Improvements in and relating to Instruments for Determining the Amount of Elongation and Compression of Railway Rails under Moving Trains.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1898
Improvements in and relating to Instruments for Determining the
Amount of Elongation and Compression of Railway Rails under
Moving Trains.
I, PLIMMON HENRY DUDLEY, of 80, Pine Street, in the Borough of Manhattan,
in the City of New York and State of New York, United States of America, Civil
Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to an instrument for determining the amount of elongation
and compression of railway rails under moving trains, and contemplates mechanical
means for making a record of such elongation and compression.
My invention further contemplates means for making auxiliary records, to be
read in connection with the aforesaid record of the elongation and compression,
said auxiliary records indicating the moments when the rail was under elonga-
tion, and when under compression, clearly distinguishing the one from the other,
and also means for making a record of the instants when the different wheels of
the moving train passed over the section of the rail under test.
My invention further contemplates means for making a record which will
indicate the speed of the train at the time of passing over the section of the rail
under test.
A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying
drawings, in which―
-
Fig. 1 is a plan view, showing the instrument in position for use, and its con-
nection with track treadles for making certain of the records;;
Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the instrument full size;
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same, along the line 5--5 of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a view in detail of a preferred form of scriber; and
Fig. 7 is a view in detail indicating means for multiplying the effect of the
movement of the scriber arm, to enlarge the record.
The frame of the instrument conveniently consists of three bars A, A1, A2, inten-
ded to occupy a position transversely to the rail, and at such a distance apart as
may be determined upon for the purposes in hand.
In the present instance, I have shown the bars A, A, in the full sized draw-
ings, Figs. 4 and 5, spaced such a distance apart as to bring their points of contact
with the base of the rail just one inch apart, and the bars A1, A2, so spaced as to
bring their points of contact with the rail four inches apart, for the purpose of
securing, at the same test, the elongation and compression of a rail section one
inch in length, and the elongation and compression of an adjacent rail section four
inches in length, in order that an average deduction from the two records may
be made, and any possible error thereby reduced to a minimum.
In order to hold the bars A, A1, A2, spaced the proper distance apart while they

page_text: The
are being clamped to the rail, I provide spacing bars B, B1, removably connected
to the ends of the bars A, A1, A2, in any well-known or suitable manner.
bars B, B', are to be removed after the instrument has been adjusted to the rail.
In the plan view, Fig. 1, I have shown the relative spacing of the bars A, A1, A2,
in the ratio of one to two, instead of one to five, as in the full-sized view, Fig. 4,
and I wish it to be understood that this spacing is a matter of choice and con-
venience, rather than of necessity, and furthermore, that a single space between
two of the bars would be sufficient to secure a record, and that the additional
greater or lesser space is provided for, for the sole purpose of correcting possible
error, and not as a necessary feature.
The upper faces of the bars A, A1, A2, are provided with hardened points a for
entering the base of the rail, to hold the bars accurately and securely in their
spaced positions, and clamping screws a¹ working in overhanging arms a are
utilized to force the bearing points a into the base of the rail, by forcing the base
of the rail down onto the points.
Provision may conveniently be made for clamping the instrument to rail bases
of different widths, by making one set of overhanging arms a² adjustable along
the bars, and providing additional points a at suitable intervals, if necessary.
In order to limit the extent to which the points a shall be permitted to enter
the base of the rail, I provide bearing rollers a³ on which the base of the rail will
rest, when the point has been inserted the proper depth, and on which the base of
the rail, beyond the limits of the instrument, will be permitted to travel freely, so
as not to disturb the effect of the elongation and compression of the rail section,
within the limits of the instrument, upon the record-making devices.
To one of the bars, in the present instance to the bar A¹, there is secured a sup-
porting bracket C in which a hollow spindle D has a bearing, the said hollow
spindle D also having a bearing in the bar A¹ through which it extends towards
the bar A. The spindle D is provided with a tapering head d, arranged to receive
an annular plate E, on which the record is, or the several records are, to be made.
