Year: 1888

page_text: We, FREDERICK STITZEL and ('HARLES WEINEDEL of 913 F Street, Washington,
D. C. United States of America, Manufacturers, 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:-
Our invention relates to an improvement in electrical connectors and more particularly
to such as are used in electrically connecting sections of a railroad track.
The object of our present invention is to provide a simple and cheap means for
insuring electrical connection between sections of railroad rails.
A further object is to so construct the device that the wire which connects the two
sections of the rail, shall be secured tightly to the rail and insure perfect electrical
connection between said sections.
With these objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of con-
struction and peculiar combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter
set forth and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a
having my improved connector applied thereto.
a portion of the rail and the connecting device.
in securing the device to the rails.
view of two sections of a railroad rail
Figure 2 is a cross section through
Figure 3 is a view of the tool used
a¹
A indicates an ordinary railroad rail and B the flange thereof. Perforations
are made through the base or flange B, preferably about one and a half feet at each
side of the meeting point of the rails, and may be conical or straight as desired.
Inserted into one of the perforations a of the flange, is a conical collar or sleeve C
of brass or other suitable material, a portion of which is allowed to project somewhat
above the upper surface of the flange and extend below the bottom thereof. This
collar may be made conical throughout its entire length or only at one end thereof, as
desired.
A conducting wire D (preferably of copper) is passed through the collar or sleeve C
from beneath the flange and allowed to project slightly above the collar, as shown
a, figure 1.
at
A tool E having a recess c in one end of a size to receive the protruding end of the
wire D, is placed over said protruding end of the wire so that that portion of the tool

page_text: which surrounds the recess will bear upon the upper extremity of the collar. By
striking the tool E with a hammer or similar instrument the conical collar or sleevo Č
is forced further through its perforation in the rail flange and made to firmly bind
the walls of said perforation and insure perfect contact therewith. This operation
will also cause the collar or sleeve C to tightly hug or bind the wire passing through
it, and not only prevent its accidental detachment but make more positive and
certain its electrical contact with said wire. The projecting portion of the collar
and wire may now he struck with a suitable tool and flattened to produce a head 6
as shown in figure 1, thus making the attachment of the wire to the rail, still more
certain.
One end of the connecting wire being secured to the rail flange as above explained,
is preferably bent slightly outwardly therefrom and then parallel therewith until the
perforation a' in the flange of the adjoining rail section is reached, when it is hent
under said flange and inserted through a collar ( in this perforation and secured in tho
manner above set forth.
It is evident that the perforations in the rail flange may be made conical and tho
collars (straight, so that when the collars are forced through the perforations they
will adapt themselves to the shape of the perforations; or the perforations inay he
made straight and the collars conical, or if desired both collars anil perforations may
be made conical.
It is manifest that slight changes in the constructive details of our invention might
be resorted to without limiting its scope hence we do not wish to limit ourselves to
the exact details of construction herein described, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. In an electrical connection, the combination with two sections of railroad rail,
each of which is provided with a perforation, of collars, each having a central opening
for the reception of one end of a wire, and adapted to closely fit within the perforation
in the track section, and a wire passing through both collars and secured thereto,
substantially as set forth.
2. In an electrical connector, the combination with two sections of a railroad rail
each of which is provided with a tapering opening, of the collars shaped externally to
closely fit within said openings and a wire the ends of which are secured within
openings formed in said collars, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 96th day of luns 1000
Dated this 26th day of Luna 1000
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents to Applicants.