US450065A - Track-layer s thermal gage - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

P. H. FONTAINE. TRACK LAYBRS THERMAL GAGE.

No. 450,065. Patented Apr. vl7V, 1891.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK H. FONTAINE, OF ELMO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH 'FO VALTER IV. YVADDILL, OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

'TRACK-LAYERS .THERMAL GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,065, dated April 7, 1891.

. Application led July 5, 1890. Serial No. 357,831. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK H. FONTAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmo, in the county of Halifax and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aThermal Railroad-Gage; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an instrument by which the rails of a railroad in construction are spaced in compliance with thermal conditions of the atmosphere during the operation of laying the rails.

The invention consists, chieiiy, in a wedge marked with a thermal scale, the two termini of which correspond to the highest and lowest temperatures at which men can be usefully employed in laying tracks, and which is placed between the rails in accordance with the thermal state of the atmosphere shown from a thermometer without mathematical calculation and without special assistance of an engineer.

The object of my invention is to enable a foreman of ordinary abilities in charge of a gang of railroad constructors to speedily lay a track, which at the highest temperature in the slimmer time represents two unbroken and uniform lines of rails, and in the coldest season shows the rails uniformly spaced alon the whole track.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a face View of my thermal gage. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of two adjoining rails represented as being spaced by my thermal gage. Fig. -it is a top view of a rail which is preferably employed in connection with my improved thermal gage, and Fig. 5 represents a modified construction of the gage.

The letter A in the drawings represents a wedge, and B a scale on the same, C a slide, and D a railroad-rail.

On one of the incline surfaces of the wedge A the scale B is provided, said scale being divided into degrees and marked similar to a thermometmseale, beginning with 120Q at the point or knife-edge end ct of the wedge and terminating with 2OO below zero at the thick end portion a of the same. This end portion'at the point where the 20 below zero is marked is about three-eighths inches thick, this being the differencebetween the greatest 5 5 expansion and contraction of a rail of ordinary length under the extremes of heat and cold of the atmosphere in this climate. The wedge A is provided with a longitudinal slot a2, in which the set-screw c of the slide C can 6o be moved from the lowest to the highest degree of the scale. The slide may be a square or oblong block having an inclined surface c matching the inclination of the wedge A, it being fastened by means of the set-screw c, which, by means of collar c2, bears upon a washer c3, which has an inclined surface e4 matching the inclination of the wedge.v The set-screw c passes loosely through the washer c3 and enters a matching screw-thread in the 7o slide C, and thus the slide can be loosened, moved to another place, and fastened there at will and at short notice.

IVhen the thermal gage is to be used for spacing, the slide C is moved over the scaleB to the same degree found indicated by the mercury of a thermometer, and then fastened to the wedge in this position. It is now ready for spacing, for which purpose it is held edge downward and against the end surface of the 8c last fixed rail with the slide C resting on its top, as seen in Fig. 3. The next rail is then laid down and pushedtoward the fixed rail until it is in Contact with the gage, whereby it is held at the proper distance from the same. It is now fixed and another rail is spaced and fixed in the same manner.

In order to obtain the best result in tracklaying with my improved gage, I iind it preferable to provide the base of each railD about 9c midway of its length with two notches CZ just wide enough to fit the spikes used in fastening the rails. By means of these notches d the rail is fastened to the sleeper D directly after spacing it with my thermal gage. After 5 this the rail is spiked down to the other sleepers in the ordinary manner; but the rail being without notches, except those d above mentioned, it is allowed to expand and contract in both directions from the said notches, IooV and the track presents under all circumstances a regular and uniform appearance. In hot weather the spaces will be found all closed, and no crowding will be observed, whereby rails of weaker fastenings are forced out of line. In cold weather the spaces between the rail ends will all be of the same size. I have shown the notches d out of line with each other in order to avoid cutting the grain of the sleeper twice in one line, which would tend to weaken the sleeper or possibly render it liable to split. The notches, however, might be cut in the same transverse line, and I lay no claim under this application to any special manner of notching the rails, nor do I limit my invention with respect to the manner of notching the rails.

The modiied'construction of thermal gage shown in Fig. 5 is of wedge-form, and scaled the same as hereinbefore described; but instead of forming a stop-shoulder by means i a slide I have provided steps w, which serve as stop-shoulders at the points where the scale-numbers are placed, and by inserting this form of gage between the ends of the railsuntil its descent is arrested by one or another of the steps the proper spacing'of the road-track, and said degrees being located on the wedge at different points of its thickness, and serving for indicating at once the proper spacing distance between the ends of the rails in conformity with the temperature at the time of laying the track, substantially as described.

2. The thermal gage comprising the wedge A, scale B, and slide C, constructed substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK II. FONTAINE.

Vitnesses:

T. B. JoHNsoN, W. R. HAYMEs.

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