serrations 22. In driving home the wedges 19 the serrations are more or less flattened or battered down, giving added bearing on the rail.

In laying the track and securing the rail, the ties are first located and the rail placed on the same and the two secured together by wires which are drawn taut in any suitable manner. Then the concrete foundation is made, the anchorages 15 and bolts 15 having been set in the same. The next step in assembling the parts consists in adjusting the rail to its correct lateral position by means of the wedges 19. Then the parts are clamped in position by turning down the nuts 17 to such an extent that the downward force exerted on the rail is as great or greater than any rolling load that will come on the same. Finally, hot spelter or other suitable molten metal is poured through the opening 21 to increase the hearing area between the rail and fastening block and secure the parts in adjusted position. The spelter also acts to seal the edges of the aforementioned liners 10 if they are employed, also the wedges and interior of the fastening block against the entrance of water and other substances. Furthermore, his spelter is easily removed by knocking out and can be re-melted and poured in place when the fastening block is removed for the replacement of a belt or for other reason.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not thus limited but includes modifications and changes which come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. The combination with a rail, of means for securing the rail against lateral displacement comprising a rail supporting structure. blocks disposed at opposite sides of a rail and each having a single downwardly projecting portion resting on the supporting structure and two spaced downwardly pro jecting portions resting on the upper surface of a rail flange, and means carried by the supporting structure for holding the blocks in position with the projecting portions thereof engaging the supporting structure and the top surfaces of the rail flanges under pressure.

2. The combin n with a rail, of e ns for securing the rail against lateral displacement comprising a rail supporting structure, blocks having downwardly projecting portions for engagement with said structure and with the top surfaces of the rail flanges, said blocks having inclined abutment surfaces disposed underneath and in opposed relation with respect to the edges of the rail flanges, means carried by the supporting structure for holding the blocks in position with the downwardly projecting portions engaging the structure and the top surfaces of the rail flanges under pressure, and wedge means disposed between said inclined abutment surfaces and the edges of the rail flanges.

3. The combination with a rail, of means for securing the rail in position comprising a rail supporting structure, blocks disposed on opposite sides of the rail and having downwardly projecting portions for engagement with the top surface of the supporting structure and with the top surfaces of the rail flanges, said blocks having lower abutment surfaces disposed in opposed relation with respect to rail flange edges and inclined relatively to the latter and said blocks being provided with vertical bolt openings disposed between the rail-flange-engaging projections and the supporting-structure-engaging projections, bolts carried by the supporting structure and having upper threaded ends extending through said openings, nuts cooperating with the threaded ends of the bolts above the blocks, whereby the projectionsof the blocks may be engaged with the top surfaces of the rail flanges and with the top surface of the supporting structure under pressure, and wedge means disposed between the abutment surfaces and the rail flange edges.

4. The combination with a rail, of means to secure the same in an exact position of lateral adjustment comprising, fastening means engaging opposite sides of the base flanges of the rail, means interposed between said fastening means and the rail to adjust the rail laterally and a fusible metal cementing the parts together.

5. The combination with a rail, of means to secure the same in an exact position of lateral adjustment comprising, fastening means engaging opposite sides of the base flanges of the rail, wedges interposed between said fastening means and the rail to adjust the rail laterally, and a fusible metal cementing the wedges to the rail and fastening means.

6. Rail fastening means comprising in combination, a rail support extending transversely of the track rail, a fastening block resting on said support on each side of the rail and having a lip engaging the upper surface of the base flange of the rail, means for holding the fastening block in position with a portion thereof engaging the support and with it lip engaging the upper surface of the flange under pressure, awedge between the block and the lateral edge of the rail flange, and means to secure said wedges against displacement.

7. As an article of manufacture, a rail fastening block having a bolt hole therethrough for a fastening bolt, and a railflange engaging lip, said lip formed with a recess in its under side and also formed with an opening affording communication between said recess and the opposite side of the lip.

8. As an article of manufacture, a rail fastening block having a rail-flange engaging lip ofiset from the base surface of said block, thereby forming a shoulder, said shoulder having its length inclined to the marginal edge of said lip.

9. An an article of manufacture, a rail fastening block having a tie engaging bearing pad, a rail-flange engaging lip having two bearing pads, said lip being offset from the base surface of the block and having an aperture therethrough and a recess in its under surface.

10. As an article of manufacture, a rail fastening block having a tie engaging bearing pad, a rail flange engaging lip having two bearing pads for engagement with the top surface of a rail flange respectively at positions spaced longitudinally of the rail, and said block having an aperture therethrough disposed between the tie engaging pad and the rail flange engaging pads.

11. As an article of manufacture, a rail fastening block having a tie engaging bearing pad, two bearing pads for engagement with the upper surface of a rail flange, an abutment surface at the underside adapted to be disposed in inclined relation with respect to a rail flange edge, and a bolt opening extending through the block and disposed between said inclined abutment surface and the tie engaging pad.

12. A rail fastening device including in combination, an anchoring means, adapted to be embedded in concrete, rail engaging blocks, means removably held by said anchoring means to clamp said blocks against the rail and means cooperating with said blocks securing the rail in a definite position of lateral adjustment.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

MEIER G. HILPERT.