US456344A - Railway cross-tie - Google Patents

Description

(No Modem 7 v 2 SheetsSheet 1. E. ROBERTS. 1

RAILWAY GROSS TIE.

No. 456,344. Patented July 21, 1891.

- rm: nomus vzrzns can. mum-11mm, msmmnou n c ZSheets-Sheet 7 (No Model.)

A; E. ROBERTS.

RAILWAY CROSS TIE.

No. 456,344. PatentedJuly 21, 1891.

' NITED STAT S ALBERT E. ROBERTS,

OF NORVALK, OHIO.

RAILWAY CROSS-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,344, dated July 21, 1891.

Original application filed April 5, 1890, Serial No. 346,655. Divided and this application filed August 15, 1890. Serial No. 362,059. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwalk, county of Huron, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Cross-Ties; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to railway cross-ties made, preferably, of metal, and its object is to make a strong and enduring tie that will absolutely prevent the spreading of the rails, and that may be applied to them without the use of spikes or of any bolts except at the meeting point of two rail-sections.

The accompanying drawings show my invention in the best form now known to me; but obviously other forms than those here shown might be used and the details of construction varied or changed within the skill of a good mechanic to adapt it to varying conditions or locations without departing from the spirit of my invention, as set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.

Some of the features described and shown herein are also described, shown, and claimed in my application for a patent on railway cross-ties, Serial No. 346,655, filed April 5, 1890, of which this application is a division, and such features are not therefore claimed herein.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a short section of railway-track embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in sectional elevation of a portion of one of the cross-ties. Fig. 3 is a similar View of a portion of a cross-tie formed with plates or flanges for making a fish-joint connection at abutting rail ends. Fig. 4 is an end view of the tie shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the tie shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the two main parts or sections of my tie. Fig. 7 is two side Views of my locking plug or key. Fig. 8 is a plan View of the same. Fig.9 is an enlarged horizontal section of the plug inserted in its socket. Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the tie. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a key for locking the plug against rotation.

Mytie is composed of two main parts or sections A A, preferably made just alike and so shaped as to be reversible or interchangeable, as desired. Near the ends of each section are raised chairs a a, upon which the rails B B are seated. Clip-lugs b b are formed upon the chairs and suitably shaped to take over and embrace the rail-base flanges. It will be observed that these clip-lugs both point in the same direction on the tie-section, the lug b embracing the outer flange of one rail, while the lug b embraces the inner flange of the other rail, and that the lugs overhang or project about half their width beyond the inner faceof the tie-section, so as to overlap the other section and stand inline with the opposing lugs on that section.

A vertical rib or strengthening-flange 0 extends along the inner face of the section, following its irregular contour. This face is shaped to form inclined interlocking hooks c c at any point between the rails, but preferably near them, and the hooks when closed together absolutely prevent the separation of the two sections unless they are moved endwise. r

At the center of each section there is formed a half-socket D for the reception of a looking plug or key E, so shaped that when the two sections are fitted together and interlocked a perfect socket is formed,in to which the plug may be driven tightly. When the plug is driven into the socket, the sections of the tie are forced endwise into very firm clamping contact'with the rail-bases, as the plug-bearing face of each section, lies on that side of the socket which is in the direction of the open faces of the clip-lugs.

The socket is preferably made conical and the plug E properly shaped to fit into it and force all the parts home. In order to prevent this plug from becoming loosened and possibly working out of the socket, it is provided with two projecting lugs c c on its lower end, and these lugs when the plug is in place stand just through the tie and in the plane of its lower surface. The socket has grooves (1 along its sides, which permit the lugs e e to pass through when the plug is inserted. By partially rotating the plug the lugs e 6 will be moved out of line with the grooves, and therefore will prevent the withdrawal of the plug until it is turned back.

On the lower face of the sections I prefer to form cam-faces or inclined surfaces (1 (Z for the lugs to bear against, so that in rotating the plug it is drawn more firmly into the socket. In order to prevent possible accidental rotation of the plug, I insert keys F into the grooves d and drive them down until their lower ends stand through the sections and directly in the path (or across it) of the lugs on the plug. I prefer to make theinner face of these keys concave, as shown in Figs. 9 and 11, so that the sharp edges will bite into the plug and securely lock everything in place. On top of the plug I form a square shank e, which may be engaged by a wrench when it is turned, and I prefer to form an overhanging head 6 on the shank to aid in removing the plug from the socket.

In order to dispense with the loose fishplate joints which are now commonly used to connect the abutting ends of the rails, and which are the source of endless trouble in railways because of their liability to wear or shake loose, I shall form some of my ties with projecting flanges G G upon the clip-lugs b 1) upon one or it may be upon both ends of the tie-sections. These flanges it into the hollow of the rail between the head and base in a manner precisely similar to the approved style of fish-plates and are provided with elongated bolt-holes through which the clamping-bolts may pass to secure them to the abutting rail ends, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 5 by full lines and in Fig. (5 by dotted lines. By thus forming the fish-plates integral with the metal tie a firm solid support for the rail ends is secured, and one that will not easily become worn or shaken loose.

Other means than bolting maybe employed to secure these fish plates, if desired. I merely show the bolts for the reason that they are simple and easy of illustration.

WVhat I claim as new and usefnl,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A railway cross-tie composed of two main interlocking parts, each having cliplugs constructed with longitudinal extensions thereon, which form fish-plates, with suitable means for securing the said fish-plate lugs or extensions and included rails together, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a railway cross-tie composed of two main parts or sections having clip-lugs to embrace the rail-bases and arranged to move oppositely in the act oi. clamping the rails, means for holding the sec tions clamped together, a recess formed between the two sections, half in each section, and grooved at its sides, and aplug or key to fit said recess with the lugs formed at its lower end, which pass through the grooves and when the plug is rotated pass out of the plane of the grooves and bear against the bottom side of the tie, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

The combination of a railway cross-tie composed of two main parts or sections constructed and operated substantially as described, a conical recess formed between the two sections,'half in each section, and grooved at its sides, and a plug to fit said recess and having lugs which pass through the grooves and when turned lock against the bottom of the tie, with keys which are driven into the grooves and project beyond the lugs, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbe fore set forth.

4. The combination of a railway cross-tie composed of two main parts or sections constructed and operated substantially as described, and a plug fitting into a recess formed between the two sections and provided at its lower end with projecting lugs which bear against the bottom side of the tie,with inclined or cammed surfaces on the bottom of the tie opposed to the lugs, substantially as and t'or the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

5. A railway cross-tie composed of two main parts or sections having opposing cliplngs on their ends to engage the rail-bases, with a projecting flange-plate formed on the extremity of each clip-lug and adapted to fit against the stem of the rail, said flange-plates embracing the abutting ends of the rail and secured thereto to form a fish-plate joint, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 11th day of August, 1890, at Jackson, Michigan.

ALBERT E. ROBERTS.

In presence of- ;l. (l. FUQUA, W11. A. SKINKLE.

Images