US759654A - Bridge-plate and fastening for rail-joints. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAY 10.1904.

APPLIOAT ION FILED MAR. 6. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

mz NORRIS PEIEI ca, PNOlD-LIYND.. WASHINGTU UNITED STATEs Patented May 10, 1904. 4

SAMUEL 0. BALL, OF EST PULLMAN, lLLiNOIS.

BRIDGE-PLATE AND FASTENING FOR RAIL-JOINTS.

SPECIFICATION forming.v part of Letters Patent No. 759,654, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed March 6, 1902. Serial No. 96,911. (No medal.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. BALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at est Pullman, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridge-Plates and Fastenings for Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for fastening and su iiporting railwayrails at their juncture or joints, and it is more especially adapted for said joints when they are located between the cross-ties; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a bridge-plate and fastening for railjoints which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable, and effective in operation, and by means of which the rails will be prevented from spreading and will also be strongly supported at their ends between the cross-ties on which they rest.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastening device for the bolts employed for uniting the rails, fish-plates, or anglebars, so that said bolts will not become loose or the nuts thereon require tightening.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be described in the subjoined description and explanation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, 1 will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in whi.ch-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail-joint to which my invention is applied, showing the outer surface of the rails. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the bridge-plate. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. l is an end view of said plate. View taken on line 5 5v of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View of one of the rails, showing my bridge-plate and fastening applied thereto; and Fig. 7 is a detached per- Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional spective view of the inner surface of the springplate or fastening.

7 Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

A and A represent portions of two railwayrails with their ends meeting 01' joined between the cross-ties B, on which they rest and to which my bridge-plate O is secured. This plate comprises a piece which is mainly flat, but has at each of its ends on that edge thereof which will be located when in place under the rails on the outer surface of said rails with a flange 0, which is upwardly and inwardly turned to receive the outer portion a of the base of the rails. The central portion of each edge of the plate 0 is inwardly and downwardly bent to form flanges c to strengthen said portion of the plate, and thereby afford a truss-like support for the rail-joint, which will be located directly over said flanges, and as they present their edges vertically to the rails it is apparent that the strength of the plate will be greatly augmented.

The outer edge of the plate C is provided at the inner end of each of the upturned flanges 0 with downturned spurs 0 and the inner edge of said plate is provided at its ends with downtnrned spurs 0 all of which are to be driven into the ties B, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Near each of these spurs the plate is provided with openings 0* for the reception of the ordinary ail-spikes used for additionally securing the plate to the cross-ties. Located on the inner surface of the rails is an angle-bar 7) of the usual construction, which is provided with openings to receive bolts 6", which pass through suitable openings in the rails and in the fish-plate (Z, which is located on the outer surface of the rails across their joints or that surface there of opposite the side of the rails on which the flanges of the car-wheels travel. Located on the outer surface of the iishplate (Z and across the joint of the rails is a spring plate or bar I), which has on its inner surface a series of projections CZ, usually V-shaped, as is clearly shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, and which projections are preferably formed at the upper and lower edges of said plate or bar,

but may extend entirely across the same, if desired. Between these projections the bar or plate D is provided with openings (Z for the bolts 5, which bolts have on their outer ends heads 6 to rest on the outer surface of the plate or bar E, which is located on the outer surface of the spring plate or bar D,as is clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings; The opposite ends of the bolts 5 may be provided with nuts 6 of the ordinary or any preferred kind. By employing the spring plate or bar D it is apparent that the projections d thereon will hold the plate between said projections at a distance from the fish-plate (Z, and thus afiord springs for the bolts and furnishing pressure against the nuts thereon, thus acting automatically in case of wear or in contraction and expansion incident to the change of temperature.

In applying my bridge-plate and fastening to the joints of rails the plate 0 is placed on the cross-ties B so that the downwardly-extending flanges 0' will project therebetween and the upturned flanges 0 will engage the outerportion of the base a of the rails. \Vhen thus placed, the plate may be secured to the ties by driving the spurs or points 0 and therein and by means of spikes passed through the openings 0* in the plate.

By the use of my plate it is evident that therails will be prevented spreading outwardly and that they will be strongly supported at their joint by reason of the truss-like structure of the bridge-plate, and it is further apparent that the spring-plate D will afford a resilient fastening for the bolts, as has been above set forth.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bridge-plate and fastening for rail-' joints, the combination with the rails having openings therein, of a bar located on each side thereof, a spring-plate having a series of inwardly-extending projections located on the outer surface of the bar on the outer surface of the rails, bolts extending through openings in said plate, bars and rails, and a bridgeplate located under the rails and having upturned flanges on its outer edge to engage the outer portions of the base of the rails, and downturned flanges on the middle portion of its edges, and downturned spurs near its corners, substantially as described.

2. A bridge-plate comprising a piece having upturned and inwardly-extending flanges at its outer edge and downturned flanges at the middle portion of its edges and downturned spurs near its corners, substantially as described.

SAMUEL 0. BALL. Vitnesses:

CHAS. O. TlLLMAN, A. GUSTAFSON.

Images