IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF FASTENING RAILS TO SLEEPERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, GEORG SCHWARTZKOPFF, Engineer, residing in Frankfort on the Main, do
hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF
FASTENING RAILS TO SLEEPERS". to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the fastening of rails to sleepers, and its object is to
provide means which allow the rails to be shifted laterally on the sleepers for the
purpose of regulating the width of gauge, as well in the straight portions of a line
of rails as in the curves.
The parts by which the rail and the sleeper are fastened together consist in the
first place of two clamping-plates, one for either flange of the rail. These plates
bear with their outer edge or portion on the sleeper, with their inner edge on the
flanges of the rail, and with an offset, with which they are provided on their
underside, against the edge of the said flanges. The top surface of the clamping-
plates is inclined downward from their inner edge toward the outer one. Upon
each clamping-plate is placed a wedge-shaped piece baving on its underside a toe,
and which I shall therefore call "toe-piece," the said toe projecting through a slit
in the clamping-plate into a hole in the sleeper, and abutting against the outer end
surface of the said hole. Close to the toe of each toe-piece a screw-bolt is passed
through the hole in the sleeper (which for this purpose is made oblong), the slit in
the clamping-plate and the toe-piece. By means of these bolts the toe-pieces and
the clamping-plates are pressed upon each other and the latter upon the flanges
of the rail, so as to hold the rail down upon the sleeper. At the same time the
toe-pieces, by virtue of their wedge form, press the clamping plates with their offset
against the edge of the rail-flanges; and, as they are themselves hindered by
means of their toes from being displaced outwardly, they prevent the clamping-
plates and the rail from shifting laterally. But, when the nuts of the screw-bolts
are slackened, the rail and the clamping-plates may be moved sideward, the screw-
bolts being placed at such distance from each other, and the slits in the clamping
plates being made of sufficient depth or length as to allow of the required move-
ment. In this manner the width of the gauge may be regulated and the rails
secured in any desired position within the given limits..

page_text: The toe of the toe-pieces, which in the foregoing has been supposed to be in the
middle of the outer edge thereof, may, if preferred, be arranged in other suitable
manner. It may for instance be placed at one of the outer corners of the said
piece; or there may be two toes, one on either side, or both on the same side of
the clamping-plate. Besides, the toe-pieces may have rims or flanges projecting
downward and adapted to grasp over the clamping-plates.
At the butts of the rails the clamping-plates may be made in one piece with the
fish-plates connecting the rails together.
A modification of the described arrangement consists in combining with the
aforesaid parts a bearing-plate to be placed under the foot of the rail. This plate
may have at one, or at either lateral edge a projecting rim adapted to serve as
abutment for one of the clamping-plates or for both. Or, the said bearing-plate is
provided on one or on both sides of the rail with a shoulder for the foot of the rail
to bear against; and in this case the upper surface of the portion of the plate
outside of such shoulder may be made inclined, while the corresponding toe-piece
is made use of to clamp the rail without any special clamping-plate.
11 1
11007

page_text: I, GEORG SCHWARTZKOPFF, Engineer, residing in Frankfort on the Main, 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:-
My invention relates to the fastening of rails to sleepers, and its object is to
provide means which allow the rails to be shifted laterally on the sleepers for the
purpose of regulating the width of gauge, as well in the straight portions of a line
of rails as in the curves, the parts for holding down the rails not requiring to be
changed, and the holes in the sleepers being all uniform in size and position.
On the annexed two sheets of drawings Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show respectively in
transverse section, in plan and in side-view, portions of a rail and a sleeper with
the improved fastening-parts, the rail bearing directly upon the sleeper: Figs: 4, 4*,
4b and 4 are a plan, a side view and sections of the part K, Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
Figs. 5, 5, 5 and 5° are different views and a section of the part E of the said
Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 6 is a plan showing the arrangement of the holes in the
sleepers. Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the end of a rail clamped between
fish-plates, the two halves of the figure, which are sections in different planes,
being marked Fig. 7 and Fig 7. Fig 7° is a side-view of the joint of two rails
secured by fish-plates. Fig 8 is a section through the foot of a rail fastened to a
sleeper with the interposition of a base-plate. Figs. 8, 8b and 8° show the said
plate in side-view, in section and in plan. Figs. 9 and and 10 are sectional views
of modifications of the arrangement of Fig. 8, the respective base-plates being
shown separately in section and in plan by Figs. 98, 9, 10° and 10%. Figs. 11, 11º,
11b, 11, 12 and 13 represent modifications of the part E.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 4ª, 4b, 4º, 5, 5º, 5b, 5° and 6, the parts by which the
rail and the sleeper are fastened together consist in the first place of two clamping-
plates K, one for either flange of the rail. These plates bear with their outer
portion on the sleeper, with their inner portion on the flanges of the rail, and with
an offset a against the edges of the said flanges, and their underside is preferably
so formed that they will bear on the sleeper and the rail flanges with their ends
only. The top surface of the clamping-plates is inclined downward from their
inner edge towards the outer one. Upon each clamping-plate is placed a wedge-
shaped piece E having such taper that, when being in its position, its upper surface
will be substantially parallel to the top of the sleeper. The said piece E is provided
on the underside in the middle of its outer edge with a projection or toe, opposite
to which there is a slit in the clamping-plate K, both the toe and the slit being
arranged to correspond with a hole in the sleeper, so that when the parts are put
together, the toe will project through the slit of K into the said hole and abut
against the outer end surface thereof. Close to the toe of each piece E (which
I shall call toe-piece) a screw-bolt is passed through the hole in the sleeper and the
slit of the clamping-plate (both the said hole and the slit being made sufficiently.

