IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY RAILS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey Gentleman do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY RAILS
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This Invention relates to compound rails, and its object is to secure as far as
practicable, a continuous tread upon which the wheels can travel so as to reduce
wholly or partially the jars produced by the passage of the wheels over the
transverse joints of the heads or treads of the rails. Many devices for this general
purpose have heretofore been devised.
The leading features of the Invention are the division of the rail and its tread
into three parts so that there is no continuous transverse joint for more than two
parts, and the construction of the three parts or members so that there may be no
vertical movement between the three narrow treads composing the tread of the
compound rail so that the members may not open or spread at the divisions of the
tread and so that the expansion and contraction of the members may not cause the
rail to buckle or strain.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a vertical transverse section of the compound
rail taken through the broken line x. x of Figure 3.
Figure 2 represents a similar partial section thereof with the forms of certain
parts varied.
Figure 4 is an end view of an ordinary base or flange rail and represents portions
of it removed so that the compound rail may form a junction with it.
Figures 5 and 6 represent similar partial sections of Figure 1 with certain parts
varied.
The said compound rail as represented in said Drawings consists essentially of
three members, viz., the central member A and two lateral or side members B
and B¹ and each of these three members is constructed essentially with a tread-
which the wheels traverse and with a base or flange, the base of the compound
rail being adapted to rest on the wooden cross ties or other support and to be
secured by the common railway spiko.

page_text: In the Drawings the tread of the central member is designated and the treads
of the lateral or side members are designated respectively e and e¹. The base of
the central member is designated fand the broad bases or flanges of the lateral
members are designated respectively band b'. The central and the two side
members are combined laterally as shown in Figure 1 and longitudinally as shown
in Figure 3 so that the members break joint in the direction of the length of the
rail and that the treads of the three members combine to form a three part tread
for the wheels without a through transverse joint at any place. The three
members are secured together by means of transverse scrow bolts as shown in
Figure 1 where the stems of the screw bolts are shown to pass through holes
formed in the webs I. i. . of the three members. On Figure 1 the bolts are
shown smaller than the bolt holes to allow for longitudinal expansion and
contraction between the members; so that the rail may not buckle or strain.
In order that the side members may have the requisite elasticity to keep a
constant strain on the bolts the side members B B¹ are constructed with their
inner surfaces concave so that cavities and l' Figure 1 are formed at each sido of
the central member and that the side members bear against the central member
only at their treads.and at or adjacent to their bases or flanges and to insure the
contact of the three members at the tread and to keep them from opening or
spreading at the divisions of the tread these cavities are prolonged nearly to the
surface of the tread and the bearings of the trends e. e'. of the side members B B'
against the side of the tread & of the central member A are made narrow as shown
in Figure 1. The cavities . . opernte incidentally to prevent the permanent
distension of the three part head of the rail by dirt entering the longitudinal
seams because the divergence of the sides of these cavities l. 1. permits the dirt to
be worked downward by the vibration of the rails under the passage of the train.
In order that there may be no vertical movement between the three narrow treads
composing the tread of the compound rail the three members are constructed in
such manner that a vertical pressure on the central member shall be communicated
to both side members and on the other hand that a vertical pressure on one or both-
of the side members shall be communicated to the central member. In order that
the, central member A may be firmly sustained by the side members B. B¹. the
sides of the base of the central member are constructed with inclined
shoulders m. m². which are received upon corresponding inclined ledges n: n¹.
of the side members. One mode of arranging these shoulders and ledges is
represented in Figure 1 where the inclined shoulders m. m. are constructed upon
the base or flange f of the central member A and bear upon corresponding
inclined ledges n. n. of the lateral or side members B. B¹. Figure 5 shows the
shoulders drawn at a more acute angle and in Figure 6 the shoulders are shown
curved. Instead of constructing, the said side shoulders at the edges of the flange
or base of the central member they may be constructed upon the bottom of the
web of the central member A as represented in Figure 2 the ledges on the side
members B B being formed at corresponding parts thereof. In order on the other
hand that the base or flange of the central membor A may participate in the
support of the tread of the side members B B¹ the side membors are constructed
with bearings g. g. which are horizontal or thereabouts and which are applied to
corresponding bearings j. j. of the central member. The pressure of the bolts K
on the two side members B B¹ to bring them together will at the same time force
the shoulders m. m². against the ledges n. n. and the bearings j. j. against the
bearings g. g'.
The rail thus described may extend throughout the length of the track the
three members being so combined as to break joints transversely.
The compound rail may be connected to an ordinary base or flange rail by
removing a portion of the tread and a portion of the flanges from each side of the
ordinary base or flange rail; thus if in Figure 4 the portions marked v. v. v. and v
are removed from the ordinary base or flange rail the remaining portion will
coincide with the central member shown in Figure 1. By this means the

page_text: compound rail may be used as a long fished joint connecting two ordinary base or
Bange rails; or a track laid with the compound rails may be joined to a siding
or to another track laid with the ordinary base or flange rail.
Having thus described the best mode known of embodying the Invention for
practical use I declare that I am aware that many compound rails have been
previously constructed and also that some of these have been composed of three
members of some kind and also that compound rails having the troad divided or
split in two parts have been tried on several railroads.
I claim as the Invention to be secured by Letters Patent :-
First. The compound rail constructed of three members substantially as
described.
Second. The compound rail constructed substantially as described of a central
member having a narrow tread and a flanged base combined with two side
members each of which has a narrow tread and a flanged base the three when
combined forming a compound rail with a three part tread and a three part base.
Third. The combination substantially as before set forth of the central member
of the rail having a narrow tread a flanged base side bearings for the side members.
of the rail and inclined shoulders with two side members each having a narrow
tread a flanged baso a bearing to rest upon the flanged base of the central member
and an inclined ledge to sustain the inclined shoulders of the central member; the
said three members when combined forming a central and side momber supporting
compound rail having a three part tread and a three part base with the central
member sustained by the side members and the side members sustained by the
central member.
Fourth. The combination substantially as before set forth of the central
member of the rail having a narrow tread a flanged base side bearings for the side
members of the rail and inclined shoulders with two side members each having
a narrow tread a flanged base a concave inner side a bearing to rest upon the
flanged base of the central member and an inclined ledgo to sustain the inclined
shoulders of the central member the said three members when combined forming
a central and side member supporting elastic compound rail having a three part
tread and a three part base with the central member sustained by the side member
and the side members sustained by the central member.
Fifth. The combination of the compound rail constructed of three members
substantially as described with an ordinary base or flange rail having portions of
each side of its head and of each side of its base removed as described.
Dated this 27th day of May 1884.