US1587691A

US1587691A - Railway-track structure

Info

Publication number: US1587691A
Application number: US745466A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard A Whittingham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1924-10-23
Filing date: 1924-10-23
Publication date: 1926-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 1943-06-08

Description

Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES RICHARD A. WHITTINGHAM, OF NEWARK, DELAWARE.

RAILWAY-TRACK STRUCTURE.

Application led October 23, 1924- Serial No. 745,466.

This invention relates to a railway track structure whereby the heads of the track rails are continuously supported by stringers, and these stringers are so designed that they may rest directly upon the ballast and give the necessary support-to the rails without the use of cross-ties. The Stringer of my invention is composed of rolled steel plates arranged at opposite sides of the track rail and supporting the same, each plate comprising a flat bearing portion, of substantial width, adapted to rest upon the ballast, a flanged portion extending upwardly from one edge of the bearing portion and adapted to engage the underside of the head of the track rail, to support the same, and a web portion extending downwardly from the bearing portion, the webs ot' the opposing plates bein@` adapted to extend deeply into the ballast and prevent lateral displacement of the track.

The stringer plates are secured together and to the rail by bolts passing through the flanges of the plates and the webs of the rails. rThe webs of the plates are not secured to one another, but are engaged at their lower parts by clamps or yokes which allow the plates to be rocked apart, to permit of' the insertion or removal of a rail, when the bolts are removed from the flanges. Thus, the fastening devices for the stringers are all above the roadbed, where they are accessible at all times.

At suitable intervals in the length of the track, ties are employed to connect together the stringers which support the opposing rails of the track, and these ties are formed so as to engage the bearing portions and the webs of the stringers and to hold the stringers and the rails at the proper gage while the ballast is being tamped under the stringers. These ties are secured to the stringers by fastening devices which are accessible from the surface of the roadbed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway track embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the track and roadbed, the rails and stringers being shown in perspective;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing one side of one of the Stringer plates;

Fig. l is a similar View showing the other side of one of said plates; and

Fig. 5 is a section through a modified form of ltrack structure.

Referring to Figs. 1-4 of the drawing, a

represents a ballasted railway roadbed, b

indicates the rolled metal plates composing the stringers, c represents the track rails, and cross-rods or ties are shown at d, for maintaining the alinement and gage of' the track while the ballast is being tamped under the stringers during construction, or afterwards.

Each stringeris composed of the opposing steel plates b-b, of similar form in cross section, and the plates are of such form that they may be readily manufactured by rolling. As shown, each plate comprises a flat, relatively wide, bearing portion 1, adapted to rest directly on the ballast, and having an upstanding flange 2, at one edge, which is of the form and height of an 0rdinary splice-bar. This flange is adapted to engage the under side of the rail head to support the same, and the flanges of the opposing plates are bolted together through the web of the rail by bolts e, which hold the llanges firmly against the rail. The web portion 3 extends downwardly from the under side otl the bearing portion along a line on the latter which is intermediate its edges, as shown at 3a, thence extending laterally, as shown at 3b, to a point beneath the track rail, thence extending horizontally outward in the form of a foot or flange, as shown at 31. opposing plates and the bearing portions above them form a channel j", below the bearing portion, wide enough to receive the base of an ordinary track rail. In the drawing, a double-headed rail is shown, one head being within the channel, and when the upper head is worn, the rail may be reversed to bring the lower head into use. Obviously, rails consisting merely of heads and webs may be used with the stringers; lbut the channel below the bearing portions of the stringeris provided for receiving the heads of double-headed rails or thebases of T- rails, when such are used.

The plates comprising the stringers are of the same lengths as the rails, and in laying the track the plates composing the Stringer are arranged so that the joints between the successive plates on one side of.

a Stringer will be between the joints of the successive .plates composing the other side ofthe stringer, and also so that the joints between successive rails will not occur at the joints between successive plates of a Stringer.

The parts 3a, 3b, of the Thus, the rail heads will have continuous support at the joints.