The bearings for the spindle D are made as accurate as may be, and so located that
the record-receiving face of the annular plate E may have its uppermost element
of surface at all times in the same horizontal plane with the lower face of the base
of the rail. The record receiving plate E is made removable from the spindle head,
for the purpose of examination, and for the purpose of introducing new record
receiving plates as often as may be required.
It is intended that the spindle D shall rotate continuously during the time the
record is being made, and for the purpose of making the record continuous through-
out a greater distance than simply the circumference of the plate, I provide for
simultaneously rotating the spindle and bodily advancing it, thereby causing the
record line to follow a spiral path along the face of the receiving plate. To this
end the spindle D is provided with a worm wheel F secured thereon by a feather
and groove connection, which worm wheel is driven by a worm f actuated by a
motor shown conveniently at f¹, and connected with the worm f by a shaft f³.
The interior of the hollow spindle D is provided with a fine screw thread d,
which engages an exteriorly screw-threaded stud or core d³, fixed to the bracket C,
and extending along the interior of the spindle D.
As the spindle is turned by the worm wheel, it will be forced bodily forward by
its engagement with the screw-threaded stud d², and hence the record making
needle or scriber, held normally in a fixed position relatively to the record-receiving
plate, will be caused to follow a spiral path along the plate.
A scriber arm G is pivotally secured to a suitable support on the bar A, the
centre of its pivotal connection 9 being in the horizontal plane of the base of the
rail, and extends thence toward the top of the plate E, its free end being provided
with a scriber g', consisting preferably of a semi-circular disc having a stem 93-
fitted to be inserted in a socket in the end of the scriber arm G, and secured therein
in removable adjustment by means of a set screw g³. This structure of the scriber
is advantageous in that it affords a stiff point in contact with the record-receiving

page_text: plate, which point will not be liable to break under the jar of a passing train,
and which may be kept sharp by grinding the edge of the disc.
A second scriber arm G' is in like manner pivoted to the bar A³, and extends
thence over the top of the record-receiving plate E to within a short distance of
the free end of the arm G, its free end, like that of the arm G, being provided with
a scriber for recording the elongation and compression which takes place in the
rail section between the bars A1 and A2. The space between the free ends of the
scriber arms G, G¹, or between the scribers at the ends of said arms, is intended
to be just sufficient to permit the introduction between them of two auxiliary
scribers G2, G3, for the purpose to be hereinafter more fully explained.
Provision is also made for drawing a reference line on the record receiving
plate by means of an arm G* fixed to the bracket C, or bar A¹, as may be found
most convenient, and carrying at its free end a scriber in position to form a con-
tinuous line intermediate of the lines formed by the scribers carried by the
arms G, G.
For the purpose of making a record to show positively which of the abnormal
lines produced by the scribers on the arms G, G', were made when the metal of
the rail was under stress tending to elongate it, and which were made when the rail
was under stress tending to compress it, I provide the scriber arm G2, the scriber
of which is intended to engage the record receiving plate in alignment with the
scribers on the arm G, G¹, and intermediate thereof. The scriber arm G² is
arranged to be swung laterally with respect to the path of the record around the
receiving plate, by means of electro magnets H and H¹, located upon opposite
sides of the scriber arm, the latter being provided on its opposite sides, with
armatures subject to attraction by said magnets.
The electro magnets H and H are in circuit with a battery I, and with a circuit
maker and breaker under the control of one of the scriber arms, in the present.
instance, under the control of the scriber arm G, as follows:-
The circuit maker and breaker consists of a pivoted arm K having a loose con-
nection at one end with a ball stud k on the side of the arm G, and at its opposite
end having a vibratory movement between two yielding contact plates k¹, k², one
of them, k¹, being in electric communication with one pole of the electro magnet H,
and the other, 3, being electrically connected with the corresponding pole of the
electromagnet H¹. The opposite poles of the electro-magnets H and H¹ are con-
nected by wires h, h', with one pole of the battery I, the opposite pole of the
battery I being electrically connected at all times with the circuit maker and
breaker K by means of a wire i.
