US1231791A - Rail-joint. - Google Patents

Description

H. FL ROACH.

RAIL Jouw.

APPLICATION ILED MAY 3.1915.

Patented July 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHE `1 LQMLRQL H. F. ROACH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3 I9I5.

M231 QII Patented July 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- HARRY E. ROACH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAIL-J 01N T.

isaiasi.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, iltllll't.

Application filed May 3, 1915. Serial No. 25,461.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. RoAcH, a citizen' of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to rail joints, and has for its main object to provide an inexpensive, light-weight rail joint which is so designed that the wave motion of the rails throughout the track is continued uniformly through the joints on which the rails rest, thereby eliminating hard spots in the track and permitting practically equal deflection throughout the track.

Another object is to provide a rail joint that can be made as strong and stiff as desired without liability of causing the joint to break the rails or the rails to break thc joint, and which is so designed that the tie reactions throughout the entire track, including the joint tie reactions, are practically the sain Y And still another object is to provide a rail joint that is more efficient in every respect than the angle bar splice member now used extensively for connecting rails together and which can be manufactured and sold at a cost that is as low or lower than the angle bar splice member now in common use. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter` pointed out.

The rail joint herein described embodies all of the good features and characteristics of the so-called Roach rail joint that is now in extensive use, but it is so designed that it contains less metal and can be supported by a single track tie. It can either be rolled, forged or formed from cast metal, and it is provided with an integral rail-supporting portion which is so designed that the rails which rest on the same have the e'ect of being hinged to the joint at the center of the joint. Said rail-supporting portion serves as the base plate of the joint and the underside of the saine is flat or provided with a horizontally-disposed bearing surface at the center of the joint so as to enable the joint to be mounted on a tie arranged directly underneath the terminals of the rails. In one form of my invention said base portion is comparatively short or of approximately the same length as the width of a track tie, and in another form said base portion extends the entire length of the joint. In both forms, however, the underside of the base portion is fiat or provided with a horizontally-disposed bearing surface which is located at the center of the joint.

Figure l of the drawings is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a rolled rail joint constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of said joint, 'showing one of the side members of the joint in vertical section.

F ig. 3 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a rail joint of the general type illustrated in Figs. l and 2, but formed from cast metal.

iF ig. 4: is an end elevational view, partly in vertical section, of the rail joint shown iu Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View of a cast metal rail joint constructed in accordance with my invention, but provided with a onepiece base plate for supporting the rails.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional View of the joint shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view, showing the inner side of the rail oint member illustrated in Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings which illustrate a rolled rail joint constructed in accordance with my present invention, A designates two members that are arranged on opposite sides of the rails, as shown in Fig. l, each of which is provided with a vertically-disposed web 1 that extends longitudinally of the rails, and a horizontally-disposed base plate 2 that extends the entire length of the joint. Each of the base plates 2 is provided on its top face and at approximately its center with a flat sur face 3, as shown in Fig. l, on which the end portions of the base iianges of the rails rest, the remaining portions of the top face of said base plate being inclined downwardly from the rail-supporting surface 3 so as to prevent the base flanges of the rails from normally resting on the end portions of the base plates 2. Each of the members A is provided onits inner side with a poi tion 4 that bears upon the top faces of the base flanges of the rails and thus securely clamps the rails down upon the iat railsupporting surface S3 at the center of the joint. The underside of each of the base plates 2 is flat or parallel throughout its entire length with the rail-supporting surface 3 on the top face of thebase plate, so as to cause the members A to bear squarely and evenly upon a track tie B that is arranged either at the center of the joint in vertical alinement ivith'the terminals ofthe rails, as shown in Fig. 1, or lat apoint near one end of the joint. A joint of the construction above described canLbe made much shorter that thev so-calledRoach rail joint nowin general. use, owing to the fact that the ,jointis sodesigned that it can be supported by a single tie arranged eithei` at the center of the .joint or at one end of the same, this beingpossible on `account ofthe fact that the.undersideofthe base portion of thejoint is pai-.allel throughout its entire length with the rail-supporting.surface 3 on which the ends of the rails rest.

. The advantage, of a railvvjoint of thisconstructionis that only the ends ofthe rails normally rest onthe joint, thereby causing the rails to be practically hinged to the joint at theicenteizof the joint. lVhen the joint is 4 in .use ythe.l `wave `motion .of the. rails throughout the entire track is continued uniformly. through the joints, vand consequently, the .deflection throughout the. entire track `is practically equal, there being no hardspots inathe track and no liability of reverse strains being created in the joint.. The joint can be made yas strongaind. stiff as desired Without liability ofcausingmhe .joint to break the-rails yorathe rails to break the joint, as no portions of=the joint bear against the undersides ofI thev heads of the rails vand the joint is so designed asto permit the rails to deflect within the joint atthe ends of the joint, the joint merely `serving tol hold .the abutting ,rails in longitudinalv alinement with .eaclrother 4and to hinge the t\vo ,rails togetherin such a Waythat `the railsan deflectunder load -Without liability of. rocking thejtiefthat supports the joint. In a vrail- Waygtrack equipped-with joints `of the construction.abovedescnibed the joint ties or theties that support lthe joints require no morelifting orraising than the. intermediate. ties on which the rails rest, the'. tie reactions' throughout the entire track, l,including the oint ties, being lpractically the same.