page_text: long for this purpose) and through the toe-piece. By means of these bolts and their
nuts the toe-pieces and the clamping-plates are pressed upon each other and the
latter upon the flanges of the rail, so as to hold the rail down upon the sleeper.
At the same time the toe-pieces, by virtue of their wedge-form, press the clamping-
plates with their offset a against the edge of the rail-flanges; and, as they are
themselves hindered by means of their toes from being displaced outwardly, they
prevent the clamping-plates and the rail from shifting laterally. But if the nuts
of the screw bolts are slackened, the rail and the clamping-plates may be moved
sideward, the screw-bolts being placed at such distance from each other, and the
slits in the clamping-plates being made of sufficient depth or length as to allow of
the required movement. In this manner the width of the gauge may be regulated
or varied, and the rails secured in any desired position within the given limits.
If the screw-bolts are made with narrow heads, or heads projecting on two
opposite sides of the bolts only, they may be passed from above through the slits of
the clamping-plates and the oblong holes of the sleeper. For preventing the nuts
of the bolts from becoming loose, the bolts may be provided with spring-washers as
shown in Fig. 8, or with rectangular washer-plates sunk into the toe-pieces and
having a resilient bent-up portion, as represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3, &c., or with other
devices for the same purpose.
:
At the butts of the rails the clamping-plates may be made in one piece with the
fish-plates F, so as to form inclined flanges at the bottom thereof as shown by Fig. 7
(or 7 and 7) and 7°.
A modification of the described arrangement consists in the combination, with
the aforesaid parts, of a bearing or base-plate U, Figs. 8, 8%, 8 and 8°, placed under
the foot of the rail, and having slits for the bolts and the toes of the pieces E to
pass through. This plate may have at one or at either lateral edge a raised rim,
shown in the said figures in dotted lines, except one which is drawn in full lines,
the said rim or rims serving as abutment for one of the clamping-plates or
for both.
According to another modification, the base-plate U is provided on one side, or
on both sides of the rail with a shoulder for the foot of the rail to bear against.
Figs. 9, 9 and 9b show a base-plate of this kind having a shoulder b on one side,
and Figs. 10, 10 and 10° a like plate with shoulders b on both sides. The upper
surface of the portion or portions c of the plate, outside of the shoulder or
shoulders b, is made inclined, and the corresponding toe-piece or pieces are
arranged to bear directly on the portion or portions c and on the flange or flanges
of the rail, so as to clamp the rail without any special clamping-plate.
The shoulders b thus prevent the rail from shifting on the base-plate, while the
toe-pieces, acting on the wedge-shaped base-plate-portions c, prevent the plate and
the rail from being displaced on the sleeper. The said portions c together with the
shoulders b constitute equivalents of the outer parts of the clamping-plates E with
the offsets or shoulders a.
Figs. 11, 11, 11b, and 11° show a toe-piece E of modified form, the same being
provided with two toes, one at each outer corner and with downwardly-directed
flanges adapted to grasp over the clamping-plates. Fig. 12 represents a like piece
with two Banges and a toe at one or at either of the corners of one side, and
Fig. 13 a piece E similar to the foregoing except that it has but one flange.
The described mode of adjustably fastening rails to sleepers may be applied to
sleepers of all kinds and of any material, and in any case base-plates may be used
or not, as may be preferred.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination, with a rail and a sleeper, of the wedge-shaped clamping-
plates K bearing with their ends respectively on the sleeper and the flanges of the

page_text: rail, and with an offset a against the edges of the said flanges, the wedge-shaped
toe-pieces E having one or more toes which project into holes of the sleeper and
abut against the outer sides of the said holes, and screw-bolts passing through the
sleeper, the plates K, and the pieces E, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. The combination, with a rail and a sleeper, of the wedge-shaped clamping-
plates K having the offset a, the wedge-shaped toe pieces E having one or more
toes projecting into the sleeper and provided at one or at either side with a
downwardly-directed flange, and screw-bolts for connecting the said parts, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with a rail and a sleeper, of the wedge-shaped clamping-
plates K, the wedge-shaped toe-pieces E having one or more toes, the base-plates U,
which may have on one or on either side a raised rim, and screw-bolts for con-
necting the parts, as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination, with a rail and a sleeper, of a base-plate U having on one
side a shoulder b and an outer portion c with inclined surface, a toe-piece E bearing
thereon and on the corresponding rail-flange, a clamping-plate K. and a toe-piece E
for the opposite rail-flange, and screw-bolts for connecting the said parts, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore set forth.
5. The combination, with a rail and a sleeper, of a base-plato U having the two
shoulders 6 and outer portions c with inclined surfaces, two toe-pieces E bearing
on the portions c and on the rail-flanges, and screw-bolts, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
6. The combination with two rails and a sleeper, of fish-plates F having at the
bottom inclined flanges with offset a, the toe-pieces E and screw-bolts passing
through the sleeper, the said flanges and the pieces E, as and for the purpose
described.