Improvements in Rail Joints, and in Securing Rails to Sleepers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Cate of Application, 22nd Sept., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rail Joints, and in Securing Rails to Sleepers.
I, JAMES MORRILL SPAULDING, of No. 150 Gifford Street, in the City of Syracuse,
County of Onondaga, and State of New York, United States of America, Insurance
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail-fasteners,
and has for its object the production of a strong, durable, and simple device, for
easily, quickly and adjustably securing a rail to a tie without necessitating the use
of bolts, screws or any of the devices commonly used for this purpose; and, to
this end it consists, essentially, in the peculiar construction and novel combination,
arrangement and adaptation of the railway-tie and the clamping devices, all as
hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims. In describing this
invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this
specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is an isometric view of portions of a railway-tie, rail-fastening devices
embodying this invention, and a rail operatively secured to the tie.
Figure 2 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, taken on line 2-2, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section, partly in elevation, taken on line 3-3, Figure 2.
Figures 4 and 5 are isometric views of the detached clamping devices for securing
the rail to the tie.
Figure 6 is an isometric view of one end of a detached tie; and
Figures 7 and 8 are isometric views of a fish-plate for securing together the
adjacent ends of separate sections of the rails.
A represents a tie; B B suitable rails, and C D clamping devices for securing
the rails to the ties. The tie A is preferably T shaped in cross section and consists
of a base portion a, an upright web a' and a top portion a* formed somewhat
thicker than the web a¹ and provided with a flat upper face. The top portion a³
is formed with integral lugs as projecting upwardly from its opposite ends';
longitudinally arranged sockets a' of greater length than width extending down-
wardly from its upper face and arranged at the inner sides of the lugs a in
proximity thereto; transverse slots a communicating with the sockets a;
suitable cut-outs or grooves a extending from the side edges of said top portion
of the web a¹.
and
The rails B B are of the usual construction with beveled bases, and are preferably
composed of separate sections arranged end to end and secured together by suitable
fish-plates B' presently described. The clamping device C is provided with a central
opening c corresponding in size and form with the cross section of the top portion a³
of the tie A, and an opening c¹ of a width which will permit the ready passage of
said clamping device over the web of the tie at the cut-outs or grooves a. The
opposite extremities of said clamping device C are formed, respectively, with a
shoulder and an extension c which engage the top of the corresponding lug a
and the adjacent side of the rail-base; and the end face of said clamping device
is normally separated from the inner face of the lug a³ by a washer C which may
be omitted if desired.
The clamping device D rests upon the top face of the tie A above the socket a*,
and one extremity thereof is provided with an extension d which engages the
adjacent part of the rail-base. The under face of the clamping device D is provided

page_text: with a depending arm that projects into the socket a* and is movable lengthwise
therein by a key E, which is arranged in the transverse slot a³ and secures said
clamping device in operative position. The lower end of the arm d' is provided
with shoulders d projecting from its opposite sides, and the key E is preferably
formed with an inclined bifurcation or slot e extending inwardly from one of its
end edges for receiving the arm d', and with projections or arms e' e for engaging
the upper faces of the shoulders d. The free ends of the projections e¹ e extend
beyond the slot a' and are bent laterally for forming shoulders to engage the
adjacent face of the tie A and prevent removal of the key E.
a
The fish-plate, previously mentioned, preferably consists of a main body B' and
clamping piece B. The main body B' is usually provided at one edge with an
integral lengthwise extension b for engaging one side of the rail base, and at its
opposite edge with a lengthwise groove b' arranged beneath the opposite side of the
rail base and projecting laterally therefrom. Said main body B₁ of the fish-plate
is also provided with a shoulder 6', which is formed with a transverse groove or
cut-out 6, and is arranged above the laterally projecting portion or outer side of
the groove 6 with its top face disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane
as the face of the fish-plate engaged with the bottom face of the rail-base. The
clamping piece B2 is normally arranged in the groove b' and one side thereof
engages the shoulder and its opposite edge projects upwardly above the groove
and is formed with an extension having a groove for receiving the adjacent side
of the rail-base. Removal of the clamping piece B' is prevented by a laterally
extending lug 6 secured thereto and normally arranged in the groove or cut-out 6,
and depending lugs projecting from the opposite ends of said clamping piece and
engaged with the end faces of the main body B¹ of the fish-plate.
In securing the rail to the tie, the clamping device C is first passed over the
web of the tie at one of the cut-outs or grooves a and is engaged with the lug a³,
the rail B is afterwards moved along the upper face of the tie until the outer edge
of its base-portion is beneath the extension, and the clamping device D is passed
over the web of the tie and moved along the same until it assumes its operative
position. The key E is then inserted within the slot a to its operative position
and the extremities of its projections or arms ele are bent downwardly, whereupon
the rail is firmly secured to the tie and the key E cannot be withdrawn for
permitting detachment of the rail unless the ends of the projections or arms ele
are reversely bent into a horizontal plane. In securing the fish-plates in position,
the main body-portions thereof readily slide into operative position beneath the
adjacent ends of the rail to be united by said fish-plates, and the clamping pieces B
are engaged with the adjacent sides of the rail-bases and are driven longitudinally
to the desired position within the grooves bl; whereupon said clamping pieces are
held in position by the downward bending of the lugs 66.
The operation of this invention will now be readily understood upon reference to
the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing, and it will be particularly
.noted that by the constructions above described the use of bolts is entirely avoided
and the rails, are at all times securely held against the possibility of accidental
.displacement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1: The combination of a railway-tie A having a socket a extending downwardly
..from its upper face, a clamping device D engaged with the rail and the tie and
provided with a depending arm d' extending into the socket a' and having an engaging
shoulder, and a key E engaged with the tie A and the shoulder for holding the
clamping device in position, said key being provided with a bifurcation or slot e for
receiving the arm d', substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The combination of a railway-tie A having a socket a extending downwardly
from its upper face, a clamping device D engaged with the rail and the tie and

page_text: provided with a depending arm d' extending into the socket a' and having an engaging
shoulder d, and a key E engaged with the tie A and the shoulder d for holding the
clamping device in position, said key being provided with a bifurcation or slot e for
receiving the arm d, and a laterally extending shoulder e for normally engaging the
tie A and preventing removal of the key, substantially as and for the purpose-
specified.
3. The combination of a railway-tie A having a socket a extending downwardly
from its upper face, and a transverse slot a communicating with the socket a', a
clamping device D engaged with the rail and the tie and provided with a depending
arm dextending into the socket at and having engaging shoulders projecting
from opposite sides of its lower extremity, and a key E arranged in the slot a and
provided with an inclined bifurcation or slot e for receiving the arm d¹, and projections
or arms el e on opposite sides of the arm d' engaged with the shoulders d², the outer
ends of the projections or arms ele being provided with lateral shoulders e engaged
with the side of the tie A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination with railway-ties A, and means for securing rail-sections to said
ties; of a fish-plate for uniting adjacent rail-sections, said fish-plate comprising a main
body B¹ having one edge provided with an integral lengthwise extension or shoulder b
for engaging one side of the rail-base and its opposite edge provided with a lengthwise
groove b¹ and a shoulder 62, and a clamping piece B' arranged in the groove b' and
having one side engaged with the shoulder and its opposite side extending upwardly
above the shoulder 6 and engaged with the rail-base, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 8th day of September 1896.
JAMES MORRILL SPAULDING.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.