US620696A - Continuous-rail construction - Google Patents

Description

No. 620,696. Patented Mar. 7, |899. E. VAN S. CHAMBEBLIN.

CONTINUOUS RAIL CONSTRUCTION.

(Application filed Jan. 25, 1898.)

(No Model.) I

s I A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EGEEET vAN s. OHAMBEELIN, OF sAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, yAssIcN'OE OF ONE-HALF To JOHN II. ANDREW, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

CONTINUOUS-RAIL CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters l'atentNo. 620,696, dated March 7, 1899. Application filed January 25, 1898. Serial No. 667,896. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, EGBEET VAN S. CHAM- BERLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous-Rail Constructions; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it Inost nearly appertains to make, use, and practice the same. i

This invention relates to improvements in railway constructions, and more particularly to the construction of the rails;l and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts, whereby the supporting members are lapped the one upon the otherto avoid the total weight being received upon a completed joint at any point.

In the drawings, Figure l is an isometrical perspective of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the invention in section.

It is the object of the present invention to obtain the greatest strength and rigidity to resist the vertical traffic strains, while using the minimum weight of material.

It is the further object of the present invention to avoid the subsiding or giving way of the points of junction or the ends of the rail when receiving the impact 0f the weight of the traflic.

It is the further object of the invention to provide a renewable portion for the rail to receive the wearing strain; and it is the further object of the invention to prevent creeping of the rails.

As shown in Fig. l, the tread A is constructed on lines similar to the present standard on the top and side. The variation occurs on the underneath part of the head or tread, which in this improved form is rolled to form the hollows or valleys A adjacent the web, the downwardly-curved portions A3 to the outer sides of the hollows, and the upwardly and outwardly curved portions to the outer sides of the portions A3. In this form where the rail is being made in the desired shape and in the Iirst instance the tread and web are rolled in the form shown in the end view of Fig. l-that is to say, the web and tread are rolled without the usual flange of the standard r'ail. v The side blades B B are provided with th webs B', the laterally-extending flanges B2, the recess B3, and the head B4. The web in these side blades is vertical to stand parallel with the web A2 of the tread A, and, as shown in Fig. l, the outer surfaces of the side plates present compound curves formed reversely to the curve of the tread, whereby the projecting portions of the tread fit in the depressed portions of the blades, thus by reason of the arrangement of parts specied preventing the inner portions of the blades from wearing into the tread. The flange B2 is so constructed in each blade as to extend from under the center of the tread of the rail Outward to form half of the ordinary flange of the present standard rail. When in position, the two blades form by their half-flanges a completed rail-ange. When brought together in the center, the two recesses B5 form in the abutment of the half-flanges a square recess, which is formed to just sufficient size to snugly receive the lower edge of the squareended web of the tread of the rail. It is to provide for a certain amount of elasticity in the rail that I have shortened the web A', so that the metal of the blades B would have a small amount of spring before the web A strikes upon the bottom of the recess B5.

With the parts formed as above set forth and assembled as shown in Fig. l of the drawings the vertical strain is carried upon the three webs A2 B' B. The former carries its portion of the strain when seated in the square recesses of the flanges, while the latter two receive the strain from thetread A upon their heads B4 B4. It will now be observed that the vertical strain is equally distributed over the three vertical members-to wit, the three webs. It will also be observed that as the webs are spread apart, so that the vertical positions of the blades B B are nearly under the edges of the sides of the tread, there is provided for in the present construction a greater resistance to any torsional strains. Further, by the separation and distribution of the vertical members I have obtained a greater proportion of strength to an equal amount of weight over and above the present web of the stand- IOO ard rail. To obtain the separation and distribution of the vertical members referred to, the sside blades B B are recessed or hollowed at B In the assembling of the parts they are held in position by bolts C, which are passed through perforations provided in the three members and by which all are drawn to and held snugly in their respective positions.

As here shown, the rail-tread is rounded at its edges, so that it presents portions lower than the tread proper. The upper edge of the plate D is extended inwardly and rests upon this curved portion,whereby, although the upper surface of the plate and the tread proper are in line, the lower portion of the tread serves to support the upper end. of the plate.

The side blades B are formed of equal length with the tread A. The entire rail,constructed by the assemblingof these parts,consists,then, of three members-the tread ,and two side blades. In assembling them or constructing the rail for traiiic they are brought together so as to produce three joints equally distant the one from the other-that is to say, the blades B on the opposite sides of the rail are abutted on the third dimensions of the tread. 1f the tread be thirty feet in length, the blades on the same side will extend over ten feet of its length, while the blade on the opposite side will extend over twenty feet of its length, both dimensions being taken from the same end of the tread. When two treads are abutted, the two blades referred to will then extend over the length of the'new tread, the iirst extending over twenty feet of its length and the second over ten feet of its length. Through the web A2 of the tread, at the ends thereof, are provided perforations to receive the bolts C. There are corresponding perforations provided in the webs of the blades B to line with the end perforations of the web A. These are now joined by passing two bolts C through the perforations and setting them in position. At the end of each blade there is a perforation provided for a similar purpose, and corresponding perforations in linetherewith are provided in the web A and the web of the opposite blade. Vhen any three perforations are in line, the bolts C belongingto the perforations may be placed in position. When the rail is thus completed, it will be found that the three vertical members, counting from the one side or the other, form an end joint with their abutting member, which is equally distant between two of the joints formed by the other two members, or, in other words; the three joints formedv by the abutnients of the three similar members are equidistant one from the other. The result of this construction is that under the vertical strains of traffic there is only presented a joint which would represent a weakness of one-third of the construction, or, in other words, that at all points when passing over a joint the vertical strain is resisted by twothirds of the total strength of the rail;

In the present standard construction when the rail has become worn it has to be thrown aside and substituted by a new rail, and this though the wear is confined to the tread or head of the rail. When the rail is constructed in conformity with this invention, this loss of metal is obviated by separating the blades B B from the tread A and renewing that only. As the tread bears a proportion to the total weight of the rail of less than one-half it will be seen that there Vis considerable economy in the use of a rail constructed in conformity with the present invention. Again, the safety of travel is very much enhanced by the employment of rails thus constructed, and especially in countries where they are subjected to intense cold. In these countries frequent accidents, caused by the breaking of the rail and consequent dislodgment of the same and dei-ailment of the train, transpire. It

is obvious that when constructed in accord-v ance with this invention derailment from the cause above mentioned would not transpire, for the reason that in the event of any one of the three members breaking it would be supported and held in place by the other two, and the breakage of all three members at the same point would be the merest chance.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is- The combination with a rail having a web, and a tread extending outwardly on each side of said web, the under side of each extend- IOO ing tread portion presenting a compound curve having a hollow adjacent the web, a downwardly-curved portion to the outer side of the hollow and an upwardly and outwardly curved portion to the outer side of the downwardly curved portion, of a separate side blade upon each side of the web, said side blades supporting the tread of the rail and Y having their upper surfaces presenting compound curves formed reversely to the curves of the tread whereby the projecting portions of the tread fit in the depressed portions of the blades; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set` my hand this 11th day of January, 1898.

EGBERT VAN S. CI-IAMBERLIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. ANDREW, E. F. MURDooK.

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