US1135272A - Guard-rail. - Google Patents

Description

H. G. ELFBORG.

GUARD RAIL.

I APPLICATION FILED APR. 6| I9II. ITQ. Patented Aprn 13, 1915.

H. G. ELFBORG.

GUARD RAIL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. 191x.

Lw. Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

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GUARD RAIL.

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GUARD-RAIL.

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Application filed April G, 1911.

T0 all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY Gf. ELFBORG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chin cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Guard-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

, The object of my invention is to provide an improved guard rail for use in front of facing point switches, opposite frog points and around curves for the purpose of guiding or deflecting wheel flanges to avoid derailment. While it is the general, in fact almost universal, practice at present to use a piece of ordinary track rail spiked to the ties and sometimes held to the traffic rail by means of clamps, it is my purpose to construct a guard rail of cast metal, preferably manganese steel, and to form the casting with integral parts adapted to coact with the traffic rail to hold the guard rail in proper relation thereto.

Other details of my invention will more clearly appear from the following description and claims, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a plan view of my improved guard rail in position opposite a traffic rail. Fig. 2 is a view of my improved guard rail structure taken from the outer side thereof. Fig. 3 is an elevation of my improved guard rail taken from the inner side thereof, the words inner and outer being used to designate the side toward the center of the track and the side away from the center of the track, respectively. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are transverse sectional views upon the dotted lines designated 4, 5, 6 and 7 upon Fig. l. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of my improved guard rail. Fig. 9 isa horizontal section on the line 9 of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a spacer or chuck which lies between the guard wall and the inner side of the traflic rail. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a wedge which lies between the rail clamp and the outer side of the traffic rail. Fig. 12 shows a fragment of the traffic rail in approXimately correct relation to the chuck and wedge shown in Figs. 10 and 11, but separated therefrom in order that the structure of the parts shown in these figures may be more clearly exhibited.

My improved guard rail structure comprises a base flange l and a substantially vertical guard wall 2 rising from the inner edge thereof. The upper part of the guard wall Specification lof Letters Patent.

` Patented Apr. I3, i945..

Serial No. 619,296.

2 may be provided with a head 3 of section somewhat similar to that upon the ordinary running rail, although this particular form may not in all cases be essential. At several points along the length of the guard rail structure the guard wall 2 is provided with braces 4, each of these braces consisting of what may be conceived as an outward deflection of the guard wall 2, which slopes inwardly from the inner edge of the base flange l outwardly to the plane of the main body of the guard wall 2. The inclined sections 4 are joined to the main body of the guard wall 2 by transverse sections 5. The entire structure as described is integral and the braces 4 afford means for supporting the guard wall 2 against the inward thrust of passingwheels. The base flange l may be secured to the ties by means of spikes 6 and the parts are so proportioned that when assembled, as illustrated in the drawing, there is room between the base flange l of the guard rail structure and the inner base flange of the traffic rail for spikes 7 securing the traffic rail in place. The ends of the guard wall are defiected outwardly in accordance with the usual practice and a horizontal web 8 may be formed integrally with the guard rail structure for the purpose of forming a foot guard. As shown in Fig. l, the horizontal web 8 extends across the space between the traffic rail 9 and the diverging end of the guard rail structure. At its outer end the horizontal web 8 may be defieeted downwardly, as indicated at l0, for the purpose of preventing the foot of a passerby from becoming wedged beneath the web 8.

In order to secure the guard rail in proper relation to the traffic rail, I provide the guard rail with integral clamp members ll projecting outwardly from the guard rail structure and adapted to underlie the traffic rail between adjacent ties. At its outer end each of the integral guide clamps ll is provided with anupwardly extending projection 12 adapted to lie opposite the outer side of the traffic rail and a wedge 13 is driven between the upward projection 12 and the outer' side of the traffic rail 9 after the parts are assembled.