At suitable intervals, the String-ers which support the two rails of a track are connected by metal ties d, having at each end a yoke d which extends beneath the stringer and has its outer end 4- bent over to form a sort of hook for engaging the edge of the bearing portion of the outer Stringer plate, as shown. Clips 5, removably secured to thev ties, are adapted to engage the inner edges of the bearing portions of' the inner stringer plates. The central parts of' the yoke cl are formed So as to fit rather closely around. the feet 3d of the Stringer plates. These yokes prevent the webs from spreading under pressure of the load. The tie, as shown in the drawing, is composed of two parts connected by an insulating fitting 6, of standard form, which need not be described; These fittings are commonly used where it is'neeessary to keep the track rails electrically insulated from one another. The ties "el are preferably placed at points where a. joint occurs in the Stringer plates. The chief function of the tie is to maintain the track. rails at the proper gage while the ballast is being tamped under the stri' either during construction, or afterimids. The bearing portions of the stringere extend outwardly for a distance of about 7 from the central plane of the track rail, at opposite sides of the latter, and the strueture is supported directly by the ballast which is tamped under the bearing portions and under the horizontal portions 3b of the webs and under the lower flanges 3d. The Webs extend rather deeply into the ballast and prevent any lateral displacement oit the Structure.

It will be see-n from the foregoing that the Stringer struct-ure described provides a continuous rigid support for the track rails, which prevents breakage of the rails, and thaty the structure has ample bearing surface. on the ballast to support the rails, without the usual wooden cross-ties or sleepers. It will also be evident that any usualv form of railway rail may be snpported by the Stringer structure and that the plates of the Stringer structure are of such' form that they can be made by he rolling process, which is important from a manufacturing standpo'nt.

The only fastening devices required to hold the Stringer plates together and to the track rail are the track bolts which pass through the flanges of the plates and the web of the rail. lVhen these and the clips 5 are removed, the plates may be moved relatively to one another, Since the webs of theV plates are not fastened together, but merely held from spreading by the yokes or clamps. By jacking up the Stringer platos from the bottom, the plates may be rocked apart to remove or insert rails. Thus, all of' the fastening devices which must be removed or replaced, to remove or replace a rail, are accessible without the necessity ot' going beneath the surface of the ballast.

In Fig. 5, the Structure is the same as in the previously described figures, except that the websv 3f of the plates are flat and in line with the flanges 2a. This form of' plate is desirable where the rail c consists merely of a head and web, as shown.

What I claim is:

l. A. railway track structure comprising a rail and a Stringer, the latter composed of similar reVersely-arranged plates, each plate having a relatively wide bearing portion adapted to rest upon the roadbed and projecting laterally for a considerable distance beyond the bottom of the rail, a flange projecting upwardly from the bearing portion at the side of the web of the rail, and a web extending below the bearing portion.

2. A railway track structure comprising a rail and a Stringer, the latter composed of similar reversely arranged plates, each plate having a relatively wide bearing portion adapted to rest upon the roadbed and projecting laterally for a considerable distance beyond the bottom of' the rail, a flange projecting upwardly from thc inner edge oitl the' bearing portion and a 'web extending below the bearing portion, said rail being supported by and between said flanges.

3. A railway track structure comprising a rail and a stringer, the latter composed of similar reversely arranged plates, each plate having a relatively wide bearing portion adapted to upon the roadbed and projecting laterally for a considerable distance beyond the bottom of the rail, a flange projecting upwardly from the inner edge of the bearing portion and a web extending below the bearing portion, said rail having a head supported on said flanges antl a web bolted between said flanges.

