Improvements in or connected with Railway Rail-joints.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 25th Mar.,
1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Rail-joints.
1, MAX FRIEDLAENDER of 6, Seller Strasse, Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an auxiliary safety-rail to be placed outside the track at
every joint of the main rails, and is an improvement of the safety-rail patented by
me and Max Josephson on Nov. 17th, 1890, under No. 18524.
In my improved construction I employ a straight safety-rail, which is mentioned
as a modification in the said Patent, and in order to ensure an easier passage of the
wheels from the main-rails to the safety-rails and vice-versa, I have either bent the
whole safety-rail longitudinally or bevelled part of the head at its ends, so that
the extremities of the head present an inclined surface, on which the car-wheels are
gradually made to pass from the main-rails to the safety-rails. This construction I
have used some time since, but I have found that it does not completely do away
with all shocks during the passage of the wheels over the joints.
The reason of this is the following: It is known that the tread of a wheel
does not wear equally, but that the greatest wear occurs near the flange, and
the slightest wear at the opposite edge of the tread. Thus the outer edge of
the tread soon forms a projection or flange over the main part of the same.
Now, when employing the form of construction described in the said Patent
No. 18524, it is obvious that the wheel when worn to some extent, will bear
upon
the safety-rail chiefly with the before mentioned flange formed at its outer
edge. The wheel is then supported in a very unfavourable way, and the
construction in this case does not prevent the bumping of the cars when passing
over the joints, and thus fails to fulfil its purpose.
In order to avoid the mentioned defect I cut away part of the head of the
safety-rail, so that the rail presents a sloping surface transversally to the track
and a space is provided in which the before mentioned outer flange of the
wheel may revolve without touching the rail; thus the wheel bears upon the
auxiliary rail with the same or almost the same part of its tread with which it rolls
upon the main-rails. It will be well understood that the sloping surface may be
formed when manufacturing the rails. It will be furthur understood that the
head of the rail may be of any appropriate section, and is not absolutely necessary
to employ a sloping surface as shown; the main point is to provide a space in
which the herein before mentioned outer flange of the wheel may revolve without
touching the rail.
To make my meaning clearer, I will proceed to describe my improvements by the
aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is an upper view of a joint provided with my improved safety-rail, as
generally constructed when employing double-headed bulb-rails.
Fig. 2 is a side-elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 a sectional elevation taken on line x-x of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a similar sectional elevation showing my said improvements in the case
of bulb-head flanged rails.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the different figures.
The auxiliary rail is a piece of rail a of sufficient length to reach from one
sleeper to the next one, (when cross-sleepers are employed). The main rails e and
safety-rail a are held by chairs, which are secured to the sleepers in the usual
way by spikes or bolts and are of greater breadth than the ordinary chairs.
In order to ensure a close contact of the main-rail and the auxiliary rail, so that

page_text: both heads are perfectly side by side, I insert a wedge-like piece of wood wor
other suitable material. The safety-rail is provided at its ends with inclined
portions a¹.
It will be seen at Figs. 3 & 4, that the outer part of the head of the auxiliary-
rail is bevelled transversally to the track, as shown at g, and the same figures show
that the flange b produced on the tread t of the wheel c by unequal wear finds space
to pass over the rail without touching the same. In consequence of the head of the
auxiliary-rail a being provided with the mentioned slopes a¹ and g, there remains
but a curviform portion of the original surface of the head h, as will be seen at
Fig. 1. The ends of this curvilinear portion are sharp points, and thus it will be
seen, that my improved form of construction, while overcoming the difficulties which
it is intended to prevent, also ensures an easier passage of the wheels than the
original construction described in Patent No. 18524. The tread t of the wheel c
passes quite gradually from the main-rail on the safety-rail, as it comes in contact
with the latter only at one point at first, and as the bearing surface of the auxiliary
rail increases gradually, said bearing surface being greatest when the wheel is
supported mainly by the safety-rail, that is to say at the joint proper.
When employing bulb-head flanged rails, as shown at Fig. 4, the construction of
the safety-rail is substantially the same, but in order to be able to place the heads
of the rails perfectly side by side, I cut away half the base of the auxiliary rail, or
employ a rail having a base but on one side, as described in the aforementioned
Patent. In this case the rails are generally secured to the sleepers not by means
of chairs, but directly by means of spikes, and are connected to each other by means
of fish-plates.
I may secure the auxiliary-rail absolutely independent of the main-rails, but I
may connect also the said rails by means of fish-plates, providing a suitable fish-
plate between the main-rails and the auxiliary-rail, as shown at i in Figs. 3 & 4.
As already mentioned, I may employ as auxiliary rail any rail having a suitable
section of the head, that is to say, permitting the flange formed on the wheel by
unequal wear to pass over the auxiliary rail without touching the same.
Dated this 19th day of May 1892.
MAX FRIEDLAENDER,
By Geo. H. Rayner,
37, Chancery Lane, Loudon, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Rail-joints.
1, MAX FRIEDLAENDER of 6 Seller Strasse, Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 auxiliary safety-rail to be placed outside the track
at every joint of the main rails, and is an improvement of the safety-rail patented
by me and Max Josephsohn on Nov. 17th, 1890 under No. 18524.
In my improved construction I employ a straight safety-rail, which is mentioned
as a modification in the said Patent, and in order to ensure an easier passage of the
wheels from the main-rails to the safety-rails and vice-versa, I have either bent the
whole safety-rail longitudinally or bevelled part of the head at its ends, so that
the extremities of the head present an inclined surface, on which the car-wheels
are gradually made to pass from the main-rails to the safety-rails. This con-
struction have used some time since, but I have found that it does not completely
do away with all shocks during the passage of the wheels over the joints.
The reason of this is the following:
It is known, that the tread of a wheel does not wear equally, but that the greatest

