Improvements in Railroad Rail Joints.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1895-4ccepted, 13th Apr., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railroad Rail Joints.
We, MARTIN HUBBELL, of Mount Kisco, in the County of Westchester and
State of New York, United States of America, Farmer, and ARTHUR CLAYTON
SEARLES, of 59 West 62nd Street New York City, County and State of New York,
United States of America, Druggist, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the views shown.
Figure 1 is a side view of two track rail portions at adjoining ends, an angle
plate that serves as a fish plate for said rails, and features of the improvement
applied thereto, taken opposite the arrow 1 in Figure 3.
Figure 2 is a plan view of two track rail portions at their jointed connection, two
similar angle plates used to connect the rails, and the improved securing devices
applied to clamp the angle plates on the webs and bases of the rails.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the track rail, angle plates and the
improved securing device together with a base plate employed to clamp two rails
at their joint, the line of section being indicated at 3-3 in Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a transverse sectional view of the improvement applied to
track rails and two ordinary fish plates, to form a clamped joint between adjacent
ends of the rails, a modified form of the base plate being also shown.
Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view in part, of a track rail and of the base
plate represented in Figure 4, the line of section being taken at a point where
opposite notches are cut in the base plate for the introduction of parts of the
securing devices; and
Figure 6 is a detached side view of the improved clamping bolt, which is a main
feature of the invention.
In the drawings, 10 indicates the railroad track rails that are to be connected at
Below
adjacent ends by the improvement, and thus held in alignment for service.
the rails at their points of connection, the base plates 11 or 12 are introduced in
contact with said rails, the plates being located on the cross ties (not shown) so as
to afford a reliable support for the rail ends thereon.
When there are angle plates such as 13, employed to clamp and hold the ends of
the track rails aligned, base plates 11, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, are employed
in conjunction with said parts, these plates being flat metallic slabs of a suitable
length, and of such proportionate width that their side edges will slightly project
outside of the similar edges of the track rails.
The angle plates 13 are used in pairs, and each consists of a metal piece that is
of a sufficient length to permit the pair to embrace a proper extent of the rail bodies
at and near their ends, the shape of said angle plates in cross section adapting the
pair to have contact with the webs of aligned rails, and also with their base flanges
on top and along side edges, as indicated in Figure 3. The angle plates at each
joint of adjacent track rails, are held in a clamped condition on the latter, by the
bolts 14, which pass through opposite perforations in the plates and rail-webs, and
have one end of each engaged by a screw nut 15, a cross pin 16 being preferably

page_text: .
employed for the retention of the nuts from displacement, these pins being inserted
in transverse perforations in the bolts as usual.
As shown, there are four bolts 14, provided for each pair of angle plates 13, but
it is optional as to the employment of this number, as two bolts will serve to
reliably retain the pair of angle plates in a securely clamped condition.
At a correct distance from the near ends of two track rails that are to be
connected, the side edges of the base plate 11 that supports said rails at their ends,
are oppositely and rectangularly notched at two points directly below two of the
clamping bolts 14, said notches being given a sufficient width to allow the depending
limbs of the clamping plates 17, to be entered within them, and have a loose
contact with the shoulders they form in the base plate edges and also to receive the
heads of clamping hook bolts. The clamping plates 17 are of a like form in all
the views, and each comprises a metal bar that is of even thickness and parallel
on the edges.
The body of each clamping piece 17 is bent into such a shape as will permit it to
closely fit against the outer surface of an angle plate 13, and as clearly shown in
Figure 3 the clamping plate is perforated to receive one of the bolts 14, the nut
on which is caused to press the plate 17 against the angle plate it has contact with,
when adjusted to effect such a result.
There is a
depending portion formed on the clamping plates 17 which projects
below the base plate 11, sufficiently to permit said plate to be perforated for the
reception of a bolt.
An important feature of the present invention, consists in the peculiar formation
of the hook bolts 18, that are provided to secure the angle plates 13 and base-
plate 11, oppositely on the base flanges of the track rails 10, as shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 3. Each of the said hook bolts 18 consists of a rectangular body
portion, whereon an integral hook shaped head 19, is formed that is fashioned so
as to have a close bearing on the flat surface of one of the angle plates 13, when
the bolts are used in connection with the angle plates mentioned.
The body of each bolt 18 is proportioned in length so as to project its reduced
threaded portion beyond the perforated clamping plates 17 that it passes through,
and as shown in Figure 2 the heads 19 of the bolts 18 are entered in notches of
the base plate 11, so as to impinge properly on the angle plates, and be retained in
place by an engagement with shoulders produced by the notches.
On the projecting threaded end portions of the hook bolts 18, nuts 15 are placed,
which are prevented from displacement by cross pins 16, or keys of ordinary form.
It will be seen that when the bolts 18 and their nuts are properly placed and
adjusted, the lower portions of the angle plates 13, will be closely drawn on the
base-flanges of the rails 10, and the latter firmly secured on the base plate 11, the
rails being otherwise secured in the usual manner on the cross ties, to retain them
in place.
In some cases it may be preferred to employ base plates constructed as indicated
in Figures 4 and 5, said base-plates 12 having upturned flanges 21 formed along
their side-edges, which flanges have a loose bearing on the edges of the base
flanges of the track rails 10, which are thus prevented from side motion if the
base plates 12 are properly affixed on the cross ties of the road.
The base plates 12 are preferably used in conjunction with the ordinary fish
plates 22, that serve to laterally clamp the webs of adjacent track rails at their
joints, when bolts 14 are employed to secure them in position as indicated in
Figure 4.
The clamping plates 17, and hook bolts 18, are used along with the fish plates 22
and base plates 12, to produce a strong, reliable and inexpensive rail joint.
It is claimed that the rail joints produced by the particular construction of parts
herein described, will prevent lateral deviation of the rails, in a superior manner,
..will be measurably elastic, and maintain the top surfaces of the rails in the same
plane, so as to obviate percussion that results when the rail heads are not in correct
alignment, and are traversed by the rolling stock of the railroad.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare, that what we
claim is:
1. In a rail joint the combination with track-rails, and a base plate notched on
the edges and supporting said rails at a joint, of two fish plates, clamping plates
adapted to impinge the side of one of the fish plates and loosely pass through the
notches of the base plate, bolts passing through aligned holes in the rails webs, fish
plates and clamping plates, and binding said parts together, and hook headed bolts
that bind the base plate on the rails, substantially as described.
2. In a rail joint, the combination with a pair of rails, elongated plates bearing
on the rail webs, angularly bent clamping plates, perforated near their upper and
lower ends, and bolts arranged to bind the clamping plates, elongated plates and
rail webs together, of a base plate whereon the rail ends are seated, and hook
headed screw bolts hooking with their heads over the rails and base plates passing
through perforations near the lower part of the clamping plates and adapted to
bind the clamping plates, rails; and base plate together, substantially as described.
3. In a rail joint the combination with a pair of rails, angle plates, transverse
bolts binding the angle plates on the rail webs and against the edges of the rails
bases, and clamping plates also engaged at their upper ends by said bolts, of a base
plate whereon the rails ends are seated, and hook headed bolts adapted to bind
the clamping plates, angle plates, rails and base plate together, substantially as
described.
4. A railroad rail joint having elongated side bearing plates at adjacent ends,
transverse bolts passing through said plates and the rail webs, and angularly bent
depending clamping plates bound at their upper ends on the elongated plates, the
base plate having upturned flanges at its edges, engaging the side edges of the rail
bases, and hook headed screw bolts arranged to bind the lower ends of the clamping
plates on the elongated plates, and hold the rail bases on the flanged base plate,
substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of February 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.