US1750553A - Rail bond - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 193).r R.- s. WALLACE nur. Bonn Filed Feb. 11, 1927 ymmmmu mmm;

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Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STA Y' ROBERT WALLACE, 0F POCAI-IONTAS, VIRGINIA TEs PATENT OFFICE RAIL BOND t `Application led February 11,1927. Serial No. 167,463.

lIl) various other forms, arrangements, combinations and constructions of which the invention is capable within the spirit andthe scope thereof. I

In particular, although not so limited," the invention is directed to the solution of certain problems andthe elimination of certain difficulties encountered in bonding or electrically connecting the rails, at the splices or joints therebetween, of railway track of the .types for use with mine cars or similar rolling stock. The general form of rail joint or splice employed with mine car track embodies the use of opposite fish-plates or splice bars bolted to and through the rails by transverse bolts, and the usual manner of bonding the rails of such track to electrically connect the same, is to secure a. suitable length of yconducting material, such as stranded copper cable, at its opposite ends to the outer sides of the spliced rails at opposite ends of the splice, with the conductor so secured extending across and spaced outwardly from the rails and splice to bridge the splice and electrically bond the rails, as will be understood by those familiar with these types of track. A

" In the operation and use of mine 'car track formed of rails electrically connected or bond,- ed at the splices or joints in accordance with the general type of bond referred to above, a serious problem in upkeep and maintenance,

as well as in operation of the rail circuits, is

encountered due to the frequent breakage, cutting, mutilation or other injury to the rail bonds by the derailment of cars andvresulting engagement of the rail bonds by the 'car wheels or flanges thereof, whi ch engagement is facili- V4tated by the length of the bonds and the outjward spacing thereof from the'rails at the splices A further difficulty and disadvantageis met with" in the use of such types of bonding because of the necessity for severing or breaking the bonds from the rails to disconnect the same when a rail is or rails are removed from the track for replacement,'or where the track or a portion thereof may be dismantled for any desired purpose, so that i the bonds so severed or disconnected are rene dered practically incapable of-reuse in bonding other rails or rebonding .the removed or replaced rails.

One of the fundamental objects of the in vention is to overcome the foregoing diliculties and disadvantages encountered With rail bonds, by the provision of a design and construction of rail bond which reduces and practically eliminates possibility of breakageor injury thereto from derailed rolling stock, as well as injury through contact from other sources, and which bond vis readily removable from rail bonding position without deforma` i tion or injury, and when removedV is capable of immediate reuse and application to a rail joint or splice to electrically bond and connect the rails.

Another object `ofthe invention is to provide a bond for electrically connecting spliced rails which bond is so designed as to form a part orelement of the rail splice and thereby reduce the parts or elements required for the splice with resulting simplicity in structure and reduction in cost of the spliced and bonded rails. j

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail bond for yelectrically connecting spliced rails, which is of simple, durable construction capable of efficiently maintaining the rails electrically connected under all conditions of service, and which is further designed for ready application to and removal from the rails and for reuse after removal.

With the foregoing general objects, and certain other aims and objects in view, which will be readily recognized and apparent to those skilled in the art from the folloWingeX- planation,'the invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangements of elements, as will be more fully and particularly referred to and specified hereinafter. V i

Referring to'the accompanying drawings,

in which similar reference characters refer to corresponding elements throughout the several figures thereof:

Fig. 1, is a view in side elevation of al rail bond and splice of the invention applied to and connecting the ends of a pair of rails.

Fig. 2, is a view in top plan of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4, is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, the ends of a pair of rails R are disclosed in alined, track forming position for splicing yor joining, in the usual or any other desired inannel? familiar in the art, and in the example hereof therails R are joined or spliced in track forming position by means of the lishplates or splice bars disposed against opposite sides of the rails, across the joint between the vrail ends, and between the head and base flange of the rails. Suitable headed bolts B are extended transversely through the s lice bars S, adjacent the opposite ends t ereof respectively, and the rails R, and are secured in position to clamp the splice bars against opposite sides of the rails to bind the latter in joined, spliced relation, by the nuts B', as will be readily understood by those famiilar with rail splices upon refer-` .ence to the drawings hereof.

The rails R so joined and spliced are -required to be electrically connected to form track circuits for carrying electric currents, and this is generally accomplished by con- I iecting the rails with an electrical conductor or bond. According to the present invention, a bond is provided for electrically connecting the spliced rails R, which embodies, referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings in particular, a bar or rod 10 of suitable conducting material, preferably copper, which is bent or otherwise brought into U.shape form to provide the opposite spaced Iand substantially parallel legs or bolt forming members 11, connected by the base or bridge member 12. The bolt members 11 are externally screw threaded and the nuts 14 are threaded inwardly thereover honto the inner ends ,thereof at and adjacent the base or bridge member 12. The bridge member 0f the bond 10, is bent or depressed in.- warrlly at the central portion thereof betweenU bolt members 11 a distance substantially equal to the thickness ofthe nuts 14, in the present example, although the invention is not limited to the extent of the depressed Central portion of bridge .12,- This depressed or .reentrant Central portion 0f bridge l2 importantfeatre of the Present .invention and Will be more fully reterred t0 herinaften 'bolt forming' 'les or ,member l1 0f the` 'bond 'bar 10, is -provided with a nut 15 threaded Qntetlieouter @1.15.1 thereof, a

pair of conductor plates 16, preferably formed of copper sheet, although not so limited, are mounted loosely over and onto the bolt members 11, extending therebetween and thereacross. Suitable holes or bores are provided through plates 16 adjacent their opposite ends to loosely receive bolt members 11, as will be clear by reference to Figs. I and 3 of the drawings. In the example hereof, the conductor plates 16 are formed of a width substantially equal to the width of the splice bars S, with the bolt holes'therethrough disposed approximately along the longitudinal center line of the plates. Thus, a bonding unit is provided for application to and as a securing element of a rail splice or joint, in a manner hereinafter described.

