US2444599A - Rail flange clamp - Google Patents

Description

July 1948@ A H. GEN-[ER 2,444,599

RAIL FLANGE CLAMP Filed oct. 4, 1944 Patented July 6, i948 UNITED vsrli'rlas PATENT ori-Iced Albert H. A(tenter, Mount Lebanon, Pa. Application October 4, 1944, Serial No. 557,098

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to rail clamps and more particularly to a clamp for connecting a return circuit cable to the flange of a rail.

`Mining machinery working at the face of the mine remote of the main haul, in which the feeder circuits, trolley wire and rail return circuit are permanent, must have some means of conducting power from the main haul to the face. This is usually accomplished by means of cables carried by the mining machinery on drums or reels. The free end of the power cable is provided with -a feeder tap while the free end of the return circuit cable is connected to a clamp arranged to be attached to the rail. As the machines move about in the room or at the face the cables are reeled out and in accordingly. Some mining equipment travel on pneumatic tires which necessitates the use of cables to provide them with power. l

'I'he principal object of this invention is the provision of a return rail clamp that may be quickly attached and detached to the flange of a rail.

Another object is the :provision of a return rail clamp that has a positive three-point contact with the iiange of a rail.

' Another object is the provision of a return rail clamp having low resistance contact between the rail and the cable.

Another object is the provision of a return rail clamp that is readily adjustable to lit the flanges of different sizes of rails.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following description and claims.

A practical embodiment illustrating the principles of this invention is shown on the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a reduced side elevational view showing the return rail clamp connecting a cable with the flange of a rail.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the return rail clamp.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the return rail clamp.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the return rail clamp` Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cable clamping plate.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of a handle hinged to the set screw.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational View of an integral handle and set screw.

Referring to the drawings, the return rail clamp body IU is provided with a horizontally disposed lower jaw I I and an upper diverging jaw I2 formof the rail I,4 between spaced ties I5. The angle between the jaws is approximately fifteen degrees which is substantially the degree of slope of the top surface of the rail flange. The flange varies in thickness in accordance with the vweight of the rail but the slope of the top fiange surface remains substanti-ally the same. y

An upwardly extending boss I6 is cast integral with and normal to the top of the upper jaw I2 and is provided with a screw threaded socket or hole the axis of which is disposed normal to the upper surface of the rail flange. A cast set screw I8 is provided with a mating thread I9 and a square shank 20 at the top thereof and is arranged to receive the mating socket in the head of the Vwrench 2|. This shank is preferably tapered axially to provide a tight engagement between the wrench handle and the screw. The inner end of the screw I8 is provided with a hard metal ball tip 22 made of any suitable material such as hard carbide. The ball tip 22 is arranged to engage and bite into the top rail flange surface when the handle of the wrench 2| is turned and make a low resistance contact with the rail.

The inner surface of the bottom jaw is provided with three semlspherical lugs 23, 24 and 25 disposed in triangular spaced relation fwith ea-ch other. The lug 23 is adjacent the bottom at the center of thegroove and the other lugs 24 and 25 are positioned on either side of the lug 23 adjacent the outer edge of the j-aw as shown in Fig. 4. The tip 22 of the set screw I8 is disposed substantially midway between the three lugs. When the clamp is placed on the rail the three lugs 23, 24 and 2-5 engage the under side of the ange I3 and provide a iirm seating engagement while the tip 22 of the screw contacts the top of the ilange in the center of the triangular arrangement of the lugs. When the screw I8 is firmly seated the tip 22 and the lugs 23, 24 and 25 bite into the rail flange I3 and provide a low resistance contact.

