Year: 1898

page_text: I, EDWARD WILLIAM COUGHLIN, Manufacturer, residing at 1327, North Stricker
Street, in the City of Baltimore and State of Maryland, United States of America,
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 railway switches, and more particularly to a frog of
improved construction.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a frog adapted for
switching across an unbroken main line rail.
The characteristic features of the invention will be fully described herein-
after, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended.
claims.
In the drawings
-
Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved frog in connection with one rail of
the main line, and the sections of a stock rail.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the base section of the frog.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of said base section.
Figures 4 and 5, are, respectively, a plan, and a side elevation of the swing
section of the frog.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are, respectively, transverse sections on the lines 6-6; 7-7
and 8-8 of Figure 1.
Referring now particularly to Figures 2 and 3, the numeral 1 indicates the
base plate of the frog which is located below and extends beyond the main line
rail A (at either side of the latter) the ties being recessed to permit the upper face
of the base plate to rest in plane with the under face of the base of the main line
rail. Secured to one end of the base plate 1 is a clamp 2 adapted to embrace the
adjacent end of the stock rail B.

page_text: 4 indicates a bracket or hinge plate securely rivetted to the base plate 1 and
projecting laterally therefrom and formed with a boss 5. This plate 4 is also pro-
vided with a hook 6 which extends upwardly to engage the flange of the swing
section of the frog when the latter is in the position shown in Figure 1. The
hinge plate 4 is also provided with an extension 7 provided with oppositely dis-
posed hooks 8 which engage the flange of the rail B. The extension 7 is cut away
or bevelled at the points 9 to prevent any accumulation of dirt at these points from
clogging the pivotal movement of the swing section.
10 designates a raising plate secured to the plate 1,-and adapted to support the
swing section when the latter is in use, and 11 is a second raising plate secured to
the plate 1 and extending laterally beyond said plate 1 sufficiently to support the
swing section in either of its positions. This raising plate 11 is of L-shape
approximately, and its inner edge 12 is preferably undercut or bevelled to permit
it to overlap the flange of the main line rail A, thus preventing any vertical
separation of said rail and the base plate as illustrated in Figure 7.
13 designates a seat secured to the base plate, and serving to support the tongue
of the swing section as will be further explained hereinafter. This seat in cross
section approximates the form of a T-rail, to facilitate its attachment to the
adjacent stock rail B by means of fish plates 14, as shown in Figure 3. The seat 13
supports the end of the rail B and is provided with inwardly extending hooks 15
and 16 which engage the flange of the rail B and firmly hold the rail against both
vertical and lateral displacement. The end of the seat 13 is preferably bevelled
to fit the correspondingly bevelled end of the rail B and thus form a mitre
joint.
This form of joint avoids the "pounding" incident to the use of rail sections
having straight abutting ends.
A rib 17 projects laterally from a seat, to enter the hollow of the rail A and
prevent vertical separation of the rail and base plate.
The swing section of the frog (best shown in Figures 4 and 5) is preferably
constructed from a section of a T-rail, and comprises a body portion 18 and a
tongue 19. The tongue is formed by severing the web and flange of the rail
section from the head thereof, for a portion of its length. This severing cut is
preferably made slightly inclined so as to graduate the thickness of the
tongue, the thinnest portion being at the end which overlaps the main line
rail A.
The cut which severs the web and head of the rail section to form a tongue_19,
is continued beyond the point of severance, as indicated at 20 on the line of the under-
surface of the tongue, and terminates in a downward semi-circular cut 21 and a
circular opening 22. The portion 23 of the web and flange thus separated from
the head, is then bent outwardly, as shown in Figure 4, to constitute an inclined stop
to limit the lateral movement of the tongue. This outwardly turned stop 23
is provided with a U-shaped fillet 24 which fits over the web portion thereof, and
is securely bolted thereto, as shown in Figure 6. This fillet, as shown in Figure 6,
serves to support the tongue on the tread or gauge side of the main rail over that
portion of the web and flange which is bent outwardly to form the stop. The
fillet 24 is provided on one side with a lateral projection or rib 25, which enters
the hollow of the main rail A to prevent vertical movement of the swing section
when in use. Upon the opposite side of the fillet is secured a bracket 26 for the
attachment of a rod for operating the swing section. The inner flange of the
swing section is cut away or bevelled at the point 27 to permit the swing section
to lie close against the main rail A. A hinge plate 28 is firmly secured to the end
of the swing section, said plate having a bolt hole 29 to receive the pivot bolt 30
which also extends through a similar bolt hole formed in the hinge plate 4 of the
base section of the frog, and is secured by a nut 31.
The under surface of the hinge plate 28 is countersunk around the bolt hole 29