4. A railway track structure comprising a` rail and a stringer, the latter composed of similar reversely arranged plates, each rest plate having relatively wide bearing portion adapted to rest upon the roadbed and projecting laterally for a considerable distance beyond the bottom ot the rail, a flange projecting upwardly from the inner edge.

of the bearing portion ana a web ez-rtending below the bearing portion, said rail being supported by and between said flanges,` and means engaging said webs and j n'eventing their lateral separation. l

A. railnf'ay traer structure comprising a rai and a stringer, the latter composed of similar reversely arranged plates, each plate ha a relatively wide bearing portion adapted to rest upon the roadbed and projecting laterally for a considerable distance beyond the bottom of the rail, a flange pro- Sli jecting upwardly from the inner edge of the hearing portion and a web extending below the bearing portion, said rail being supported y and between said flanges, and means engaging Said webs and separable therefrom, for preventing the lateral separation of the webs.

6, A railway trac-k structure comprising a rail and a Stringer, the latter composed of similar reversely arranged plates, each plate having a relatively wide bearing portion adapted to rest upon the roadbed and projecting laterally for a considerable dist-ance beyond the hottoni oi' the rail, a flange projecting upwardly from the inner edge of the hearing portion and a web extending below the hearing portion, Said rail being supported by and hetween said flanges, and a yoke fitting around the lower edges of said webs.

A railway track structure comprising a rail and a Strii'iger, the latter comprising two similar reversely arranged plates each having' a relatively wide bearing portion adapted to rest upon the roadbed and projecting laten-illy for a considerable distance beyond the bottoni of the rail, a flange projectiug upwardly from the inner edge of the hearing portion and fitting against the web and beneath the head of the rail and a web extending downwardly from the bearing portion, the wehs of both plates lying adjacent one another in the plane of' the rail, and holts extending through said flanges and the web ol' the rail, said plates being separately movable when said bolts are removed.

8. A railway track structure comprising parallel rails and stringers supporting the rails, each stringer comprising' two similar reyersely arranged plates, each plate having a relatively wide bearing portion adapted to rest noon the roadhed and having a flange projecting upwardly from the bearing` portion and fitting against the web of the rail and having a weh extending downwardly from the hearing portion, and bolts extending` through said flanges and the web of the combination with yokes, each having a central portion fitting around the lower parts of the plates of a Stringer and detachahly secured at its ends to the hearing portions of said plates, and means connecting the yokes on the opposing stringere` ot' the track structure.

9. ri railway Stringer plate comprising a. substantially flat hearing portion, an npswnding flange at one edge thereof adapted to e gage the head ot a track rail and a web port on extending downwardly from the hearing portion along a line spaced from said flange, thence extending laterally under the flange, and thence downwardly.

l0. A railway Stringer plate comprising a substantially flat bearing portion, an upstanding flange atone edge thereof adapted to engage the head of a track rail and a web portion extending` downwardly from the bearing portion along a line spaced from said flange, thence extending laterally under the tiange, thence downwardly, and thence laterally inthe opposite direction.

ll, A railway Stringer plate comprising a substantially fiat bearing portion, an up* standing flange. at one edge thereof adapted to engage the head ol a track rail and a web portion extending downwardly from the hearing portion along a line spaced from said flange, thence extending' laterally below and beyond the. flange, and thence down wardly.

l2, A railway stringer plate comprising a substantially fiat bearing portion, an upstanding flange at one edge thereof adapted to gage the head of a track rail and a weh portion extending downwardly from the hearing portion along a line spaced from sai-d flange, thence extending laterally below and beyond the liange, thence downwardly, and thence laterally in the opposite direction.

lil. railway stringer comprising two similar opposed plates, each plate having a antistantially flat bearing portion, an upstanding flange at one edge thereof adapted to engage the headof a track rail and haw ing a web portion extending downwardly from the hearing portion along a line spaced from Said flange, thence extending laterally, beneath the flange, toward the opposing plate and thence downwardly.

lat. The combination with a railway rail of' a Stringer comprising two similar rerersely arranged plates disposed at opposite sides of the rail, each plate having a substanally flat hearing portion adapted to rest upon the roadhechan upright flange fitting under the head of the rail, and a web portion extending downwardly from the bearportion along a line spaced from said thence laterally beneath the track rail and thence downwardly, and bolts passing through said flanges and the web of the track rail.

in testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

BlGHiiBD A. VHITTINGHAM.