US29681A - Lock-joint foe railway-baks - Google Patents

Description

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AARON DOUGLASS, OF PATERSON, NEV JERSEY.

LOCK-JOINT FOR RAILWAY-BARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,681, dated August 21, 1860; Ressued March 31, 1863, No. 1,442.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON DoUGLAss, of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Process for Making the Lock- Joints for Railroad-Bars, (Patent No. 14,8685) and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, represents a plan view of one of the die-blocks-the lower die-block. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper die-block. Fig. 3, is an end view of Fig. 1. show the ends of the rail bars when formed in the dies of 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section, taken through a joint of two rails showing the swelled neck of the rail at the joint as produced by my invention. Fig. 7, is a perspective view of a rail showing the dierent stages in the operation of making a joint.

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

The object of this invention is to obtain a simple and more efficient means for producing the compound lap-joint for rail-road rails, patented May 13, 1856, No. 14,868, than that resorted to at present, viz, by a long and tedious process of drilling and chiseling, that makes an expensiv-e joint, when the object of the invention is to obtain simplicity and cheapness.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings, A, represents the base die-block that is made of hardened metal and in which the figure of one half of one rail end is cut in intaglio. The portion a, corresponding with the swelled end of the rail when nished, is depressed while the portion b, corresponding to the notch c, made in the rail end to form the lap f, is filled up in t-he die as represented in Fig. 1, so as to prevent the metal from spreading out at this point when the dies are subjected to a blow from a trip hammer. The upper die, or counter die, has inserted in it a piece g, which gives the desired shape to the lip of the rail and allow for the upsetting of the metal and the formation of the swelled neck, represented clearly in Fig. 6. This operation forms the lap and recess perfectly with the exception Figs. 4 and 5,-

of beveling the surface,-for securing or locking the joint against a lateral thrust.

This latter Objectis obtained by a die-plate, B that is placed in another mold conforming to the shape of the rail end with its swelled neck and when the end of the rail is properly placed within this mold, or counter-die, in an inverted state, the base of the rail being uppermost, with the portion L over the plate, L it is struck with the hammer, and the beveled portion of the plate 71, forms a corresponding beveled portion, h on the rail. A clamping screw or wedge may be employed in this second operation for-locking the rail laterally in a firm and rigid state while it receives the blow from the hammer. These two operations will suffice to form the perfect compound lap-joint above referred to, and that represented by Figs. 4 and 5.

Now in order to give a clearer understanding of the method of swaging the ends of T-rails so as to form the compound lapjoint with its several laps, vertical, and inclined surfaces, and swelled neck, I will describe the several stages in the process. The ordinary T-rail is sawed out while cold as follows: The piece z' of Fig. 7 is first cut out by a horizontal and vertical cut as indicated by the red lines thereon, then the piece f is sawed out, leaving a portion of the lap that helps to form the joint, when the two rails are brought together. This is all the sawing requisite. The end of this rail thus cut is first heated to the weldingvpointf and placed in the counter-die of Fig. 1, with the sectional or full portion of the rail resting on the base of the counter bed and the flat surface of the lap portion uppermost. The die-block of Fig. 2, with its counter die is then placed over the rail end while in the lower die block and by giving it a smart blow from a steam hammer, the inclined surface of the die-piece b forms the inclined plane c on the end of the lap f of the rail and at the same time, the die portion g of the upper block, (Fig. 2), forms a recess c in the rail as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 7, and fills up the depressions a in the neck of the rail forming with the superfluity of metal, or that obtained from the recess c the swelled neck of the rail represented in Fi 6 which serves a very important object in 0'iving strength to the rail at the joint. The rail is removed from the counter-die B after the first operation and placed in the counter die D in an inverted state, With the surface 7L resting on the inclined surface of the die plate k, When the rail is properly clamped, the proper percussion force is applied to the base of the rail and the inclined face L in Figs. l and 5 is formed which completes the several surfaces and completes one end of a rail section. The same operations are repeated on each end of every rail-section so that the perfectV lap-joint may be effected in a very simple,

rapid and efficient manner and at the same time, great strength is given to the rails at the joints as before described. By this sWaging process, the metal at the rails ends is rendered more dense and stronger, and therefore less liable to injury from the jar and concussion occasioned by the passing and repassing 0f trains over the rail, the

AARON DOUGLASS.

Witnesses CHARLES HUGHES, B. GIRoUX.

joint, Patent N o. 14,868,`ff^`

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