.In the form of --myinvention illustrated in Figs. Sand l lathe members A( that are arranged on opposite sides of the rails are .for-med.v from cast metal and are of substantiallythesame design as the rolled members Ashou'n; in Figsl and '2, except that the baseaportions 2a of the members A.a1e shorter than the joint and of approximately the same llengtl-i as the width of the tie B on which the .joint rests. Another "slight change consists in reducing ,the lengtlnof the portions il@ of the members A. that hold the base flanges of the rails firmly down y vided on theirinner sides with integral, in-

clined braces 5 that reinforce and strengthen the horizontallydisposed .ribs or. flanges` 6 at the upper edgesof the membersili. bOn the outer sidesof said Webs are oppositely-inclinedbraces 5aN that extendI from :thebase pla-testo the horizontallydi,sposed flanges '6 -at the upper edges of said Webs.

The jointillustratedin Figs. 5 to T, .inclusive, is formed `from cast metal and consists of a member C arranged at one side of the rails andv provided. with ahcomparatively Wide base,pla,te 2b, that extends underneath the base. flanges of the rails, as shown in 6,V the chief distinctionlbetiveen this form of rail joint and the ones illustrated inFigs. l to 4C being that it is provided With a onepiece baseplate, instead Aof a longitudinallydivided` base plate. A member 7 is arranged directly opposite the vertical web of the member C on. the, opposite side ofthe rails soasl to cooperate with the member C to hold ,the rails. in longitudinal alinement with each other. Onthe top y. face of the baseplate 2" `ofgthe member C .is a flat, horizontally-disposedhsurface 3 onwhichthe terminals of the'rails rest. The i'emaining portions of the top face of said base plate are inclined downwardly in opposite idirections .from said supporting surface 3, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, so as to preventthe base `flanges of the rails from normallyI restingon any portions of the` joint, except the Iiiatsurface 3 at the; center thereof. Said member C is, of course, provided With Va ybearing portion #lb that cooperatesuith the base flanges of the rails to securely hold them on theflat railsupporting surface at the center of the oint. The raily joint shown in Figs; to T is also Aprovided with a novel means for preventing theraills, from .kinking when the end bolts of the .joint are.` tightened, saidmeans consistingof integral, inwardly-,projectinglugs 8 on the inner sideo'f the web ofA the member C arranged. at. the opposite ends of the same, as `shojvn in Fig. 7. Then the end bolts of the joint are tightened .said lugs S ibear against the vertical Webs ofy therails, as s hoivnjin Fig. 6, and thus prevent the lrails from beingvdranf'n toivardi the member Cy to suchl any .eXtentg thatuthe rails Will become kinked .or bent. Thisfeature is common to the `Roach. rail joint,"but none ofl ,they rail joints illustrated in ymy various prior patents are provided With integral lugs arrangedon the inner side of. the joint member at vthe ends thereof for accomplishing this result.

In the form of my inventionv illustrated lao lll

in Figs. 5 to 7 the base plate is provided with a hole 9 for receiving spikes lO that engage the base flanges of the rails on the gage side of the track, and thus securely hold the rails in position in case the bolt nuts on the bolts (not shown) that pass through the rails and the joint become displaced or stripped off by a derailed wheel or from any other cause, these spike holes 9 being so positioned with relation to the flat rail-bearing surface 3 on the base plate that there is no tendency for the spikes in the same to work out of the ties. On the opposite side of the base plate 2"), a notch ll is formed in the edge of the same, as shown in Fig. 5, for receiving a spike l2 that is located at the center of the joint approximately intermediate the two spikes 10 on the opposite side of the oint.

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

l. A rail joint provided with a rigid base plate having a flat rail-bearing surface on its top face that supports the ends of the rails and .normally holds the base flanges thereof out of engagement with the end portions of the base plate, thereby permitting the rails to deflect downwardly slightly at the ends of the' joint when a load passes over the joint, said base plate being provided on its underside with a flat tieengaging surface that is located at the center of the joint, thereby enabling a track tie to be arranged directly underneath the terminals of the rails.

2. A rail joint, comprising a rigid base plate provided with a top face which is so formed that only the extreme end portions of the base flanges of the rails will normally rest on same, the underside of said base plate being flat throughout its entire length and the joint being so designed that the rails can deflect downwardly slightly at the ends of the joint when a load passes over the joint.

3. A rail joint having a rail-supporting portion which is so designed that only a comparatively small area of the top face thereof will normally be engaged by the base flanges of the abutting rails that rest on same, thereby permitting the rails to defleet slightly under load at the ends of the joint so as to cause the wave motion of the rails to be continued uniformly through the rail joints throughout the entire track, the underside of said rail-supporting portion being so formed that it will rest firmly and squarely upon a tie that is located at the center of the joint.

