US453268A - Elevated-railway superstructure - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. S. SHAW.

ELEVATED EAILWAY SUPERSTRUGTURE.

No. 453,268. Patented June 2, 1891.

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(No Model.)

3 Sheets Sheet 2.

E. s. SHAW. I ELEVATED RAILWAY SUPERSTRUGTURE. No. 453,268.

Patented June 2,1891.

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OO QOGIO UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWVARD S. SHAIV, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELEVATED-RA! SU PERSTRUCTU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,268, dated June 2, 1891. Application filed February 15, 1888. I Serial No. 264,052. (No model.)

T0 or whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elevated-Railway Superstructures, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to the longitudinal superstructure of elevated railways; and it consists, principally, in the devices, combinations, methods, and details of construction by which I support the guard-rails which are commonly used to prevent derailment in structures of this class, my improvements being hereinafter fully described and claimed.

I attain the above objects by means of certain novel combinations, methods, and details of construction described and claimed in this specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse section, and Fig. 2 a partial side elevation, of a superstructure embodying my invention, in which only inside guard-rails are used. Fig. 1 shows also a car-truck provided with-truck-guards constructed. according to my Patent No. 353,086.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 4.-

a plan, of a plate-girder superstructure c011- structed in accordance with this specification. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of an open-web or IVarren girder superstructure. Fig. 6 is a transverse section, and Fig. 7 a partial side elevation, of anopen-web superstructure in which guard-rails both inside and outside of the track-rails are shown. The upper dotted lines in Fig. 6 represent an ordinary cartruck. Fig. 8 is a transverse section of a superstructure forshort spans in which thelongitudinal girders are rolled I-beams. In this figure the upper dotted lines represent a cartruck having horizontal guide or propelling wheels. Fig. 9 is a transverse section, and Fig. 10 a partial side elevation, of a wooden superstructure designed for light rollingstock propelled by electricity. Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14: are partial longitudinal and transverse elevations of girders, 850., showing variations in the methods of construction which may be used in carrying out this invention.

In all of the above figures the same letters are used to denote similar parts.

Referring to the drawings, A A are the chords, and IV V the web members, of the 1ongitudinal girders A V V A, which support upon their upper chords the track-rails T. These track-rails maybe attached to the girders by bolts m a, passing through the upper chords or flanges of the girders and provided with suitable clamping-washers, or they may be secured by horizontal bolts and clamps, as in Fig. 8, or in any other suitable manner. Between the rails and the girders elastic blocks or bearings E are preferably interposed at proper intervals. These bearings may be of wood and may extend across the structure from one girder to the other, forming cross-ties for the track, or they may be composed of india-rubber, felt, cork, sheetlead, or of a combination of some of the above-named or other elastic and non-resonant substances. lVhen the girders or their upper chords are of wood, these'blocks may be omitted, as in Fig. 9.

Parallel with, above, and between the trackrails longitudinal guard-rails G are placed, being securely attached to the tops of upright or inclined posts or standards U. In some cases these inner guard-rails may be supplemented by outer guard-rails 0, supported upon upright or inclined posts or standards U.

The longitudinal guard-rails are preferably formed of a rolled shape of iron or steel having a horizontal member or flange a to resist lateral pressure from the wheels or trucle guards and a vertical member or flange a to resist vertical pressure caused by any portion of the truck falling upon it or by the upward pull of the truck-guards when acting to prevent the derailment or overturning of the cars. In the inner guard-rail the horizontal flange may project outwardly beyond the vertical flange a sufficient distance to enable the truck-guard g to engage with the horithe heads of rivets or bolts passing through the vertical flange and securing it to the post or standard U.

Both inner and outer guard-rails should preferably be provided with an enlargement or thickening f of the horizontal flange a zontal flange without coming in contact with upon the side next to the wheels in order to diminish the abrasion arising from the :t'riction caused by contact with the wheels or truck-guards when acting to prevent derailment. If wooden guard-rails are used, as shown in -Fig. 9, their horizontal surfaces next to the wheels may be protected by a longitudinal strip of iron or steel f, securely attached, as shown.

The posts or standards U, to which the guard-rails G and O are attached, are preferably placed in a vertical or nearly vertical position; but when the longitudinal girders do not have vertical web members the posts may be inclined in the line of the inclined web-struts produced in an upward direction. These uprights occur at intervals which may coincide with the panel lengths of the girders or trusses, the posts being preferably situated over the panel-points.

The posts U, which support the guard-rails, are attached at their lower extremities to the upper chord or web members of the girders, and the inner guard-rails may be braced and secured against horizontal displacement by means of inclined braces Y, extending from the top of the postU at an angle down to the lateral brace L, connecting the top chords of the girders, and auxiliary attachments h 7t may be employed in certain cases.

