Improvements in the Construction of Rails for Tramways and Railways, and in the Means for Connecting the Lengths of Rails and also Two Lines of a Track together.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Rails for Tramways and
Railways, and in the Means for Connecting the Lengths of
Rails and also Two Lines of a Track together.
I, NICOLAS FITZGERALD, of No. 161 Calle Maipu, Buenos Ayres, in the Argentine
Republic, Tramway 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:—
The objects of my invention are:-
1. To so construct the rails for tramways and railways that same will not require
to be fixed upon sleepers, but can be laid directly upon and bedded in the ground
upon which the track is laid, without any risk of same shifting thereon.
2. To provide means for jointing or connecting the contiguous or adjacent ends of
two lengths of rails together, so as to prevent all chance of same moving in relation
to each other in a vertical plane, and
3. To provide means for connecting two lines of rails forming a track so that same
may be readily and securely held at the proper distance apart.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a rail showing my improvements applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a rail showing the improved tie bar for connecting
the two lines of a track to each other, and
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of Fig. 2.
The head A of the rail may be of any suitable section (either grooved or not) and
the under side of its base A¹ instead of being flat is dished, and is preferably of
inverted V form and spread out and enlarged so as to form a solid base which will
rest upon and bed into the soil or material upon which the track is to be laid, thus
doing away with the necessity for the employment of sleepers to receive the rails.
The dished form of the base prevents the shifting of one set of rails of a track side-
ways in relation to the other set; and the extended form of base prevents the rails
from sinking in the soil.
The rails may be laid so that the head thereof either projects above or is level with
the surface of the road, as may be desired.
The 2nd and 3rd features of my invention are applicable to rails of any con-
struction.
In carrying out the 2nd feature of my invention, in each end of the lengths of
rail I form a recess in or cut away a portion of the web of the rail, so that when
two lengths of rail are placed in line, a recess or opening is formed of such shape.
that the two lengths may be keyed together and prevented from moving in relation
to each other in a vertical plane. Over the joint formed by two abutting lengths
of rails I place fish plates B of any suitable construction, in the centre of which is
an opening corresponding in shape to that of the parts cut away from the adjacent
ends of the lengths of rail to be joined, and in a position to coincide therewith when
the fish plates are applied to the rails.
A lock bolt is employed, the portion C of which is shaped to fit the opening in
the fish plates and that formed by the parts cut away from the web of the rails, the
whole being so shaped as to prevent any turning or twisting of the parts in relation
to each other. A nut D screws on to the end of the lock bolt, the end of which is
circular and tapped to receive same, such nut serving to tighten and hold the whole
firmly together. In the drawings the part C of the lock bolt and the holes or
openings through which it passes are shown as of rectangular form, but it will be
understood that same may be of any other suitable form which will have the effect

page_text: of keying or locking the ends of the two rails together and preventing same moving
in relation to each other in a vertical plane.
The fish plates B may be further secured to the ends of the rails by bolts E
situated at any suitable points, and either keying or not with the web of the rail or
with the fish plates, or both.
The improved form of joint described will ensure the connection of the adjacent
ends of rails in such a way as to preveni all movement between two lengths in a
vertical plane, while providing the same facilities as hitherto for the expansion and
contraction of such rails owing to variations of temperature.
The passage of vehicles or rolling stock over such joints will therefore not be
subject to the objectionable jolting or jar which usually occurs, as the two lengths of
rail will be connected so as to form practically one continuous rail, and wear and
tear both of the rails and the rolling stock will also be greatly diminished.
The improved form of tie bar which I employ for connecting the two lines of rail of
a track together consists of bars F which may be arranged at any suitable distances
apart in the length of such rails, and the ends of which are of rectangular or other
suitable section and pass 'through holes of corresponding form made through the
webs of the rails, so as to key with such rails and be prevented from turning in
the holes through which they pass.
In the ends of the tie bars. F holes are formed in such a position, that when the
two lines of rails have been set to the proper guage, some of such holes will be
on one side of each line of rail, while another or other holes will be on the other
side thereof, and preferably in a central position between the other holes on the
opposite side of the rail.
I preferably employ three holes in each end of the tie bar F (as shown in the
drawing) and arrange them so that when in the proper position two of the holes in
each end are outside each line of rails, while the third hole is inside the rails, and
occupies a central position between the other two. The space between the adjacent
ends of the two sets of holes is rather less than the thickness of the web of the
rails.
A key or wedge G is driven into each of the boies in the ends of the tie bars F,
such keys or wedges when driven in clamping the tie bars firmly to the rails and
thus preventing all chance of the two sets of rails moving from the guage to which
they are set.
The ends of the keys are preferably split so that after they have been driven
home their ends may be slightly opened out, so as to prevent same working
loose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A rail having a dished and preferably extended base, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
2. The improved joint for connecting two lengths of rail consisting in a lock bolt
formed so as to engage and key with an opening formed by parts cut away from the
adjacent ends of such rails, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The improved tie bar for connecting two lines of a track of rails, such bar
having holes in each end thereof to receive keys or wedges, and so arranged that the
keys or wedges when inserted will clamp the web of the rails between them, substan-
tially as specified.
Dated this 12th day of September 1889
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.