The pitch of the threads of the screw I8 is Ichosen so that the tip 22 bites into the rail flange when the lever handle 2| is swung in an arc less than 180. If the handle 2| is moved counterclockwise in Fig. 2 until it is substantially parallel with the rail the tip 22 of the screw will be withdrawn into the cavity 26 out -of contact with the rail fiange I3. If the rail employed is a sixty pound rail the tip 22 of the screw I8 will make a tight engagement when the handle 2| is moved clockwise through If the rail employed is a twenty-live pound rail the cla-mp will be tight using the screw 21 shown in Fig. 6 which is pro-1- Vided with a bifurcated head 28 arranged to handle 2l may be removed from the set screw and the latter adjusted to engage a rail flange of predetermined size. The lever handle may then be replaced and the setting will thus be maintained regardless of the number of times it is removed or applied to the same size rail flange without further adjustment. The flop lever 29 may be held vertically and the set screw adjusted to properly engage a seleotedrail-flange. The 'l'everf isthen forced down; into operatingiposition and may also be repeatedly applied and removed u from rail anges of the same size without altering the adjustment. Thus when either of these rail receive the end of the handle y29. A pivotlpin clam-psare properly set they may be applied inis secured to the bifurcated portion of. ,thesrewt Ldiscriminately:

head and passes through the end of the handle 29 to permit the latter to be-oppe`d4v vertic'allyii'-,

from one side to the other, thus providinga half turn adjustment of the tip 22 relative to the rail flange. .The sides of the bifurcated head 28 are engaged by the sides fof 'the handle=totransmit the 'forceirom the handle tothe screw.

The'screwil andthe handle 32 "shown'n Fig. 'l'are castintegral'fwith .'eacll'otlfier.- 'This form of `screw would be employed Where'the rail `sizes are practically'all the sameV or Within the-Vadjustifientl of'a180" swing of -the handle and the position of the latter relative to the screw is determined when' the Vcasting ismade to accommodate a predetermined series ofirail sizes..

The' 'return 'to rail 'clamp l0 is provided with a rearwardly projecting flange 33 having a U- shaped groove 34 in the-upperface thereof which is arranged toreceive the Lbared cable conduce tor 35.121 vertically disposedthreaded hole 36 is formed through theflange 33'ir'ij the lcenter of the U-shaped groove. A cable .clamping plate `3'? having atleast one square end 38 karida vclearance hole- 39, which may` be aligned Vwith the .f threaded hole .3E to receive the boltAD, ,islprovidecl'y to .secure the cable 35 t vthe rail vclamp ji-0. The bolt 4U is lprovidedwitnthelockewasher 4l tonprevent the bolt. fromA becomingloose. .The square end 38ffof the plate engages .the vbodyof vthe clamp to prevent the ,tplatenfrom turning... l

The casting of the rail.flange-clampsethat employthe wrenchhandle 211 yor, the op handle 2 9 shown in Figsf .andf respectively-maybe pro-` vided pwith .the `upwardlyv extending. stopabutment. 42.which is .dispos ed parallel .with the jaws and ,the rail. .The endsA of..this.abutmentprevent the leveriromA traveling beyondthe `edge of :the jaws ofthe clamp..thus. vlimiting .the rotation rof thelevters in their operating posi-tion.` V'The `lever I claim: A-rail flange-:clamp for attaching an electric returnircuit cable to the iiange of a rail consisting of, a body having integral upper and lower diverging jaw members arranged toreceive a rail flange therebetween',"connecting means for electrically'connecting an electric cable to the body, a threaded openingthrough the upper jaw member with its axis disposed substantiallynormalto the angeengaging'surface of said jaw member, a'complementary s crew for said threaded opening arranged to engage the top of a rail flange for thepurpcse of fixing thecl'amp thereto, and three lugs on the flange engagingsurfa'ce' 'of the lower jaw member disposed'in spaced' triangular'arrangementaboutthe axis of the screw with two lugs positioned in'alignment and adjacent .the outer edge'of 'the lower vjaw member, whereby the clamping'force of thescrew'reacts with 'the rail flange and saidV lugs Yto prevent the clamp, from backing oijtheflang'e.'

` ALBERT H.' GENTER.'

REFERENCES CITED The following .references are .of -record dri.y the le of this .paten-t;

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,350,099 .Dermond Mayen, 1944

Images