US23026A - Railroad-splice eor railroad-track bars - Google Patents

Description

O. HILTON. WROUGHT IRON RAIL SPLIGE.

No. 23,026. Patented Feb. 22, 1859.

UITE

CHARLES HILTON, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

RAILROAD-SPLICE FOR RAILROAD-TRACK BARS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,026, dated February 22, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HILTON, of the city of Albany, State of New York, have invented a new Wrought-Iron Rail-Splice for Railroad-Track Bars; and I declare the following specification, with the drawings hereto attached as part of the same, to be a full and complete description thereof.

Figure 1 represents a side or profile view of my apparatus; Fig. 2 a cross section at 00, :1 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a perspective view of the rails and splice as viewed from below; Fig. 4 is a plan, with one of the rails removed; Figs. 5 and 6 a plan of the gib and wedge. Fig. 7 is a cross section like that of Fig. 2, showing another mode of shaping the splice.

Similar letters in the different figures denote the same parts of the apparatus.

It is well known that in the construction of railroads for the purpose of preserving the level of the rails, and to keep the ends of the bars which head upon each other in line as to their upper edges and surfaces, so as to be prevented from settling down under the pressure of the cars when passing over them; it is necessary to adopt some efficient security, other than the mere cross-ties on which the rails lie. This has been done sometimes by putting an iron plate or chair, reaching some distance, under the ends of the rails, the plate or chair itself lying on a broad cross tie. The liability of the cross tie itself to settle by pressure of the loads passing on the rails rendered this a futile contrivance. A better plan used has been to clamp the rails together by fiat bars of iron, called fish-plates, lying opposite to each other in the thin part of the rails between the tread and the base and secured to gether by screw bolts or rivets. Even this plan has not proved to be reliable, for the rails have settled at their point of junction for want of sufficient depth in the fish-plates. My invention proposes to remedy these defects.

A, B, represents the two rails to be secured to each other; a, 0 the fisl1plates, which extend in length about twelve inches, that is, six inches from the junction of the rails each way. They are shaped so as to embrace the rail from the lower part of the swell of the tread at 6 (see Figs. 2 and 3) along the side surface of the rail to f and then projects perpendicularly down below the bottom of the rail to (Z. In the lower center portion of these fish-plates opposite the junction of the rails is cut a slot about three and ahalf inches long and of depth suflicient to admit of the insertion of a substantial gib g, and wedge k, which together form a firm seat or rest for the ends of the rails. The fish-plates are also bolted or riveted at each end we, (or if necessary with additional bolts) so as to clamp them firmly to the rails.

The gib and wedge, (see Figs. 4:, 5, 6,) are provided with rows of holes appropriately arranged for the insertion of a check pin 7) to hold the wedge from sliding back when driven up.

The apparatus or splice thus'constructed can be placed between any two of the cross ties of the road. I

Instead of forming the fish-plates as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by carrying down their sides from 6 along the rail, and from f perpendicularly below the rail, I can construct the splice as shown in Fig. 7, that is,

by making it in its cross section a loop dropping below the rail and passing around and over the tread embracing it closely and terminating at n-introducing the gib and wedge into a slot placed as described in the first mode of construction; putting the gib above and wedge below. This plan will notrequire bolts through the plates and rail.

WVhat I deem to be the peculiar advantages of the mode, above described of securing the ends of the rails are: I, that the extension of the fish plates below the rails adds very much to their stiffness and to their resistance to depression; II, that the sup port afiorded by the broad gib and wedge applied directly under the junction of the rails; and the facility with which through them the stress and bearing of the fish plates can be adjusted and retained, makes the settlement of the ends of the bars almost an impossibility; III, that should from any cause the bars settle, they can be restored to position with the least possible delay and trouble.

I do not claim the use of the plates n01 substantially in manner and for the purthe wlledgi e broadly, but poses set forth in the Within specification. I (.0 c aim T Deep wrought iron fish plates secured to CHAS HILTON 5 the sides of the rails by bolts or keys, and Witnesses:

extending downward below the base of the RICHD. VARAH DE WITT, rail, in combination with the gib and wedge E. J. MILLER.

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