US1579159A - Rail fitting - Google Patents

Description

March 30 1926.

Y A. R. SPIKINGS RAIL FITTING Filed March 4,, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jiwenfar March 30,1926. 1,579,159

U A. R. SPIKINGS RAIL FITTING Filed March 4. 1924 2 Shecs-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

an a er RAIL FITTIHGn.

Application filed March 4, 1924'. Serial No. 696,847.

' Beit known that I, ALnnRrRIoI-IARI) SPIK- INGS, a. citizenofthe United States residing at Lake PlacidCl'ub, in the county of Essex and State of New York, haveinventedcertai-n new and useful Improvementsin Rail Fittings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings; I

Thisinvention relates to certain improvements in railfittings and it is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improveddevice of this general character whereby the adjacent end portions of railings maybe readily and eifectively connected or coupled one to the other in accordance with the requirements of practice.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and; improved fitting of this general character whereby the-rails may be" operati'vel y" engaged with a supporting post therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fittingof this general character em- 25 bodying novel and improved meanswhereby adjacent rails may be coupled orconnected in alignment and in desired angularrelation. Y

The invention also has for an object to provide anovel and improved fitting which i maybe easily adjusted, quickly assembled and taken apart to permit the railing-section to=be taken out: and replaced without interfering with tlie reinain ing railing sections. The invention also contemplates for an object to provide a novel and improved fitting which obviates-the use of screws rivets; bolts or the like and also the necessity of cutting long threads or grooves onthe ends of the railing sections or the making of raised beads on such-v ends and thereby avoid ing thenecessity-of'using the extra' tools required which would necessarily be required.

The invention consists in the details of" construction; and in the combination and an rangement of the several parts of my improved rail fitting whereby certain importa-nt advantages are attainedand the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be" hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel; features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed;

In order that my invention may; be the betterunderstoothl willnow proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom- I ofmy invention, an associated cap or plug being shown in separated relation";

Figure 3 isa sectional view takenthrougli my improvedfitting with certain of the parts omitted;

Figure d is a sectional view taken substantially' on the lined-4" of Figure Qwith a furtherportion broken away;

Figurefiis a view in elevation of the litner face of one of the caps herein disclosed;

FigureG is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the body of my improved fitting; V

Figure 7' is avi'ew partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating a fittingicon structed in accordance with a further-embodiment of my invention;

Figure-Sisa view in top, plan of the socket member as disclosed i'nF'igure 7;;

Figure Elisa. fragmentary viewpartly in section and partly in elevation illustrating; a still furtherembodiment of my inventiong Figure 10-is aview int-op plan illustrating an assembly wherein aplurality of angularly related railing sections are engagedtwith a singlefitting. As particularly illustrated in Figures to-6'inclusive, my improved fitting comprises a mainbody'memberor shell; I having: disposed axially therethrough a cylindrical memberQ, one end portion beingsecuredby" the interposed web 3 with: an adjacent. end portion of -the body or shell 1. Themember 2 is also further lield'in desired posit-ion with respect to-the body member or shell 1 by the radially disposed webs or flanges 4 integrally formed with the tubular member 2 and the body or shell 1.

The member 2 and the webs 1 extend outwardly a predetermined distance beyond the open end of the body or member 1 with the webs terminating a predetermined distance inwardly of the adjacent end of the member 2 as particularly illustrated in Figure (3. The open end of the body or shell 1 is adapted to be closed by the head 5 the free marginal edges of which interlocking with the adjacent edges of tire body or shell 1 as indicated at (5. The head 5 is held in applied position with respect to the body or shell 1 by the nut 7 threaded upon the extended end portion of the tubular member 2 as is clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and a of the drawings.

As is illustrated in Figures 2 and 6, the opposite end portions of the member 2 are internally threaded, as at 8, to permit the body or shell 1 to be operatively engaged with a supporting post 9 or the like and when the body or shell 1 is uppermost, the upper end of the tubular member 2 of such fitting is adapted to be closed by the plug or cap 10 as particularly shown in Figures 1, 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. Each of the side faces of the body or shell 1 and the associated face of the head 5 has disposed therethrough an opening 11 to provide means whereby a socket member 12 may be operatively engaged with the fitting, said socket member being herein disclosed as provided in one end portion with an annular groove or channel 11 to receive the portions of the faces of the body or shell 1 and head 5 defining such opening. As is particularly illustrated in Figure '1 the upper or open portion of the opening 11 in the face or wall of the body or shell 1 has the opposed edges thereof in parallelism, as at 15, in order to facilitate the desired mounting or removal of the socket member 12.

The outer portion of the member 12 is provided with a socket 16 in which is adapted to have threaded engagement an end portion of a railing section 1'? herein disclosed as a pipe and as the member 12 is rotatably supported by the body or shell such connection of the member 12 with a railing section 17 may be readily effected by rotation of the member 12.

In the embodiment of the invention as particularly illustrated in Figure 9 the socket member 12 is provided with the lugs 18 snugly engaging within the spaces otherwise afforded by the parallel edge portions 15 whereby tle socket 12 is held against rotation with respect to the body or shell 1.

In Figure 10 of the drawings, 1 show a railing section 17 operatively engaged with each of the faces of the body or shell 1 but when such sections are operatively engaged with only certain of the faces, as is illus trated in Figures 1 and 1, the openings 11 in the unused faces of the body or shell are closed by the caps 19. Each of these caps 19 is defined by a marginal flange 20 to overlie the outer surfaces of the associated faces of the body or shell 1 and head 5 and with the. aligned peripheral lugs 21 to engage the inner surfaces. With the head 5 in separated relation with respect to the body or shell 1, these caps 19 may be readily applied or removed.

in the embodiment of my invention as particularly illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the socket member 12 is opcratively engagcd with a face or wall of the member or shell 1 in the same manner as hereinbefore stated with respect to the socket member 12'. The socket member 12, however, is of a type to receive a ball 22 arranged at the outer end of a shank 23 carried by a railing section 17. The shank 23 is disposed through and has sliding movement within a slot 21 provided in the wall of the socket member 12 and as said member 12 is capable of rotary movement with respect to the body member or shell, it will be readily seen that the railing section 17 has universal connection therewith so that the railing section can be disposed on a desired incline with respect to the fitting or more particularly a supporting post 9 therefor.

The outer edge portions of the slot 24- may be rounded for neatness and to facilitate the operative engagement of the ball 22 with the socket member 12.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a rail fitting con structed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

is also to be particularly noted that a fitting constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention is of such a character to as e proper alignment or relation of the various parts irrespective of such expansion or contraction which may occur during hot and cold weather.

I claim LL rail fitting comprising a shell, a tubular member disposed therethrough and spaced from the face walls of the shell, the tubular member being internally threaded at each end for connecting rails thereto and externally threaded at one end thereof, means of the socket members, and a nut engaging for maintaining the shell and tubular memthe external threads of the tubular member her in assembled relation, the face Walls of for holding the head in applied position. 10 the shell being provided With openings, In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my 5 socket members having recesses engageable gn Within the openings of said face Walls, a removable head engageable With the recesses ALBERT RICHARD SPIKINGS.

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