US2555615A - Rail and wheel lubricator - Google Patents

Description

I June 5, 1951 c, STERN 2,555,615

RAIL. AND WHEEL LUBRICATOR Filed Feb. 14, 1945 LIL iii: :JJ

INVENTOR Char/e5 52? em BY Z4, 62m;

ATTO R N EY Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL AND WHEEL LUBRICATOR Charles Stern, Jersey City, N. J.

Application February 14, 1945, Serial No. 577,781

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to rail and wheel lubricator.

An object of this invention is to provide a rail lubricator adapted to be attached to a rail, and means thereon for applying grease between the wheel flange and the head of the rail, and also at the outside of the flange, each time a wheel on the track passes the lubricator.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lubricator of the character described comprising a trough like member adapted to be clamped alongside a rail and provided with a collapsible or compressible chamber to which lubricating grease is fed, the flange of the wheel being adapted to collapse or compress the chamber to squeeze grease out of the chamber and onto opposite sides of the flange of the wheel.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a lubricator of the character described comprising an elongated trough like member clamped just beneath and on one side of the head of a rail in horizontal position, and a strip of rubber or the like soft, resilient, rubber like compressible material in the trough, said strip being arched between its ends to form a chamber for receiving grease, the flange of a wheel passing over the track being adapted to engage and compress the arched portion of the strip to press grease upwardly onto the rail head and on opposite sides of the wheel flange.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lubricator of the character described having a compressible wiping plate extending lengthwise of the rail and spaced from the rail head, and means to supply lubricant to said plate, whereby the wheel may wipe against said plate to transfer lubricant to the inside of the wheel flange where it will contact guard rails.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a strong and durable lubricator of the character described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and mount on a rail, and which shall yet be practical and efficlent to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the fea tures of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a lubricator embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a partial elevational view of the lubricator showing a wheel collapsing the grease chamber;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an end view of the lubricator attached to a rail and showing a wheel on the rail.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, I0 designates a rail comprising a base II, a web l2, and a head I 3. On the rail I0 is shown a car wheel :4 having a tread portion l5 on the rail head, and a flange portion It at the inner side of the rail head.

Attached to the rail I0 is a lubricator embodying the invention. The same comprises a pair of spaced clamps 2| attached to the base II of the rail l0. Each clamp 2| comprises a bottom plate 22 formed with a pair of through openings 23 and 24. On plate 22 are a pair of rocking clamp blocks 25 and 26 having through openings 25a and 26a, respectively. Extending through the through registering openings 23, 25a is a bolt 21. The clamp blocks 25 rock about an edge 25b, and the bolt 21 serves to clamp the block 25 against the flange of the rail.

Blocks 26 rock about an edge 25b. Extending through the registering openings 24 and 262) are bolts 30. Bolt 30 is formed with an integral collar 3| and with a threaded poriton 32 extending above the collar. Screwed to the threaded end of the bolt 30 is a nut. Between the collar 3| and block 26 is a spacing sleeve 33. Mounted on bolts 30 is a channel 35 parallel to the base. Channel 35 comprises a bottom horizontal web 36 and a pair of upwardly extending flanges 31 and 38. Web 36 is formed with an opening 39 to which is screwed a street elbow 40. Street elbow 40 is screwed to a nipple 4| which is attached to a hose 42 which may lead to any suitable pump or tank for supplying grease to the lubricator for the purpose hereinafter appearing. A pair of lock nuts 40a on the upper threaded end 32 of each of the bolts 30 serves to firmly attach the channel iron 35 in such position that the flange 31 is disposed just below the rail head l3. Bolts 30 pass through openings 36a at the ends of web 36.

Within the channel 35 is an elongated block 43 made of wood or any other suitable material. Block 43 has a lower reduced portion 44 fitted into the channel and contacting the flange 38.

tral notches or slots 66.

The block 43 may be thickened or enlarged above portion 44 as at 45. Portion 44 may have a tapering surface contacting flange 3e. Contacting the inner flat vertical surface 46 of the block 43 is a plate or strip 41 made of rubber or any other suitable soft, resilient, rubber like compressible or wiping material. Members 43, l! may be attached together by a plurality of horizontal transverse stove bolts 59, or by any other suitable attaching means. The wiping plate 41 preferably extends somewhat higher than the block 43 as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Plate 41 is countersunk to receive the heads of the bolts 50 so that said heads are beyond the outer surface of said plate.

Within the bottom of the channel and contacting web 36 is an elongated flat strip 52 made of rubber and having substantial thickness. The height of the rubber strip 52 is preferably such as to extend almost to the upper edges of the flanges of the channel 35. The strip 52 may be attached to the web 35 by a plurality of vertical screws 55. The strip 52 does not extend the entire length of the plate ll, but terminates as at 5"! short of an end of said plate. It will be noted that the block 43 and plate 4? terminate short of the ends of channel 35.

