US303537A - Egbert meek - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. MEEK.

ELECTRIC CONNECTION FOR RAILWAY RAILS. No. 303,537.

Patented Aug. 12, 1884.

W. R @m "A m e I M M w w my w NITED STATES ROBERT MEEK, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC RAILWVAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC CONNECTION FOR RAILWAY-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,537, dated August 12, 1884.

Application filed February 18, 1884.

To all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, ROBERT MEEK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Connections for Railway-Rails, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to means for electrically connecting the adjacent ends of rails in a line of railway-track, the object being to form of the rails and connections a continuous'line of conductors for electric currents used for operating signals or other purposes.

My invention consists in a connecting-spring of novel construction, and in the combinationtherewith of means for supporting it in contact with the rails, all as will be fully understood from the following particular description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of a rail-connecting spring constructed according to my invention, and adapted for application to a joint where two rails meet on a crosstie, or what is commonly known as a solid joint. Fig. 2 is anedge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a spring of modified construction, adapted for application at the joint of two rails meeting between two crossties, or a suspended joint. Fig. 4 is aside elevation of portions of two adjacent railshaving their ends electrically connected by a spring, such as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a crosssection on line a: w of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of portions of two rails connected by a spring of the form shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 shows a section of the spring in the plane indicated by line y y in Fig. 6, and a view in elevation of the clamp and the end of a rail. Fig. Sis a perspective view of the clamp used for supporting the spring in contact with the rails at a suspended joint.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the letter A designates a rail-connecting spring, consisting of an elastic bar of steel having an intermediate straight portion, b, while its end portions, 0 c, are both bowed or arched in the same direction, and have their tips (I (2 extended (No model.)

above the upper surface of the part b. flhis part b is intended to lie across and preferably let in flush with the surface of a tie, under the ends of two rails meeting on said tie, as shown in Fig. 4, in which E indicates the tie, and R R the rails, and when in this position the tips (2 d of the two bowed end portions strike the bottoms of the rails, respectively, on opposite sides of the tie, and said end portions are flexed downward, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, by the weight of the rails, being thus put under a tension which causes their tips to bear with great force against the bottoms of the rails and maintain a good electrical -contact therewith. By the vibration of the rails under the weight of passing cars the bowed portions 0 c are caused also to have a tremulous vibratory motion, which produces a scraping of their tipsagainst the bottoms of the rails, with the result of keeping clean and bright those areas of the railbottoms against which said tips impinge, so

that a reliable electrical connection always subsists between the two rails and their connecting spring. The spring is preferably about three-sixteenths to three fourths of an inch thick and, say, an inch and a half to two inches wide, with rounded tips, though its tips may be notched or made straight, it desired.

While I prefer to make the spring of steel, on account of its high resilience, I of course do not confine myself to steel, as it is obvious that I might use iron or brass, or any other material having suitable resilience and electrical conductivity. If desired, the spring may be secured to the tie by means of screws or nails driven through suitable holes, as shown atff; but when it is let in flushwith the surface of the tie the walls of the, groove or mortise in which it is laid will prevent 'it from shifting laterally, and the downwardlybowed portions will serve as stops, which prevent its endwise movement by striking the tie.

In order to prevent the rail from breaking contact with the spring by bounding upward, or on account of lateral shifting, Iuse at each end of the straight portion of the spring a clamp, K--such as shown in Fig. 5-theintermediate portions of said clamps lying under the spring, while their hooks k 70 take over the edges of the rail-flanges.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 7, I usually make the spring A somewhat shorter than when in the form shown in Fig. 1, and instead of having an intermediate straight portion its intermediate portion, 9, is bowed reversely to its end portions, h h, its tips ii normally projecting above the tops of the part 9. This connectingspring is intended, as be fore stated, to be applied for electrically connecting two rails at a suspended joint, and the manner of its application, is illustrated in Figs.

6 and 7. In these figures it will be seen that the spring is held to contact with the rails by means of a clamp, K, which is simply ashort and stout bar of iron, somewhat curved, and having its ends bent to forms hooks e c,whic-h take over the flanges of the rails at the joint, as shown. The intermediate portion of the clamp lies under and directly supports the bowed portion 9 of the spring. while itis itself supported by the engagement of the hooks with the rail-flanges.

In applying the form of spring shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the clamp is to he slipped upon the flanges of one of the rails before the next adjacent rail is brought into line, and the spring is then inserted endwise between the clamp and rail, bringing the concave surface of its bowed portion 9 upon the clamp. In order to so insert the spring,it must be passed obliquely u n der the rail, and when the bowed portion g reaches the clamp and one tip impinges against the bottom of the rail the other tip will project above the level of the bottom of the rail, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 6. N ow, supposing rail It to have been first placed in position and the clamp and spring arranged as explained, the following rail R is laid upon the upwardly-projecting tip of the spring, and by its weight forces said tip downward, so that the ends of the last rail will come in line with the other, and may be brought properly up to the same. The entire spring, it will be seen, is thus placed under a tension, which causes both of its tips to press strongly against the bottoms of the two rails, and the vibratory motion of the rails underpassing cars will cause said tips to keep the contact areas of the railbottoms clean and bright-the same as the tips of the spring first described. WVhen both rails have been secured in position, the clamp may be d rivcn along, carrying the spring with it, un-

flanges, or those portions of said plates which are bent outward and lie flat upon the railflanges.

It will be readily understood that when aseries of rails are connected by springs, such as described, said rails and springs will form a continuous line of conductors, which may be connected in any suitable manner for conveying electrical currents to operate signals, or for any other desired purpose.

I do not, of course, confine myself to the pre cise construction shown in my drawings, but may vary the same in any manner for better carrying out my invention without departing from the essential principle thereof.

I am aware that bowed springs have been used for bridging rail-joints, said springs being applied to the vertical sides of the rails behind the fish-plates, and I do not claim such springs or their combination with the rails and fish-plates, as stated.

"What I claim is- 1. A railway-rail electric connection consisting of a metallic bar having elastic tips bent in the same direction beyond an intermediate portion, adapted to rest upon a suitable sup port, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with two adjacent railway-rails, of a connecting device consisting of a metallic spring-bar arranged below the railjoint, and havi ng its tips bent into contact with 0 I the bottoms of the rails, respectively, and an intermediate support beyond which the bent portions of the bar extend in opposite directions, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with two endwise-ad- 5 ROBERT MEEK.

\Vitnesses:

l. B. DABNEY, XV. L. LYONS.

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