US1798698A - Rail joint - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1931. J. c. RAINEY 1,798,698

RAIL JOINT Filed July 11, I929 aKZ/Z rw [27 I f gvwcntoz N i I 16 J c. Pane flg 2/ y IIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAWI! .4 5

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Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES JAMES CLYDE RAINEY, F GROVE CITY, PENNSYLVANIA RAIL JOINT Application filed. July 11,

This invention relates to an improved rail oint and seeks, among other objects, to provide a device which will eflectually re tain the meeting ends of railroad rails in coupled relation and still allow for the expansion and contraction of said rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail joint having a studded bonding plate connecting the webs of the rails, thus 10 obviating the necessity of employing separate bonding means when electrically connecting the rails.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint having a one piece chair 15 plate for supporting the rail ends and the other component parts of the device in functional relation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint which may be easily installed and which will not become displaced when in position.

Other objects of the invention not specifically mentioned in the foregoing will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the device in position,

Figure 2 is a sectional View of the device E on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

' Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chair plate,

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the bonding plate, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the wedge plates employed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown the meeting end portions of railroad rails having treads 1, webs 2, and flanges 3 provided wit-h spaced oblong openings 4.

Associated with the meeting end portlons of the rails is a chair plate 5 formed of a single piece of material, said plate having a bottom wall 6 and side flanges 7 and 8 which are curved laterally and tapered longitudfe 1929. Serial No. 377,479.

nally in opposite directions.- Formed on said flanges areupstanding plates 9, and in said plates are openings 10 communicating with which are upwardly disposed notches 11. Near its ends the chair plate 5 is provided with slots 12 to accommodate ordinary railroad spikes for securing the device to a tie.

The chair plate 5 freely receives the rail ends which seat fiat against the bottom wall 6 of said plate, and driven between the flanges 7 and 8 of the plate and the rail ends are wedge plates 13. The plates 13 are provided with longitudinally disposed channels 14; defining shoulders 15 and 16 which engage the rail webs for thus bracing the rail ends at the joint. Formed on the bottom of the wedge plates are tapered flanges 17 shaped to fit the flanges 7 and 8. Formedv in the wedge plates 13 are spaced medially disposed slots 18 and communicating with said slots are notches 19. The slots permit some variation in the position of the plates when installing the device. Formed in the wedge plates near the ends thereof are spike receiving notches 20 which normally align with the slots 12 of the chair plate' 5.

Clamped between one of the wedge plates 13 and the webs 2 of the rail ends is a substantially rectangular bonding plate 21 having a pair of studs 22 disposed near each end thereof. These studs engage in pairs of the oblong openings 1 of the webs 2. v

The bonding plate 21 provides an addi: tional and central locking means for the rails andalso obviates the necessity of employing separate bonding means when electrically connecting the rails. Formed in the bonding plate 21 are openings 23.normally aligning withthe openings in the webs 2 of the rail ends and the slots 1'801' the wedge plates.

Extending through the registering openings 1, '10 and 23 of the webs 3, the plates 9, and th'e'bonding plate 21, as well as through the slots 18 of the wedge plates 13 are bolts till 25. These bolts are provided with keys 26 5;

which extend throughout the major portion of the length of said'bolts to engage in the registering slots 11 of the plates 9 as well as those of the slots 19- registering with the former slots. Carried on each bolt is a spring locking strip 27 provided with an opening. Screwed on each bolt is a nut 28 which may be of any desired shape. As the bolts are inserted from opposite sides of the device, the spring locking strip carried by each bolt serves to lock the nut carried by the other bolt. If found necessary, the bolts 25 may be provided with key portions to engage in the notches 11 and 19 only, so that the keys will not extend through the rail webs and through the bonding plate.

In assembling the device the chair plate is first placed in position about the end portion of one of the rails. The end portion of the rail to be connected is then inserted. The bonding plate 21 is placed in position and the wedge plates are driven in until the spike receiving notches align with the slots .12 in the chair plate. The securing bolts 25 are then inserted when nuts 28 are screwed on and the spring locking strips placed in position about the nuts. As will be noted, the keys 26 will prevent endwise movement of the wedge plates 17 so that accidental displacement of the parts will be prevented. However, should looseness develop, the key bolts are taken out and the wedge plates driven up a notch for taking up such looseness, when the key bolts are again installed for securing the parts in their tightened position. As will be perceived, the slots 18 in the wedge plates will permit the tightening thereof in the manner indicated.

Having thus described the inventionfI claim:

1. A rail joint including a chair plate to accommodate the meeting ends of the rails, wedge plates coacting with the chair plate and with the rail ends for binding the rail ends in position, and bonding means coacting with the rail ends and confined by one of said wedge plates.

2. A rail joint including a chair plate to accommodate the meeting ends of the rails,

wedge plates coacting with the chair plate and with the rail ends for binding the rail ends in position, bonding means coacting with the rail ends and confined by one of said wedge plates, and bolts extending through the chair plate, the wedge plates, said bonding means and the rail ends and locking the wedge plates and said bonding means against endwise movement.

3. A rail joint including a chair plate to g accommodate the meeting ends of the rails,

wedge plates coacting withthe chair plate and with the rail ends for binding the rail ends in position, bolts extending through the chair plate, the wedge plates and the rail ends and locking the wedge plates against endwise movement, said bolts being provided with nuts, and means carried by each bolt and locking the nut of the other Bolt against retrograde movement.

4. A rail joint including a chair plate to accommodate the meeting ends of rails, a bonding plate engaged with the rail ends, wedge plates coacting with the chair plate and with the rail ends and binding the rail ends in position, one of said Wedge plates overlying the bonding plate, and means ex tending through the chair plate, wedge plates, the rail ends and the bonding plate and locking the wedge plates against end wise movement.

5. A rail joint including a chair plate to accommodate the meeting ends of rails and provided with aligned openings having aligned notches communicating therewith, a bonding plate engaging the rail ends and provided with openings registering with said first mentioned openings, wedge plates coact ing with the chair plate and with the rail ends and binding the rail ends in position,

said wedge plates being formed with slots registering with said openings and being provided with notches communicating with said slots and aligned with said first-mentioned notches, and bolts extending through the rail ends, said slots and openings and provided with keys engaging in said registering notches and locking the wedge plates against endwise movement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES CLYDE RAINEY [n 5.

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