US2149426A

US2149426A - Rail frog

Info

Publication number: US2149426A
Application number: US96333A
Authority: US
Inventors: Enstrom August
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-08-17
Filing date: 1936-08-17
Publication date: 1939-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1956-03-07

Description

March 7, 1939. A ENSTROM 2,149,426

RAIL FROG N :5 Filed Aug. 17, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l I fimrenmr was? Enstm Patented Mar. 7, 1939 "UNITE of STATES ATET 3 Claims.

This invention relates to railway frogs and has for its object a construction wherein the point of the frog is at all times so positioned that it will not be broken or damaged by the operation of car wheels over and through the frog.

Among its other objects the present invention contemplates a frog, preferably a spring frog, over and through which traffic may move in both directions, if this be desired.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be apparent this invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangements of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a railway frog constructed in accordance with the present invention:

Fig. 2 is a vertical, transverse section taken along line 22 of Fig. 1 and, in dotted lines, illustrates the cooperation of a car wheel with the frog:

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal vertical section taken along line 3-3 of Fig 2 to illustrate in side elevation the construction and form of the point of the frog: and A Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken along line 44 of Fig. 2 looking upwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Heretofore it has been generally customary to normally position the point of a railway frog as close as possible to the head and/or web of the cooperating rail. This positioning of the point of the frog has resulted in great wear, tear and damage to the point of the frog as well as in the breakage thereof, necessitating the frequent repair and replacement of the frog or at least its point. These prior frogs, especially in spring frogs, have been usually designed for trafiic in only one direction.

The present invention contemplates a railway frog in which the point of the frog is at all times positioned at a point removed from the head and/or web of the cooperating rail, so that the flange of a car wheel operating over or through the frog will not contact the point of the frog, irrespective of the direction of travel. Thus the life of the frog is extended, repairs and replacements reduced and potential derailments eliminated. Traffic in both directions is possible by the use of the present frog without damage or breakage to the frog or its parts or elements.

Reference being had to the drawings 10 designates the point of a rail frog. One side of the frog point I aligns with and is fixed to a running or mainline rail I! while the other side of the point Hi aligns with and is fixed to the rail l2 of the side or crossing track. Extending beyond the point ll) of the frog and normally in alignment with the running rail H is a continuing running rail l3, the extremity [4 of which lies adjoining the frog point i0 and the side track or crossing rail l2. The extremity M of the rail I3 is known as the moving wing rail, as it may move outwardly away from the frog point l0. 0n the other side of the frog point ill to the rail I3 is located a side track or crossing rail i 6 which can be positioned to be a continuation of the side or crossing rail i2 fixed to the frog point Ill.

The extremity I 6 of the rail I is formed to lie on the opposite side of the frog point I!) to the extremity ll of the rail l3 and is generally designated the stationary wing rail since it is immovable with respect to the'fixed frog point ill. The foregoing described arrangement and construction of rails is standard and well known prior to the present invention and is included herein to illustrate the application and use of the present invention in a standard frog construction. Heretofore the frog point has rested flush against the inner surface of the moving wing rail with the result that it is subjected to extreme wear and tear and is not infrequently broken and must be replaced or repaired.

The present invention resides in the construction and form of the point ll] of the frog where by said point at all times will be removed from the Web and/or tread of the adjoining portion or face of the rail i3 or the moving wing rail M with which it normally cooperates. This is accomplished by bending or forming the web I! of the end portion of the frog point ii! at the points it and I9 away from the web of. the

'rail l3 and its extension l4 which normally removes said end portion of the point ill from any contact with the head and/or web of the rail i3 and the moving wing rail l4 and provides a space 2! between the moving wing rail and the end portion of the frog point I0 suflicient in width to permit the entrance and passage of the flange 22 of a car wheel 23.

If desired the outer extremity of the web i I may be bevelled or tapered as illustrated at 24 in Fig. 4 thereby reducing the width of the metal body presented to the flange 22 of the car wheel 23 passing over the point ill or between said point and the rail i3 and its extension i4. At its outer extremity the tread or head of the frog point I is cut away as at 25, to add to the strength of the point by removing any relatively thin body on the head or tread of the point II] that may be presented to the wheel 23 or its flange 22.

To accentuate the space 2| between the point I0 and the head and/or web of the rail I3 and its extension l4 and thereby insure the provision and maintenance of this space 2|, the rail I3 and the moving wing rail I4 is bent or formed in a direction away from the frog point Ill at 26, 27, the bend 2'! being at or nearly in transverse alignment with the end portion of the frog point I 0. When the point It) occupies its normal position in cooperation with the moving wing rail l4, that side of the point l0 aligned with the main or running rail H is also aligned with the rail l3 beyond the bend 26 therein.

In operation, a car wheel 23 travelling on rail l3 and passing over the frog point II] to the rail II, or vice versa, does so without interference from or damage to the point If] for the point normally occupies a position for such operation with edges of its head and of the heads of the rails I! and I3 in alignment for cooperation with the flange 22 of the wheel 23. On the other hand, a wheel 23 passing in either direction from the rail l2 to the rail l5 does so by having its flange enter the space 2| between the point Ill and the moving wing rail l4, also without contacting the extremity of the point l0.

From the foregoing, it is manifest that irrespective of the direction of travel or of, the rails being operated upon, the extremity of the point It) is always positioned out of the path of travel of the flange 23 of the wheel and is thus fully protected from damage or breakage. It is also to be noted that by having the extremity of the point Ill spaced from the rail 13 and/or the moving wing rail, travel in either direction is possible on the rails l2 and IS without damage to the frog point.

What is claimed is:

1. A rail frog comprising a moving wing rail, and a frog point having convergent sides, the end portion of the side of the point adjoining said wing rail being positioned at an angle tothe remainder of that side in a direction away from said wing rail to create a space between the end of the frog point and the wing rail.

2. A rail frog comprising a running rail, a moving wing rail coacting therewith, and a frog point having convergent sides, one of said sides being aligned throughout with one side of the running rail and the end portion of the opposite side being disposed at an angle to the'remainder of said opposite side, thereby creating a space between the end of the point and the cooperating wing rail. 7

3. A rail frog, comprising a fixed frog point having convergent sides and a moving wing rail normally contacting one side of said frog point, for a substantial distance at the rear of its end portion, the side of said end portion of the frog point facing said wing rail lying in a substantially vertical plane disposed at an angle to the plane of the remainder of said side and extending in a direction away from said moving wing rail.

AUGUST ENSTROM.