US593420A - Rail-joint or rail-coupling - Google Patents

Description

' (No Model.)

J. G. MILLER.

RAIL JOINT OR RAIL COUPLING.

No. 598,420. Patented Nov. 9, 1897.

WITNESSES J aw yaw W ATTOHNEU UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES G. MILLER, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT OR RAIL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICLATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,420, dated November 9, 1897.

Application filedApril 5, 1897. Serial No. 630,713. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES G. MILLER, of Youngstown, Mahonin g county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RailJoints or Rail-Couplings; 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 pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in rail-joints or rail-couplings; and it pertains more especially to an improvement of the joint or coupling disclosed in the United States Letters Patent No. 516,870, granted to me March 20, 1894:.

The primary object of my present invention is to so arrange and shape the parts of the joint or coupling that a greater leverage is obtained upon the pair of rail-engaging jaws of the coupling and said jaws are caused to more vigorously bite or engage the rail, that the bearing-surface between the rails and jaw-levers is greater, and that the jaws more squarely engage the rails and are less liable to loosen and rattle.

-With this object in view and to the end of rendering the device more simple and durable my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a top plan of a rail-joint or rail-coupling embodying my invention, showing two contiguous or abutting rails joined or abutted together. Fig. II is a vertical transverse section on either one of lines II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a transverse vertical section on line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a transverse vertical section showing the manner of assembling the parts in applying my improved joint or coupling.

Referring to the drawings, A A designate the contiguous or abutting end portions of two rails. A pair of jaws B B are arranged to clamp or bite opposite sides, respectively, of

the rails at the meeting ends of the rails. Said jaws fit between the head and base of the rails and are fulcrumed upon cylindrical portions, lugs, or bearings O integral with and formed upon opposite side edges, respectively, of plate 0, that rests upon a pair of ties T, to which the rails are spiked, as atT. Said jaws extend through a slot 0 formed in and transversely of plate 0, between bearings O 0. Each jaw below the axis of its fulcrum is provided with an inwardly and downwardly proj ecting flange or lever B. Flanges or levers B of the two jaws support a block D, that engages the central portion of slot 0 and engages the base of the meeting ends of the rails-that is, said ends of the rails bear upon block D. .The construction of the fulcrum of each jaw B consists of a semicylindrical recess b, that is formed in the outer side of the lower end of the jaw and engages the inner portion of a cylindrical lug 0. Block D extends between and is arranged below the axes of the jaws, and upon its under side is provided with two lugs cZ cl, arranged at opposite ends, respectively, of the block, and semicylindrical or arch-shaped upon their under side, and engaging correspondingly-shaped surfaces formed upon the upper side of flanges or levers B The are shape of and conformity between the opposing surfaces of said lugs and jaw-levers prevents rattling of the parts when the rolling-stock of a car or vehicle moves over the rails at the joint or coupling.

The levers or flanges B and the plate 0 of the joint or coupling disclosed in the patent granted to me March 20, 1894, and hereinbefore referred to, were horizontal or approximately so. The objection to this construction was that it would interfere not only in the provision of adequate bearing for block D, but the leverage of flanges B was not sufficient to cause the jaws to bite or engage the rails as vigorously as-was desired. Also the separate blocks D employed in the construction disclosed in said patent did not aiford as large a bearing for the rails as the single block employed in my improved device.

In my improved construction it will be observed that plate 0 has its central portion between bearings O depressed and the flanges or levers B slope not only inwardly but downwardly, so that the block-engaging portions of said flanges are located considerably below (comparatively speaking) the axes of the jaws. The result is that said jaws or levers are longerthat is, the points of engagement between said levers and the lugs of block D are farther from the jaws axesthan in the construction shown in my former Letters Patent. The depression of plate 0 is necessary to accommodate the rails comparatively low location obtained by the lengthening of the jaw-levers. I would also remark that plate 0 upon its upper side is provided with upwardly-projecting lugs 0 arranged to engage recesses Ct, formed in the edges of the bases of the rails. The engagement of these lugs with said recesses prevents endwise displacement of the rails, but of course the recesses should be somewhat longer than the lugs to accommodate expansion and contraction of the rails.

The rail-engaging jaws are recessed upon their inner sides, as at B to accommodate the introduction of a wire rod or other instrument between said jaws and the opposing sides of the rails for the purpose of loosening or disengaging the jaws from the rails in removing the joint or coupling for repairs or other purposes.

\Vhat I claim is I. A rail-coupling consisting of a horizontally-arranged plate C having two bearings O 0 formed upon opposite side-edges, respectively of the plate, and said plate, between said bearings, being depressed and having a transverse slot 0 two jaws B B arranged to bite or engage opposite sides, respectively, of the rails and journaled upon the aforesaid bearings, and each of said jaws being extended through the aforesaid slot and provided with a flange or lever projecting inwardly and downwardly below its axis, and a block D resting upon the free ends of both flanges or levers and arranged to be engaged by the base of the rails, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A rail-coupling consisting of four pieces, namely, a horizontally-arranged plate 0 pro vided with two bearing-forminglugs O C at opposite side edges, respectively, and said plate, between said bearings, being depressed and having the transverse slot 0 two jaws B B journaled upon the different bearings, respectively, and arranged to engage opposite sides, respectively, of the rails to be coupled or joined together, and each of said jaws being extended through the aforesaid slot, and below its axis having a downwardly and inwardly extending flange or lever B, and the block D arranged within the slot in the plate and below the jaws axes and provided, upon its under side, with two lugs arranged to rest upon the different flanges or levers, respectively, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with the meeting ends of two rails and a suitably-supported horizontally-arranged plate below said ends and said plate being provided with two lugs or bearings C" C at opposite sides, respectively, of

said ends, and being depressed and having the transverse slot C between said bearings; of the two jaws B B arranged to engage op posite sides, respectively, of the rail and jour-. naled upon the different bearings, respectively, and said jaws extending downwardly through the aforesaid slot and provided with flanges or levers extending inwardly and downwardly from the jaws axes,and the block D interposed between the base of the rail and the free ends of said levers within the aforesaid slot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with the meeting ends of two rails and a suitably-supported horizontally-arranged plate below said ends and said plate being provided with two lugs or bear.- ings G C at opposite sides, respectively, of said ends, and being depressed and having the transverse slot 0 between said bearings; of the two jaws B B-recessed upon their inner sides and arranged to engage opposite sides, respectively, of the rail and journaled upon the different bearings, respectively, and said jaws being extended downwardly through the aforesaid slot and provided with flanges or levers extending inwardly and downwardly from the jaws axes, and the block D interposed between the base of the rail and the free ends of said levers within the aforesaid slot, and the engaging or opposing surfaces between said block and levers being arcshaped, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with the meeting ends of two rails having recesses in the edges of their base, and a-suitably-supported horizontally-arranged plate below said ends, and said plate being provided with two lugs or bearings C O at opposite sides, respectively, of said ends, and being depressed and having the transverse slot .0 between said bearings, and having the lugs or projections 0 upon its upper side; of the two jaws B B arranged to engage opposite sides, respectively, of the rail and journaled upon the diiferent bearings, respectively, and said jaws being extended downwardly through the aforesaid slot and provided with flanges or levers extending inwardly and downwardly from the jaws axes, and the block D interposed between the base of the rail and the free ends of said levers, within the aforesaid slot, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses,this 15th day of March, 1897.

JAMES G. MILLER.

Witnesses:

G. H. Donna, ELLA E. TILDEN.

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