Improvements in Joints for Railway and Tramway Rails, and for Beams and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec.,
1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Joints for Railway and Tramway Rails, and for
Beams and the like.
We, JACOB EDWIN SMITH, Inventor, and EDWIN FREDERICK ROWSE,
Gentleman, both residing at Homestead, in the County of Allegheny and State of
Pennsylvania one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what mauner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to fastenings for railroad rails, street car rails, Trails, and,
in fact, for all rails and beams used for any purpose for traffic and in the construc-
tion of buildings, bridges and wherever it is required to use iron beams and couple
the ends together. It is particularly well adapted for rails designed to support
rolling stock, as it practically makes a continuous rail and obviates independent
vibration of the opposing ends of two rails on the approach and passage of the
wheels of a loaded car, thus preserving the road-bed at the joints of the rails by
preventing the usual vibration and jarring of the rail ends; this preservation of
the road-bed at the rail joints being an important practical advantage of my
invention, as it has heretofore required more labor to keep up the road-bed at
the rail joints than at any other points of the road. The jolt or jar incident
to the wheels of a train passing over the joints between the rails is too well
known to the traveling public to require an extended description of the same,
and the inconvenience and annoyance caused by such jolting has frequently been
complained of and deterred persons in ill health from traveling by rail.
The present invention aims to provide a splice or coupling between the ends of
rails or beams which will make them practically continuous, and when applied
to railroad and street car rails will wholly obviate any jolt or vibration of the
ends of the rails when the wheels of a car are passing thereover.
This independent vibration of the rails is the chief cause of the loosening of
the fastenings at the joints or fish plates, thereby necessitating the employment
of men to walk the tracks and tighten the nuts of the fastening bolts. By my
invention the vibration is reduced to a minimum and the fastenings are not so
quickly loosened, hence the track walker can cover at least twice the amount of
ground as heretofore. Suppose the distance previously covered by one track-
walker by the old method of laying the rails to be about two miles, by my invention,
the same person in the same time, say one day, will cover about four miles, or twice
the distance heretofore covered, hence the advantage of 'the invention viewed from.
an economic point of view, not to say anything of the ease and convenience to the
traveler by tho absence of the jolt and jar now so common.
The preferred form.of coupling is T-shaped, or approximately so, and adapted to
enter or be fitted into notches in the ends of the rails, said notohes being provided
in the web portion of the rail-ends.
The improvement also cousists of side pieces or segments to overlap the joint
between the rails and hold the coupling in place, said segments being secured to
or forming an integral part of the coupling, as found most convenient, the latter
construction being preferable. These segments have depending lugs at their
ends to interlock with slot openings formed in the foot of each contiguous end
of the rails, thereby forming a firm and effectual joint to effect the desired
result, while the said slots permit of the expansion and contraction of the rails.
The improvement further consists of splice bars to be used in connection with the
coupling to strengthen the joint and brace the same firmly and securely.

page_text: The splice bars are arranged one on each side of the web portion of the rails
and have a portion intermediate of their ends removed to receive the segments of
the coupling.
The improvement consists furthermore of the details of construction and novel
features which will be referred to hereinafter, and which are shown in the accom-
panying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail showing the application of the invention';
Figure 2 is a side view of the coupling showing it fitted in the notches formed in
the adjacent ends of two rails :
Figure 3 is a detail view showing the manner of placing the compling in place;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the coupling; Figure 5 is a top plau view of
the same;
Figure 6 is a detail view of one of the splice bars; and
Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the adjacent rail ends.
The invention is shown in its more. general application in the annexed drawings,
in which A and B represent railroad rails of ordinary construction, the ends being
provided with notches C to receive the coupling D, and having elongated openings
or slots E in the foot or base flange a short distance from the ends to receive lugs f
pendent froin the lower edges of the side pieces or segments F. This coupling
may have various forms and shapes so long as it will interlock with the auds of the
rails and cause them to move together as one piece, but is preferably formed, as
shown, of a substantially T-shape, the head of the coupling being formed with a
perfectly flat horizontal top D', and the notches C in the ends of the rail webs are
of corresponding shape to receive and form a close joint with the said coupling,
having the horizontal top shoulders which rest upon the horizontal top D¹ of
the coupling block. .
It will be seen that by this construction, when the rails contract the straight
horizontal shoulders O will always keep in the plane with and rest upon the flat
horizontal top D' of the coupling block, thus giving a solid bearing to the rail ends,
both when expanded and contracted, so that it will be impossible for the rail ends
to give down at any time under the pressure of the wheels passing over them, which
might, during contraction of the rails, occur, were this bearing a curved instead of
a perfectly horizontal one. But, in order to provide an absolutely reliable contact
between the shoulder D' of the coupling block D and rail, I insert between said
block and the rail head a contact and bearing plate a, as shown in Figure 2.
The parallel side pieces or segments F, F, overlap the joint between the ends
of the rails, fitting snugly on each side of the rail webs, and have lugs pendent
from their lower edges to enter the slot openings E, and are provided one for
each side of the rail, and are formed, preferably, integral with the coupling block D.
The segments may, however, be formed separate, when desired, and secured to the
coupling block by bolts, rivets, or in any desired manner.
The lower edges of the segments rest upon the foot-flange of the rails, and their
upper edges curve from the middle towards each end; the segment on the inner
side of the rails being formed with two lugs at each end extending down from its
lower edge and passing through two corresponding slot openings E in the base
flange on the inner side of the rail, while the outer segment has one lug depending
from each end and entering a corresponding opening in the outer base flange; or
two lugs at each end, when desired. By this arrangement the openings in the
rail flanges are not directly opposite each other, thereby preventing any weakening
of the rails at that point.
2
The number of lugs employed may of course be varied according to the length
which the segments are made, as the nature of the rails, the purpose for which they
are intended, may direct.
The lower horizontal edges of the segments rest upon the base flanges of the
rails, and their upper edges curve from the middle towards each end; "the lower
outer part of each segment being rabbetted at 'F' to receive the inner edge of the
horizontal lower portion of the splice bar G.
"