With the usual rail splice or joint embodyt ing the splice bars S and the outer end transf verse bolts B, another set of bolts, similar to bolts B, are employed adjacent the inner ends of the alined rails R, and traversin the splice bars S and the rails but with according to -tliis invention, these bolts are dispensed with and rendered unnecessary, the splice bars and rail webs however, are pro: vided with the usual alined boltreceiving bores for such bolts, as clearly disclosed i-fn Fig 3 of the drawings The .bond unit 0f the present invention, constructed as above described, is lapplied to the splice formed at the rail ends by splice bars vS and bolts B, by removing the outer nuts 15 and outer con.'- ductor plate 16 from the bolt members l1 and these bolt members 1 1 are then inserte in and through the inner bores of the splice bars S and rail ends, to a position with the inner conductor plate 16 against the adjacent splice bar S at the outer' sides of rails R, and the nuts 1 4 in position bearing against', and forcing said conductor plate against the splice bar. The opposite conductor' plate 16 is'placed over the lprojecting ends of the bolt members 11, and the nuts 15 are screwed onto the bolt ends to position forcing the conductor plate 16 against the adjacent splice bar and drawing the bond into applied position with the nuts 14 and 11.5 `thereof clampf ing the conductor plates 16 and splice bars S therebetween to complete the splice of the rails R and electrically'connect the same. In the foregoing applied position of the bond of the invent-i011 .an eicient electrical connection is established and maintained between the spliced rails R, through the U-shaped conductor bar 10 of the bond, 14 and 1.5, and the conductor plates 16 in electrical Contact with the rails R through the Splice bars S Due to the construction and. arrangement .of the bridge '.12 'between the legs for .splice bolt forming members il, whereby the Cent-rail portion of bridge i12 i.S depressed or bent inwardly toward tlieraiis, inthe present example engaging the Cent L@.0mlluctor plat@ 1.6, a preise tion of the bond beyond the outer side of the rails is secured, so that the possibility of injury to the bond by the wheels of derailed rolling stock, or from engagement with other elements, is practically eliminated. This result is further contributed to by the small length of the bridge due to the minimum spacing of bolt members 11. The entire bond at both sides of the splice, and particularly at the outer side, is disposed in close proximit thereto with a minimum projection to catchI or engage car wheels or other objects capable of injuring the same.

The bond further provides an element of the rail splice to secure the rails clamped in track forming position through the medium of bolt members 11 and the clamping nuts 14 and l5 thereof, and thus reduces the necessary elements for the splice and bond for the rails with a reduction in cost. The bond unit is readily detachable and removable from the rail splice without injury to the bond, so that it is capable of repeated reuse. The removal and replacement of rails bonded by the invention is readily accomplished and the original bonds can be employed, or track can be dismantled and relaid without the use of new bonding, the original bonds simply being again used.

so If desired or found expedient, in place or nuts 14, the inner ends of the bolt members 11 can be formed with integral enlarged portions as equivalents and to take the place of the applied nuts 14, disclosed and described in the example hereof.

While the invention is particularly directed to use in track for mine cars and such classes of rolling stock, it is not so limited, but is of general application to the bonding and splicing of railway track or other rails, and the invention intends and contemplates such broad uses and applications.

It is also evident that various changes, modifications, variations and substitutions might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact andspecic disclosures` hereof.

Desiring to protect my invention in the broadest manner legally possible, what I claim is:

A rail bond and splice embodying in combination with joined rails, splice bars at opposite sides of and across the joined rail ends, and a readily removable rail bonding and splice securing member comprising a bar of electrical "conducting material formed into approximately U-shape to provide spaced bolt members connected at one end by a bridge forming base, said bolt members extended transversely through the splice bars and electrical conductor plate mounted over and across said bolt members between said clamping members and the adjacent splice bar, an electrical conductor plate mounted over and across the outer extended ends of said bolt members, nuts on the outer ends of said bolt members with the splice bars, rail ends and conductor plates clamped between said nuts and clamping members, and the said brid e forming base extended inwardly between said clamping members to provide the intermediate portion thereof positioned within and between said clamping members and in electrical contact with the adjacent conductor plate, the said rail bonding and splice securing member with the conductor plates being removable from the rail splice without injury for reuse.

Signed at Pocahontas, Virginia, this 6th day of May, 1926.

ROBERT S. WALLACE.

rails at opposite sides of the rail joint with the base bridging the rail joint, clamping members on said bolt members at the inner 6 ends thereof adjacent said connecting base, an

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