US1806426A - Railway rail and rail-joint - Google Patents

Description

May 19, 1931. s, THOMSON 1,806,426

Filed April 18, 1930 2 sh ets-Sheet 1 lnuenf'ox",

y 9, 1931. s. G. THOMSON 1,806,426

//7 (J en for wwww Patented May 19, 1931 PATNT OFFICE SAMUEL G. THOMSON, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK RAILYVAY RAIL AND RAIL-JOINT Application filed April 18,

This invention relates to a novel dist-ribution of metal in the rail and splice bars, in order to improve the clamping action of the top of the bar against the rail; also, to provide a rail and splice bar of better design and stability in service, and such as will afford an enlarged bearing area under the rail head.

This specification may be abbreviated by not repeatin herein the advantages afforded in rail manufacture as outlined in my former application for patent, dated April 9th, 1930, Serial No. 442,948, which advantages apply withequal force to this invention.

In order to accomplish the above purposes,

my improvement comprises an important change in the rail section, viz.-the use of a bearing face under the rail head which is concave adjacent to the outer under corner of the rail head. It will be noted from the various figures of the drawings, that this outermost concave bearing may be joined to faces having different inclination and varying curvature and to flat faces in forming the entire under surface of the rail head. The

enlarged bearing thus obtained is a novel divergence from the present common use of equivalent angles of inclination for the flat upper and lower splice bar bearings. In this variously shaped and inclined upper bearing 0 comprising the basic feature of my invention, the head of the bar is afforded a well anchored bearing which is flexibly adjustable to the under surface of the rail head. This bearing is adaptable to varying conditions of wear and size of bars and rails; it relieves the rigidity of former construction, and affords a yielding flexibility against the pull of the bolts.

In some designs of rail, a large radius is used to form the under corner of the rail head; or the side face of the head ay be out under to give aoslightly widened head toward the top. The result is, that the uppermost and outermost available bearing for the bar under the rail head lies considerably inside of a vertical plane at the outermost portion of the rail head. The outer edge of this bearing might thus be cut back even to the midpoint between vertical planes at the outermost portion of the rail head and at the sin 1930. Serial No. 445,264.

innermost face of the rail web without departing from the spirit of my invention; but the more preferable forms are obtained by using the sharpest practicable corner under the rail head in order to carry the uppermost bearing of the bar as far outward as possible.

It is Well known in railway track maintenance, that the efficiency of a rail-j oint is very greatly dependent upon the tightness of the joint bolts, and it is one of the important objects of this invention to improve these conditions.

In my former Patent No. 1,005,583, dated October 10, 1911, a very rigid bolting structure was set up, in which the head of the bar takes a bearing solidly and rigidly against an almost vertical face of the rail web, so that the full pull of the bolts is almost entirely against this face, very little resistance being offered parallel to the bolt-pull forces by the fiat fishing angle under the rail head. It is one of the objects of my invention to relieve this rigid set-11p by transferring the reaction to the bolt-pull at the coacting faces of the rail and bar from an upright faceto a curved inclined face. For this purpose I use this concave bearing for the bar, which comprises the outermost portion of the under surface of the rail head. In most of the forms illustrated in the drawings, the use of this concave face eliminates entirely the flat bearing face under the rail head, and substitutes in its place a continuously concave and curved surface under the rail head from its under corner to the rail web. Some of the forms, however, show an intermediate flat face as part of a generally slanting concave under surface; but the outermost portion of this under surface is always curved in accordance with the basic idea of this invention. It will be noted that the variations in the curvature and in the inclination of this outer under bearing face will give any desired degree of yielding elasticity against the pull of the bolts, this elasticity also being regulated by the distance that the bearing of the bar is carried down around the curve. The outer curved face is particularly effective in increasing the curved Width of that portion of the under surface of the rail head which controls the action and the movement of the head of the bar. The extra curved width thus obtained makes it unnecessary to extend the bearing of the head of the bar down to the upright portion of the curve adjacent to the rail web. It will be noted also, that it is this concave bearing face at the outer under corner of the rail head, that holds the head of the bar well anchored under the rail head, and does not allow it to slip outwardly, as the bar is forced upwardly and inwardly by the pull of the bolts.

The precise nature of my invention and the different action of the bars against the rail, will best be understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, inwhich I show a number of the more desirable forms. It is presumed, however, that the invention is susceptible of various other modifications without departing from its spirit and the scope as defined in the appended claims.

Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, are sectional elevations ofa rail and a splice bar, illustrating some of the. forms which my invention may take, the nature and the different characteristics of which may best be comprehended by a description in detail of each figure, to follow.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the various figures of the drawings:

The letter H, whenever seen, designates the rail head; W, the rail web; F, the rail foot; B, the splice bar; C, the concave bearing for the splice bar at the outer under corner of the rail head; D, the lower bearing of the splice bar on the rail; line ff, the centre line of the clamping bolts; line vc, designates a vertical plane at the outer edge of the concave ,bearing face C.

