US1790889A - Combination railway-track clamp - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 3, 1931. WALTEMATE 1,790,889

COMBINATION RAILWAY TRACK CLAMP Filed May 12, 1930 1 .UNITEDI STA Patented Feb. 3, 1931 TEST:

. IIERMAN W LTEMATEQ on EAST, ST. Louis, ILLINQIS, vnssrctnort or "one-HALF TO LAWRENCE MARK GHARTRAND, OF EAST S'LZZLOUIS, ILLINOIS I COMBINATION RAILWAY-TRACK otA ctfI' Application filed May 12,

track clamp, the peculiarities of which will therail to atie; secondly, to eliminate most I Fig. 4, a vertical se t on onth line-1' 1 'my' clamp combined with a metal tie;

be hereinafter fully described and claimed. i The main objects of my invention are: first, toprovide an efiicient rail clampforsecurmg of the usual fastening bolts and spikes at the rail joint and elsewhere; thirdly, to support the rail head firmly at said joint; fourthly, to combine such a clamp with the usual wood tie; fifthly, to provide such a clamp with detachable dowel pins insertablethroughthe usual bolt holes in abutting rail ends and eliminate the usual angle fishplateysixthly, and other features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing on which like reference numerals indicate correspond-1 ingparts, V r I 1 Fig. lrepresents a side view of my clamp and-track rails mounted'on a' wood tie and constituting thepreferr'ed form; V

Fig. 2, a plan view of a portion'ofF-ig. 1;

of my clamp;

Fig. 3, a reversedplan of the'ba-seiplate ofFigl; k Fig. 5, a similar viewto' Fig.1, showing.

Fig. 6, a plan view of a portion of Fig. and 1 l I e Fig. 7, a vertical section on the'line 7- of Fig. 5. I

My construction practically eliminates the; usual spikes securing the base flanges. of track rails to wooden ties, and also doesaway with the usual bolts and angle fishplates' at abutting joints of track rails. I

- Referring to the drawing, the numeral 8 indicates track rails disposed a suitable gauge distance apart for a railway. Below each rail is located a base plate 9Jsecured to the tie and having atone end integral-therewith an upwardly extending jaw 10 extending I over the base flange and upward to engage the underside of the rail head. A movable jaw is mounted on this base plate and consists-ofa head 11 extending over the baseflange and engaging the underside'of the 1930.., Serial no. 451,669.

rail head similarly that of the fixed jaw 10. The movable aw'has a shank 12 extending at right angles from the. head and the" track rail and slideable between two upwardly extending lugs 13 integral with the said 'b'a-s'e'plate and located on the opposite side of therail from the fixed jaw'10. 1

These lugs have horizontally aligned openings in a plane'near the upper surface of said.

shank=12in which shank is a slot 1 1 aligned ith said openings in the lugsand having the edge towards the rail preferably beveled downward for engagement with a wedge-key l 15 likewise preferably beveled fOrT'engagement with the. beveled surface of said slot 1 1. This wedge keybears against the openings in the lugs andforces the movable jaw mem- 'berfagainst the rail and clamps the rail in cooperation with the fixed jaw 10 which forms a buttress. The bevel edges of the slotand the .wedgeikey tend to hold the shank flat upon thebase plate, and the jaw head 11, combined w'ith ,thefixed jaw 10, holds the track Y rail firmly in position on the base plate.

On the bottom of the base plate under the the tie,;asindicated in Fig. 1. The base plate 1 and 'tiearesecurelyvbound together. by a fasteningsuch as a stirrup strap 17 passing under the tie andhaving'its "ends connected by athe baseplate when desirable as in the case the rails are used to conduct electric current for block signal or other purposes- This base plate is in duplicate'Iundereach rail=as shown in F ig.;1,,an'd the fixed j aw10 is preferably on the corresponding side of the rails,- and the-movable jaw is likewise located rail is a downward projection 16, preferably 'roundedras shown in F ig; 3,. adapted to be inserted inan auger holeibored in the top of as shown. inFig. 1. The base plates have two downwardly: depending arms 20 and 21 .re-

spectivelyadapted to be disposed along the sides of thetie and ending in flanges 23 which are also provided with insulatingplates 24. Holes in the flanges are provided with fas-' tening bolts having insulating washers 26, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The middle of the tie is thus exposed, and promotes better con tact of the respective base plates with the tie. lhe tie can spring up in the center without interfering with the base plates near theends The insulating piece 24 or other fillerbetween the end flanges 23 will vary in thickness I according to the shrinkage of the castings,-

and the wider gauge between the rails which is required upon a curved track. Thus said piece 24 serves as an adjustable filler as well as an insulation from electricity when so required.