From this arrangement it follows that when the scriber arm G is moved in one
direction, for example, towards the bar A¹, as it will be when the base of the rail
is compressed, it will rock the circuit maker K into electrical contact with the
contact plate k¹, and the circuit will be complete, through the electro magnet H,
thereby drawing the scriber arm G2 towards it, and the scriber itself, carried by
the arm Ga, off to one side of its normal position, where it will make its record,
so long as the metal in the base of the rail under test, is compressed. The moment,
however, the base of the rail is elongated, as when the wheel of the passing train
is bearing on the section under test, the scriber arm G will be moved in the opposite
direction, and will swing the circuit maker K over into contact with the piece k²,
thereby breaking the circuit through the electro-magnet H, and completing the
circuit through the magnet H¹, and hence drawing the scriber arm G2 in the
opposite direction, and the scriber carried thereby will immediately describe a
transverse line from its former position across its normal position to the opposite
side of its normal line, and there will remain so long as the metal of the rail is
elongated. When the metal of the rail returns to normal, the scriber arm G will
return the circuit maker K to its normal position, intermediate of, and out of
contact with, both the pieces k¹, 2, and the scriber arm Ga will, by means of a
spring, be returned to its normal position between the magnets H, H¹, where
its scriber will again follow the normal line.

page_text: The scriber carried by the arm G³, may be made to reverse the positions of its
record for compression and record for elongation, by simply changing the wires
leading from the circuit maker K to the poles of the magnets H, H, from the
one magnet to the other.
The scriber carried by the arm G³ is caused to make a record which will
determine both the speed of the train and the particular wheel of the moving
train which was on the section of rail being tested at the moment of any transverse
or abnormal movement of the scribers carried by the arm G or G¹, or both, which
is accomplished as follows:
The scriber arm G³ carries an armature of an electro-magnet H2, which, when
energized, holds the armature, and hence the scriber arm, toward the magnet
against the tension of the scriber-arm actuating spring g³, which spring tends to
draw the arm G3 away from the magnet whenever the magnet is deenergized.
The magnet H2 is in circuit with the battery I, and with several track treadles,
in the present instance, three, as follows:-
One of the track treadles denoted by L is located adjacent to the rail at a point
as nearly central as may be of the rail section under test. It consists simply of
a pivoted arm held normally by a spring in position to close the circuit in the
wire m leading from one pole to the battery I, through the electro magnet H²,
so that, as each wheel of the passing train engages the treadle L, it will break
circuit momentarily, permitting the scriber arm G³ to swing away from the
magnet H, but the moment the wheel passes, the circuit will again be closed,
and the scriber arm will be drawn back toward the magnet H³.
At a convenient distance along the track from the treadle L in that direction
from which the train is supposed to be approaching the instrument, a second track
treadle L' is located, and is constructed to momentarily break the circuit in the
wire m, and again close the circuit under the impulse of the pilot wheel of the
locomotive, the arrangement being such, that the further passing of the wheels
of the moving train will not affect it. A simple and convenient structure for
this purpose is represented in the drawings, in which the treadle which the wheel
engages is in the form of a pivoted latch which catches over an abutment n on a
longitudinally sliding bar N, the latter being under the influence of a spring n',
tending to slide it the moment it is released by the latch treadle L'. The sliding
bar N carries a circuit making and breaking piece, consisting of an insulating
section n², in proximity to the ends of which there are circuit making sections n³, n².
This circuit making and breaking piece is arranged to slide between two yield-
ing contact pieces n³, no, interposed in the wire m, so that when the treadle L¹ is
depressed by the pilot wheel of the locomotive, the bar N, in sliding longitudinally
under the tension of its actuating spring, will, during its movement, interpose
between the contact pieces no, no, the insulating section n², and will thereby
momentarily break the circuit, deenergizing the magnet H2, and permitting the
scriber arm G³ to vibrate as before.
