Improvements in Rail-bonds for Electric Railways and in the Method of Making the same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 28th Aug., 1897
COMPLETE DI MULTI
Improvements in Rail-bonds for Electric Railways and in the Method
of Making the same.
I, WILLIAM BINGHAM CLEVELAND, of 667 Prospect Street, Cleveland, in the
County of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, United States of America, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to improvements in rail-bonds for electric railways and
in the method of making the same and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings
in which,
Figure I represents a side elevation of a rail joint provided with my improved
rail bond, showing the fish plate broken away to disclose the bond; Fig. II,
a cross section of the rail and bond taken through one lug of the latter; Fig. III,
a plan view of the bond; Fig. IV, a longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. V,
a plan view of another form of the bond.
The bond consists of an oblong coil, 1, of flattened wire, usually of copper or
copper alloy, and laterally flattened to form two more or less arched connecting
side members, 2. Two heads, 3, forming riveting lugs, 4, which project to one
side of the bond, are cast upon the doubled ends of the coil, said heads being of
substantially the same metal or alloy as the wire, and being cast upon the ends
of the coil so as to form a welded joint,--the wire melting and becoming homo-
geneous with the metal of the heads. The oblong, expansible and contractible
wire frame connects the two heads in such a manner that, when the lugs are
inserted in the holes, 5, in the webs of the rail ends, 6, and have been expanded
and headed in said holes, as illustrated in Figs. I and II, the rail ends may
approach and separate by the expansion and contraction of the rails, and without
loosening the lugs in their holes. The hammering of the car wheels in passing
over the meeting ends of the rails, will not effect the electrical connection by
the bond, inasmuch as the elasticity of the connecting wire frame will cause the
same to yield to any movement of the rail ends, whether longitudinal or vertical.
As both side members of the frame bulge or flatten at the same time from com-
pression or expansion of the frame, the lugs will remain solidly fixed in their holes
without any turning movement, whereby a perfect metallic contact by the lugs
is maintained and wear of the lugs is prevented. This latter feature will ensure
long life to the bond with a minimum of inspection and readjustment. The
bond is flat and is covered by the fish plates 9, of the joint, after being secured in
position. The metal of the heads extends along the portions of the side members
nearest the heads, thereby forming re-inforces, 7, between the side members and
re-inforces, 8, at the outsides of the same.

page_text: The bonds are preferably manufactured by coiling flattened copper wire, with
the flat sides of the wire bearing against each other, until a sufficient number of
wires are provided in the side members of the frame to provide the required current
carrying capacity. The coil is now stretched or flattened edgewise,, until an oblong
frame is produced having slightly arched or nearly flat sides. This frame is then
placed in a mold having cavities for the formation of the heads and lugs and into
which cavities the doubled ends of the frame project. The heads and lugs are
now cast upon said doubled ends, the metal of the heads forming a weld with
the wires, whereupon the heads and lugs are preferably finished by drop
forging.
The re-inforces at the portions of the wires at the joints with the heads prevent
motion of the wires at such joints, and thus prevent the wire from breaking at
those points. The re-inforces will distribute the motion of the wires during ex-
pansion and contraction of the bond over the entire side members of the frame.
The doubled ends of the wires are indicated by dotted lines in Figs. III and IV
of the drawings. The wires will not show in the heads. in the actual bond,
when a section is made through the head, having become completely and homo-
geneously united with the metal of the heads; but they are indicated in the
drawings to illustrate the shape of the wire frame and the position of the ends
of the frame in the heads.
In the form of bond illustrated in Fig. V, one side of the frame is dispensed
with, and the bond is given more or less of an horse-shoe shape. Otherwise, the
construction and operation is the same as in the herein-before described form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. An electric rail bond, substantially as above described and illustrated in
the drawings.
2. An electric rail bond, consisting of an oblong frame having its side members
composed of flattened wires placed with their flat sides bearing against one another,
and of terminal heads and lugs cast upon the ends of said frame, substantially
as set forth.
3. An electric rail bond,, consisting of an oblong frame formed from a laterally
compressed coil of flat wire coiled to have its flat sides bearing against each other,
and of terminal heads and lugs cast upon the double ends of said frame,
substantially as set forth.
4. An electric rail bond, consisting of an oblong frame having its side members
composed of flattened wires placed with their flat sides bearing against one another
and of terminal heads and lugs cast upon the ends of said frame and having re-
inforces projecting between and on the outsides of the side members of the frame
at their points of joining said heads, substantially as set forth.
5. An electric rail bond, consisting of an oblong frame formed from a laterally
compressed coil of flat wire coiled to have its flat sides bearing against each other,
and of terminal heads and lugs cast upon the doubled ends of said frame, and
having re-inforces projecting between and on the outsides of the side members
of the frame at their points of joining said heads, substantially as set forth.
6. An electric rail bond, consisting of an oblong frame having its side members
composed of flattened wires placed with their flat sides bearing against one another,
and of terminal heads and lugs cast-welded upon the ends of said frame, sub-
stantially as set forth.
7. An electric rail bond, consisting of an oblong frame formed from a laterally
compressed coil of flat wire coiled to have its flat sides bearing against each other,
and of terminal heads and lugs cast-welded upon the doubled ends of said frame,
substantially as set forth.
8. The improved method of making metallic electrical connection, which

page_text: consists in securing one element by casting it to or upon the other element,
substantially as set forth.
9. An improved metallic electrical connection, which consists of a wire element
having a body element cast-welded upon its end, substantially as set forth.
Dated this Tenth day of April 1897.
WILLIAM BINGHAM CLEVELAND,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.