A Railgauge Adjuster with Self-indicating Graduated Gauge Index.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 189:—Accepted, 23rd May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Railgauge Adjuster with Self-indicating Graduated Gauge Index.
We, ARTHUR ALTMANN, Manufacturer, of Rostock, in Mecklenburg, Germany,
and SAMUEL GRAY, Manufacturer, of Cologne, Germany, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present invention has for its object, to adjust the rails of railways to the
correct gauge with absolute accuracy in a convenient manner and by means of an
apparatus which can be easily transported and which can be used by a single
workman.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 a longitudinal elevation
of a rail adjuster embodying the invention, while Fig. 3 is a section along I-I of
Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 a section along line II-II of Fig. 2.
The apparatus chiefly comprises two bars a and b, the near ends or heads of
which are bored out axially and provided with internal screw threads; while the
far ends or tails h, h are provided with external screw threads and with screw nuts;
a right and left hand screw spindle c fitting into the said bored extremities or screw
sockets, so that by turning the said spindle to the right or to the left, the said bars
may be drawn together or forced further apart. The part & carries on one side a
graduated scale d which is guided in a corresponding opening in the head of the
part a. Near their tail ends the parts a and b are provided with cheeks e, e, and
with washers or circular discs g, g secured to the screw threaded ends h, h, by means
of nuts.
The dimensions and arrangement of the different parts are chosen in such a
manner, that, when in use, the cheek e and washer g at each end of the apparatus
will be situated right and left of the rail. If now the scale d shows that the rail
gauge is too wide or too narrow, the parts a and b are drawn together or forced
apart by turning the screw spindle c, until the graduated scale indicates the correct
gauge.
In order, that the distance between the discs g and the cheeks e may be varied
exactly according to the width of the rail heads, the discs 9 are rendered adjustable
in the manner indicated above, by forming screw spindles on the outer ends of the
bars a and b and providing the discs g with corresponding internal screw threads,
so that the rail may be firmly gripped by screwing the discs 9 towards their
respective cheeks e. This adjustment may be effected rapidly by hand without the
use of a key.
To prevent the apparatus from being lifted off the rails, and the rails from being
turned or tilted on their base, we employ a double clamp k which is provided at the
bottom with a lateral projection or a nose n situated immediately underneath the
railhead.
To ensure, that the said projections n may always fit exactly underneath the rail-
heads, the clamp k is rendered vertically adjustable by means of a guide slot 1,
through which passes a pin or bolt m.
For lifting or lowering the clamp k, we employ a screw o which enters a tapped
hole of the cheek e and acts on a cross bar connecting the sides of the clamp at the
lower end thereof, as shown by Fig. 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. A. rail gauge adjuster composed of two bars or halves a and b adapted to grip

page_text: the rail by means of discs 9 and cheeks e or equivalent devices, and a screw
spindle c adapted to draw the said bars together or to force them apart, substantially
as described.
2. A rail gauge adjuster chiefly composed of two halves or bars, one of the said
parts carrying a graduated scale d which is guided by the other part and indicates
the distance between the said parts, substantially as described.
3. In a rail gauge adjuster adapted to grip the rails, a clamp k having a lateral
projection or nose n adapted to grip the underside of the railhead, and rendered
adjustable by means of a screw o, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of April 1891.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicants.