US2204395A - Rail joint - Google Patents

Description

o. BALCAR mm. JoINi i Filed July 23. 19558 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0770 SAL CA R June 11, 1940. o. BALcAR am. Jouw Filed Julyas, 193s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. OTTO BALCAR BY ff ai@ ATTORNEY.

Patented June 11 1.940

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i l2,204,395 Y v 'i RAIL JOINT Otto Balear, C'edar Rapids, Iowa Application July 23, 193s, serial No. 220,907

n 2 Claims.

for expansion, and the difficulty with most of the devices hitherto proposed, in which angularly cut rail ends are employed, is that the rail ends would override one another under extreme expansion. The rail ends would slide past eachother and shear the holding means employed to hold the ends of the'rails in alignment.

In accordance with my invention, the rail ends,

when the rails are expanded, maintain their alignment and yet are tied together in such manner that the entire joint is one solid unit and the weight of the train is transferred from one rail end to the other without jarring or bumping.

^ It is, therefore, a general object of my invention to provide, in a rail joint, means for preventing overriding of the ends of the rails.

It is another object of my invention to provide means for locking the rail ends together in such a manner that they form one solid unit.

A further object of my invention is to provide a joint plate adapted to make possible the compensation for wear at base and top surfaces with-l out the necessity of removing the joint plates from the rail.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for transferring the load from one rail end to the other without permitting the wheel to drop or pound.

Another object of my invention is to increase the permissible travel of the rail ends in expanding4 and contraction without increasing the gap.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a rail joint which may utilize joint bars of usual construction with the addition of parts constructed according to my invention whereby a change may be made, from the usual type of construction, to a device constructed according to my invention, Without discarding the old equipment. Y

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device such that rail joints may be made that such changes may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1

In said drawings:

` Figure 1 is a View in perspective of a rail joint constructed according to one embodiment of my invention.

` Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the rail ends, prepared according to my invention, as they appear before being joined together.

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section showing a rail joint, constructed according to my invention, at it appears when assembled.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of the base plate of the device shown in the Figures 1 and 3.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of a joint bar constructed according to one embodiment of my invention.

. Figure 6 is a view in perspective of an auxiliary bearing plate constructed according to one embodiment of my invention, and l' Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in section show-V ing ameans of engaging the rail ends without v running the bolt through the joint bars.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2; in practicing my invention I preferably cut the rail ends of a bias or angle, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. I have found that an angle of 45 degrees is about right the rail is increased Without using any wider gapv between the rail ends. Furthermore, the abutting area of the rail ends is increased. The rail ends are indicated at l0 and Il.

I may also serrate or `groove the rail ends, as indicated in Figures l and 2, so as to prevent the rail fro-m slipping sidewise, one over the other, or overriding one ano-ther, as it may be termed. These serrations, indicated at I2, may

be vertical as shown, or may be horizontal or l curved, but the best results are secured with the vertical serrations. The serrations are so arranged that when the rail ends are abutted one againstthe other, as in hotweather, `the projections of the serrations of one rail end project into theV recesses of the other` serrations of the other rail end. Y l

at both ends thereof, so that, even if the bearing In connecting the rail ends, joint bars I3 and I4 are utilized in much the same manner as in the usual construction, the only difference being that a fifth hole through the bars is provided at the center thereof, as indicated at I6. The bars ordinarily used may be converted by drilling an additional hole at the midpoint of the bar, or the usual bar may be employed and a plug or spool placed in the opening I6 between the rail ends as shown in Figure '7.

'I'hese joint bars, in accordance with the usual practice, have bulbous upper edges I 3a and Ilia which bear against the under side of the ball of the rail and have anged lower edges indicated at I3b and Mb which bear against the base of the rail.

In accordance with one embodiment of my invention, however, I may curve the web of the joint bar as indicated so that when wear of the anges occurs7 the web of the bar may be heated and the bolts drawn up to spread the bar to compensate for wear.

The ends of the rails are pierced by holes I5 and these holes pass directly through the web of the rails and are centrally located in the ends of the rails in the center of the abutting walls of the webs. Bolts or rivets passed through these holes will assist in preventing the rail ends from overriding one another.

My invention `conten'iplates forming a stiff rail joint which is as stiff or has even greater stiffness than the rail itself, and to this end I provide an auxiliary bearing plate or side plate I'I formed along the central, longitudinal, inner "l, face thereof, to bear against the outside face of the outside joint bar I3. The upper edge Ila preferably extends upwardly beside the outer face of the ball of the rail so that the upper edge thereof is substantially parallel with the top surface of the rail. This edge is thus so positioned that the outeredge of the wheel IB will run on this auxiliary bearing plate in crossing over from one rail end to the other.

