US25942A - Bail fob bailboads - Google Patents

Description

G. WfR. BAYLEY. RAIL FOR RAILWAYS.

No. 25,942. Patented Nov. 1, 1859.

UNITED STATES rarnnrorsicn.

G. W. R. BAYLEY, OF BRASHEAR, LOUISIANA.

RAIL FOR RAILROADS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,942, dated November 1, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. IV. R. BA'YLEY, of Brashear, parish of St. Mary, and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Rail for Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of two ends of my rail united by means of a bracket, fishing-bar, and screw-bolts; showing also the bolts, nuts, nut-fastening, hold-down spike, and wooden sleeper or cross-tie. Fig. 2 is a plan view, or a. top View of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of my rail, showing clearly its peculiar form; and also the arrangement of parts at the rails joint. Fig. 4 shows the square shouldered bolt. Fig. 5 shows the hold-down spike used.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The nature of this invention consists in a peculiar formed reversible rail, which I propose to denominate the reversible Zrail, whereby I combine the merits and advantages of the double-headed rail, with those.

of the fiat-footed rail; my rail being flatfooted as respects the bearing surface on the sleeper, or cross-tie, and double-headed as respects the use of either head, or table, for a rolling surface for the car wheels. By this form of rail I am enabled to preserve the requisite strength, rolling surface for the wheels, and bearing surface upon the wooden sleeper, or cross-tie, with a reduced' weight of iron; while at the same time I double the life of the rail by making it reversible, in the manner hereinafter further represented and described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will proceed to describe its form and arrangement.

By reference to the transverse section, Fig. 3, A represents my reversible rail, formed with its stem to one side of the vertical center line of the rail, as respects the head, or the foot of same, when in position in the track for use, though the stem is in the vertical center between both heads, so that when the rail is laid down upon the cross-ties, or wooden sleepers, the thin edge, or flat-foot B, of the rails base, is inside, while the corresponding thin edge, or lip, of the rail head is outside; also, the rounded thick lip C, of the rails head, where the crushing effect of the wheels is greatest, and the most resistance needed, is inside and near to the stem of the rail, thus giving the required strength with a much reduced weight of iron. As the corresponding thick lip of the rails base is outside, the rail can be reversed at pleasure.

It is known that there is a downward pressure and an outward thrust upon the rails of railways during the passage of trains over them; what is needed then is vertical strength, and increased, artificial bearing, on the cross-ties or sleepers, outside, without increased weight of rails. My rail perfectly meets the required conditions, for while the fiat-footed thin portion of the rails base B, inside, gives all needed bearing surface inside; while vertical strength with reduced weight of iron is secured by placing the rail stem near to the inner thick lip C, of the rails head, and by increasing the rails depth with the iron before wasted-as is usual in the pear-headed flat-footed rail pattern, under-the rail head; the projecting thin lip on the outer side of the rails head affords ample facilities for inserting artificial bearing pieces outside, as shown by the bearing bracket E in the drawings.

In the general arrangement and use of this rail, in order to give it permanency, I propose to make the rails-joints, of each line of rails, opposite each other, to use two crossties placed about four inches apart, at each joint, and to place the joints of each line of rails between the two cross-ties. The joint bracket E, and fishing-bar F, will each be 22 inches long, and the bolts which clamp them to the rail ends will be six inches from center to center. Four bolts will be used at each joint of the rails, passing through the fishing-bar, rail-stem, and bracket; two bolts on each side of the joint.

The slots, or notches, for the hold-down spikes G, will be punched in the edge of the base of the bracket E, midway between the outer pairs of bolts, and a separate nut-fastening for each pair of bolts, on each side of the rails joint, on each of the two joint ties, will be used. The form of nut-fastening is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, with a beveled recess for the head of the spike G.

Intermediate between the rail joints, as often as may be deemed expedient, on every cross-tie if desired, short brackets of the same section as shown at E, Fig. 3, with either one, or two bolts to each, may be used for the urpose of affording artificial bearing outside of each rail- If used upon each cross-tie, the rail stem may be lightened materially, enough to balance their cost, or more even, while a wide bearing surface on the wooden sleepers will be obtained. In place of iron intermediate brackets, pieces of wood may be used instead. Where iron intermediate brackets are used, whether with one, or with two bolts, the bolt head can rest directly against the rail stem, without the interposition of any fishing bar inside. All the bolts used would have square shoulders, which would extend through the rail stem; for the bolt holes in the fishingbars at the rail joints, and through the rail stem intermediate, would allbe square, or rectangular, with beveled corners if preferred. I would make the allowance for eX- pansion and contraction in the rails, in the rail bolt holes, instead of the fishing-bar and bracket bolt holes, as is customary. I use wooden cross-ties, or sleepers, whose length is double the width of the gage of track. This gives to each line of rails, the same bearing upon the roadbed outside, as they have to the middle of the track inside, and by affording a wider base, prevents the depression, or sinking, of the outer ends of the sleepers, or cross-ties.

My peculiar form of rail renders the use of aninside bracket at the rail-joint, unnecessary; a fishing-bar being only required at the rail-joint inside, with no additional intermediate inside support whatever. If intermediate supports are used, they will only be needed outside. The thin lips of the rail may be, or not, punched for the holddown spikes, as a guard against the rails creeping; though the joint bracket will answer the same purpose.

To convey a correct idea of the shape of section of my Z-rail, I will state, that it is, substantially, such as would result were we to divide through its vertical center, a fiatfooted rail, and then reunite the halves after inverting one of them; thus bringing half of the head opposite the half of the foot, and vice versa; my rail being rolled in one piece however, but having a pattern of such form.

The English double-headed rail necessitates very heavy and expensive joint and intermediate supports. The American flatfooted rail is not reversible. My Z-rail can be made so light as 55 lbs. per yard while retaining a height of inches; thus having very great vertical strength with very light weight. Although reversible, my rails base, or bearing upon each cross-tie, or sleeper, can be widened outside,-where the weight and thrust are mostly felt,-.to six, seven, or even eight inches, including the rails foot; and such artificial bearings will need no bolts to hold them in position, the projecting thin lip above, with a hold down spike through their base, will suflice. My rail therefore has these great advantages, VlZ, reversibility, very light weight, great vertical strength, and facilities for affording artificially, a very broad base to resist the downward and outward thrust of passing trains.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The reversible Z-rail, for railways; that is to say, I claim the rail with its stem placed inside of the vertical center of its head, outside of the vertical center of its base, with the inner and outer portions of its head and of its base of difierent thickness and form, with its head and its base similar in transverse section as to outline though reversed as to relative position and connection to the rail stem, the stem being nearest to the inside thick lip of the rail-head, and to the outside thick lip of the rail-base, while the thin lip of the rail-base is inside, and the thin lip of the rail-head is outside,substantially as herein described and specified.

G. W. R. BAYLEY.

WVitnesses:

WM. H. LEWIS, A. S. LAWES.

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