4;. A rail joint having a rigid rail-supporting portion provided on its top face with a flat rail-bearing surface which is arranged between two oppositely-inclined surfaces that are normally spaced away from the base flanges of the rails so as to permit the rails to deflect douf'nwardly slightly at the ends of the joint when a load passes over the oint, the underside of said rail-support ing portion being flat and parallel throughout its entire length to the flat surface on the top face of saine on which the terminals of the rails rest.

5. A rail oint having a base plate of length than the portion of the joint that eX- tends alongside of therails, said base plate beine` provided on its top face with a flat rail-bearing surface located intermediate two oppositely-inclined surfaces that arc normally spaced away from the hase flanges of the rails and which permit the rails to deflect downwardly slightly at the ends of the joint when under loada the underside of said base plate being flat or disposed horizontally to the fiat rail-bearing surface on the top side of saine.

6. A rail joint, comprising a member that extends alongside of the rails and provided with a base portion Whose top face is so formed that only the ends of the abutting rails will normally engage same, the underside of said base portion being flat through` out its entire length and parallel to the surface on said top face on which the abutting ends of the rails rest, means on said member which bears against the top faces of the base flanges of the rails so as to prevent them from rising upwardly off the supporting surface on said base portion.y integral lugs en said member arranged adjacent the ends of same which are adapted to bear against the vertical webs of the rails so as to prevent the rails from kinking when the end bolts of the joint are tightened.

7. A rail joint, comprising a cast membe that extends along one side of the rails and which comprises a base portion and a vertically-disposed web integrally connected together, said base portion having an integral horizontally-disposed flat surface on the top face thereof arranged intermediate oppositely-inclined surfaces that are normally spaced away from the base flanges of the rails, a bearing on the inner side of said web that acts upon the base flanges of the rails and holds them on said flat surface, a flange extending longitudinally along the upper edge of said web, and integral, inclined braces on the inner side of said web arranged intermediate said flange and said bearing.

8. A rail joint designed to be supported by a single tie and provided with a base plate having an integral rail-bearing surface on which the terminals of the rails rest, the top face of said base plate being so constructed that the joint permits the rails to deflect downwardly slightly at the ends of the joint when under load, thereby permitting wave motion to exist without rockingor rolling the joint tie. i

9. A rail joint designed to be supported by a single tie and having a base plate provided on its top face with an integral 'ailbearing surface that is shorter than the'base plate and provided on its bottom face at a point in vertical alineinent with said railbearing surface with a tie-engaging surface that is parallel to said rail-bearing surface.

10. A one-tie rail joint provided with a hase plate that extends under the rails, and a horiZontally-disposed web that extends longitudinally of the rails, said base plate having an integral rail-bearing surface of less dimensions than the hase plate on which thc terminals of the rails rest, and inclined braces on the outer side of said web integrally connected to said hase plate..

11. A one-tie rail joint provided with a hase plate that has an integral rail-hearing surface at approximately its center which lis of less area than the portion of the base plate that rests' on the joint tie, said base plate having openings for receiving rail spikes or similar devices that engage one side of the base flanges of the rails in proximity to the point where the rails rest on said hearing surface.

12. A one-tie rail joint provided with a hase plate that has an integral rail-hearing surface at approximately its centei'lwhich' is of less area than the portion of the'base plate that rests on the joint tic, said base plate having openings for receiving rail spikes or similar devices that. engage one sidel of the hase flanges of the rails in proximity to the point where the rails rest on said bearing surface, and a spike opening in the opposite side of said hase plate arranged approximately intermediate the openings first referred to.

13. A one-tie rail joint provided with a Copies of this patent may be obtained for base plate that has an integral rail-bearing surface at approximately .its center which is of less area than the portion of thev base platethat rests onl the joint'tie, said base plate having openings; for receiving-rail spikes or similar devices that engage one side of the base flanges of therails in proximity to the point vwhere'the rails rest on said hearing surface, a spike opening in the vopposite side of said'hase plate-'arranged approximately intermediate the Aopenings first referred to, ay vertically-disposed web that extends longitudinally ofthe rails, and oppositely-inclined braces on the outer side of said web integrallyv connected at their lower ends to said base plate. l

14. In a rail joint of the type in which the rails can deflect downwardly slightly at the ends of thejoint under load,the combination of a hase plate that is'shorter than the portion of the jointwhich coperates with the webs of the rails, a bearing on said base.

lplate shorter than= said plate'for supporting vthe ends of the rails, and means that prevents the rails from kinking when the end bolts of the joint are tightened.

15. In a rail joint of the type in which the railscan deflect downwardly slightly at the endsof the joint under load,4 the combination of a base plate shorter than the joint, and means for preventing the rails from kinking when the end bolts of the joint are tightened.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature inthe presence of two witnesses,

this first day of May? 1915.

` HARRY yF. Roxen.

l lllitnesses:

ELLS L. CHURCH, GEORGE BAinwnLL.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,` D. C. g

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