US1206935A - Joint safety-lock. - Google Patents

Description

BEST AVAILABLE COPY c. 1. SMITH.

JOINT SAFETY LOCK. APPLICATION FILED AUG.2. 1915.

Patented Dec. 5,1916.

CHRISTOPHER 3. summer CLEVELAND, 01110.

JOINT SAFETY-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec 5, 1916.

Application filed August 2, ieis. Serial No. 43,062.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Joint Safety-Locks, of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The objects of the invention are to provide a chair or clamping and securing means for the meeting extremities of track rails for the road bed of a steam or electric or other railway system, and the leading features of the invention comprise the combination and arrangement with a chair or base plate which overlaps the extremities of the rails on the underside and reversed wedging members which engage the fishing spaces of the rails and interlock with raised edges upon the longitudinal sides of the base plate.

The advantages of the device include simplicity of parts without the use of bolts or nuts, the adaptability to use with all tangents and with curves of varying radii, and in the perfect interlocking of the parts which prevents them from slipping or becoming loosened under the intense strain 'of daily transportation service.

The invention further includes the manner of construction and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described,

shown in the accompanying drawings and.

specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings i re 1 is a plan view of the device adap to a curved track; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the base plate for the curved track; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the curved wedges therefor.

In these views A, A, are rail extremities. B is a base plate which overlaps these extremities and upon which the rails rest. The longitudinal edges of this base plate are upwardly flanged at B, B and undercut, to receive the outer edges of the locking wedge members C, G which are positioned longitudinally of the rails, and are reversed in position. Their lower edges-c, 0' enter underneath-the undercut flanges of the base plate, and their upper edges 0, c are thrust underneath the overhanging edges of the rail heads. These wedge members or plates are reversely placed and when driven snugly home securely clamp the rail extremities to the base plate so that they cannot move laterally in any direction, but are not prevented from expanding or contracting longitudinally when affected by changes in temperature, since the ends of the rails are not brought closely together. The reason for extending the tapering ends of the wedge members in opposite directions is to equalize the pressure upon the opposite sides of the rails and keep them in perfect alinement with each other. i The wedge members are provided with openings or notches c 0 through which the spikes D, D, are inserted, which attach the wedge members securely to the ties E, or other suitable foundation or support. This makes the wedge member substantially immovable and the inclined edges 0' are formed intermediate of these openings.

If desired to obtain greater immobility of the base plate openings F, F, can be made in the base flanges of the rails and complementary lugs F, Fcan be formed upon the base plate to engage the same. The engaging means between the rail extremities and base plate B are essential to prevent creeping of the plate under the vibration and propelling movement of heavy loads upon'the track. The fitting of the lugs to the recesses F is not close, but permits the expansion of the rails.

The advantages of the device for promoting quick track laying are obvious since no holes have to be bored or bolts and nuts attached, and for railway yards and for temporary tracks as well as for permanent tracks the utility is great.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 a curved structure is shown in use upon a curved track and road bed. Here the rail extremities A, A, rest upon a curved base plate B shaped to conform to the arc of the curve and having concentric eircumferential edges. Upon these edges are shown engaging and retaining means B, B for the outer edges of the tapering locking members, G, C, the upper edges 0 of which engage the undersides of the rail heads. These tapering or wedging of rails upon a curved road bed, the com-- entering notches c inthe taper members are also shown in Fig. 1. In this manner the a is experienced, and a perfect joint is obtained resisting all strains put upon it. It is understood that the radii ofcurvature for the outer wedges are greater than the radii of curvature of the inner wedge, and they cannot be used interchangeably.

Having described the invention what I claim asv new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. In a locking device for the extremities bination therewith of a curved base plate corresponding in curvature to the curvature of the road bed, said bed plate overlapping said extremities and provided with rail engaging means at its circumferential edges, and .reversely positioned curved tapering members arranged parallel with said rails and interposed between said engaging means in said bed plate and said rails, substantially as and for. the purpose set forth.

2. In a safety lock for the extremities of rails upon a curved road bed, the combination therewith of a curved base plate overlapping said rail extremities and provided with engaging means upon its circumferential edges, curved reversely placed tapered members interposed between said engaging means and said rail extremitieaand securing means for said bed plate and said tapered members.

- hers having radii for their rail'engaging faces equal to the radii of curvature of said rail extremities, and different radii for their opposite faces.

4. Curved rail extremities, in combination with a base plate having its circumferential edges raised and concentric and curved to correspond to the curvature of the said. rails, said rail extremities mounted upon said base plate and spaced from said raised edges, and curved tapering members interposable between said rail extremities and said circumferential edges of said base plate, said tapering members having each the radius of its outer face of a different length than the radius of its inner face.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand this 22" day of July19l5.

CHRISTQPHER J. SMITH.

In presence of- Wm. M. MONROE.

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