US422560A - Railroad-track foot-guard - Google Patents

Description

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No. 422,560. V Patented Mar. 4, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MELVIN wILsoN, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

I RAILROAD-TRACK FOOT-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 422,560, dated March 4, 1890.

Application filed April 19, 1889. Serial No. 307,906. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MELVIN WVIL- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas, State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Track Foot- Guards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad-track foot-guards. Heretofore said guards have been made by placing blocks of wood at the narrow points between frogs, rails, guardrail, and main rail, and at all points along the track where a person is liable, through carelessness or accident, to get a foot fast, and before being able to release the foot have it taken off or mutilated by a moving car or engine. These blocks are constantly becoming checked and split by the action of the sun and moisture, and loosened by the movement of cars pressing upon and causing the railto spring up and down, and the action of frost will loosen them. They require constant watching and need replacing by new ones very often.

The object of my invention is to provide a practical, safe, and durable guard. First, it is made out of sheet-iron of strength sufficient to hold the weight of any person, and withan occasional coat of paint willlast a life-time; second, the guard is constructed from one solid sheet or separate pieces of iron or other suitable material.

Figure 1 is a piece of sheet-iron, two feet and two inches long, ten inches at one end, and eight inches wide at the other end, of which my device is made. Fig. 2 is an end, top, and side view of the guard with both sides and the wide end, as shown by lines marked A AA, turned down two inches, the

end being out so that it will strike against the ends of the turned-down sides. Fig. 3 shows an end view of the guard in position,

with manner of fastening by bolt through rail, marked B. Fig. 4 shows my device secured by a spike or stake at end of guard, marked C, and having a shoulder on one side. I

I do not claim Letters Patent on fastening marked 13 and O.

The lower edges of sides marked A A rest upon the upper side of bottom flange of rail marked E E. The outer edge of upper side of guard marked F stand close up under lower edge of the head of rail marked H H and will adjust itself to anyordinary movement of the rails. There is room below F between bottom of rails for the action of frost, and,.in fact, its position can only be affected by a movement of the rails or rail. The iron is pliable enough to give and take the spring of the rail caused by passing trains. The shape of the guard is such that if the flange of a passing wheel strikes the top F it will bend away from the wheel and spring back to position, as soon as the wheel passes over, without injury to F. It can be slid in and out of position, similar to a drawer, without injury.

The letters I I in Fig. 4 mark the lines which are raised from a portion of the level top F to form the shoulder marked K. The point marked L is formed just high enough to be below the top of rail marked H in Fig. 3 and alongside of top of rail. Once placed in position and properly fastened it will always remain until the rails are moved, and while so placed no person can possibly get a foot fast between the rails at a switch or in a frog or other points on the railroadtrack that needs guarding. It is of such shape that by varying its width, height, and length it will fit any position required by high or low rails, or spread of rails at a switch or other points along the track needing a guard.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A railroad-track foot guard formed out of common or galvanized iron or any suitable material of sufficient strength to hold up more than the weight of any person, and In testimony that I claim the foregoing I formed and shaped as shown in Fig". l on have hereunto set 1ny11andth1s 4th day of hnes marked A FI K L, the shoulder K being February, 1885).

' adapted to be raised from such point in I JOHN MELVIN \VILSON. 5 and to extend any distance along F required \Vitnesses:

by the position 10 be filled, substantially as CHAS. E. CLAPP,

set forth. FRANK IRVINE.

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