US660484A - Rail-joint. - Google Patents

Description

No. 660,484. Patented Oct. 23,1900.

H'. m. BOYD & H. manmon.

RAIL JOINT.

(Application filed Jan. 31. 1900.)

(No ModeL) wuwwtow He 72 y/fl qydi Hope 1749627270 72.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. BOYD, OF SIERRA BLANCA, TEXAS, AND HOPE REDMON, OF OYNTHIANA, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-TENTH TO JOHN W. RENAKER, OF OYNTHIANA, KENTUCKY.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,484, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed January 31, 1900. Serial No. 3,486. (No model.)

To wZ/l whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY M. BOYD, residing at Sierra Blanca, in the county of El Paso and Siateof Texas, and HOPE REDMON, residing at Oynthiana, in the county of Harrisen and State of Kentucky, citizens of the United Stat es, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rail-Joints; and we 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. appcrtains to make and'use the same.

It is a desideratum in the construction of railways to connect the ends of adjacent rails in such a manner as to prevent relative, independent, vertical, and lateral play, which isa source of annoyance and discomfort to passenger traffic, as well as prolific of cost in the maintenance of rolling-stock. It is also deemed a material advantage to reduce the number of bolt-fastenings at the joints or to dispense with their use as much as possible, since the nuts loosen under the vibration of the rails and require constant vigilance to keep them tightened.

This invention provides afastening means for rail-joints adapted to embrace the bottom and top sides of the foot and the sides of the web of the rail and to extend along the underside of the head,so as to brace the joint vertically. The fastening is composed of complementary parts of similar formation, one of the parts having a plurality of openings in its folded portion and the other part having a corresponding number of tongues at the free edge of its base positioned with reference to the openings of the companion member so as to pass therethrough, said tongues and the base of the apertured member having openings to receive the spikes by means of which the parts are simultaneously secured to the ties and drawn closeagainst opposite sides of the terminal portions of the is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective, view of a railjoint, showing the application of the in vention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse section about on the line X X of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views, respectively, of the complementary parts of the joint-fastening.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The terminal portions of adjacent rails comprising the joint are indicated by the reference-numeral l and are of ordinary construction and relative disposition. The fastening is composed of complementary parts 2 and 3 of similar formation and designed to overlap the joint formed between the abutting terminals of the parts 1.

The part or member 2 of the fastenings comprises a base portion 4, a vertical longitudinal extension 5, and a folded portion 6, the latter being provided at intervals in its length with openings 7. A series of openings 8 are provided along the free edge of the base 4 to receive the spikes 9, by means of which the part 2 is secured to the ties of the road-bed. The base 4 constitutesa seat for the end portiohs of the rails, the folded portion 6 embraces a side portion of the foot of the rail ends, and the part 5 forms in effect a plate to extend along one side of the web of the rail, its top edge touching the lower side of the head or tread portion of the said rail. The part 3 is composed of a base 10, a folded portion 11, and vertical longitudinal extension 12. A series of tongues 13 project from the free edge of the, base 10 and are positioned so as to register with the opening 7 and pass therethrough. Openings 14 are provided in the tongues 13 to receive the spikes employed for securing the part 3 to the aforementioned ties. The part 3 is placed upon the part 2, and its folded portion 11 embraces base or lower portion of the rail.

the opposite side portion of the foot of the rail, and the vertical longitudinal extension 12 is placed against the side of the web of the rail remote from the longitudinal extension 5. The longitudinal extensions 5 and 12 form in effect plates and perform the same function as the ordinary fish-plates and are clamped against opposite sides of the Web portion of the rail. The base 10 is of less width than the base 4, so as to admit of the exposure of the openings 8, whereby when the spikes 9 are driven into. said openings 8 the parts 2 and 3 will be foreed'in opposite directions and clamped against opposite sides of the This clam ping action of the members or parts 2 and 3 of the fastening is supplemented by driving the spikes through the openings 14, the tendency being to draw the parts 2 and 3 together and against opposite sides of the rail.

The tongue member 3 of the fastening, designated as such in contradistinction to the apertured member 2, having the opening 7, is slightly longer than said apertured member, so as to obviate the sudden arrest of vibration, which has been found objectionable, and the great width of the apertured member 2 results in giving an additional transverse extent to the foot of the rail, thereby materially strengthen i ng the joint and producing greater stability.

In order to prevent spreading of the parts 5 and 12 and, further, to lend additional strength to the joint, it has been found of advantage to provide oneor both of said parts with transversely-extending studs 15 to enter openings 16 in the web of the rail, the opening 16 being elongated lengthwise of the rail to allow for contraction and expansion. It is also contemplated to employ one or more bolts 17 for connecting the parts 5 and 12 when found necessaryand expedient.

The members 2 and 3 may be either cast or struck up from heavy plate metal, and the studs 15 may form integral parts thereof or be separate from and applied thereto. The fastening is of such a nature as to admit of the parts being readily placed in position or reriioved, as required. It is necessary only to elevate the rail a sufficient distance to ad init ofthe base portions 4 and 10 of the parts being passed by a transversely-sliding movement beneath the foot thereof. Therefore the construction of the roadwayis greatly facilitated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rail-joint, complementary members of similar formation, each comprising a base, avertical longitudinal extension and an intermediate folded portion, one of the members adapted to be placed upon the base portion of the other member and having a series of'tongues provided with spike-openings, and the other member having openings in its folded portion to receive the aforementioned tongues and having its base portion of greater transverse extent than the superposed member and having the projecting base portion formed with a series of spike openings, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rail-joint, complementary members adapted to be placed upon opposite sides of the rail and having overlapping base portions, the member having the lowermost base portion being provided at the side with openings, and the member having the uppermost base port-ion formed at the inner edge of its base portion with tongues to pass through said openings, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY M. BOYD. HOPE REDMON. Witnesses:

J. J. OSBORNE, J W. POI'NDEXTER.

[L. s] [1,. s.

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