page_text: wear occurs near the flange, and the slightest wear at the opposite edge of the
tread. Thus the outer edge of the tread soon forms a projection or flange over
the main part of the same. Now, when employing the form of construction
described in the said Patent No. 18524, it is obvious that the wheel when worn to
some extent, will bear upon the safety-rail chiefly with the before mentioned flange
formed at its outer edge. The wheel is then supported in a very unfavourable way,
and the construction in this case does not prevent the bumping of the cars when
passing over the joints, and thus fails to fulfil its purpose.
In order to avoid the mentioned defect I cut away part of the head of the safety-
rail, so that the rail presents a sloping surface transversally to the track and a
space is provided in which the before mentioned outer flange of the wheel may
revolve without touching the rail; thus the wheel bears upon the auxiliary rail
with the same or almost the same part of its thread with which it rolls upon the
main-rails. It will be well understood that the sloping surface may be formed
when manufacturing the rails. It will be further understood that the head of the
rail may be of any appropriate section, and is not absolutely necessary to employ
a sloping surface as shown; the main point is to provide a space in which the
herein before mentioned outer flange of the wheel may revolve without touching
the rail.
To make my meaning clearer, I will proceed to describe my improvements by the
aid of the drawings sent in with Provisional Application, in which:
Fig. 1 is an upper view of a joint provided with my improved safety-rail, as
generally constructed when employing double-headed bulb-rails.
Fig. 2 is a side-elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 a sectional elevation taken on line - of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a similar sectional elevation showing my said improvements in the case
of bulb-head flanged rails.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the different figures.
The auxiliary rail is a piece of rail a in sufficient length to reach from one sleeper
to the next one, (when cross-sleepers are employed). The main rails e and safety-
rail a are held by chairs f, which are secured to the sleepers in the usual way by
spikes or bolts s and are of greater breadth than the ordinary chairs. In order to
ensure a close contact of the main-rail and the auxiliary rail, so that both heads
are perfectly side by side, I insert a wedge-like piece of wood wor other suitable
material. The safety-rail is provided at its ends with inclined portions a¹.
ول
It will be seen at Figs. 3 & 4, that the outer part of the head h of the auxiliary-
rail is bevelled transversally to the track, as shown at g, and the same figures show
that the flange b produced on the tread t of the wheel c by unequal wear finds space
to pass over the rail without touching the same. In consequence of the head h of
the auxiliary-rail a being provided with the mentioned slopes a¹ and there
remains but a curviform portion of the original surface of the head h, as will be
seen at Fig. 1. The ends of this curvilinear portion are sharp points, and thus it
will be seen, that my improved form of construction, while overcoming the difficulties
which it is intended to prevent, also ensures an easier passage of the wheels than the
original construction described in Patent No. 18524. The tread t of the wheel c
passes quite gradually from the main-rail on the safety rail, as it comes in contact
with the latter only at one point at first, and as the bearing surface of the auxiliary
rail increases gradually, said bearing surface being greatest when the wheel is
supported mainly by the safety-rail, that is to say at the joint proper.
When employing bulb-head flanged rails, as shown at Fig. 4, the construction of
the safety-rail is substantially the same, but in order to be able to place the heads
of the rails perfectly side by side, I cut away half the base of the auxiliary rail,
or employ a rail having a base but on one side, as described in the afore mentioned
Patent. In this case the rails are generally secured to the sleepers not by means
of chairs, but directly by means of spikes, and are connected to each other by
means of fish-plates.
I may secure the auxiliary-rail absolutely independent of the main-rails, but

page_text: I may connect also the said rails by means of fish-plates, providing a suitable
fish-plate between the main-rails and the auxiliary-rail, as shown at i in Figs. 3 & 4.
As already mentioned, I may employ as auxiliary rail any rail having a suitable
section of the head, that is to say. permitting the flange formed on the wheel by
unequal wear to pass over the auxiliary rail without touching the same.
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:-
A safety-rail, arranged close by the side of the main-rail and connected there-
with, having its head formed in such a manner, that a space is provided, in which
the outer flange of the wheel may revolve, without touching the rail, substantially
and for the purpose as described.
Dated this 10th 1
1000
MAX FRIEDLAENDER,
By Geo. H. Rayner,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.