US21014A - Splice-piece for railroad-kails - Google Patents

Description

.l OFFICE E. MORRIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPLICE-PIECE FOR RAILROAD-RAILS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,014, dated July 27, 1858i.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELnwooD Monnis, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Splices for Railroads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to an improvement in the ordinary iish splice for rails, and my improvement consists in binding together the ends of two ordinary rails, by means of a plate or plates, so bent and formed and so secured to the opposite sides of the two rails, as to embrace the lower flanches of the same and have longitudinal bearings against the sides and at points above and below the .narrowest portion of the rails, leaving a longitudinal open space between these points, transversely through which open space pass the bolts for securing the splice, the whole being arranged substantially in the manner described hereafter, for the purpose of affording a substantial, cheap, and unyielding coupling for the ends of the rails.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, Figure l, is a longitudinal elevation, showing the ends of two rails connected together by means of my improved splice. Fig. 2, a ground plan of Fig. l. Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 1, 2 (Fig. l). Fig. 4, a section, showing a modiiied form of my improved splice.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A and A represent the ends of two ordinary edge rails, and B and B the two bent plates, which form the improved splice. It will be observed, that these plates are not perfectly adapted to the hollow sides of the rails, but that they have a narrow bearing throughout their whole length at the point a, which is situated midway, or thereabout, between the widest part of the upper portion of the rail and the narrowest point at the middle of the same. From this bearing point a to a point b, on the top of the lower flange of the rail, there is a space between each plate, which forms the splice,

and having at the opposite end slots for receiving the split keys e.

In carrying' the above arrangement into practice, I prefer, for splicing rails of the ordinary dimensions to make the plates B and B two feet in length and one half of an inch in thickness, secured by four bolts five eights of an inch in diameter, two bolts for each rail. This number is the least that' will prevent a Vertical movement of thel rails at the point where they approach each other. The bolts should tit tightly in the bent plates, but the holes in the rails through which they pass, should be slightly oblong, in order to allow for the expansion and contraction of the rails. By allowing the plates to bear against the rail at the point-s a and Z), so as to leave an open space between these points, it is evident that a more tight grip of the rail can be obtained on driving the keys tight, than if the plates were perfectly adapted to the form of the rail; in fact the open spaces f f allow the plates to yield to a limited extent at this point, when the keys are driven, and thus one of the most efficacious of fastenings technically termed a spring grip is obtained.

The above described splice may be termed an improvement on the ordinary fish splice, which consists of two plain metal plates, adapted and bolted to the hollow sides of the rails only.

The superiority of the present arrangement over the last mentioned mode of splicing will be apparent, for that portion of the plates, which embraces the lower flange of the rail, affords of itself a rigid coupling. At the same time, each plate forms a substantial, unyielding girder to resist thc superincumbent weight and shocks imparted to the rails, and the sectional form of this girder is not only of itself one of great strength, but additional rigidity is imparted to it by the intervening flanch of the rail embraced by the plate. Moreover, as the weight imposed on the rail rests on the unv flanches of the splice.

der turned portion of the plates, a separation of the splice cannot take'place, even though the bolts should break.

Instead of using two opposite plates for forming the splice, one single plate may be arranged to embrace the whole of the lower portion ofthe rail, as seen in Fig. 4, and this without departing from the main principles or losing any of the advantageous features above set forth. In fact, the modification represented in Fig'. L affords the stronger splice, but one in the manufacture of which greater expense must be incurred than when the two plates B and B are used. The latter may be easily rolled in long bars and sawed off, when hot, into lengths of two feet by machinery similar to that used in sawing ofll the ends of rails, whereas the modied splice, shown in Fig. 4:, can only be formed by bending a fiat bar to the necessary shape. I propose to secure the splice, together with the ends of the rails, to the sleepers in the manner illustrated in red lines, D D being the sleepers, which are partially cut away to receive the lower rl`wo of the usual hook headed spikes are driven into each sleeper, one gripping the rail and bea-ring against the end of the splice, thus securing it from end play, and the other spike gripping the splice.

Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the same may be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood, that I do not claim broadly, splicing ltogether the ends of two rails by plates bolted to the sides of the same, as this device has been heretofore used both in this country and in Europe, but

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Splicing together the ends of two rails, by means of a plate or plates, so bent and formed and so secured to the opposite sides of the two rails, as to embrace the lower flanches of the same, and have longitudinal bearings against the sides and at points above andy below the narrowest portion of the rails, leaving a longitudinal open space between these points, transversely through which space pass the bolts for securing the splice, the whole being arranged substantially in the manner herein set forth, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my naine to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

ELLWOOD MORRIS.

Witnesses HENRY HowsoN, HENRY ODIORNE.

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