The opening 39 in the web 36 is located nearer one end than the other. It is disposed beyond the end 5'5 of strip 52.

Mounted on the web 36 and disposed beyond strip 52 is another strip 60 of rubber or any other soft, resilient, rubber-like compressible resilient material. The strip 550 is arched upwardly. The ends 62 thereof are attached to the web 36 by means of screws or bolts 63. The middle arched portion extends above strip 52. Its inner and outer edges 85 may be formed with opposite cen- It will be noted that the width of strips 52 and 60 is such as to extend substantially from plate 4"! to flange 31. Strip 69 is of less thickness than strip 52 as shown in the drawing.

On the upper surface of the ends 62 are plates 68 formed with through openings'to receive the attaching screws (53 which are fixed to the web of the channel. The heads of said screws contact the plate 58. The rubber strip 52 and block 43 and plate il may be fixed tothe channel 35 by a plurality of horizontal transverse through bolts Ill extending through suitable openings formed in said strip, block, and plate.

It will now be understood that as the wheel passes over the rail in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3; the flange thereof contacts the arched portion of rubber strip 69 to compress the same lubricate the wheel when the flange comes in' contact with a guard rail as is often used in subways. The grease which is deposited between the flange of the wheel and the head of the rail serves to lubricate the rail as well as the wheel flange. The trough like lubricator serves as a wiper to hold grease as the wheel flange passes through the trough. Strip 6? and backing or wiping plate 41 act as wipers for the wheel flange.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 7

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

1. A track lubricator comprising an elongated channel having a bottom horizontal web and upstanding flanges, means engaging the ends of the channel to clamp the channel to a rail, with the channel disposed below and on one side of the head of a rail, a backing wall fixed within the channel and extending longitudinally thereof and projecting above the channel, and a strip of resilient material within the channel, the ends of said strip being fixed to the web of the channel. and said strip being arched between its ends and in the path of the flange of a wheel passing over the rail, the web of the channel having an opening below said strip through which greasemay be supplied to the chamber formed between the strip and the web, said strip being for-med with a notch on the edge there-of adjacent the backing member, said strip being formed with a notch on the opposite edge thereof, said backing plate being made of compressible material.

2. A device for lubricating a rail having a head, a web, and a base, comprising a pair of spaced clamps adapted, to be clamped to the base of the rail, a longitudinal member fixed to said clamps and adapted to extend parallel to the rail and on one side of and just below the head of the rail, and a collapsible chamber on said member comprising an upper arched, downwardly collapsible wall of flexible rubber-like material extending longitudinally of said member and adapted to be collapsed by the flange of the wheel passing along the rail and depressing said collapsible wall, said chamber being formed with an inlet toreceive lubricant, and said chamber being further provided with an outlet to dispense lubricant therefrom when collapsed.

3. A device for lubricating a rail having a head, a web and a base, comprising a pair of spaced clamps adapted to be clamped to the base of the rail, a longitudinal member fixed to said clamps and adapted to extend parallel to the rail and and on one side of and just below the head of the rail, and a collapsible chamber on said member comprising an upper downwardly collapsible wall adapted to be collapsed by the flange of the wheel passing along the rail and depressing said collapsible wall, said chamber being formed with an inlet to receive lubricant, and said chamber being further provided with an outlet to dispense lubricant therefrom when collapsed, said outlet bein on one side of the chamber and adapted to be located adjacent the head of the rail, a second member having an elongated wall extending longitudinally of the first member and projecting upwardly therefrom and located at the opposite side of said chamber, and projecting above said chamber, and said chamber being provided with an outlet at said opposite side thereof and adjacent said wall.

4. A device for lubricating a rail having a head, a web and a base, comprising a pair of spaced clamps adapted to be clamped to the base of the rail, a longitudinal member fixed to said clamps and adapted to extend parallel to the rail and on one side of and just below the head of the rail, and a collapsible chamber on said member comprising an upper downwardly collapsible wall adapted to be collapsed by the flange of the wheel passing along the rail and depressing said collapsible wall, said chamber being formed with an inlet to receive lubricant, and said chamber being further provided with an outlet to dispense lubricant therefrom when collapsed, said outlet being on one side of the chamber and adapted to be located adjacent the head of the rail, a second member having an elongated wall extending longitudinally of the first member and :projecting upwardly therefrom and located at the opposite side of said chamber, and projecting above said chamber, and said chamber being provided with an outlet at said opposite side thereof and adjacent said wall, said wall being made of compressible material.

5. A track lubricator comprising an elongated member having a bottom wall, and spaced longitudinal walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, an upstanding wall on said member projecting above said longitudinal walls, and an upwardly arched wall of resilient material between said longitudinal walls forming with said upstanding wall and bottom wall a chamber, said bottom wall being formed with an inlet opening to admit lubricant to said chamber.