Figure 1 shows the concave bearing face C extended downwardly and inwardly with uniform curvature to form the under surface of the rail head. The radial centre of this curved surface lies adjacent to a vertical plane at the side face of the rail head, thus causing the upper portion of the curve to approach a horizontal tangent plane, and thus form a laterally overhanging projection C at the under corner of the rail head. The head of the bar fits this entire curved under surface, and is carried down to contact with the upright face of the rail web. If desirable, the head of the bar may be cut away to leave a clearance between it and the rail web adjacent to the lower portion of the concave under face of the rail head at 1. The base of the bar makes the usual" fishing contact D with the rail base, the bearing surface lying at the usual 13 degree angle with the horizontal.

In Figure 2, the concave face C joins a face 2 having a larger radius, and this face in turn joins a face 3 with a still larger radius, thus connecting the under surface of the rail head to the rail web. Concave face G extends sharply inward from the under corner of the rail head, so that a considerable portion of the upper bearing face for the bar approaches a horizontal position. This gives a most effective anchorage for the head of the bar in preventing it from rotating and creeping out at the top as the bar is pulled in at the bottom by the bolts; and at the same time, the bearing of the head of the bar at 3 against a downwardly-and inwardly slanting curved face introduces a yielding elasicity into the clamping action of the bolts which is not present when the bar bears directly and rigidly against the substantially vertical face of the rail web, as in the construction of my former Patent No. 1,005,583. The bottom of the bar contacts only with the outer portion D of the top face of the rail foot, which illustrates another feature of my invention. This outer bearing D in combination with the upper concave bearing face C is effective in holding the bar in its original upright operative position and with the upper and lower hearings in their complete original contact.

Another novel featurewill be noted as mentioned above in connection with this Fig. 2, and in Fig. 1, viz.the position of the upper and outermost portion of the concave under bearing face C in its approach to a horizontal tangent plane, so that a considerable portion of the under surface of the rail head adjacent to its under corner lies in a substantially hori zontal position. This feature is not essential to or is it claimed specifically in this application, but is made the basic feature and the subject matter for a separate application for Patent, No. 454,575, May 22, 1930, which is related and supplementary to this application. In this separate application, the substantially horizontal position of this outer portion of the. under'surface of the rail head is claimed broadly, whether this said outer portion is concave or flat; whereas in this application, this outermost under face is basically concave, but may lie at any practicable inclination.

Figure 3'shows the curvature of bearing C extended inwardly at 4 to an abruptjuncture 5 with the rail web, thus making the general inclination of this upper bearing not greatly different from the usual 13 degree-fiatfishing angle; but its curvature effects a much different action against the pull'of the bolts. The

of said bearing. A base bearing 7 is provided 13 under the rail, which is an additional factor in regulating and controlling the action and position of the bar against the rail.

Figure 4 shows a rail having the under surface of its head comprising concave face C and flat face 8. The splice bar contacts with this entire face and abuts a vertical face of the rail web. The inclination of this irregular bearing face is similar to the uniformly curved face shown in Fig. 3. In this Fig. 4, the lower portion of the bar and its bearing D on the rail foot is of usual design.

In Figure 5, the under surface of the rail head starting at C, curves uniformly downwardly and inwardly to its juncture 9 with the rail web, the head bearing of the barstopping considerably short at 10. With the steep slope of this under bearing at C, and with no portion of its curvature forming an overhanging rail head, there would be a tendency for the bar to slip upwardly around this slanting curve and to be drawn inwardly along the rail foot, were it not for the bearing of the bar at D, which holds its base from being drawn inwardly. This blocking of the inward movement at D would force a stretching of the bolts at 11, in order to allow the bar to slip upwardly in its upper bearing to a position shown in dotted lines. It will be noted that the effect of this outer bearing on top of the rail foot, is to tilt a line 1212 through the contacts of the bar with the rail, into an inclined position, so that the eflective or resultant pull of the bolts is along line f'f'. The direction of this resultant pull is naturally about at right angles to the tilted line 1212, and approximately bisecting the angle 13 made by the top face of the rail foot and a plane 1414 representing the direction of the tendency of the head of the bar to be drawn inwardly by the clamping action of the bolts.

