US1709731A - Tie plate and rail fastener - Google Patents

Description

April 16, 1929. J, McGREW I 1,709,731

TIE PLATE AND RAIL FASTENER Filed Sept. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i9 a r pa 123 Q W ii //5 i W l i April 1929. .1. A. MGGREW 1,709,731

TIE PLATE AND RAIL FASTENER Filed Sept. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN A. MCGREW, F ALBANY, NEW YORK.

TIE PIiATE AND RAIL FASTENER.

Application filed September 27, 1928. Serial No. 308,822.

This invention relates to rail fasteners and more particularly to that type of rail fasteners in which the rail is clamped to a tie plate, which tie plate is independently secured to the tie.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved form of tie plate and rail fastener.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a tie plate and rail fastener in which the rail base is secured to the tie plate solely by spring action.

Among the features of the invention may be enumerated the following:

1. The rail base is not confined against lateral movements by positive abutments but by frictional engagement with the upper surface of the tie plate resulting from spring pressure on the upper surface of the rail base.

2. Spring pressure is applied to the upper surface of the rail base by means of a spring key or plate having one edge bearing on the rail base and the other edge on the tie plate and bearing intermediate these edges beneath a fulcrum supported from the tie plate.

3. Spring action and flexing of the key or spring plate is brought about by relative 3o longitudinal movement between it and the tie plate.

4. Cooperating wedge members on the spring plate and the tie plate produce such movement of thespring plate as to cause it to more tightly engage the rail base, upon relative longitudinal movement of the spring and tie plate, while yet retaining its parallelism. in respect to the longitudinal axis of the rail.

Other and further features and objects of -,the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration pf the accompanying drawings and following specification. The invention is susceptible of various modifications, of which two embodiments thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawings but it will be understood that various changes may be made in the invention such as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a lan view of one form of tie plate and rail astener constructed according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the rail showing the tie plate in elevation;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Figure -l is aperspective view of the spring clamping plate and integral wedge;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a different embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of the second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 is a horizontal section on line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the spring clamping member used with this em- .bodiment.

The invention is illustrated in conjunction with a standard form of railroad rail shown at 10 having the conventional form of base 11 with a flat bottom and sloping upper surfaces 12. The invention includes the tie plate 13 built somewhat along conventional lines having the substantially rectangular base provided with apertures 14 to receive spikes or preferably lag bolts for securing the tie plate in a permanent manner to any convenient form of tie. The tie plate differs from the conventional however in not providing abutments to prevent lateral movement of the rail base in respect to the tie plate. Hence the tie plate can be secured permanently to the tie and adjustments made to gauge the track by movement of the rail in respect to the tie plate.

Spaced some distance laterally beyond the flat seat 15 for the rail base the integral claws or lugs 16 have their base portions 17 merging into the tie plate. These vertical portions extend up and join the horizontal portions 18 by means of the curved sections 19. The horizontal portions have their under surfaces spaced above the rail seat a dist anee almost equal to twice the thickness of the edge of the rail base. The distance between the inner ends 20 of the oppositel disposed claws is slightly less than the width of the rail base, but the base can conveniently be arranged beneath the claws by a slight eanting action when it is placed in position.

The junction of the inner surfaces 20 and the bottom surfaces 21 of the horizontal parts of the claws form the edges 22 which will hereinafter be referred to as fulcrums.

To clamp'each side of the rail base to the tie plate, a spring plate or key 23 is arranged with one edge bearing on the top of the rail base and the other on the tie plate with an intermediate ortion of its upper surface in contact wit the fulcrum. The spring plate is slightly flexed to exert pressure on the topsurface of the rail. To effect this condition the spring plates are of the form shown in Fig. 4. Their main or upper portion 25 is substantially flat and of a thickness commensurate with width to have sufiicient strength and spring action for the purpose. One edge of the plate is turned down by a suitable rolling or forging operation to form the flange 26 of substantially the same thickness as that of the top member but of gradually increasing width from one end to the other forming the wedge surface 27 inclined to the upper portion 25 as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This wedge surface 27 is adapted to cooperate with a corresponding wedge surface 30 on the tie plate.

