US136067A - Improvement in railroad beds - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES"j PATENT CFEIcE. yA

.ironia WILLIAM KERN, or PORTLAND, OREGON.

IMPROVEMENT |N` RAILROAD BEDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,067, dated February 18, 1873.

T o all whom it may concer-n:

Be it known that I, JOHN WILLIAM KERN of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, `have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Iron Bed for Bailroads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the Construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making a part of this specification and tothe letters and f1 guresof reference marked thereon. Figurel of the drawing is a representation of a bottom view ofl my invention. Fig. 2 is cross-section ofthe same. i

rlhis invention has relation to railroads, adapted particularly for the use of safety-cars having conical wheels;A and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of almetallic` roofshaped track bed, substantially as hereinafter described.`

Referring to the drawing, A designates the Y rail, of ordinary form, and B the metallic bed.

This bed is composed of sheets of one-fourthinch boiler-iron, or other suitable material, raised at their middle parts to the angular form or prismoid shape, shownv in the drawing, and joined together at their edges, so as to produce an angular ridge, which shall run the whole length of the line, or as far as may be required. At the bases of the inclined sides of the ridge B the sheets are extended laterally to constitute platforms C for the reception of the rails. Flanges d are turned down at the edges of these platforms, and are embedded in the ground, so as to render the bed firm and secure. The rails lie close to the inclined sides of the pyramidal ridge, and are secured by means of the llanges G riveted to the bed and overlapping the base of the rails on the inside, and bythe cleats or lugs .EI riveted to the platforms C and projecting over theouter portions of the said base. The ends of theplates constituting the bed are joined together` by overlapping, and angularly corrugatingthe edges,as shown at I, Fig. 3. Iron Yties 1J are used to bind'the sides ofthe bed. l and to render the whole structure strong and durable.

These ties arel bolted to the under sides of the platforms G, and extend crosswise j of the track or road.

Before the bed and track are .builtV the road is 1properly filled up, so that the bed may rest on a solid foundation and the entire space underneath it occupied. Y As before stated, the angularbed is designed for the use of cars having conical wheels. When this form of wheel and bed is employed it is impossible for the cars to get oii of the track. The road is therefore absolutely safe against accidents of such character. Provision is to be made, however, for the necessary removal A of f cars at stations, s'witches, and the like, by the occasional employment of the ordinary horizontal bed.

The metallic bed is in itself a great improvement upon the old style, being much more durable, stronger, and less liable to get out of repair. The metal -protects the road from the effects of water and frost, and may be substituted for Wooden ties, or used in connection with them, at a comparativelyT small additional outlay.

To prevent rust the metal should be coated with some protecting material adapted to the purpose. A

l. The improved railroad bed having the angular ridge B located between the rails A,

substantially as specified.

2. A railroad bed composed ot' sheets of metal joined together, raised in the middle to form the ridge B, and extended at the sides to produce rail-supporting platforms C, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

The sheets B, constituting theprismoid railroad bed, and joined together by overlapping and angularly corrugatin g the edges, substan tially as specified.

4. The flanges cl and cleats E, in combination with a metallic railroad bed having the prismoid metallic ridge B and the rails A, substantially as specified.

5. The iron ties J, in combination with the metallic angular bed B and platforms C, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses. JOHN WILLIAM KERN.

Witnesses:

GEO. Wo oDwAnn I. BERN.

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