\Vhen the outer guard-rail O is used, the posts U supporting it may be attached to the upper ends of the web-struts or to vertical plates of the upper chord or to the web of the girders, and the lower extremities of these posts may be bent inwardly to facilitate this attachment, as in Figs. 12 and 14. The guard-rails are attached to the posts and the posts to the girders by rivets, bolts, or other secure fastenings.

It will be apparent that by the devices and methods of construction herein described and illustrated I obtain a structure in which the guard-rails are separate and distinct from the upper chords of the girders or from any floor of ties supporting the rails and do not form a part of either, and that if the guard-rails are bent, worn, or otherwise injured or impaired they may be easily removed and new onessubstitutedwithoutaffectingthe strength of the girders. I also produce a structure in which the wheels travel in a guarded channel or way having lateral openings through which any obstruction of moderate size will readily fall out or be thrown out by the wheels instead of becoming wedged in and remainin g to derail the wheels, as might readily happen with guard-rails of the usual construction.

I am aware that guard-rails supported upon upright posts or standards are not new, having been set forth in combinations differing from those of this specification in my Patents Nos. 353,086 and 361,029, and hence I do not claim, broadly, herein the combination of a longitudinal guard-rail with a supporting post or standard.

What I now claim is- 1. A longitudinal superstructure or permanent way for an elevated railway, consisting of a pair of girders or trusses placed beneath two track-rails and supporting the track-rails upon and entirely above the uppermost surfaces of the girders and also supporting a pair of longitudinal guard-rails placed between and above the inner and upper surfaces of the track-rails by means of several and individual upright or inclined posts or standards attached to the longitudinal girders, the said guard-rails and posts or standards being separate and distinct members and not forming a part of the girders, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. A longitudinal superstructure or permanent way for an elevatedgailway, consisting of a pair of girders or trusses placed beneath two track-rails and supporting the trackfrails upon and entirely above the uppermost surfaces of the girders and also supporting four longitudinal guard-rails placed above and upon both sides of the track-rails by means of several and individual upright posts or standards attached at intervals to the girders or to the lateral connections or bracing thereof, the said guard-rails and posts or standards being separate and distinct members and not forming a part of the girders, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. In an elevated-railway superstructure, the combination of a pair of longitudinal girders or trusses, a pair of track-rails supported upon or over the upper surfaces of the girders and a pair of longitudinal guardrails placed between and above the inner and upper surfaces of the track-rails, and supported upon the lateral bracing of the longitudinal girders by means of upright or inclined posts or standards attached to the said guard-rails and to the lateral bracing of the girders.

4. In an elevated-railway superstructure, the combination of a pair of longitudinal girders or trusses, a pair of track-rails supported upon and entirely above the uppermost surfaces of the girders, and longitudinal guard-rails placed above and upon both sides of the track-rails and supported upon several and individual upright or inclined posts or standards attached at intervals to the girders or to the lateral connections thereof, the said guard-rails and posts being separate and distinct members and not forming a part of the girders, substantially as set forth.

5. In an elevated-railway superstructure, the combination, with the longitudinal girders or trusses, track-rails supported upon and entirely above the uppermost surfaces of the girders, and guard-rails placed entirely above and upon either side of the track-rails, of several and individual upright or inclined posts or standards supporting the guard-rails and attached at intervals to the girders or to the lateral connections thereof, the said posts IIO or standards being separate and distinct members and not formlng a part of the girders,

substantially as herein shown and specified.

6. In an elevated-railway superstructure, the combination, with the longitudinal girders or trusses, track-rails supported upon or over the tops of the girders, and guard-rails placed above and between the track-rails, of upright posts or standards U, supporting the guardrails vertically, and inclined braces Y, sup porting the guard-rails laterally, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the longitudinal girders or trusses AVWA, track-rails T, lateral bracing L L .l, inner guard-rails G, posts or standards U, and braces Y, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the longitudinal girders or trusses A V WV A, track-rails T, lateral bracing L L Z, inner guard-rails G, and several and individual posts or standards U, separate and distinct from the girders and guard-rails, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the longitudinal girders or trusses A V WA, track-rails T, inner guard-rails G, posts or standards U, outer guard-rails O, and posts or standards U, substantially as set forth.

10. In an elevated-railway superstructure,

a standard or support for alongitudinal guardrail, consisting of an upper vertical or inclined portion U or U and a lower portion UK) I or U I), bent at an angle to the upper portion and attached to the upper chord or Web of the longitudinal girder or truss, substantially as shown and described.

11. The combination of a post or standard U or U and the auxiliary attachment h or h, substantially as specified.

12. In an elevated-railway superstructure having rails placed over and entirely above the uppermost surfaces of the girders and provided with guard-rails raised above the track-rails and separate and distinct from the girders, several and individual upright or inclined posts or standards U U, supporting the guard-rails G O and attached to the web members V of the girders, substantially as set forth.

13. In an elevated-railway superstructure, the combination of guard-rails G or 0, posts or standards U- or U, and Web members of Witnesses:

LELIA J. ROBINSON, GEO. A. DARY.

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