US558270A

US558270A - Method of forming joints on railway-track rails

Info

Publication number: US558270A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-04-14
Anticipated expiration: 1913-04-14

Description

(No Model.) I

H. W. FALK.

METHOD or FORMING JOINTS ON RAILWAY TRACK RAILS. No. 558,270. Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

W I l INVENTOR.

A TTORN E Y.

UNITED STATES 1 ATEN'r OFFICE.

HERMAN IV; FALK, OF MILWAUKEE, IVISCONSIN. 7

METHOD OF FORMING JOINTS ON RAILWAY-TRACK RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,270, dated April 14, 1896.

Application filed July 1, 1896. Serial No. 554,608. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN W. FALK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, State of VViscousin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of Forming Joints on Railway-Track Rails and I 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 pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved method of forming joints of railway-track rails, and relates more particularly to a method whereby the rails of old track which have been used and have become considerably worn adjacent to the joints may be repaired and rejointed so as to present a smooth and even upper surface for engagement with the wheels.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of rail ends which have been joined by my improved method preparatory to finishing off or surfacing the heads of the rail ends. Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating said joint in its finished condition. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a car, illustrating means carried thereon for finishing or surfacing the upper faces of the rail ends at and adjacent to the joints.

In forming railjoints by my improved method I proceed in a manner similar to that disclosed in a prior application filed by Albert I-Ioifmann and myself for Method of and apparatus for forming rail-joints, Serial No. 542,183, and also in my prior application for patent for Method of and appliances for joining rail ends, Serial No. 549,117. In both of said prior applications the adjacent ends of the rails are united or joined together by means of a surrounding body of cast metal, which is poured into a mold and around said rail ends and is caused to adhere or become fused thereto.

It is a well-known fact that after railway? rails have been used for a considerable length of time the abutting ends at the joints become more or less worn, and owing to the constant yielding of the rail ends at the joints (where they have been retained in position by fishplate joints) the ends of the rails become badly battered and worn, so that they present depressions at and adjacent to the joints and thereby cause a great deal of undue wear and tear upon the rolling-stock of the road. Furthermore, as said wear upon the rail ends increases the tendency to still further and more rapid wear of the same increases.

It often happens that the rail ends have become so badly worn and battered at the joints in the track that it is necessary to take up said rails and either saw off the worn and battered ends of the same or to substitute new rails therefor in order to obtain a satisfactory track.

It is the object of my present invention to provide means whereby the old and Worn rails of railway-tracks may be satisfactorily repaired or joined without either removing any portion of the rail ends or taking up said rail ends from their position in the track.

To this end I prepare the rail ends for joining in the following manner: If there is any opening or space between the adjacent ends of the rails at the joint, I drive between said rail ends a suitable shim, which is conveniently shaped in cross:section to correspond with the rails, although it may be of any convenient or desired shape, the object being to tightly wedge the same within the opening or space between the rail ends, so as to fill said opening or space. Of course where the rail ends are tightly abutted together the shim will be omitted.

In the drawings, A A designate the rail ends to be joined, B designates the shim or wedge which is driven between said rail ends, and O designates the mold which is formed or adjusted about the abutting ends of the rails, and in which the body D of metal is cast and fused to the surfaces of the rail ends.

As described in my aforesaid prior application, Serial No. 1 l9,117, the cast-metal body D is formed around and beneath the lower parts of the rail ends, the upper parts or heads of said rail ends being left free or uncovered by said metal, and this results in the heating of the lower portions of said ends to a high degree of temperature, while the upper or head portions of said ends are not heated to nearly so high atemperature as said lower or base portions. It follows, therefore, that in the opera-tion of eastin g the metal body D upon the rail ends, the lower portions of said rail ends being raised to a welding heat and the upper or head portions remaining at a comparatively low temperature, a greater degree of expansion will take place in the lower or base portions of the rail ends than in the upper or head portions thereof. If, now, all the space between said rail ends be filled, so as to prevent the free expansion of the lower portions of said ends,tl1e unequal expansion of the lower and the upper portions thereof will serve to force or crowd the rail ends upwardly at the joint. This springing or warping of the rail ends is the natural result of the unequal expansion of the rail ends while confined and prevented from freely expanding longitudinally. When a joint has thus been formed, the upper surfaces of the heads of the rail ends at the joint will be warped or forced upwardly to or above the level of the track, as shown in Fig. 1, the ends which were formerly worn away below said level now rising to or above said level. After a joint has been thus formed and allowed to cool, I dress off or surface the upper faces of the rail ends where they have been upheaved in the manner described, therebybringin g the upper surfaces of said heads to a uniform level, so as to afford a perfectly level and even roadway. This operation of removing the surplus metal above the joint maybe performed in any desired manner and by any desired appliances.

I have found it convenient, however, to employ for this purpose a suitable truck, capable of being moved along the track and earrying suitable surfacing or shaping toolssuch, for instance, as shown in Fig. 3. In

' said figure I hai e shown a truck E as provicled with a suitable engine or other motor F, geared to the carrying or truck wheels 6 e, and also arranged to actuate the reciprocating shaper-tool G. Of course any other form of tool may be employed instead of the shaper shownsuch, for instance, as an emerygrinder or the like.

In finishing the joints the truck E is advanced along the track until over the joint, when by adjusting the shaping or finishing tool to the desired level and connecting the same with the actuating engine or motor motion will be imparted to said tool, thereby causing it to operatively engage with the upper surfaces of the abutting rail ends. By this means the upper faces of the rail ends may be dressed down until the desired level is reached and said ends are made uniform with the other portions of the track, the tool being adjusted in a familiar manner as the cutting operation progresses.

By my improved method I am enabled to repair track in which the rails have become so badly worn as to render them practically useless or to necessitate the removal of the ends thereof in order to render the track again serviceable by ordinary methods.

My improved method also enables me to effeet this repairing or rejoining of the rail ends without taking up or disturbing the track in the least, it being obvious that the track may be continually used at all times excepting during the actual operation of casting the metal body D upon the rail ends and during the actual operation of dressing down the said ends.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Animproved method of joining rail ends consisting in arranging a pair of rail ends so as to prevent longitudinal expansion thereof, casting a body of metal around and upon the lower portions of the rail ends and subsequently dressing down or surfacing the upper faces of said rail ends to the level of the track, substantially as described.

2. A method of joining rail ends consisting in inserting between the adjacent ends of a pair of rails a suitable wedge or shim, casting a body of metal around and upon the lower portions of said rail ends, and finally surfae ing or dressing down the upper faces of said ends to the level of the track, substantially as described.

3. An improved method of repairing railway-track consisting in inserting a wedge or shim between the adjacent worn ends of a pair of rails, casting a body of metal around and upon the lower portions of said ends, and simultaneously impartin to said lower parts of said rail ends, a sufhcient degree of heat to cause unequal expansion of said ends, and an upward warping or bending of the head portions thereof, substantially as described.

4. An improved method of repairing railway-track consisting in driving or wedging a suitable shim or piece of metal between the worn ends of a pair of rails, casting a body of metal upon the lower portions of said rail ends, and simultaneously heating said lower portions of said rail ends sufiioiently to cause an unequal expansion of the upper and lower parts of said ends, and an upward warping or bending of said ends, and finally surfacing or finishing the upper faces of said ends to a level with the track, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN \V. FALK. \Vitnesses:

JOHN E. WILEs, E. XV. STOUT.