The tendency of a bar to rotate or to move away from its normal position under the vibration and wear of service, must be equalized at the top and at the bottom of the bar inorder to obtain the best efficiency. This is very closely approximated by my invention as indicated in the above description of Fig. 5. It thus will be seen, that the advantages of an enlarged downwardly and inwardly slanting face under the rail head, may be effected by properly shaping and locating the bearings of the bar against the rail. Heretofore, it has been the practice to use substantially equivalent angles of inclination for the bearing faces under the head of the rail and on top of its foot,-about 13 degrees with the horizontal-with the view of holding the splice bars in their original upright position; whereas, with my invention, a wide latitude is possible in giving different inclinations to these upper and lower bearings, thus effecting an improved stability in the action of the bar against the rail as well as increased strength and better design.

Figure 6 shows an upper concave bearing C, similar to that in Fig. 5, except that it has a smaller radius and extends outwardly over the bar to form a rail with a very wide head. This afiords an unusually wide bearing area for the bar, its inner portion being carried down around the curve to 15. This same curvature is continued to form the face of the rail web. This extremely wide upper bearing area for the bar, together with its contact with the rail feet at D, provides a well stabilized condition in the clamping action of the bar against the rail, and furnishes a very favorable design for insulated railjoints, in which the bearings at the top and at the bottom of the bar are of about the same area.

Figure 7 shows a rail with the concave face C resolved into an irregular surface having elliptic or parabolic curvature, the lower portion of which oins in forming the side of the rail web at 16. The action of this design as the bar is pulled inwardly and upwardly by the bolts, is to produce a pinching Zone or area of increasing pressure as this irregular surface approaches its point of greatest curvature adjacent to the position of a horizontal plane. The result is, that a close tit and extra tightness is maintained at C. It will be noted that the under corner of the rail head is cut back slightly at 17, thus throwing the outermost portion of the bearing face C considerably inside of a vertical plane at the outermost portion of the rail head. The outer edge of this bearing, intersected by plane vo, could be set inwardly still further by giving a greater slant to the side face of the rail head, and by using a larger radius for the under corner of the rail head as shown in Fig. 3, without departing from the spirit of my invention, which is: to locate the outer edge of the concave under bearing face C within the outer half of the under surface of the rail head. In the preferable forms, however, this outer edge is closely adjacent to a vertical plane at the outermost portion of the rail head.

In Figure 7, a novel method is shown for increasing the steepness or angle of inclination of the bearing D on top of the rail foot. Also, in some of the other forms of my invention, particularly when the concave under surface of the rail head is uniformly and steeply inclined downwardly and inwardly from the under corner of the rail head, this special means comprising a novel bearing of the bar against the rail foot, may be used to hold the bar in its upright position, similar to the action mentioned in connection with Figs. 2 and 5. This novel foot-bearing feature is not essential to this invention; but may be used to advantage in combination with the concave under bearing face C described herein, some of the most practicable designs being thus attained. On the other hand, the concave bearing face C as described and claimed in this application for patent, is not essential to the aforesaid novel footbearing; and therefore, I make this footbearing feature the subject matter for a separate application for Patent No. 450.112, May 6, 1930, which is related and supplementary to this application.

In Figure 8, the outer portion of concave face C approaches a horizontal tangent simi lar to that shown in Fig. 7. In this Fig. 8, however, the concave face C is set in under the rail head more than in Fig. 7, in order to resist the tendency of the head of the bar to slip upwardly and around its upper bearing and away from the head of the rail under the clamping action of the bolts. By using a large radius for the under corner of the rail head, the outer edge of the concave bearing face C, intersected by plane o e, is set back slightly from a vertical plane at the outermost portion of the rail head, but not as far as in Figs. 3 and 7. In all of these three figures, this outer edge of the concave under bearing face C, indicated by line oo, lies much nearer to the outermost portion of the rail head than to the innermost face of the rail web. In Figs. 1 and 2, line v-e is very closely adjacent to the vertical side face of the rail head. The lower bearing of the bar at D engages only the outer portion of the rail foot, in order to assist in stabilizing the position of the bar against the rail.

In the various forms which I have used to illustrate the action and the advantages of my invention, it will be noted that the concave form of the bearing face under the outer corner of the rail head is the vital part of this upper bearing of the bar against the rail. This concave face acts as the holding or pinching element in controlling the movement of the upper portion of the bar as it is forced inwardly and upwardly by the pull of the bolts. It is the width and the inclination of this outer concave bearing face that gives to the clamping action of the head of the bar the required amount of yielding flexibility, the latter also being regulated by the distance that the bearing of the head of the bar is carried down around this curved face toward the inner portion of the concave under surface of the rail head. Another advantage of this concave under surface is, that it the rail head. In the former art, the angle of inclination of the upper and-the lower flat bearing faces for the bar have been made substantially equivalent, in order toholdthe splice bars in their original upright position;

of its head lying nearer to a vertical plane at the outermost portion of its head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of its web, a concave surface adjoining and extending inwardly from said corner, and a splice bar contacting with said surface and with the rail foot outside of a vertical plane at the outer edge of said upper contact.