This break, however, will be but momentary, as the circuit will again be com-
plete by the interposing of the circuit making section at the end of the insulating
section between the contact pieces n5, n. The bar N having once been released,
is no longer affected by the vibratory movement of the treadle L', under the
impulse of the succeeding wheels of the train.
At a predetermined distance from the treadle L¹, there is located a similar
treadle L. This distance is preferably forty-four or eighty-eight feet, for the
purpose of easy computation, and it may be found desirable to locate the treadle L'
a corresponding distance from the treadle L, in order that the space on the record
between the vibrations of the scriber arm G³ as the train reaches the treadle L2
and L, may be repeated as the train reaches the treadles L' and L. From one
of the contact pieces at the treadle L2, the wire m³ returns to the opposite pole of
the battery I, to complete the circuit.
There is further interposed in the circuit through the track treadles, a clock O,
arranged for convenience to beat seconds, and to make and break the circuit at

page_text: each swing of the pendulum. The clock O may be switched into and out of
circuit at pleasure by means of a switch P.
In practice, the instrument having been applied to the rail to be tested, and the
parts adjusted in position for making the record, the observer, as the train
approaches, and a sufficient time before it reaches the treadle L2, will set the
receiving plate of the instrument in motion, and will switch the clock O into
circuit, causing a series of spaces to be recorded on the receiving plate by the
scriber arm G³, corresponding to seconds of time. Just before the train reaches
the treadle L2, the clock will be switched out of circuit, and the pilot wheels of
the locomotive operating the treadles L2 and L' will, as above described, produce
a record spaced on the receiving plate corresponding to a distance of eighty-eight
feet, or whatever the distance may be between the treadles L³ and L. A com-
parison of the second spaces recorded on the plate, with the space corresponding
to eighty-eight feet, or any predetermined number of feet, will enable the observer
to determine the speed of the train at the time of its passing.
As the successive wheels pass the treadle L, they will make a succession of
records, one for each wheel that passes, and these records will be
made simultaneously with the records of elongation and compression of
the section under test, so that by noticing the record of the greatest
elongation or compression, and noting the relation which the wheel record
opposite this record of greatest elongation and compression bears to the first wheel
record, the observer may determine just what wheel was over or adjacent to the
rail section under test at the moment this record of greatest elongation or com-
pression was made.
If it be desired to multiply the effect of the scriber arm G or G¹, one or both,
the scriber may be carried by an auxiliary Q, pivoted at g; and loosely connected
by a link Q, pivoted at q¹, with an arm Q2 pivoted at q², and loosely connected
with the scriber arm G, the connection of the arm G with the arm Q₁ being nearer
its fulcrum than the point where the link is connected with it, and the link being
connected with the arm Q at a point nearer than the point where the scriber is
located, the scriber being still in alignment with the axis of the arm G.
It is obvious that instead of the annular record receiving plate herein shown,
I may employ a flat plate arranged to move horizontally along the scriber point,
or I may employ a plate in the form of a ribbon, and feed it continuously along
in engagement with the point of the scriber in any well-known or approved form.
It is obvious that one or more of the auxiliary records which have been herein-
above described, may be made in connection with the primary record at pleasure,
and that changes in the form and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to
without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not
wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth; but
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. An instrument for testing rails under moving trains, comprising a scriber,
means for securing the scriber to the rail, to move in consonance with the elonga-
tion and compression of, the rail, a record receiver, and means for moving the
record receiver continuously along in engagement with the point of the scriber
in a direction transverse to that in which the scriber moves, substantially as set
forth.
2. The combination with a scriber, and means for securing it to a rail, of a
record receiver and means for moving the record receiver along in engagement
with the scriber point simultaneously in different directions, substantially as set
forth.
