US631808A - Railway-crossing. - Google Patents

Description

No. 63|,808. v Patented Aug. 29, I899.

H. B. NICHOLS.

RAILWAY CROSSING.

(Application filed my 11, 1889.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented Aug. 29, I899.

No. ssgadsj H. B. NICHOLS. RAILWAY CROSSING.

(Application filed my 11, 1899.) 7 (N0 Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mam: warm :0. mum-mm. wunmamu, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY B. NICHOLS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILLIAM WHARTON, JR., & COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF

PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,808, dated August 29, 1899.

Application filed May 11, 1899. Serial No. 7163352. (No model.) 1

To ctZZ 2072,0112 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY B. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to a crossing formed by the intersecting rails of a streetrailway with a steam-railroad or of two railways; and in such connection it relates to the construction and arrangement of parts forming such a railway-crossing.

The principal objects of myinvention are, first, to provide in a railway-crossing two single and parallel rails each of which is of peculiar construction and shape in cross-section, whereby the wheels of a heavy conveyance, such as a railroad-car, may be firmly supported and carried over the intersecting rails without the heavy jars incident to the passage of the wheels over said intersecting rails second, to provide in a railway-crossing, in conjunction with therails for the support of the wheels of the heavier crossing conveyance, means at the ends of the rails whereby the wheel is caused to pass from the main rails to the crossing-rails without the jar usually incident to said passage, and, third, to provide in a railway-crossin g improved means for connecting the intersecting rails firmly together.

My invention, stated in general terms, consists of a railway-crossing when constructed and arranged in substantially the manner hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure l is a top or plan View of a railwaycrossing embodying main features of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the end of one of the crossing-rails and of the angular fish-plates for uniting the webs of the intersecting rails together. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line a: as of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the end of one of the crossing-rails for theheavier vehicle and of the means for connecting said crossing-rail to the main rail, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a a represent the two parallel rails of the crossing over which the wheels of the heavier vehicle are designed to travel. Each rail a is cast or rolled into one single piece, and consists of a flat upper face a, in which is formed the groove a for the flange of the wheel. The face a is supported by three legs a a and a, each of which has a flat base or flange adapted to rest upon the tie or sleeper. This construction forms a single rail and takes the place of the old built-up construction, consisting of three or more filled-in parts. At the points a where the other rails 12 b intersect the rails a a are also formed in the upper face a of each rail a another groove b, crossing the groove a and the face a of each rail at the angle of intersection of the two sets ofv rails a a and b b. The crossing-rails a a are connected at their ends to the main rails 01 d in the following preferred manner: The ends of the rails or a are provided with an extension at, the flanged base d of which rests upon the base of one of the main rails (Z. The extension d has also ahead (Z slightly rounded, as at d, and depressed slightly below the head of the main rail. The head d has an inwardly-projecting flange d which rests under and supports the head of the main rail. united to the web of the main rail by the bolts 01 In this construction the wheel f of the vehicle, which from constant use may have its rim f slightly hollowed out, as at f travels over the main rail, and before it reaches the end of the crossing-rail the outer unworn portion of the tread is gradually elevated by the upwardlyinclined extension 61 of the crossing-rail, so that when the tread of the wheel passes onto the crossing-rail there will be no jar or blow at the point of connection, but, on the contrary, the tread of the wheel will glide smoothly over the point of connection and onto the face a of the crossing-rail. This forms an especially valuable feature of my present invention.

Another important feature of my invention The extension (1 is tion.

consists of the mode of connecting the rails 12 b to the rails C6 a at the points of intersec- This is accomplished in the following preferred manner: lhe web 5 of each rail 1) is provided with two angular plates 22 one arm of which, as illustrated in Fig, 2, is welded or otherwise formed integral with the web 19 while the other arm of each forms the fishplate, adapted to be bolted to the web of a crossing-rail a. Instead of welding these plates 19 to the web I) it will be readily understood that the plates may be cast directly on the rails Z) b when the rails are formed.

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

1 In a railway-crossing,a crossing-rail having a broad flat upper face with a groove there? in for the flange of a wheel and provided with three'legs, ach hav ng a flat bas flange adapted to rest upon ties or sleepers, and two of said legs forming the support for the grooved portion of said rail.

' 2. In a railway-crossing, a hollow rail havg a ad at fa e o heaiwh rein is formed a groove for the flange of a wheel, said face or head supported upon three. legs, two of which form the sides ofthe rail and the other being arranged intermediate of said side legs and adjacent to the grooved portion of said rail.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY B. NICHOLS.

\Vitnesses:

J. WALTER DOUGLASS, THOMAS M. SMITH.

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