Improvements in Guard Rails for Railway Lines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application (in 22nd Aug.,
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 19th Jan., 1894
1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Guard Rails for Railway Lines.
I, LEWIS JAMES BAKER of Marietta, in the County of Lac-qui-Parle, and
State of Minnesota, United States of America, Railroad Station Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to guard rails for railway rails more especially adapted for
use on bridges, curves, trestles, etc., and it consists essentially in a guard inclined
inwardly towards the inner face of the head of the rail, so that in the event of the
spreading of the track, or where the wheel rises up on the head of one of the rails,
the flange of the indrawn wheel will come into contact with the end of the guard
rail (which is curved to correspond with the flange of the wheel) so that the wheel
will be held from further lateral displacement and the weight on such wheel will be
shifted from the track to the guard rail, whose inward inclination prevents it from
canting or being bent outwards.
The guard rails are formed with a foot portion which extends outwardly from a
vertical portion and in some cases this foot extends inwards to afford increased
bearing. The vertical portion inclines inwards and its upper end terminates in a
curved portion which is preferably extended outwards and upwards and bolted to a
clamp plate, provision being made at the joint to permit of contraction and expansion
while the foot portions are spiked to the sleeper. The clamp plates bed in recesses
in the upper surface of the sleepers and have a hooked end which laps over the
outer foot portion of the guard rail, while their inner ends incline upwards and
terminate in vertical inclined extensions to which the guard rails are attached.
In some cases the guard can be set away from the rails to a distance sufficient
to allow the wheels to travel between the guard and rail the entire length of &
bridge, should the wheels leave the track.
Dated this 19th day of January 1894.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Guard Rails for Railway Lines.
I, LEWIS JAMES BAKER, of Marietta, in the County of Lac-qui-Parle and
State of Minnesota, United States of America, Railroad Station Agent, 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
5 statement:-
My invention relates to railroad guard rails more especially adapted for use on

page_text: bridges, curves, trestles, etc., and it has for its object to provide a guard rail which
will serve to keep the wheels on the rails in case the track should spread, or a
broken rail should be encountered. With other objects in view all of which will
hereinafter be referred to, the invention consists in the peculiar combination and
novel arrangements of parts, such as will be first described and then specifically
pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved guard rail devices, as arranged
for use.
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view thereof.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the several parts of the guard detached.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of a modified arrangement of the guard.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, A A indicate the track rails, B the
cross ties which in the present construction are formed at suitable intervals with
seat portions b to receive the clamp plates C to which the guard rails proper are
secured. These tie plates it will be noticed have a hook portion c which laps over
the outer foot portions of the rails while their inner ends incline upward as at c
and terminate in vertical inclined extensions c³ ³ to which the guard rails proper F
are attached in a manner presently described, the portions c¹ of such clamp members
being provided with elongated apertures to receive the spikes E.
The guard rails F have a foot portion of which extends outward from the vertically
projected portion f¹. In some cases, to give additional bearing space, such foot
portion may also extend inward, as shewn at fs in Figure 3.
It will be noticed that the guard rails have their vertically-projected portions f
inclined inward and the upper ends terminated in curved portions f³, such curved
portions being preferably extended outward and upward, as shewn in Figures 1
and 2, the members f¹ being bolted to the clamp plate members c³, which have
elongated holes at the joint to permit contraction and expansion, while the foot
portions are spiked to the tie, as shewn.
By referring now more particularly to Figure 1, it will be seen that in case of
spreading of the rails, or where the wheel at one side rides up on the rail, (see
dotted lines Figure 1) the flange of the indrawn wheel will engage the curved end
of the guard rail, the curve of such rail being made to receive such flange, and as
the wheel is thus engaged it will not only be held from further lateral movement
but the weight on such particular wheel will be shifted from the track and be
applied on the guard rail and as such rail is inclined inward from the vertical,
it follows, that it will be held from canting or being bent outward. It being also
readily understood that as the wheel which has mounted the rail is increased in
circumference by the additional one and one-fourth inch flange, will (by being
checked by the guard rail) run back to its proper place on the rail. In this way
the guard rails serve to replace the wheels, when they lose their flange bearing
either through spreading of the track, by tipping or being crowded over, broken
rails, too heavy lateral friction, broken wheel flange, loose wheel, or by high or low
joints of rails which cause wheels to jump rails.
In the practical construction, the guard rail joints are made to break joints with
the rail joints and thereby avoid the necessity of using fish plates, and such
guard rails have their ends curved outward where they terminate, as shewn in
Figure 2.
By providing an inwardly-inclined guard rail with a curved upper end, as shewn,
the weight of the car will serve to hold down the guard and lessen the leverage
and thereby increase the difficulty of the guard to cant over, such guard being
securely held in place by the clamp member C and the weight of the wheel when
the wheel engages with it, making it as it were impossible for the wheels to leave
the track.
In some cases, as for instance on a closely boarded bridge, the guard can be set
away from the T-rails to a distance sufficient to allow the wheels to travel between

page_text: the guard and rail the entire length of bridge, should the wheels leave the track
(see Figure 4).
In placing the clamps C one is used at each joint and one at each quarter-section
of rail F, making four clamps to each rail of thirty feet, it being, however, obvious
that a greater or less number may be employed.
From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the
advantages of my improved guard rail will be readily understood. The peculiar
arrangement and connection with the T-rail make it of such rigidity, that it will
not cant or be bent over by the lateral strain of the inner face or flange of the
wheels. The several parts are of a simple structure, can be cheaply manufactured
and readily assembled for use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A railway rail provided with a guard member inclined inwardly toward
the inner face of the head of the rail, as and for the purposes set forth.
2. A railway rail provided with a guard member inclined inwardly toward the
inner face of the head of the rail and formed with a bearing face at its upper end,
adapted to be engaged by the flange of the wheel as it cants inward, substantially
as and for the purposes described.
3. A guard rail for railways, formed of a vertically disposed member inclined
inwardly, its upper end terminating in a curved bearing face adapted to be engaged
by the flange of the wheel, as and for the purposes set forth.
4. A railway guard rail having its vertical member inclined inwardly toward
the track rail and provided with clamp members extended under the rail and
means for securing such clamps to the tie, all substantially as shewn and
described.
5. A railway guard rail formed of an inwardly inclined member having laterally
projecting foot portions adapted to be secured to the cross-tie, and a clamp
member having an inclined portion secured to the inclined portion of the guard and
a horizontal portion adapted to fit under the track rail and be clamped thereto, all
substantially as shewn and described.
6. A guard rail having its vertical or guard member inclined inward toward
the track rail and formed with a bearing face at the upper end at a point
inside of its vertical axis, said face arranged to form a combined guard and
bearing face for the wheel flange, substantially as and for the purposes described.
7. The combination, with the track rail, of a guard rail having a clamped
connection at its lower end with the tie, its vertical portion being inclined inward
toward the track rail and formed with a bearing face at its upper end, and a clamp
connection between such inclined member and the track rail, as and for the
purposes described.
8. The combination, with the track rail and the tie, of the inwardly inclined
guard rail having a curved bearing face at its upper end and lateral foot like
portions adapted to be secured to the tie, a clamp member having an inclined
portion connected to the inclined member of the guard, and a horizontal portion
fitted under the track rail, its outer end having a clamp lip fitting over the foot of
such rail and means for securing such clamp to the tie, all substantially as shewn
and described.
Dated this