page_text: The coupling is placed in position by elevating the ends of the rails to be coupled;
as shown in Figure 3, sufficient to admit of the T-head of the coupling entering
the deepest portion of the notches formed in the ends of the rails. After the
coupling is properly positioned, the elevated ends of the rails are lowered, when the
coupling will enter the notches in the ends of the rails and the parallel segments
will come one ou each side of the web of the rail. This operation also admits of the
proper entry of the lugs into the elongated openings E.
The coupling D fitting in the notched ends of the rails and the parallel segments
extending on each side of the web of the meeting rail ends, with their horizontal
lower edges resting upon tho base flanges and their bottom lugs seated in the
openings in said flanges, form a coupling device which of itself will secure the cn'ls
of the rails together firmly and securely; while additional strength and solidity are
secured by the splice bars G, which will be.uow described. Also the bottom lugs f
are inclined or beveled on their outer sides, so that when the weight of the car
wheels is passing over them, tending to press them down further in the opening E,
these inclined faces will operate to bring the two parallel segments F closer together
as they are pressed down, as will be readily understood.
The splice-bars G. one for each side of the rails have their middle portion cat
Bway to exactly receive the segments, and have each a horizontal base portion G¹
which rests upon the rail flange and is spiked to the ties at ' in the usual manner.
The bodies of the splice-bars are rectangular, their uppor edges fitting against the
uuder side of the head of the rail filling the space between the head and foot of
the rails and bracing the joint against vertical stress, and in this respect supplement
the action of the coupling.
1
When the coupling D, F, F, has been seated in position and the splice-bars G, G,
secured in position, their openings G' exactly receiving the segnients F, the outer
faces of which lie flush with the outer faces of the splice-bars, a joint is thus fornied
at the ends of the rails which is absolutely firm and solid, preventing all vibration
of the rail ends, and making the rails practically continuous'; while the rails are
actually stronger, and will resist more strain, at these joints than at any intermediate
points of their lengths.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim, is :-
1. The herein-described improved rail coupling, comprising two parallel side
pieces or segments, a T-shaped web or bar connecting said side pieces or segments,
and means for preventing displacement of said coupling, as set forth.
2. The berein-described improved rail coupling, coinprising two parallel side
pieces or segments having lugs or projections on their lower edges, a T-shaped
web or bar connecting said side pieces or segments, and means for engaging said
lugs and preventing displacement of said coupling, as set forth.
3. The herein-described improved rail coupling, comprising two parallel side
pieces or segments, a T-shaped web or coupling bar connecting said side pieces or
seginents, means for preventing displacement of said coupling, splice bars enclosing
said segments, and means for securing said splice bars in position, substantially us
set forth.
4. The herein-described improved rail coupling, comprising two parallel side-
pieces or segments of approximately semi-circular form, a T-shaped web or
coupling bar connecting said side pieces or segments, means for preventing
displacement of said coupling, splice-bars having approximately semi-circular
recesses designed to receive said side pieces or segments, and means for securing
said splice bars in position, substantially as set forth.
5. An approximately T-shaped coupling, having seats in the adjacent ends of
two rails, and side pieces secured to the coupling and having positive engagement
with the foot of the rails, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with two rails or beams baving notches in their ends, of a

page_text: coupling fitted in the notches, segments secured to the sides of the coupling and
having depending lugs to enter elongated openings in the foot of the rails, and
rectangular splice bars having their intermediate portions cut away to receive the
segments and having a horizontal portion to rest upou the foot of the rails,
substantially as specified...
7. A rail coupling comprising two parallel side pieces or segments, a T-shaped
web or coupling connecting said segments and provided with a flat upper surface,
means for preventing displacement of said segments, splice bars, and meaus for
securing the same in position, in combination with two rails provided with notches
in their ends, designed to receive Baid web or coupling, and having projecting
portions designed to rest on the flat surface of said coupling, substantially as eet
forth.
1
8. A rail coupling, comprising two parallel side pieces or segments, having lugs
projecting from their lower edges, a T-shaped web or coupling connecting said
segments and provided with a flat upper surface, splice-bars, and means for
securing the same in position, in combination with two rails provided with recesses
designed to receive the lugs of said segments and also having notches in their ends
designed to receive said T-shaped web or coupling, projecting portions of said
rails being designed to rest on the flat upper surface of said coupling, substantially
as set forth.
9. A rail coupling comprising two parallel side pieces or segments of approxi-
mately semi-circular form, having lugs projecting. from their lower edges, n
T-shaped web or coupling connecting said segments and provided with a flat
upper surface, splice-bars having approximately semi-circular recesses designed to
receive said segments, and means for securing said splice-bars in place, in com-
bination with two rails provided with recesses designed to receive the lugs of said
segments and also having notches in their ends designed to receive said T-shaped
web or coupling, projecting portions of said rails being designed to rest on the flat
upper surface of said coupling, substantially as set forth.
10. An approximately T-shaped coupling having seats in the adjacent ends of
two rails and side pieces secured to the coupling and having positive engagement
with the foot of the rails, in combination with the contact and bearing plate
Beated on said coupling, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 12th day of November 1895.