I preferably bevel the outer upper edge of this auxiliary bearing plate, as indicated at IIb,

plate should accidentally be placed on the inside of the'rail, it will not derail a train. The upper edge of the side plate Il is preferably slightly beveled downwardly and outwardly, as indicated at Hc, as the main portion of the tread of the wheel I8 may become worn leaving a slight rim at the portion 18a. The lower edge I'Id of the side plate I'I is preferably beveled to be received in the flange Ila of the base plate IB. It is also provided with a groove,A indicated at Ile, for receiving the iianges of the joint bar I3 and the base of the rail II The inner edge of the base plate I9 is provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending ange ISI) adapted to extend up and over the edge of the base of the rail and the lower flange of the inner joint bar I4.

The clearances of the various parts of the device are so arranged and chosen that when the base I9 is laid and the rail ends joined by means of the joint bars, the auxiliary bearing plate may be driven parallel to the rail between the outer edges of the fiange or base of the rail and the flange IM of the base plate I9 to wedge the entire assembly into one solid joint. When the auxiliary bearing plate has been driven to its proper position, it is engaged in this position by driving a spike 2| home through the opening 22 in the base plate and through a notch 23 of the auxiliary bearing plate. The bolts 24 are passed through the openings 25 and 21 of the auxiliary plate and through the oval openings 28 of the joint bars and openings 29 and I5 of the rails. The nuts 3i are threaded into place to draw up the assembly of the joint bars and auxiliary plate to wedge these members into substantially one unitary member.

The spike opening 3G is slightly offset with respect to the notch 32 and with regard to the parts of the rail joint. The spike may be placed in this opening 36 and in the notch 32 to hold the auxiliary plate in tightened position. The flange I9a, of the base plate I9, is tapered from point S'a to 36a, and the lower edge of the auxiliary plate Il is correspondingly tapered from point 3ft to 3 so that, as the auxiliary bearing plate is driven from leftr to right, the joint is tightened up. In tightening the joint after considerable use, the plate Il is driven slightly further to the right so that the opening 30 and the notch 32 line up and the auxiliary bearing plate is then locked in place by means of a spike through the opening 3l) and notch 32.

My provision for a joint bar having a slight vertical curve throughout its length as illustrated at I3c of Figure 5 makes it possible to compensate for wear along the upper and lower edges without the necessity of taking the joint apart.

This is accomplished by heating the joint bar with a torch throughout its length and along the curved portion. This heating makes it possible to spread the bar vertically by* drawing up the nuts on the joint bolts.

In converting ordinary equipment over to devices constructed according to my invention. I may utilize spool-like members lll through the abutting ends of the webs, instead of the bolts 24 through the center opening and it will be unnecessary to provide the fifth hole I6 in the joint bars or side bars I3 and I4.

Many advantages flow from the use of devices constructed according to my invention. It substantially eliminates jarring of the rail ends and the depression at the rail joints resulting therev from, thus making a material reduction in the cost of maintaining a roadbed to an even substantial surface, largely eliminating the cost of maintaining joints in safe, serviceable condition, both as to labor and replacement charges. These devices greatly reduce damage to the rolling stock and bridge structures resulting from excessive vibration and shock, and make possible increase in speed of trains without diminishing the factor of safety. They materially extend the useful life of the rails. Some of the secondary advantages are that they make possible the use of rails of greater length which lengths are now restricted by practical limits of space allowed between rail ends for heat expansion, and thus reduce the number of joint fastenings in the track. The expansion can safely be taken care of by the gap in the diagonal rail joints supplemented by the auxiliary bearing surface of the side plate, and placing the expansion space at a 45 degree angle with the rail increases the free space for longitudinal travel of the rail end by nearly 50%. It eliminates the use of short rails at Curves and at bridge abutments, now required to maintain an-even break or stagger of joints in curves, or where it is necessary to avoid locating a joint too close to an abutment.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modications thereof may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications maybe ,madek without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. A rail joint including av base plate having two shoulders, joint bars having anges extending to the edge of the railbase on eachside of the abutting ends of the rails, and an auxiliary plate extending from the top` surface of the head of the rail fitting against a joint bark on one rside of the rail, the base plate having a shoulder at one side thereof having a lip to fitover the bottom of one joint bar` and having another' longitudinal undercut shoulder positioned laterally of the rails and joint bar with two openings therein, the auxiliary plate being ared at the bottom to form a wedge t between saidlundercutshoulder of the base plate andthe bottom vertical edge at two points, one of said .notches being offset in relation to a corresponding, opening in the un dercut shoulder of the base plate. I 1

2. In a rail joint, a joint bar having a flange extending to the edge of the rail base, :in auxiliary plate at the side of the rail and extending from the top surface of the headof the rail to a horizontal surface on theange of the joint bar, a at base plate for supporting the auxiliary plate and rails, said base plate having a longitudinal undercut shoulder positioned laterally of the rails and joint bar, the lower edge of the auxtween said undercut shoulder of the base plate and the bottom vertical edge of the joint bar,

and means for subsequently adjusting said auxiliary plate to tighten the assembly.

OTI'O BALCAR.

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