The tie plate wedge surface is formed by cutting a groove 28 of increasing depth and constant width in the re-entrant shoulder 29 between the vertical portion 17 of the claw and the base of the tie plate. The outer wall of this groove is coincident with the inner face of the vertical portion 17. The angle of the wedge surface 27 is equal to that of the bottom 30 of the groove 28 so that when the wedge surfaces are arranged in proximity the top of the spring lever may beparallel to the base of the tie plate and consequently to the upper surface of the rail base.

The spring plates or keys are assembled by sliding them longitudinally with their upper members over the rail base and their wedge portions in the grooves 28. The outer edges 31 of the upper members of the spring plates engage the rail base a material distance in from its edge and such an elevation thereon that this upper member is sloped upwardl tO\VlI'd.th6 flange of the rail so that the ulcrum 2'2'alone engages the top surface of the upper member substantially along its longitudinal center. By driving the spring plates so as to brin the wedge surfaces thereon more comp etely in engagement with the wedge surfaces of the bottoms of the grooves 28 greater pressure can be brought to bear at 31 on the rail base and the top plates 25 of the keys be caused to flex orbend around the fulcrums. The spring members are suitably heat treated so that they will not take a permanent set as a result of this bending but will always exert a resilient pressure on the top of the rail base to insure that it is held against the tie plate with sufficient effort to prevent movement whether laterall or longitudinally. Of course the angles 0 the grooves beneath two claws are oppositel disposed. It will be evident that the rail can be adjusted laterally of the tie plate by the suitable adjustment of the two spring plates and that it can be securely locked in any desired position thereon. Lateral movement after adjustment is prevented by the engagement of the sloping surface of the rail base top with the key and of the outer edge of the key with the wall of the vertical portion of the claw. By virtue of the action of the spring members, vibrations and continual pounding from wheels will not work the securing means loose.

To prevent the spring plates from slipping back as a result of the double wedge action it is convenient to provide each lug or claw with a set screw 33 through the curved portion thereof adapted to bear on the curved junction of the top member and the wedge portion of the spring plate so that this set screw can be set up after the rail is properly adjusted to prevent any accidental movement thereafter.

In the modification just disclosed flexing of the spring plate about its fulcrum takes place by virtue of vertical elevation of the edge of the spring late beneath the claw or lug. In the modi cation shown in Fi ures 5 to 8 the construction is substantially identical except that flexing the sprin plate is effected by moving it laterally and causing its rail base engaging edge 31' to slide up the sloping surface of the rail base.

In describing this modification the refer- "ence characters are similar to those used in the first modification with the addition of primes.

The claws or lugs have their vertical parts 17 as in the prior modification but these vertical parts are made in the form of horizontal wedges and increase in thickness as best shown in Fig. 7 from the forward edge 35' to the rearward edge 36' thus producing the vertical wedge face 37' extending from the base 15 of the tie plate to the under surface 21' of the upper portion of the claws.

The spring plates for cooperation wit-h the rail base and claws are provided with correspondingly shaped and inclined wedge mem-.

bers 38 formed integral with the top spring portions 25' of these plates. The spring portion 25' of the spring plates is of constant Width throughout its length, the variation in the total width of the members being effected in the wedge portions as clearly seen in Figure 8. p

In assembling the same procedure is followed as in the previous modification but upon driving the spring plates to effect relative longitudinal movement between them and the tie plate they are accorded a lateral horizontal movement by the cooperation of the wedging surfaces on the claws and the spring plates. This causes the fulcrums 22' on the claws to change their relatii'e positions in respect to the width of the spring plates and causes the bearing edges 31 of the spring plates to climb up on the sloping upper surfaces of the rail base, thereby in.- creasing the length of the overhanging portion of the spring plates and raisin their edges 31' to flex them about the fu crums 22'. The underface of the wedge '38 on the spring plate of course bears on the top surface of the tie plate. The action of holdin the rail by spring pressure is the same in tips modification as in the other,,the only difference being that relative longitudinal motion between the sprin plates and the tie. plate produces lateral orizontal movement of the whole spring plate whereas in the first or preferred modification it produces vertical movement of the outer edge of the spring plate. In either case the spring .plate is flexed.