2. A railway rail having a portion of its head forming an under corner lying adjacent to a vertical plane at the outermost portion of its head, a concave face adjoining and extending inwardly from said corner, and a splice bar contacting with said concave face and with the rail foot outside of said vertical plane.

3. A railway rail having the outer edge of a concave face under its head lying nearer to a vertical plane at the outermost portion of the rail head than to a vertical plane atthe innermost face portion of the rail web, a splice bar contacting with said concave face and with the rail foot outside of said outer verticalv plane, and bolts clamping the bar to the rail.

4. A railway rail having a concave face forming that portion of the under surface of its head which is nearer to a vertical plane at the outer edge of the rail head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of the rail web, a splice bar contacting under the rail head with said concave face and on top of the rail foot at a greater distance from the rail web than said upper contact.

5. A railway rail having a concave face under its head and lying adjacent to the side face of its head, the lower portion of said side face lying nearer to a vertical plane at the outer edge of the rail head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of the rail web, and a splice bar contacting with said concave face and with the rail foot outside of said outer vertical plane.

6. A railway rail having a curved surface extending continuously from its upright web to an under corner of its head, said corner being nearer to a vertical plane at the outer edge of the rail head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of the rail web, and a splice bar contacting with an outer portion of said curved surface and with the IOU- rail foot at a greater distance from the rail web than said upper curved contact.

7. A railway rail having a curved surface extending inwardly from a point adjacent to a vertical plane at the outer edge of the rail head to comprise the greater portion of the under surface of one side of the rail head, and a splice bar contacting with an outer portion of said curved surface and with the rail foot at a greater distance from the rail web than said upper contact.

8. A railway rail having a concave face under its head, a splice bar having a curved bearing engagement with a portion of said face which is nearer to a vertical plane at the outer edge of the rail head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of the rail web, said bar contacting with the rail foot at a greater distance from the rail web than said upper curved bearing, and bolts clamping the bar to the rail.

9. A railway rail having a concave face under its head, and a splice bar having a curved bearing engaging a portion of said face adjacent to a vertical plane at the outer edge of the rail head, said bar contacting with the rail foot at a greater distance out wardly than said curved upper bearing.

10. A railway rail having an under corner of its head lying nearer to a vertical plane at the outermost portion of its head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of its web, a concave surface adjoining and extending inwardly from said corner, and a splice bar contacting with said concave surface and having a head underlying said corner.

11. A railway rail having an under corner of its head lying nearer to a vertical plane at the outer edge of its head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of its web, a concave surface adjoining and extending inwardly from said corner, and a splice bar having an upper bearing against said surface and a lower bearing against the rail foot, said lower bearing extending outwardly a greater distance than said upper hearing.

12. A railway rail having a portion of its head forming an under corner adjacent to a vertical plane at the outermost edge of its head, a concave surface extending inwardly from said corner, and a splice bar contacting with a portion of said surface and with the rail foot, said foot contact extending outwardly a greater distance than said head contact.

13. A railway rail having a portion of its head forming an under corner lying nearer to a vertical plane at the outer edge of its head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of its web, a concave surface adjoining and extending inwardly from said corner, and a splice bar contacting with a portion of said surface and having a head underlying said corner. 7

14. A railway rail having the outer edge of a concave face under its head lying nearer to a vertical plane at the outermost portion of its head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of the rail web, and a splice bar contacting wit-h a portion of said concave face and having a head extfe'nding outwardly to the outer edge of said ace.

15. A railway rail having a concave face under its head and extending outwardly to a point adjacent to a vertical plane at the outermost portion of its head, and a splice bar contacting with said concave face and having a head projecting outwardly beyond the rail head.

16. A railway rail having a concave face under its head, said face lying nearer to a vertical plane at the side of the head than to a vertical plane at the innermost face portion of the rail web. a splice bar contacting with said concave face and having a head projecting outwardly beyond the rail head, and bolts clamping the bar to the rail.

17. A railway rail having a concave face under its head, said face lying adjacent to a vertical plane at the side of the rail head. and a splice bar contacting with a portion of said concave face and having a head intersected by said "ertical plane.

18. A railway rail having a concave surface extending continuously from its upright web to an under corner of its head, said corner lying adjacent to a vertical plane at the side of the rail head, and a splice bar contacting with a portion of said concave. surface and having a head projecting outwardly beyond the full width of said surface.

19. A railway rail having a concave surface extending inwardly from a point adjacent to a vertical plane at the side of the rail head, and a splice bar contacting with the outer edge of said surface.

In testimony whereof, I have signed at Flushing, in the city' of New York and the State of New York, this 16th day of April,

SAMUEL G. THOMSON.

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