3. The combination with a scriber and means for securing it to the rail to move
in consonance with the elongation and compression of the rail, of a cylindrical
record receiver in position, to engage with the point of the scriber, means for

page_text: rotating the cylindrical receiver, and means for moving the cylindrical receiver
bodily, simultaneously with its rotary movement, and in a direction at an angle
thereto, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a record receiver and means for moving it continuously,
of a plurality of scriber arms, and means for securing the scriber arms to the rail,
to move in consonance with the elongation and compression of the rail, with their
points in engagement with the record receiver, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with a scriber and means for attaching it to the rail, to move
in consonance with the elongation. and compression of the rail, of a cylindrical
record receiver, a hollow spindle on which the receiver is mounted, the said spindle
being provided with an interior screw thread, means for rotating the hollow
spindle, and a fixed screw-threaded stud engaged with the interior of the hollow
spindle, whereby the rotary movement of the hollow spindle causes the spindle
to move bodily along the screw, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with a scriber and means for securing it to the rail, of an
annular record receiver, a spindle having a tapered seat for the reception of the
annular record receiver, and means for rotating the spindle, substantially as set
forth.
7. The combination with a scriber, a record receiver, and means for securing
them in position, to record the elongation and compression of the rail, of a second
scriber secured in position to form a reference line on the record receiver, sub-
stantially as set forth.
8. The combination with a scriber, a record receiver, & means for securing them
in position, to record the elongation and compression of the rail, of a second
scriber, and means, under the control of the first-named scriber, for operating the
second-named scriber, to distinguish the record of elongation from that of com-
pression, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination with a scriber, a record receiver, and means for securing
them in position to record the elongation and compression of a rail, of a second
scriber, electro-magnets for operating the second scriber, an electric circuit,
including a source of electric energy, for energizing the magnets, and a circuit
maker and breaker under the control of the first named scriber, to operate the
second scriber, to distinguish the record of compression from that of elongation,
substantially as set forth.
10. The combination with a scriber, a record receiver, and means for securing
them to a rail to record the elongation and compression of a rail, of a second scriber,
an electro magnet for operating the scriber, an electric circuit including a source
of electric energy for energizing the magnet, and a track treadle located in the
neighbourhood of said recording mechanism, for making and breaking the circuit,
to operate the second scriber, and thereby indicate the particular wheel of the
passing train corresponding to any particular record of elongation or compression
of the rail, substantially as set forth.
11. The combination with mechanism for recording the elongation and com-
pression of a rail under a moving train, of a scriber arranged to operate in con-
nection with the aforesaid mechanism, an electric circuit, including a source of
electric energy, for operating the said scriber, track treadles located at a predeter-
mined distance apart along the track, for interrupting the electric circuit, and a
clock interposed in said circuit for interrupting the circuit at predetermined
intervals of time, whereby the said scriber is caused to make a record, to determine
the speed of the passing train, substantially as set forth.
12. The combination with recording mechanism for determining the elongation
and compression of the rail, of auxiliary scribers working in connection with said
recording mechanism, one to distinguish the record of compression from that of
elongation and another to make a record of speed of the passing train, and of the
particular wheel of the passing train corresponding to a particular record of elonga-
tion or compression, substantially as set forth.
13. The combination with the record receiver and means for operating it, of a

page_text: scriber arm, means for connecting the scriber arm to the rail, to move in con-
sonance with the elongation and compression of the rail, an auxiliary scriber arm
carrying the scriber, and pivoted to a fixed support, and a connection between
the primary and auxiliary scriber arms, for increasing the movement of the scriber
relative to the movement of the primary scriber arm, substantially as set forth.
14. The combination with the scriber arm, means for connecting it to the rail
to move in consonance with the elongation and compression of the rail, and a
record receiver, of a scriber consisting of a semi-disc having a stem projecting
laterally therefrom, substantially as set forth.
15. As an article of manufacture and sale, a record plate bearing, on its face,
a line interrupted at intervals by short lines extending transversely to the main
line, and corresponding to the amount of elongation and compression of a rail
during the passage of a series of wheels of a passing train, substantially as set
forth.
Dated this Trantroirth day of Tunus 1898