In the present form of the invention set screws 33 are used passing through the upper arms 18' of the claws to engage with the thickened or wedge portions of the spring plates and hold them in their adjusted position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A rail fastener comprising in combination, a tie plate, two claws integral with said tie plate, a pair of keys each' having a spring lever portion and a wedge portion, a co-- operating wedge portion under each claw,

each key being adapted to fit under a claw with the spring lever portion having its 35 outer edge resting on the sloping, surface of the rail base, its intermediate portion fulcrumed on the edge of the claw. and its wedge'portion supported from the tie plate whereby relative longitudinal movement of 40 the cooperating wedges tends to increase the flexing the rail base.

2. A rail fastener comprising in combina tion, a tie plate having an'integral claw on its upper surface at each side of the rail,

the free edge of each claw being parallel to the axis of the rail and materially above the base to form a fulcrum, a spring lever for each claw having its outer edge resting on the sloping surface of the rail base inwardly of the edge thereof, said fulcrum.

bearing on the upper surface of said lever intermediate its edges and means to flex said lever around said fulcrum to cause it to bear tightly on said railbase.

3. A rail fastener comprising in combination, a tie plate, an integral claw projecting abovethe surface thereof and having a free edge parallel to the axis of the rail to form I .60 a fulcrum, a spring lever arranged partially beneath said claw with said fulcrum inter mediate its longitudinal edges, one of said edges bearing on the sloping surface of the rail base and cooperatin means on said other edge and said tie p ate to force said of the spring and the pressure on.

to force said first mentioned edge tightly into engagement with said rail base and to flex said lever, the edge of the rail base beneath said claw and lever being free.

5. In a rail fastener in combination, a tie plate, means thereon providing a fulcrum, a spring lever engaging beneath said fulcrum and having an edge resting onthe rail base and means to elevate the other edge of said lever to flex the same and clamp the rail to the tie plate.

6. In a rail fastener in combination, a tie plate, means thereon providing a fulcrum, a spring lever engaging beneath said fulcrum and having an edge resting on the rail base and means to move the other edge of said lever to cause said first mentioned edge to bear tightly on said base.

7. In a rail fastener, in combination, a tie plate, means thereon providing a fulcrum slightly overhanging the rail base, a spring plate having one edge resting on said base materially -in from the edge thereof and spaced from the fulcrum, awedge integral with said spring plate, a cooperating wedge integral with said tie plate, said wedges being arranged'so that relative longitudinal motion thereof flexes said spring'lplate about said fulcrum to clamp said rail to said 'tie plate.

8. In a rail fastener, in combination, a tie plate, means thereon providing a fulcrum slightly overhanging the 'rail base, a spring plate having one edge resting on said base materially in from the edge thereof and spaced from the fulcrum, a wedge integral with said spring plate on the opposite side of said fulcrum from said edge bearing on the rail base, 'a cooperating Wedge integral with said tie plate and arranged so that. relative movement between said plates in a longitudinal direction increases or decreases the bearing of said spring plate on the rail base.

-9. In a rail fastener, in comblnatlon, a

tie plate, means thereon providing a fulcrum slightly overhangirg the rail base, a

spring plate having one edge resting on said base materially in from the edge thereof and spaced from the fulcrum, a wedge integral with said spring plate on the opposite side of said fulcrum /from said edge bearing on the rail base, a cooperating wedge integral with said tie plate and arranged so that relative'nlovcnient between said plates in a longitudinal direction increases or decreases the bearing of said spring plate on the rail base and :means to clamp said plates together after adjustment.

10. In a rail fastener, in combination,' 'a tie plate adaptedto support the base of a rail, a spring member bearing at one end on said base and at the other on said tie plate, a rigid fulcrum bearing on the upper sur- 1 face of said member andmeansto raise one end of said spring member toincrease the pressure of the fulcrum on the upper surface thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN A. MCGREW.

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