6. A track lubricator comprising an elongated member having a bottom wall, and spaced longitudinal walls extending upwardly from said bottom walls, an upstanding wall on said member projecting above said longitudinal walls, and an upwardly arched wall of resilient material between said longitudinal walls forming with said upstanding wall and bottom wall a chamber, said bottom wall being formed with an inlet opening to admit lubricant to said chamber, said arched well being formed with notches at opposite sides thereof and adjacent said upstanding walls.

7. A lubricating device comprising a pair of spaced clamps, a horizontal channel-shaped member attached at the ends thereof to said clamps, said channel-shaped member comprising a horizontal bottom wall and a pair of flanges upstanding therefrom, an elongated member having its lower end projecting into the channel-shaped member and contactin the inner side of one flange, an elongated strip of material disposed within said channel-shaped member and between the second-mentioned member and said other flange, and a second strip of compressible material within said channel-shaped member and between said second-mentioned member and said other flange, said second strip being arched upwardly to form a chamber for lubricant.

. 8. A lubricating device comprisin a pair of spaced clamps, a horizontal channel-shaped member attached at the ends thereof to said clamps, said channel-shaped member comprising a horizontal bottom wall and a pair of flanges upstanding therefrom, an elongated member having its lower end projecting into the channelshaped member and contacting the inner side of one flange, an elongated strip of material dis- .posed within said channel-shaped member and 61 0nd strip having a notch at the edge thereof adjacent the second-mentioned member.

9. A lubricating device comprising a pair of spaced clamps, a horizontal channel-shaped member attached at the ends thereof to said clamps, said channel-shaped member comprising a horizontal bottom wall and a pair of flanges upstanding therefrom, an elongated member havin its lower end projecting into the channelshaped member and contacting the inner side of one flange, an elongated strip of resilient material disposed within said channel-shaped member and between the second-mentioned member and said other flange, and a second strip of compressible material within said channel-shaped member and between said second-mentioned member and said other flange, said second strip being arched upwardly to form a chamber for lubricant, said second strip having a notch at the edge thereof adjacent the second-mentioned member, and a notch at the opposite side thereof adjacent said other flange.

10. A device for lubricating a rail having a head, a web and a base, comprising clamping means adapted to be clamped to the base of the rail, a longitudinal member adapted to extend parallel to the rail, means for attaching said member to said clamping means, and a chamber on said member, said chamber comprising an upper, arched, downwardly collapsible wall of flexible rubber like material extending longitudinally of said member and adapted to be collasped by the flange of a wheel passing along the rail and depressing said collapsible wall, said chamber being formed with an inlet to receive lubricant, said chamber being further provided with an outlet to dispense lubricant when said collapsible wall is depressed, said outlet being on one side of the chamber and located adjacent the head of the rail.

11. A device for lubricating a rail including a head, a web and a base, a longitudinal member adapted to extend parallel to the rail and on one side of the head of the rail, means to fix said member to the base of the rail, said member including an upstanding wall spaced from the head of the rail and extending parallel thereto, a. chamber on said member, said chamber comprising a downwardly collapsible, arched, wall of flexible rubber like material extending longitudinally of said member and adapted to be collapsed by the flange of a wheel passing along the rail, said chamber being formed with an inlet to receive lubricant, said chamber being provided with outlets to dispense lubricant upon collapsing said wall, one of said outlets being disposed on one side of said chamber adjacent the upstanding wall on said longitudinal member and another outlet being disposed on the other side of said chamber and adapted to be located adjacent the head of the rail.

12. A device for lubricating a rail including a head, a web and a base, a longitudinal member adapted to extend parallel to the rail and on one 5 side of the head of the rail, means to fix said member to the base of the rail, said member including an upstanding wall spaced from the head of the rail and extending parallel thereto, a chamber on said member, said chamber comprising a downwardly collapsible wall of flexible material adapted to be collapsed by the flange of a wheel passing along the rail, said chamber being formed with an inlet to receive lubricant, said chamber being provided with outlets to dispense lubricant when said wall is collapsed, one of said outlets being disposed on one side of said chamber adjacent the upstanding wall on said longitudinal member and another outlet being disposed on the other side of said chamber and adapted to be located adjacent the head of the rail, and a wiping member on said upstanding wall adapted to be located adjacent the flange of a wheel passing along the rail.

CHARLES STERN.

REFERENCES CITED Number Number 8 UNI ED STATES PATENTS Name Date Korth Oct. 19, 1926 Hamilton Jan. 5, 1932 Merk Feb. 28, 1933 Elmer Nov. 7, 1933 Huck Apr. 4, 1939 Overmier Aug. 8, 1939 Hayes Dec. 26, 1939 Lukowitz Sept. 18, 1945 FOREIGN PATENT Country Date Great Britain Aug. 23, 1934

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