Owing to the wear upon the face of the guard wall it becomes necessary after a period of use to adjust the guard rail structure to a point nearer the traffic rail in order to reduce the width of the flange-way to the proper dimension. Adjustment is also neciasl essary to secure the proper width of flangeway upon curves. In order to secure a rigid vstructure it is desirable that some form of spacer or chuck be placed between the traffic rail and guard rail, and in order to provide Ior moving the guard lrail to take upwear,

it is necessary that the spacer or chuck used be of adjustable width, or that a plurality of chucks of diiferent width Ybe provided. In

l inclined to the longitudinal dimensions of the traflic and guard rails. The inclination of this planeandthe dimensions of the corrugations in the members 14 and 15 are so arranged and proportioned that by moving the member 15 longitudinally the distance of one corrugation its outer face `will be moved a predetermined distance transversely of the rail, this predetermined distance being an eighth of an inch or a quarter of an 'Y inch or `such distance as the fineness of adjustment requires.

The .structure being assembled, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 5 to 7 and 9, it is retained in service 'until the flange-way becomes too wideowing to wear upon the guard wall-,or

i `when adjustment becomes necessary for i rtightly in place.

other reasons. The wedge 13 is then drivenL ont, the spikes 6 withdrawn, and the chucks 15 moved longitudinally (to the left as shown inFigs'; 1 and 9) a distance of one or more corrugations according to the amount it is4 necessary to narrow the flange-way.

The guard rail structure is thenmoved up snugly against the traffic rail kto the required position and the wedge 13 again driven In orderk to secure the wedge inl position after it is driven home, I have shown it as provided with a projecting Y iin 16 provided with a series of perforations 17 and have shown thelupward projection 12 of the integral rail clamp provided with a notch'18 adapted to'receive the n 16. After the wedge 13 is driven home a Cotter-'pin 19 serves to secure Vit in place until another readjustment is necessary. I

From the foregoing it will be apparent that-I have provided a guard rail structure with integral clamps extending to the outer side ofV the traiiic rail and with chucks or spacers and tightening wedges whereby separation of the guard rail structure from the traffic rail `is impossible. Not only does this structure contain a minimum of separate pieces, but the separate parts consisting only of the wedges and chucks are so arranged as to present the minimum possibility of displacement. I prefer to construct my improved guard rail of manganese steel owing to the great strength of this material, though it will be obvious that other materials might, under some circumstances, be substituted for manganese steel. While I have illustrated a form of guard rail adapted for use opposite a facing point switch, this particular form has been selected merely for the purpose of explanation and the structure described is equally adapted for use in connection with guard rails otherwise placed.

The foregoing description of a specific form of my improved guard rail structure and of adjustable spacer and tightening device is not intended as limiting my invention to the precise form shown and described, and my invention may be applied in various speciic forms without departing from the principle thereof.

I claim: v

1. In combination a guard rail structure and a traiiic rail, said guard rail structure comprising a guard wall and a clamp integral therewith and extending beneath the traffic rail and having an upwardly extending projection adjacent the outer side of the trafiic rail, a wedge between said projection and said trafiic rail, said wedge having a projecting fin engaging a notch in said upwardly extending projection, a Cotter-pin adapted to engage any one of a series of perforations in said iin, and an adjustable spacer between the inner side of said tralic rail and said guard wall. 2. A guard rail structure comprising a base flange, a guard wall comprising substantially vertical parts rising from the outer edge thereof and inclined part-s rising from the inner edge thereof and inclining outwardly, said vertical and inclined parts being joined by transverse webs, and clamps integral with said guard wall. o

3. In combination a guard rail structure and a trafic rail, said guard rail structure comprising a guard wall and a clamp integral therewith and extending beneath the traiic rail and having an upwardly extending projection adjacent the outer side of the traiiic rail, said guard rail being provided with opposed inclined surfaces upon the inner side of said projection and upon the outer side of said guard wall respectively, wedges between said inclined surfaces and the web of the traffic rail and in contact with said web, and means for securing said wedges against displacement.

4. In combination a guard rail structure and a traffic rail, said guard rail structure comprising a guard wall and a clamp integral therewith and extending beneath the trafiic rail and having an upwardly extending projection adjacent the outer side of the traiiic rail, said guard rail being provided with opposed inclined surfaces upon the inner side of said projection and upon the outer side of said guard Wall respectively, Wedges between said inclined surfaces and the web of the traffic rail and contact with said web, one of said Wedges and the coacting inclined surface being corrugated and the other Wedge and incline having coacting substantially plane surfaces", and means for securing the latter Wedge against displacement.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

HENRY G. ELFBORG.

Witnesses:

WALTER A. SCOTT, ANNIE C. COURTENAY.

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

v Washington, D. C.

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