Railway Curve Rail.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1892-Accepted, 30th July, 1892
CUMI DI DI MUIFICATION.
Railway Curve Rail.
I, JAMES GRANT JORDAN, Gentleman, of Des Moines, in the County of Polk,
State of Iowa, U.S.A.. 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:—
The object of my invention is to be found in the provision of means for overcoming
the friction between the flange of the car wheel and the outer rail of the curve, and
to obviate the binding or grinding effect of the car wheels running on the inner or
short curve rail, occasioned by the centrifugal tendency of the cars.
My invention consists in the combination with a railway curve rail, of rollers
arranged longitudinally of and journaled in the tread of said rail, the path of rotation
of raid rollers being in a direction transversely of the said rail.
My invention consists further in the combination with a curved rail and elongated
rollers journaled in the tread of said rail, the path of rotation of which rollers is
transversely of said rail, of a series of keepers detachably connected to the rail, by
means of which the said rollers may be securely held in position.
My invention consists further in the construction of a curve rail horizontally
separated into two sections and adapted to be joined and held together, elongated
rollers inserted in the lower section and projecting flush with the top of the upper
section, said rollers being disposed longitudinally relatively to the rail, and a guard
rail formed integral with the said lower section.
My invention consists further in the combination with a curve rail, horizontally
separated into two sections adapted to be joined and held together, rollers journaled
in the lower section longitudinally parallel therewith, said rollers being held in place
by the upper rail section.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a curve rail.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of rail.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of rail.
Figure 5 is an enlarged side view of one of the rollers.
In the construction of the device as shown, A designates the lower section of the
rail provided with flanges at its base, a guard rail B is formed integral with the
section A on the outer curved side thereof, and projects a little above the top of
the completed rail.
A face rail C is formed integral with that side of the section A adjacent to the
guard rail B, and projects above the top of said section nearly to the plane of the
top of the completed rail.
Annular recesses are formed in the section A, in which rollers D are inserted and
revolve. Journal bearings are formed at either end of the recesses, in which the
journals of the rollers D are supported. The adjacent ends of the meeting
journals F are respectively concave and convex, one fitting within the other, thus
establishing a closer intimacy between the rollers.
A flange H is formed integral with, and projects horizontally outwardly from, the
section A, on the inner curved side thereof.
An upper section or keepers J are secured to the lower section A by means of
bolts Kand L.
A flange M is formed integral with, and projects horizontally outwardly from, the
section on the inner curved side thereof, which flange coincides with the flange H
and is secured thereto by means of the bolts K.
If desired the keeper J may be formed in a series of sections, each being secured
to the rail A, and covering and forming the upper half of the bearing box for the
journals.F.

page_text: Notches N are formed in the section J coinciding with the aforesaid recesses, and
journal bearings are formed on either end of the said notches, which journal bearings.
form the upper portion of the boxes within which the journals F are confined and
rotated.
It will be seen that a solid portion of the section J is disposed above the
journals F, which solid portion together with the rollers present a continuous and
unbroken surface to the tread of the car wheel.
In Figures 2 and 4 chairs O are provided, adapted to rest on the cross ties of the
railway, which chairs have formed in their upper portion a dove-tailed slot, into
which is fitted a dove-tailed tenon P, formed integral with and projecting below. the
section A. of the rail.
Heretofore it has been found impossible to so construct curved rails as to over-
come the tendency of the advancing cars to crowd the outer rail of the track, by
reason of the centrifugal force, thereby creating friction between the flanges of the
outer car wheels and the outer track rail, and also between the flanges of the inner
car wheel and the guard rail on the inner track rail, by reason of this crowding and
consequent friction abnormally wearing the tread of the rail, and the flanges and
treads of the car wheels, causing the trucks of the car to get out of square," and in
a case where the trucks support and carry power transmitting gearing displacing
the alignment of said gearing.
My invention overcomes this crowding of the outer rail and consequent friction
by the disposition of the rollers, adapted to rotate transversely of the rail, in the
path of the advancing car wheels, so that when the treads of the wheels encounter
the rollers in the advancement of the car around a curve the car will be moved
laterally relatively to the curve and toward the inner rail, providing a constant
separation between the rails and the flanges of the wheels. By this means the
wheels are caused to travel smoothly around the curve, the jerking, intermittent
motion resulting from the common construction of the rail being entirely over-
come.
Heretofore it has been found necessary to apply a lubricant to those portions of
the rails engaged by the wheel flanges, to reduce the friction resulting from such
contacts, thus rendering necessary the expenditure of considerable labor and a great
waste of lubricating material, but in my invention the waste of lubricating material
is avoided, and less labor is required in the care of the rail, since the roller lubricant
need not be applied so frequently nor in such large quantities as formerly.
By the use of my improved device the ordinary, constant, and usual flattening
and brooming of the inner edge of the inner curved rail is overcome, thus lengthening
the life of the rail.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a railway curve rail, the combination with the tread of the rail, of rollers
journaled in said rail.
2. In a railway curve rail, the combination with the tread of the rail, of rollers
arranged longitudinally of and journaled in said rail, the rotary path of which
rollers is in a transverse plane of the rail.
3. In a railway curve rail, the combination with a rail horizontally divided into two
sections, of a guard rail formed integrally with one of said sections, and elongated
rollers journaled between said sections and projecting through slots in the top
section longitudinally of said rail.
4. The combination in a railway curve rail, of rollers journaled beneath the tread of
said rail, the adjacent meeting ends of the journals of said rollers being respectively
convex and, concave, one fitting within the other, and means for holding said rollers
in position.
5. The combination with a railway curve rail horizontally divided into two sections
and means for connecting the same, of rollers journaled between the sections and

page_text: extending upwardly through slots in the upper section, their peripheries being in the
plane of the tread of the rail, said rollers rotating on a fixed axis in a direction
transversely of said rail.
6. The combination in a railway curve rail, of a rail having rollers arranged longi-
tudinally of and journaled in the tread thereof, and a face rail disposed between said
rollers and the path of advancement of the wheel flanges, whereby said follers are
guarded against injury by said flanges.
7. The combination in a railway curved rail, of a rail formed in two sections, a guard
rail formed integral with one of said sections, rollers arranged longitudinally of and
journaled between said sections and projecting upward flush with the top of the
upper section, a face rail formed integrally with one section, and projecting
upwardly between the guard rail and the rollers, and means for joining the said
'sections.
Did this out 1 of M 1000
JAMES GRANT JORDAN,
Applicant.
Robt. Ed. Phillips, M.I.M.E.,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Filing Agent.