US247978A - Railroad rail and joint - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. WOLFENDEN. RAILROAD RAIL AND JOINT. No'. 247,978. Patented Oct. 4,1881. 8

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WVOLFENDEN, OF LOCK HAVEN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD RAIL AND JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,978, datedOctober 4,1881

Application filed September 6, 1881. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES WoLFENDEN, a citizen of Great Britain, residing in Look Haven, Clinton county, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating to Railroad Rails and Joints, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My improved joint is of that class in which a portion of the metal of each rail is removed and the rails caused to overlap each other or splice together.

The invention consists in the manner in which the rails and clamps are formed and fitted into each other, and will be understood from the following description and claims.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan view with apot tion broken away. It shows the rails at the joints with proper relations withoutthe inclosing-clamps. Fig.2 is a cross-section on the line B R in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of thejoint. is a cross-section on the line S S in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the lineT Tin'Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is the section on the line U U in Fig. 3. It is a section through the body of the rail at a point removed from the joint.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures. A

A A are the rails, certain portions being designated by further marks, as A A 850., when necessary to distinguish them.

A is the head. A is the broad base, sometimes known as the flange, and A is the upright portion joining the flange and the head, universally known as the web. The web A instead of being centrally placed in the rail, is placed one side of the center. In order to compensate for the disadvantage which this may be supposed to involve, I make the web a little thicker than would he esteemed economical for a corresponding rail with the web in the center. Having thus attained the conditions of a soundand every way reliable rail with a web out of center, I place the several rails alternately in oppositepositions-thatis to say,

that its web is out of center to the left.

Fig. 4:

'if the first of a given line of rails is placed with its web out of center to the right, the second rail in that'line which abuts or joints against it at the end is reversed in position, so The third is again out of center to the right, and so on alternately. The rails may be all formed in the same rolls and exactly alike, care being taken to'simply place them alternately end for end. The webs are formed just so much out of center that one face of eachweb is in the central line of the ra-il., These faces are made plane.

In preparing the splice I subject the rails to the action of saws, splining mechanism or other proper machinery, with the metal of the rail either in a cold or hot condition, and operate so as to remove a snffieient length-say about eight inches-of one side of the head and at each end. This removal of a portion of the head and flange at each end of each rail is always on the side opposite to that which contains the web. Takingcare to make the shoulder -or offset where each splice ends square and 'bythe single letter M. I will designate certain parts of each by further marks M M 850.

These clamps M M are applied together in reverse positions, and held by transverse bolts P extending across below the flange of the rail. They bind the splice firmly and strongly together without weakening any part of either rail by any hole or notch. Each clamp M is formed with an internal offset, M, which applies in the space beyond the end of the nearest adjacent web. It is, in other words, an internal thickening or offset in the clamp, made just sufficient to match past one of the webs,

so that while the main inner surface of the clamp bears fairly and firmly against the stout web A, which, by the position of the rails, lies on that side of the center line of the rail, this offset M extends inward just sufficient to allow for the thickness of that flange and cause this portion of the clamp to bear against the web A of the other rail. In other words, the inner faces of the clamps are fitted to match to the peculiarly-lapped condition of the two vertical webs A, where they lie side by side, preserving the full thickness of each.

The upperportion of each clamp other than the offset M is marked M The part of each clamp which extends out and back around the broad thin base A of the rails is marked M A broad extension downward below the flange of the rails is marked M. A slight internal lip at the bottom of each downward extension M is marked M. This lip M need not be anything more than a slight thickening on the inner face of each clamp. When the clamps are applied together these lips M face together and form a broad firm hearing, which serves as a fulcrum to allow the bolts P to draw the upper portions of the clamps very solidly together. The holes for the bolts P are form ed through the downward extension M, and are re-enforced with suflicient metal, to loosely inclose the bolts and form a stout bearin g, M, on each side to receive the heads and nuts of the bolts I, as will be obvious.

The invention allows of the introduction of thin or thick rubber, felt, or other elastic material above or below the flange A of the rail or on the inner faces of the firmly-bearing portions M M but I do not esteem such an addition generally expedient. I prefer that the parts bear directly together, metal and metal, and that they are nicely shaped to afiord as firm a hearing as possible, to produce a final effect as nearly that of a single massive shape of metal as can be obtained.

Railroad practice proves that thejoints, however thickened and fortified, are still not only the most imperfect portions of the track by way of introducing roughnesses and oifsets in the paths for the wheels, but also in being more liable to fracture and looseness than other portions of the track, and all ordinary joints are more elastic than themain portions of the rails. My joint avoids danger of looseness, and by the duplication in the thickness of the web and the firmness with which the parts are supported by my clamping means gives a rigidity equal to and somewhat greater than that of the main body of the rail.

Modifications may be made in the forms. I can vary the thickness of the whole or all of the various parts. The bottom lip, M, can be reduced or dispensed with altogether. I can employ a greater number of bolts P than two. One stout boltfirmly set up and reliably locked may be found sufficient.

The material of all the parts may be varied. I can use hard or soft iron, all the grades of steel or semi-steel, or various combinations of these favorite metals. My invention may be used with steel-headed rails. In the rare cases where the head or the whole rail shall be hardened steel the shaping can be fully completed hoforehand.

I do not confine myself to any precise mode of shaping the parts. I propose to make the clamps of cast-steel or semi-steel by the process of casting complete; but they may be made by forging by suitable dies in trip-hammers or drop-presses.

The invention may be applied to doubleheaded or triple-headed rails by simply providingforthe thick and rounded portions which such rails present at the bottoms.

I claim as my invention-- The rail-joint clamp described, having the top bearing-surface, M lateral folded parts M deep central web, M, bottom bearing rib or surface, M and bolt-bearings M adapted to serve relatively to each other and to the confining-bolts P and inelosed rails as herein specified.

2. The railway-joint clamp described, having the internal projections, M, adapted to abut against the ends of the webs of the rails, the upper bearing-surface, M foot-embracing portion M bottom flange, M", lip or bearingsurface M and one or more bearings, M, arranged to receive the confining-bolts P. all substantially as herein specified.

3. The railway-joint described, having the clamps M, formed as shown, and the confiningbolts P, in combination with each other and with rails having webs A out of center, all arranged to serve as and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York city, this 27th day of August, 1880, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES VVOLFENDEN.

Witnesses:

M. F. BOYLE, H. A. J OHNSTONE.

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