' The stirrup strap 17 preferably located as shown, between the wedge key and the re spective rail. 7 j g s The abutting'ends of the rails are provided with holes through the web for the inser tion of bolts connecting angle fish platesin the usual construction.v Atleast two-of these holes ata rail oint are embraced by the aws 1,0 and 11 of my clamp. Said aws are provided with sockets 27 opposite these holes in I which are located dowel pins 28 as shown in Fig. 2, when the rail joint is enclosed by the jaws. These sockets are elongated corre sponding to the elongated holes in the usual fish plates as required for the expansionfiof track rails. The dowel pins are not used except when my clamp embraces a railjoint in inthe usual angular fishplates.

' While my preferred form of clam 7 s u'sed with a wood tie, I, have also shown'it in Figs. 5-7 as applied to a metal tie 29 having walls formingchambers as in Fig. 7 I iclaim: i P 1. A combination railway track clamp comprising a clamp for each rail each consisting of a base plate having lugs and having a jaw integral with said plate and inclinednpward which latter case thev correspond to the bolts 'and fitting the undersideof the rail head and -the top of the base-flange and 'forininga buttress, a movable jawiormlng the other clamp ing member and comprising a head fitting under the rail head and above the base flange an the opposite side of the rail and having a shank extending at right angles to the M11 and a matching movable -'j awha'ving ahead to in clamping engage the underside of the rail head and top of the base flange opposite said buttress and having a shank extending at right angles to said head and between said lugs, and a wedge key mounted in said openings and engaging said shank, substantially as described.

'3. The combination with trackfrails dis- 7 posed awsuitable gauge distance apart forming abutting rail joints having the usual bolt holes in the rail web, and a wood -tie,-ofa clamp for each rail, said clamps consisting of base plates mounted on the tie and supporting'the adjacent rail joint and detachably connectedtogether each plate having an upwardly extending jaw member integral. therewithand engaging the underside of the rail head and topof the base flange,a mov: able jaw member having a head similarly engagingthe opposite side of said, rail, said jawshaving sockets alining with theholes at the railjoint, and dowel pins mounted in said sockets and passing through saidirail holes, and means to secure the movablejaw vposition, substantially as ,described- 7 s i 4'. The combination with track rails disposed'a suitable gauge distance apart, and a wood tie, of a clamp for each rail each comprising base plate mounted on the tier-and below the rail and provided with clamping 9 jaws -l'lor the adjacent vjrail and having a downward projection below the rail engaging an alining hole in the tie, and means to secure said base plate-upon the tieiand maintain theengagement of said downward projeotiontherewith, substantially as described. "Thecombination'with track railsand a wood tie,.of base plates mounted on said tie andpsupporting said rails and having depending lugs extending alongside the tie and adjustably connected together near the cen- ,t-er of thetie,- saidhase plates being provided with clamping jaws engaging :opposite sides at the respective rail, and means to clamp said jaws upon the rails, substantially as describedf 6. The combination with a track rail and a wood tie, of baseplates mounted on the tie and supporting the adjacent rails and each provided with an integral jaw and a movable jaw, .both jaws inclined upward fromthe base plate and engaging the underside of the rail head, .means to clamp the movable against the rail, and a stirrup strap extending under the tieand connected above the movable jaw and adapted to hold the mom able jawand baseplate anditie firmly together, substantially as describedv 7; The combination with trackzrails and 'a wood tie, of :a base plate mounted between the tie ande'ach rail: and each base; plate provided with fixed and movable clamping awe and having depending arms extending to ward each other and disposed onojpposite sides offthe wood tie and having adjacent flanged ends near the center provided with bolt holes, insulating pieces mounted between said ends and at the outside of said flanges, bolts passing through said flanges and insulating pieces, and stirrups embracing the tie and extending above the plates and movable jaws and insulated therefrom, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a track rail an wood tie, of base plates on said tie supporting the rails and each having an integral fixed jaw at one'end engaging the underside of the rail head and top of the base flange and having on the opposite end upwardly extending lugs with aligned openings, a movable jaw having a head engaging the underside of the rail head and the top of the base flange on the opposite side of the rail from the fixed jaw and having a shank extending from the head between said lugs and provided with a slot on its upper surface, one side of which is beveled, a wedge key mounted in said aligned openings and having a matching bevel-engaging that of said slot in the shank, and fastening means for each base plate and located between said wedge and the adjacent rail for securing the movable jaw and base plate to said tie.

In testimony whereof I have afi'ixed my signature.

HERMAN WALTEMATE.

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