US828949A - Guard-rail brace-plate. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED' AUG. 21, 1906.

G. W MBRRELL.

, GUARDRAIL BRAGE'PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1906.

c jvwanfoz ritual-an sra rns GUKUON W. MERRELL, OF ROANOKE, VIRGlNlA.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed May 15,1906. Serial No. 316.993.

To (11/ Mimi/1t may concern.-

Beit known that I, GURDON W. MnRnnLL, a c1t1zen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and tains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and 4 useful improvements in means for securing guard-rails of railroads in proper position and maintaining the same in such position.

lt is well known to those familiar with railroad construction that guard-rails are absolutely necessary at many points in railroad-tracks, and particularly on curves, to prevent the wheel in any truck of a passing engine or train from mounting and crossing over the' outside of the curve. This guardrail is located between the two track-rails and so near the rail on the inside of the curve that it will engage the flange of the wheel and prevent the opposite wheel from mounting the outside rail. As the weight and size of rails have steadily increased, many railroads are using rails of such width at the base that two rails laid side by side are necessarily (owing to the width of base) too far apart for one of said rails to act as a guard-rail for the other, owing to the consequent distance between the tops of the rails being so great that a wheel on the outside may mount the outside rail before the flange of the opposite wheel would contact with the guard-rail, and hence the guard-rail loses its efllciency.

My invention is designed to overcome the conditions referred to and to rovide a guard-rail brace-plate for use un er guardrails, which shall tilt the guard-rail toward the track-rail to such predetermined extent as to secure the exact or necessary gage-distance between the tops of the two rails and at the same time serve to thoroughly brace the guard-rail.

With tl1ese* e11ds and objects in View my invention consists in the details of construction and arrangement hereinafter and more fully described.

in order that'those skilled in the art to uthich any invention appertains may know nUW to make and apply my improved guardrail brace-plate and fully appreciate its advantages, I will proceed to describe its construction and the manner of using the same, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the plate. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 1s a detail view showing a railroad-tie and my improved plate in side elevation with an inside track-rail and guard rail in cross-section and secured in proper relation.

' Similar reference-numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The brace-plate is composed, preferably, of steel or iron pressed into shape,,w1th a flat base l adapted to rest upon and to be secure'd to the railroad-tie, and is formed with a central raised portion 2 of any predetermined inclination terminating at its upper extremity in a projection or shoulder 3. The base 1 extends beyond the raised portion, as shown, and is formed with spike-passages 4.

'4: for spikes, which serve to secure the, plate in roper position upon the tie 5. Another spi e-passage 6 is formed in the plate back of the shoulder or projection 3 to receive a s ike which passes-t irough the plate and into to tie in such manner that the head embraces the base 7 of the rail 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 3 the inside track-rail is designated by the numeral .9 and is secured in the usual manner to the tie 5 upon an ordinary tieplate 10 of any desired thickness, and, as shown, my improved guard-rail brace-plate at its lower edge is of the same thicknesses the tie-plate 10, so that the bases of the two rails 8 and 9 at their adjacent edges are in the same lane when said rails are of the same weig t and height; and the proper gage between the tops of said rail is secured by the predetermine inclination of the bearing-surface 2 of the brace-plate. It will, however, be understood that one of the advantages of my im roved bracelate resides in the fact that y increasing t e thicknessor height-of said plate and its'predetermined inclination, guard-rails of lighter weight and less hei ht than the standard track-rail may be use I While I have shown the brace-plate with a single and central raised and inclined bearing-surface terminating at the upper extremity in a shoulder or proiection, it will be understood that I do not W sh to be limiter in this particular and that, if thou ht desirare able, the plate may be formed wit "similar I bearing-surfaces in duplicate; and likewise to support the guard-rail, but to also serve as the width of the bearing-surface may be in,- creased and provision made for-the employment of a greater number of spikes.

As heretofore stated, my improved guardrail brace-plate may be used vvlt rails of the present standard Weight to secure "results unattainable Without such a'plate, and, on the other hand, the thickness of the plate and the inclination of the bearing-surface are to be determined by the height and contour of the two rails to be used as guard-rail and trackrail, respectively, and such plate not only acts an efficient brace for said rail. While, as I have heretofore stated, I prefer to produce my device by pressing steel or iron plates into" the form described and shown,

I do not Wish to be limited in this respect, as said plates may be made in any other manner.

piece of. metal Wit Having described the construction and advantages of my improved guard-rail braceplate, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A guard r'ail bracelate formed of a single suitable spike holes therein, and having an inclined bearing-surface for the rail, said bearing-surface terminating at its upper extremity in a shoulder or projection adapted to contact with the edge of the base of the rail, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of .tWo subscribing Witnesses.

GURDON MERRELL.

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