US761423A - Rail-joint. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAY 31, 1 04.

.11. SPRINGER. RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATION I'ILED FEB. 4. 1904.

no MODEL. 4

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THE NORRIS PETERS 5:0, PHO

UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904. l

PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 761,423, dated May 31, 1904.

I 7 Application filed February 4,1904. SerialNo. 192,055. (No model.)

To on whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that LRIOHARD SPRINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county I of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which 7 the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in railroad-rail joints, and has for its object to provide a rail-joint which will join the ends of the rails together without the use of bolts, and the joint is so constructed that it may be easily and quickly attached or removed from the rails when desired; but when the joint is in place it will hold the rails securely in alinement, and as it extends underneath the rails will support the ends of the rails, so as to prevent one rail from sagging below the other and causing any unevenness of the rail at the joints. 7

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of constructionand combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the'claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention 'appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the'aceompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1' is a side elevation of the ends of two rails joined together by my improved joint; Fig. 2, a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a perspective view of one of the wedges; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the slide for looking all the parts in place. T

A represents the rails.

B represents the body portion of the joint, which is adapted to fit against the web of the rail upon one side, extend downward over the flange of the rail upon that side, and then underneath the rail to the opposite side.

0 is the movable or separate portion of the joint which fits in underneath the head of the rail and extends downward over the. flange of the rail upon that side and is provided with downwardly-extending projections or lugs C, which fit into slots formed through the portion B, which portion is the body of the joint which extends underneath the rail. The vertical portion of the movable sectionC ofthe joint does notfit against the web of the rail, but is removed some distance therefrom, so as to leave a longitudinal passage between said vertical portion and the web of the rail,

and in this passage are adapted to fit from,

each end of the joint the wedges D. The beveled surfaces of these wedges are oppositely disposed toward each other, so that when the wedges are inserted in the passage from each end the beveled surfaces will come incontact with each other, and as the wedges are driven in place one wedge will be forced upward, while the other is forced downward. The movable section O of the joint is provided with a longitudinal lip G which extends inward to the web of the rail directly over the flange of the rail, and as the upper end of the vertical portion of the movable section C does not extend into the web of the rail it will be seen that the wedges D, one being forced into contact with the head .of the rail and the other with the lip C will hold the movable portion C in place tightly against the flange of the rail.- Thus the movable portion cannot be removed, as the lugs C, fitting into the.

slots, prevent the same from being moved outwardly horizontally, and therefore this movable portion 0 must be first tilted outward, so as tobe clear of the head of the rail, and then liftedupward vertically out of the slots. Thus when the wedges D are in place this movable section C is bound tightly to the rail. Set-screws or other devices E may be used for holding the wedges against accidental displacement. n i

F is a lock, which may or may not be used in connection with the joint. Thislock is provided with a shank G, adapted to extend through a lateral slot provided throughthe portion B of the body of the joint, and connected to this shank is an overhanging lip H, adapted to pass over the horizontal portion of the movable section (1. The end-of the shank is provided with an opening Gr, formed therethrough and adapted to register with an opening formed through a lug B formed with the body portion B, and through these two openings may be passed a bolt or padlock, if desired. Thus even if the wedges are removed the movable section 0 cannot be removed until the lock F is removed.

Ofeourse I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, asslight modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. In a rail-joint, a body portion adapted to overlap the ends of two rails and contact the web upon one side, the top of the flange upon one side, and extend underneath the flange and a distance beyond the flange upon the opposite side, a movable section consisting of a vertical portion lying underneath the head of the rail but removed a distance from the web so as to leave a longitudinal passage between the same and the web, said movable section extending over the flange upon that side, lugs formed with the movable section adapted to fit into slots provided through the portion extending underneath the rail, a longitudinal lip formed with the movable section and extending inward to the web of the rail underneath the longitudinal passage, and two wedges adapted to be driven into the longitudinal passage from opposite ends of the joint, the beveled surfaces upon said wedge being oppositely disposed toward one another so that one wedge will ride up upon the other, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a rail-joint, a body portion contacting the web, the flange of the rails upon one side and extending underneath the rails and a distance beyond upon the opposite side, a movable section arranged upon the opposite side of the rails, the vertical portion of said movable section being removed a distance from the web of the rail so as to leave a longitudinal passage therebetween, said movable section provided with a longitudinal lip extending into the web of the rail underneath the passage and contacting the flange of the rail upon its lower side, lugs provided upon the movable section adapted to fit into vertical slots provided through the body portion extending underneath the rails, wedges adapted to be driven into the vertical passage from opposite ends, the beveled surfaces ofsaid wedges being oppositely disposed so that when driven together one wedge will be forced against the heads of the rails and the other downward against the longitudinal lip of the movable section, means for holding said wedges against accidental displacement, a lock provided with a shank adapted to extend through a lateral slot provided through the body portion extending underneath the rails, an overhanging lip formed with a shank adapted to lie above the horizontal portion of the movable section when the lock is in place, the outer end of the shank adapted to extend beyond the joint, a lug extending outward from the body portion, the outer end of the shank and said lug provided with openings adapted to register with one another through which a bolt or padlock could be passed, as and for the purpose specilied.

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

RICHARD SPRIN (1 ER.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK I-I'Essu, JOSEPH GRATHER.

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