US1029458A - Rail-fastening means for railway-ties. - Google Patents

Description

HENRY K. POWERS, 0F KITTANN IN G, `EEN N SYLVAN IA.

RAIL-FASTENING MEANS FOR RAILVVAY-TIES.`

rasantes.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1912.

Patented June 11, 1912. Serial No. 689,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY K. POWERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kittanning, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Fastening Means for Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in rail fastening means for railway ties.

The object of my invention is to provide a fastener for rails which does away with spikes, bolts or nuts, and which can be readily applied to the tie and firm-ly hold the rail upon the tie.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rail fastening means of this character in which the rail cannot spread as the tie firmly holds it against spreading and at the same time providing means whereby the tie 1s readily applied or removed as is desired.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and effective rail fastener having certain details of structure hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railway tie, showing the rail secured thereto by my improved fastening means. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken transverse of the rail. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the rail fastening means showing the rail removed.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 repre-.

sents the tie which is made of wood, metal or concrete, whichever is desired and having` 1n its upper face a transverse rectangular groove 2, in which my improved rail clamp rests. The rail clamp consistsof two -members 3 and 4, which are of elongated form having their inner edges provided with serrations or teeth 5, which are adapted to in` terlock with each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, whereby when so locked the two clamping members are held against longitudinal movement in respect to each other.

The members 3 and 4 are of a width ap proximately half that of the recesses 2 in the tie 1, so that when applied in the said recess or transverse groove there is but a slight space between the vertical walls of the groove and the outer face of the said -which is adapted to rest against the side wall of the tie and provided at its lower end with a laterally turned portion 7, which is adapted to pass under the tie and thus the said member is held against transverse movement on the tie in one direction and also held against vertical movement on the tie. The other member 4 is provided at the opposite end to the member 3, with downwardly extending arm 8, which is provided with a laterally extending portion 9, at its lower end which extends under the ties and holds the member 4, against transverse movement on the tie in one direction and also against vertical movement. The two members placed in the recess 2 in the tie with their teeth interlocled, it will be seen that neither member can be moved in either direction transverse of the tie, and neither can they be moved vertically.

The upper faces of the members 3 and 4 are provided with plates 10 and 11, which are provided with longitudinally ext-ending grooves 12 and 13 into which extend the flanges 14` and 15 of the base of the rail 16, and thus the rail is held against transverse vertical movement.

As heretofore stated, the width of the members 3 and 4 taken together is less than t-he width of the transverse groove 2 in the tie 1, leaving the small space 17 on one side of one of the members 3 and 4. By this arrangement it will be seen that the rail can be shifted longitudinally of the tie to vary the gage of t-he railway.

The space 17 is necessary in order that the teeth of the two members 3 and 4 may be locked or unlocked and driven in said space is a wedge or plug 18, which firmly locks the teeth of the two members together, clamping the rail on the members 3 and 4, and absolutely preventing any lateral or vertical movement of the rail. The wedge-shaped member 18 is provided with a large head 19 and a reduced outer end 20. lVhen the wedge is driven home, the head 19 engages one side of the tie 1, and the outer reduced end of the wedge is turned over so that it engages the opposite side of the tie, and whereby it is impossible to move and it is also impossible for the two members 3 and 4 to have any vertical o-r lateral movement.

In applying the fastener the two members 3 and 4 are placed in a transverse groove 2,

'I claim and desire to secure by members having interlocking inner with their outer vertical walls bearing against the walls of the groove, and the tie engaging members in their normal position. The rail is then slid in under the rail engaging members and the two members 3 and 4 forced together, so that the teeth interlock. The wedge is then driven homeas heretofore described.

Having thus described my invention, what Letters Patent is:

1. A rail fastening means, comprising two edges the rail and opposite having downwardly embrace the un and adapted to engage ends of said members extending arms adapted to der side of a tie.

2. A rail fastening means comprising two members, flat plates having interlocking inner edges and upon which the rail is adapted to rest, upwardly extending rail engaging members carried by said plates, and downwardly extending members carried by op-posite ends of said plates and adapted. to engage the under side of a tie, substantially as shown and described.

3. A rail fastening means comprising two plates having teeth on their inner edges extending in opposite directions andvadapted to interlock and upon which a rail is adapted to rest, rail engaging members carried by the upper face of the said plates, a downwardly extending arm carried by oneend of one of the plates and adapted to engage the under face of a tie, and a downwardly extending arm carried by the opposite end of the other plate and adapted to engage the under face of a tie.

4. A rail fastening means comprising two plates having teeth on their inner edges extending in opposite directions and adapted to interlock, and upon which a rail is adapted to rest, rail engaging members carried by the upper face of the said plates, a downwardly extending arm carried by one end of one of theplates and adapted to engage the under face of a tie, a downwardly extending arm carried by the opposite end of the other plate and adapted to engage the under face of a tie, and means for holding the plates against transverse movement in respect to each other.

5. The combination with a tie having a transverse rectangular groove therein, rail clamping members in said groove and having interlocking inner faces, arms carried b-y said rail-engaging members and extending downwardly under the tie, and a wedge driven in between one edge of the rectangular opening and one of the rail clamping members forV holding the members in their interlocking position, whereby the members are held against vertical, longitudinal and transverse movement.

6. The combination with a tie having a rectangular transverse groove in its upper face, of two plates resting in said grooves and having teeth arranged on their inner edges and adapted to interlock, means carried by the plate for engaging the base of the rail, a downwardly extending arm carried by one end of one of the members and adapted to embrace the lower face of the tie, a downwardy extending member carried by the opposite end of the other member and adapted to embrace the lower face of the tie, and means for locking the said plates in the groove against transverse movement.

7 The combination with a tie having a transverse rectangular groove in its upper face, plates resting in said grooves and havingtheir inner edges provided with teeth arranged in the opposite direction and adapted to interlock, the width of said plates being less than the width of the transverse groove, upwardly members adapted to engage the base of the rail, a downwardly extending arm carried by one end of one of the members and adapted to embrace the lower face of the tie, a downwardly extending arm carried by the opposite end of adapted to embrace the lower face of the tie, and a wedge having an enlarged head and a reduced outer end driven into the space between the wall of extending rail engaging n ,Y

the other member and 'Y the transverse groove, andA one edge of one of the plates and having its In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY K. POWERS.

lVitnesses:

J. P. CULBERTSON, J. MARK WILLIAMS.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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