Improvements in Rail Joint Supports.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 30th Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rail Joint Supports.
We, WOODLEY BRUGLER, Carpenter of Columbia, in the County of Warren,
State of New Jersey and JOHN IRVIN MILLER, Lime Manufacturer of Portland,
in the County of Northampton, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
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:
The object of the invention is to so construct a support for rail joints, that the
rails at that point will be supported throughout the entire stretch between the
sleepers or ties, and in a uniform and efficient manner, the support being such
that one rail can not be driven below the level of the other. Under this con-
struction, which is simple, durable and economic, and applicable to any rail, the
ends of the rails will be prevented from becoming battered, the expense of raising
the rails at the ends will be obviated and the wheels of the rolling stock will not
be subjected to the present wear.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in both the Figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint, illustrating the application of the
improvement thereto; and
Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
The sleepers A are of the usual construction, the rails B may be of the ordinary
character, and the joint may be formed in any approved manner, but the fish
piates C that are ordinarily employed are of the angled type, resting against the
web of the rail and upon its flange. The rails and the fish plates are supported
upon a bearing plate 10. This plate extends from one tie A to the other beneath
the joint, and is preferably of such a width as to extend a slight distance beyond
the outer side edges of the lower portions of the fish plates C, as illustrated in
Figure 2. The same spikes 12 which are used to hold the fish plate and rails in
position are also employed to hold the bearing plate 10 fast on the ties, the spikes
passing through slots 11 in the bearing plate, registering with those in the fish
plate, as illustrated.
In order that the bearing plate shall have perfect support between the ties, an
arch D is provided, having upwardly extending end plates 13 integral with its
end portions, which end plates have bearing against the sides of the ties, as shown
in Figure 1. The central portion of the arch D bears directly against the central
portion of the bearing plate. The end members 13 of the arch also bear against
the under surface of the bearing plate 10, and the space between the crown of
the arch and the end members 13 is usually closed, or practically so, by panels 14,
which likewise bear against the under face of the bearing plate. The arch is
prevented from spreading under pressure, no matter how great, and the ties are

page_text: prevented from being spread apart by any spreading of the arch, through the
medium of a cross bar 15, which connects the end portions of the arch at the
bottom, as shown in both of the Figures.
It is obvious that under such a construction the rails may be laid and supported
in such manner as to form a continuous even tread surface, and that the end of
one rail at the joint can not possibly be forced below the level of the end of an
abutting rail; consequently, there will be no pounding at the joints, the rolling
stock may pass over the rails without discomfort to the passengers, and the
rolling stock will be preserved against the frequent shocks it now sustains under
the old system of laying rails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination in a rail joint, of the ties, the rails, the bearing plate resting
on the ties and engaging the rail bases both at the ties and between them, and an
arch located between the ties and engaging the lower surface of the bearing
plate, said arch having its support exclusively upon the ground, and engaging the
ties with its ends to hold it against longitudinal movement, substantially as
described.
2. In a railway rail joint, the combination, with the rails and the fish plates,
of a bearing plate located under the rails at their joints and under the fish plates,
ties supporting the bearing plate, and an arch having bearing against the ties
and likewise engaging with the bearing plate between the ties, substantially as
shown and described.
3. The combination, with abutting railway rails, a connecting plate for the
joint of the rails, and ties adapted to support the rails, of a bearing plate inter-
posed between the ties and the bottom of the rails and their connecting plates,
an arch located between the ties, having a centre and upper end engagement
with the bottom of the bearing plate, and a connection between the lower end
portions of the arch, as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination, with abutting railway rails, their fish plates, and ties
supporting the rails and their fish plates, of a bearing plate located between the
ties and the rails and their fish plates, having engagement with all of said objects,
a supporting arch located between the ties, having upright end sections engaging
with the ties, panels between the crown and end sections of the arch, engaging in
connection with the crown of the arch with the under face of the bearing plate,
and a tie bar connecting the lower.end portions of the arch, as and for the purpose
specified.
+
1003
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London.
Chartered Patent Agents,