page_text: to receive the boss 5 of the hinge plate 4. This manner of connecting the two hinge
plates relieves the pivot bolt 30 of lateral strain..
The swing section is provided with a clamp 32 (see Figure 7) which is securely
fastened to the web of the body portion of the section and is of hook and yoke
form to extend around and beneath the base plate 1 to firmly hold the swing section
in place while in use.
The swing section is pivotally secured to the base section, and from the con-
struction above described and illustrated in the drawings, it will be apparent that
when the swing section is in position, overlapping the main rail A, the tongue 19
is not only amply supported at its free end, but is braced both vertically and
laterally, avoiding undue strains and wear on the parts, and affording an effective
means for switching over the continuous, unbroken main line rail.
I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details of
construction shown in the accompanying drawings, but reserve the right to make
all such alterations and modifications as may fall within the scope of the following
claims.
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. A railway frog comprising a base section, and a swing section, the base section
consisting of a base plate, a seat for supporting the tongue of the swing section,
a hinge plate, and a raising plate; and the swing section consisting of a body
portion pivotally secured to the base section, a tongue adapted to overlap the main
rail, and an inclined reinforced stop.
2. The combination with the base plate provided with a seat, of a swing section
pivotally secured to the base plate and comprising a body portion, a tongue, an
inclined stop formed by slitting and bending a portion of said body portion and a
fillet for reinforcing said stop.
3. The combination with the base plate, and its seat and raising plates; of a
hinge plate projecting beyond the base plate at one side and provided at its opposite
side with a hook, and a swing section comprising a body portion pivotally secured
to said hinge plate, a tongue adapted to overlap the main rail, and an inclined
stop.
4. The combination with the base section, of a swing section pivotally secured
thereto and comprising a body portion, a tongue, an inclined stop, a fillet for said
stop, and a clamp adapted to extend under the base section.
5. A swing section for a railway frog, comprising a T-rail having a portion of
its web and flange removed to form a tongue, and longitudinally slitted and bent
to form an inclined stop, and having a portion of one of its flanges longitudinally
inclined.
6. A swing section for a railway frog, comprising a T-rail having a portion of
its web and flange removed to form a tongue, and longitudinally slitted and bent
to form an inclined stop, and having a portion of one of its flanges longitudinally
inclined, in combination with a fillet secured to said stop to support the tongue,
and a hinge plate secured to the web of the rail.
7. A swing section for a railway frog, comprising a T-rail having a portion of
its web and flange removed to form a tongue, and longitudinally slitted and bent
to form an inclined stop, and having a portion of one of its flanges longitudinally
inclined, in combination with a fillet secured to said stop, and provided with a rib
or lateral projection, a clamp secured to the web of the rail, and a bracket or hinge
plate secured to the web and countersunk on its underside.
8. The combination with the base section, and swing section pivotally secured
together, of a seat arranged on the base section and provided with a rib to engage
the main rail, a raising plate undercut at its inner edge to overlap the main rail,
a hinge plate secured to the base section and provided with a hook to engage the

page_text: swing section, and provided with an oppositely bevelled extension having hooks
to engage the adjacent rail end.
Dated this 13th day of Juno 1800
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.